The view as Pep Guardiola opened his curtains in Tokyo last week was not a bad one. Right beneath the five-star Conrad Hotel stands the famous Hamarikyu Gardens.
Sixty-one acres of serenity, and one of the oldest gardens in Japan, it once served as an imperial retreat. Slightly different these days: Erling Haaland and John Stones went sunbathing one afternoon; Phil Foden and Nathan Ake had a wander around too.
It's in a permanent state of tranquillity, something Manchester City's manager and his sporting director Txiki Begiristain would not mind right now.