Gael Clichy admitted that the Manchester City players “have to take responsibility” for failing to implement Pep Guardiola’s plans as they went out Europe in Monaco on Wednesday night. Many of those defeated players are now likely to feel the consequences this summer.

Guardiola was furious with his players after the game, strengthening the suspicion that he is planning a major clear-out this summer of an ageing squad which is not going to get close to the Premier League or Champions League this season, the two trophies City want the most.

Clichy admitted that “of course there are going to be some new faces” this summer and there is now a prospect of Guardiola replacing older players who have struggled to implement his football with younger ones who can.

Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Danijel Subašić 8 out of 10 Had very little to do in the first-half but made some very important stops in the second, including a fine reaction stop to deny Aguero after the forward had raced through on goal. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Djibril Sidibé 7 Not quite as impressive as Mendy, but made a nuisance of himself whenever he got forward and largely kept the in-form Leroy Sane quiet. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Andrea Raggi 6 Imperious in the first-half, ran ragged in the second. At 32, he was always going to struggle against the pace of Sane but his positioning also let him down as City flooded forward late on. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Jemerson 6 Overplayed the ball on occasions and often guilty of making needlessly ambitious passes when there was a more simple option available. Did very well in the air though and denied Raheem Sterling in the second-half with a superb tackle. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Benjamin Mendy 8 The man of the match. No defender has more assists in this year’s Champions League than the 22-year-old. Dominated Sagna going forward. Dominated Sterling staying back. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Bernardo Silva 8 A typically bright performance from the forward. Always comfortable in possession and a threat whenever he picked up the ball and looked to play in one of Monaco’s forwards. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Fabinho 7 Took his goal very well, beating Caballero with a composed, first-time finish. Made a number of crucial tackles and interceptions, too. Getty Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Tiemoué Bakayoko 7 Not the 22-year-old’s finest performance with a number of his passes went awry, but what does that matter? Scored the winning goal, pouncing on an error from Kolarov to nod pass Caballero at close-range. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Thomas Lemar 7 A bright start from the winger who overlapped nicely with the excellent Mendy. It was his well-taken free-kick which led to Monaco’s pivotal third goal. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Valère Germain 7 Offered more of a physical threat than his strike partner. Won a number of his aerial duels with Kolarov and unlucky to see a long-range strike whistle over the bar in the first-half. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Kylian Mbappé 8 Hard to believe he is only 18. Took his goal with confidence and terrorised the City defence with his direct running. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Willy Caballero 6 Cannot really be blamed for any of Monaco’s goals. Always quick off his life and dealt with Monaco’s aerial threat well, confidently punching clear on a number of occasions. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Bacary Sagna 5 His lack of pace was ruthlessly exploited by the fantastic Mendy. Was guilty of wandering out of position for Monaco’s second goal. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings John Stones 5 Should have done better with Monaco’s second-goal, when he was pulled out of position by Lemar. His partnership with Kolarov does not look convincing. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Aleksander Kolarov 5 Struggled against the pace of Mbappe, the strength of Germain and utterly at fault for the crucial third goal. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Gael Clichy 6 One of the few City players to venture out of his half early on. But his distribution was lacklustre and, like Sagna, he struggled to stop his opposition full-back from raiding forward. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Fernandinho 6 Preferred by Guardiola to Yaya Toure for his greater energy, but as City’s only defensive midfielder, spent much of the game chasing shadows. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings David Silva 6 Completely overshadowed by his namesake in the midfield. Grew into the game and one of City’s better players in the second-half, but will be disappointed with his display. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Kevin De Bruyne 6 Did better for City when he dropped deep and played in Sterling with a superb through-ball in the second-half, which the winger failed to take advantage of. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Raheem Sterling 6 Largely ineffectual although he did turn Mendy in the second-half, leading to Sane scoring City’s only goal. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Leroy Sane 7 Ineffectual in the first-half, City’s best player in the second. Scored their only goal and twice put it on a platter for Sergio Aguero, who endured a night to forget. Monaco vs Manchester City player ratings Sergio Aguero 4 One of the Argentinian’s poorest performances in a City shirt. Missed a hatful of chances in the second-half.

That would put a whole generation of players, including Clichy, under threat but there is a feeling now at City that Guardiola has taken these players, many of them bought back between 2010 and 2012, as far as he can. There are six senior players out of contract this summer and Guardiola wants them to prove that they deserve new contracts rather than simply handing them out as if by habit. This means that some of City’s most influential players, including Yaya Toure, are still in the dark as to where they will be playing next season.

While Toure’s dropping in Monaco raised eyebrows at City, and with the fans, Toure has been one of City’s best players since his reintegration into the team since last November. He has certainly been better than the other players whose contracts are up: Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Pablo Zabaleta, Jesus Navas and Willy Caballero. The Argentine goalkeeper may have done enough since replacing Claudio Bravo as first choice to stay.

Beyond those, the players out on loan, Joe Hart, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Jason Denayer and Eliaquim Mangala are likely to make their moves permanent, while the club also decides what to do with their youngsters currently on loan all over Europe.

No matter who goes, Guardiola is sure to want plenty of new faces, especially in defence. Guardiola arrived at City last summer wanting a whole new back four. City only signed John Stones, who was one of their better players on Wednesday, and were left with four full-backs in their 30s, unable to provide Guardiola with the pace out wide that he needs.

Clichy acknowledged that the club would recruit heavily this summer as they seek to rebuild. “What’s going to happen in three months is up to the chairman, the boss and the club will carry on in its way,” he said. “Of course there are going to be some new faces.”

There is now real pressure on this City squad, and on Guardiola, to win the FA Cup this season. If they do that they can finish the season with some sense of pride and achievement. If they do not then they will have nothing to show for their first season working under Guardiola, to say nothing of the huge amounts of money they spent last summer.

Guardiola was furious with his players after their Champions League exit in Monaco (Getty)

“We can win something still this year so we have to believe and finish strongly,” Clichy said. “We still have the FA Cup, we want to be as close as possible to Chelsea as we can in the league and there are still some games to go so the message is to finish strong.”

Clichy know that they will need to play better than they did in Monaco though if they are to succeed, especially with a Premier League game against Liverpool on Sunday, and an FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal next month.

“We did not play how the manager wants us to play,” Clichy admitted after the defeat. “We dropped, we did not press and he does not like that. At half-time his message was ‘if you have to go out of this competition, at least go out playing the way you want to play.’”