Patrick Vieira admits that Abou Diaby has everything to be a better player than him but injuries have cost him dearly.
Vieira talked about his current role at City and his job of now helping the club's younger stars.
"When you are at Manchester City's Academy, that means you already have the qualities. The key is to put those qualities at the collective disposal," he said.
"It is one problem of current football that it becomes more and more an individual sport. That collective education is more difficult to pass on than when I was a young footballer. I remind them, everywhere I won trophies it has always been thanks to a collective sense."
Happy
Vieira admits that he is happy with his life now his playing career has ended.
"I really don't miss football or competition. However, in the Manchester City first team changing-room, when I see them laughing, talking, I miss that life of the group. Moreover we really have a very good group," he said.
"People can hardly believe it, but if I would bring you to Manchester City for a few days, you would be surprised by the atmosphere.
"Everyone is wrong about City. At the club, there are people that are here for some dozen of years, that have experienced everything, who saw the club in the third division.
"They have memory, spirit and bring the love for the club. People would be surprised to see we are like a kind of family. But everyone is influenced by the newspapers. Manchester City is not the big bad club that people could believe.
"It was not the first club to spend so much money. In England in the past, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool or Newcastle in the 90s spent a lot. City didn't have that lifestyle.
"I believe we are changing that view by winning titles and working fine with the Academy, which are the two axis of our strategy.
"It has always been in the club's culture to educate young players. Before, as the first team was not playing top positions, it was easier to reach the first team. Nowadays the demanded level is higher. But soon we will get results of our work."
Vieira admits English football as a whole is now starting to catch up.
"The fact is England is very late about education. We have just built St George's Park National Football Centre, the English Clairefontaine," he said.
"We just set up a league for Under-21. Before there was just reserves and the difference was too big with the first teams. So players were loaned to inferior divisions and some finally got lost.
"England lost a lot of talents between 18 and 21, due to the lack of competition to make live that ground for players.
"There are a lot of things to get from Barca, but you have to adapt it to the English state of mind. The English player is passionate, he goes forward, runs, tackles. That is his culture.
"Spain is a real school for patience where you have to make the ball turn, move the opponents until finding the right moment. Such patience is difficult to pass on in England.
Vieira insists that it is now simply their goal to play like Barcelona, adding: "I can hear a lot of coaches saying they will play like Barcelona.
"To my opinion, it is a mistake, even in France. It is not out philosophy, our mentality. When you look at the history of French teams that got results for about 15 years, it was built on something else than ball possession, rather on power, physical impact, tactics, discipline and a few key players. To me, it would be a mistake to disown that."
Begiristain
Vieira denied that he felt the arrival of Txiki Begiristain could block
