Pep Guardiola has been backed to see out the remainder of his Manchester City contract despite talk of him leaving the club next summer. The former Barcelona boss signed a new deal until 2027 at the end of last year but new reports claim he may leave the Etihad early. Now, an ex-City star has poured cold water on such speculation, while outlining why Guardiola is a better tactician than Arsenal's Mikel Arteta.
Guardiola plans to stop after Man City
In late July, Guardiola was quizzed about his City future, despite him having two years left on his deal.
He told GQ Hype: "I know that after this stage with City I'm going to stop, that's for sure, it's decided, more than decided. I'm going to leave after this stage with City, because I need to stop and focus on myself, on my body."
In October, he quipped that he will "think" about a break in 2035, but jokes aside, the former midfielder is focusing on tasting success this season.
"At the moment, I think I have the energy with my players to simply make a better season than last season. This is my target. I am never sitting here at the start of November and December and going to say we are going to win this or that," he said. "I see things that we are doing much better than last season and in every game, we are a little bit better. There is the margin that we can do better in many aspects and that gives me the energy that it's not job done. It's completely unfinished business. That's why I am here."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesGuardiola 'enjoying this rebuild'
Earlier this week, The Times reported that Guardiola was considering stepping away from the Citizens at the end of the campaign. But ex-player Paul Dickov cannot see that happening, especially as his side have their tails up once more after overseeing big changes in his squad. Moreover, the ex-Bayern Munich coach said he feels "the energy is back" at City following his 1000th game as a manager, which ended in a 3-0 win over Liverpool.
He told Best Betting Bonuses, "He signed on for this season and next, and few people expected that. So I think he’ll do that, at least. Looking at Pep, even in the Club World Cup in the summer and the beginning of the season, he looks as enthusiastic and as driven as he was when he first came to the club. I think he's really enjoying this rebuild, getting these new players in, and getting them to play how he wants them to. They’re improving all the time. I'm not saying it looks like he's got his mojo back. I don't think that ever left, but he looks as fresh and as driven as he was from the first day he walked in the club, which is fantastic for everyone associated with Man City Football Club. Because it's not just the team. The atmosphere around the training ground, the staff, it's just a fantastic place to go into. Pep creates that environment for them all to do the best they can all the time."
Guardiola backed over Arteta
Despite Arsenal sitting four points clear of City at the top of the Premier League table, Dickov thinks that Guardiola is still the best in the business in terms of coaching.
He added, "Obviously, with my blue-tinted glasses on, I still think he's the best. I think he showed that in the game against Liverpool. City with and without the ball tactically were so much better than Liverpool. I think Pep looked at the midfield with the three that they have in it and they tweaked it a little bit. Rayan Cherki coming in from the right, Nunes pushing right on the wingers, with Nico O’Reilly and Jeremy Doku on the left, the players were coming off the line and the Liverpool players could not work out how they were getting outnumbered in the middle of the pitch. I just thought it was a tactical master class from Pep yesterday. A lot of people are saying that Pep's plan A is playing out from the back. He's showing this season that at times we need to go longer to [Erling] Haaland and go from there, that’s what we’ll do. But I thought yesterday the players – the players have got to go out there and execute the plan as well as they can – deserve credit. I thought from a tactical point of view, I thought it was top, top class and it shows that Pep still got it.
Getty ImagesGuardiola to switch up tactics?
This season in particular, Premier League sides have utilised the long throw with good effect. It appears the English top-flight is, once again, valuing the importance of set pieces but Dickov doesn't think Guardiola's side will follow suit.
"I don't think they've got anybody that can throw it that far, actually. Otherwise I'm pretty sure that they would have looked at it, because the one thing Pep does is make sure there's no stone unturned in what he does and the detail that he does. I think City is the only club that's not used long throws at all this season. I'm pretty sure if he thought it was going to benefit the team, he’d do it," he said. "But Pep does like to control the ball. The long throw-ins are great, but you've got to make sure that if you don't get the first contact, you've got to pick up the second balls. He might see that as a way of losing possession, and losing control of the game. So maybe that's another reason why he's not done it, because he loves his teams to have the ball. He loves to be in control of the game and sometimes with long throws, it can disrupt that a little bit."
