The ManicaPost
Pep Guardiola finds himself in unfamiliar territory, 14 points adrift of an unbeaten Liverpool and further from the top of the table than he has been with any of his previous sides.
No-one knows better than the 48-year-old himself that his Manchester City team is in need of regeneration. The manager knows exactly what is happening with his side and what he needs to do.
Rumours about his future abound. So what is the truth about his current situation, what are his plans for the future and what, if anything, has gone wrong?
Is this the beginning of the end for Guardiola at City?
Contrary to rumours, my understanding is Guardiola’s desire to succeed with City remains undimmed. In fact, if anything he is more obsessed and determined than ever.
City believe their manager will be at the club until the end of next season — when his contract is up – and they are working hard on planning for the 2020-21 campaign already.
People around Guardiola say he is tired but the notion that he is at the end of his tether is something that all those close to him strenuously deny.
He still has creative disputes with his assistants, the hunger is still obvious and he very much wants to turn this situation around. But that is a long way from saying he will renew his contract. City are preparing for life without him and hope – but do not expect – he will want a new deal.
Nobody near Guardiola thinks he would take the decision to walk away in the summer but club sources have confirmed that reports he has a release clause are accurate – even though he has denied that is the case.
That said, only one person knows what is next for him. Guardiola is and always has been his own man.
On a personal level his daughter and wife Cristina now split their week between Manchester and Barcelona, where she has business interests, while their two sons are completing studies in England. The small distance of four days apart is seen as having improved the family’s quality of life. After all, it is better that Pep is looking forward to seeing them than being constantly consumed by the next match.
The more immediate concern surrounding City’s coaching staff actually relates to Mikel Arteta, Guardiola’s assistant, whose departure is inevitable, sooner or later.
Everyone, including Guardiola, agrees that Arteta is more than ready to become number one at a top club, and there couldn’t be a better time than now to join his former team Arsenal, bearing in mind their current fortunes. Guardiola has said he would like him to stay until the end of the season but I don’t envisage him putting up too much of a fight should his number two be offered the top job at Emirates Stadium.
And what could be most interesting is who would replace Arteta. Three names spring immediately to mind.
Xabi Alonso has a similar profile to Arteta and is already a number one with Real Sociedad’s B team. Also busy learning the coaching ropes is another Spanish midfield legend who might be very interested in taking on the job, Xavi Hernandez. Or perhaps Dutch former Arsenal player Giovanni van Bronckhorst. He is close to Guardiola’s way of thinking, has been studying closely how it all works at City and has already been a winning manager at Feyenoord.
When Guardiola does decide to move on from Manchester, his next step will be fascinating.
He has won titles in Spain, Germany and England, so what about Italy? In Serie A, Antonio Conte looks well bedded in at Inter Milan, AC Milan are not the side they were and Juventus would probably be unwilling to change their style in the way Guardiola would almost certainly demand (and that desire to turn the style of a top historical club was already fulfilled at Bayern).
What about managing an international side like Italy? Or maybe Brazil, who have shown an interest in him in the past. Or let me throw a curve ball into the mix. After Phil Foden scored in City’s 4-1 win at Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday, Guardiola referenced English youngsters and said: “England have an incredible generation of young players for the next decade.”
Having also overseen Raheem Sterling’s rise into one of Europe’s leading attackers, what post is more suitable for Guardiola than being the next England coach, when Gareth Southgate decides to call it a day? Now that really would be intriguing to witness. – Daily Mail.
