His humility is admirable.
Pep Guardiola is an idealist when it comes to how he wants his teams to play football. He will never change the way he coaches his players to play because, to quote the man himself:
“It’s the only way I have. I can make mistakes, be judged for many things, but I have only one power: my teams play the way I want.”
This confidence in his own beliefs does not manifest itself into arrogance, though. While many paint his idealism when it comes to style as looking down on opposing strategies, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
He is not one to engage in verbal wars with other coaches over their philosophies or to patronise smaller teams’ desperation to defend. He has his way but is humble enough to recognise quality in his rivals.
Guardiola’s humility stretched as far as praising rivals Manchester United and even Burnley, widely regarded as the polar opposite to Pep’s City in approach and style.
“There are many things I like about Manchester United and about Burnley, for example, and what they’re doing this season. All teams do [different] things well and we have to discover how to combat them on the pitch.”
As one of the pioneers of the ball-carrier role in football, he could be forgiven for wanting to get his Copa Mundials back out and play himself behind David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne in the pivot role he established while playing under Johan Cruyff.
But Pep is clearly aware of his own limitations. He also knows a top player when he sees one, having admitted in an interview with Madrid-based newspaper Marca that:
“I would not play in this City side, Fernandinho is much better.”
Fernandinho is one of many players to have improved under Guardiola’s guidance at the Etihad, even at the not so tender age of 32. The Brazilian is enjoying playing at the base of City’s midfield ahead of Yaya Touré, who’s had his own problems with Pep, and Ilkay Gündogan who has struggled with injuries.
Guardiola was not afraid to heap praise on his opponent this weekend, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, either. Despite their historic rivalry stretching back to the days when both coaches were in their first managerial jobs at Catalan rivals Espanyol and Barcelona, Guardiola acknowledged Pochettino’s impact.
“English football should be very happy with what Pochettino has done, he has made them [English players] better.”
City host Spurs on Saturday afternoon in what is set to be an enthralling encounter as the North London side aim to become the first team to beat City in the league this season and if that happens, you shouldn’t expect to see Guardiola throwing any bottles across the tunnel.
