As he enters his ninth and – as things stand – final season at the Etihad, what could possibly tempt Pep Guardiola to extend his time at Manchester City to ten years or even beyond?
At last night’s 4-In-A-Row celebrations, Pep addressed the tens of thousands of fans out on the streets to pay homage to his team: “Next season we will take the FA Cup.”
It was a nice line in view of Saturday’s sub-standard Wembley showing – but surely not what burns deep as his primary motivation.
A few hours later the bombshell – albeit a speculative munition – dropped. Citing 'multiple sources within the industry and at City', stories began to emerge that Pep was likely to be leaving next summer.
It's all too easy to dismiss stuff with negative connotations about City as fake news. So often it’s malicious meat and drink to the media, feeding into the anti-City narrative with #115 on the menu for starters, mains and dessert.
The fact the ‘exclusive’ was penned by Jack Gaughan – one of the few journalists renowned for fair and balanced City coverage – does however give it added credence.
Only recently Pep said he was, ‘…closer to leaving than staying at City after eight years…’ Such a statement shouldn’t and didn’t come as a surprise. It’s easy to put it into context. He wasn’t going to be City’s manager for a further eight years, nowhere near.
Even in the wildest dreams of City fans that was never going to happen. When he joined City in the summer of 2016, few – if any – would have dared to envisage him still being here for the 2024/25 campaign.
What isn’t in doubt is that Pep has still to make a definitive decision. He’s in a unique position in the cut throat world of football management where he gets to decide his own destiny.
He's often said he has everything he could ever want at City, with the full backing from the hierarchy of Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain.
Rumours abound that he could be tempted to switch to the other side of the Atlantic with the City Football Group's New York City. At face value it might seem preposterous. Why would Pep swap the Premier League for the MLS?
Take a step back and evaluate the lifestyle Pep would enjoy in New York. He and his family have an apartment in the Big Apple. He loves the city and lived there on his year long sabbatical in between leaving Barcelona and joining Bayern Munich.
His presence would be a huge commercial boost to the game in the USA and would further enhance the global standing of the CFG. NYC FC will be moving out of their present adopted home at Yankee Stadium to a new bespoke home at Willets Point in the borough of Queens in the next couple of years.
Viewed in this context, maybe it's not quite so preposterous.
As the greatest manager of all time, Guardiola has not only delivered incredible success at City, he’s transformed the whole of English football with his philosophies and playing style.
In that sense the likes of Ferguson, Mourinho, Wenger, Klopp – you name them – aren’t even in the same ballpark. But now is not the time to reflect on his illustrious haul of 17 trophies at City or to explore his legacy.
The focus must be on what is still to come, be it in one last hurrah or, an extended stay at the peak of the Premier League and another assault on his beloved Champions League.
A history-stretching 5-In-A-Row of PL crowns will be on the to-do list but, after finally getting the Champions League monkey off their back in Istanbul, Pep insisted City needed to be multiple winners of the trophy.
City presently sit alongside the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Marseille, Red Star Belgrade, Steaua Bucharest, PSV Eindhoven, Hamburg, Feyenoord, Aston Villa and Celtic as one-time victors. That’s not good enough for Pep.
He’ll also want to be around when Khaldoon & Co finally lay to rest the 115 charges brought by the Premier League and its malicious cohort in the Red Cartel.
Pep has been right, left and centre defending City against those hellbent on besmirching the club and sticking asterisks against every league and cup success since 2008.
He's not one for shirking a challenge.
Having won The Treble he was asked what he wanted for his team in 2023/24? He responded – tongue-in-cheek – “To score a goal away at Spurs!”
In that respect he ran up another ‘treble’ courtesy of Nathan Ake and Erling Haaland, as City won 1-0 in the FA Cup and 2-0 in the Premier League at their boggiest of bogey grounds.
A historic fourth consecutive Premier League title, the FIFA World Club Championship and UEFA Super Cup successes represented another treble of sorts.
That said, a penalty shootout win over Sevilla and a 4-0 trouncing of South American Champions, Fluminense, doesn’t come close to that glorious night in Istanbul, or Ilkay Gundogan’s 12th second strike at Wembley and subsequent FA Cup Final victory over Manchester United.
A year on – and a hugely disappointing role reversal against Erik ten Hag’s team – it speaks volumes about City’s dominance that a 2-1 defeat to United is seen as a major shock.
It’s not up there with Wigan downing Roberto Mancini’s strife-torn team in 2013 – Bobby Manc’s last game as City manager – but nonetheless, nobody saw it coming.
Who knows the win could even keep ten Bob in a job – his stock may well have risen to 55p. Is it part of a City ‘Masterplan’?
Upon his appointment at Old Trafford, the Dutchman expressed his admiration for both City and Liverpool saying, “…they both play fantastic football, but eras come to an end.”
That may be true in part with Klopp’s exit from Anfield, but hopefully Khaldoon’s persuasive powers will put off Pep’s departure for a while to come.
At the start of the 2023/24 campaign, questions were raised whether a team and a manager who’d just won everything worth winning in club football, would have the hunger to go again?
The retention of the Premier League – always the top priority in the eyes of the fans – going out on penalties to Real Madrid, having outplayed them over a two-legged Champions League quarter final, and narrowly losing in the FA Cup Final, amply demonstrated the appetite for more.
God forbid next season will be Pep’s City swansong, but if so, not only will he want more trophies, he will also want to lay new foundations for his successor.
There's no way City will allow a repeat of what happened at United when Sir Alex Ferguson knew it was time to get out, leaving an ageing and overperforming squad for David Moyes to inherit in 2013.
Speculation is not limited just to Pep's future, but also that of key players who have been critical components throughout the Guardiola era.
Time waits for no man and Ederson (31), Kyle Walker (33), Kevin De Bruyne (33), John Stones (30) and Bernardo (30) may all be at the crossroads of their City careers.
It’s unthinkable to believe City would allow or want a quintet of serial winners to depart all at once, but change is inevitable if not always desirable – unless your name’s Scott Carson who has just signed a one-year contract extension at the age of 39!
Heroes come and heroes go but City have seamlessly survived and thrived despite the losses of Yaya Toure, Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Ilkay Gundogan and others during Pep’s time in charge.
When arguably – no make that undoubtedly – the most influential and successful individual in the history of Manchester City eventually bids 'adios', it will be with the undying gratitude and eternal love of every man, woman and child who bleeds sky blue.
The obvious question will be, ‘Where do you want your statue Pep Guardiola?’
That would be inadequate.
It must be a case of ‘all points north’ and the new stand in the expanded Etihad Stadium bearing his name for eternity.
By David Walker
Dedicated to a friend, widely known as ‘Howie’, but ridiculously referred to as ‘The Howitzer’ by yours truly – a warrior in every sense of the word who is battling cancer – and, with a fair wind, will beat the crap out of that bastard disease.
Twitter @ReadButNeverRed
@djwskyblu
Hi David, great writing as always and a much needed positive angle on the FA cup! Al the best to Howie!
Another fab read ... thanks Mr RBNR 💙
We're blessed to have Pep and I can't/don't want to even imagine him leaving! He is quality on another level .....🏆🏆🏆🏆
Sending love and healing to Howie ... go kick it's butt 💙💪
Great read David. God bless Howie.
Indeed time waits for no man, as David said. But we shouldn't overlook the fact that some of Bernardo's new hair has a fresher best-before date than the rest of the Portugese. KIDDING, Bernardo! Just kidding, lad! Enjoy your summer, David, Always a good read . . . never a good red.😎
I'm crossing my fingers and everything else that Pep does extend his stay. If sadly he does decide to go we can only thank him for the success he has bought to the club. We will wish him well with tears in our eyes surely they greatest manager the prem has ever seen.
It's guess who again 😁