PEP GUARDIOLA chalks up 700 games as a manager today — and wants to do 700 more.
The Manchester City boss has one of the greatest CVs in world football from his time at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and the Etihad.
Pep Guardiola at the start of his career at Barcelona and now at Manchester CityCredit: Getty
He has eight domestic titles, two Champions League crowns and a host of other cups from his 13 years as a manager.
But Pep — who turns 50 next month — is not thinking of packing it all in just yet.
Ahead of today’s match with Fulham, the Spaniard said: “700 games — and I’m going to do 700 more.
“And after that, I’m going to retire. So, good. In life, when you start something, you don’t expect what will happen in the future and I never expected it.
“It’s good to have 700 games with few defeats in these games.
“For all the players and staff we had in Barcelona B team, first team, Bayern and here, we share it.
“It is an incredible number with all the people we were together and have made incredible things together.
Guardiola won the Champions League with Barcelona after beating Man Utd in 2011Credit: AFP
“Hopefully, we can do it in the future.”
Last Saturday’s 5-0 thumping of Burnley was his 248th game in charge of City, surpassing the number of games he spent in the dugout with Nou Camp giants Barca.
But the players at the Etihad who thought they knew him have realised in recent weeks he is ready to get tough to take the club back to the top.
French centre-back Aymeric Laporte was considered the best defender at the club last season.
But the 26-year-old has been left out of the last three matches.
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And last term’s 31-goal top-scorer Raheem Sterling found himself on the bench for the weekend win over the Clarets.
Guardiola has told his squad he is not interested in their reputations, or what has happened in the past — all that matters is current form.
He said: “There is a misunderstanding about the word rotation.
“Rotation looks like ‘I’m a big star and I don’t play this game because I’m going to play the next game and it’s important’. This is a huge mistake for the players to have in their heads.
“They have to understand that if I don’t play them because of rotation, they have to do more to play in this team.
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“That’s the only way to get close to the biggest teams in Europe and the biggest teams in the Premier League.
“Riyad Mahrez scored three goals against Burnley and on Saturday he’s going to play — because he scored a lot of goals.
“The guys who score goals are going to have more chance to play.
“The guys who don’t make mistakes behind are going to play.
“This is about the performance.
“We know they have the quality — they are top players but it’s about performance. The performance has to be better and better than the day before.”
Laporte’s absence through a long-term knee injury was one of the reasons why City’s title defence came up so short last season, as they finished 18 points behind Liverpool.
Yet with Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake arriving in the summer and John Stones looking more like his old self, £57m man Laporte faces a battle to get his place back.
Guardiola added: “Having 19 or 20 players fit, they have to raise their standards and play in as high a level as possible to keep in the team.
“The guy who is playing good, I want them to continue to give them the chance to play. That’s the reason why. Aymeric continues to be really important for us.
“Right now, I’m playing other guys but in future I’m pretty sure he’s going to play a lot of games. It’s how you perform today, right now. Statistics are in the past.
“All that matters is the next game at 3pm — how you play and perform, that is the point and everyone has to be ready.”
Man City likely line-up against Fulham
- Ederson
- Walker, Stones, Dias, Mendy
- Rodri, De Bruyne, Foden
- Mahrez, Jesus, Sterling.
Striker Sergio Aguero remains sidelined as he edges his way back from a knee injury but otherwise Guardiola has a fully fit squad to choose from for the Cottagers’ visit.
Aguero has missed City’s last two games after a brief appearance as a sub against Olympiakos last month.
And despite returning to training, Guardiola does not want to risk another set-back.
Aguero, 32, had surgery in the summer and was hit by a hamstring injury earlier in the campaign.
When asked if Aguero could face Fulham, Guardiola said: “No. He is getting better.
“He was part of the training, that is the good news. He is already on the pitch with us.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
