Pep Guardiola’s Reputation Is Only Thing Keeping Manchester City out of Crisis

Pep Guardiola sees things a little differently. While Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat to Chelsea was widely viewed as emblematic of how Manchester City are struggling to adapt to the methods and manner of their new manager, the Catalan himself assessed the performance in a way only he could.

City, he asserted, remain on track this season. Slumped in fourth place with just four wins from their last 13 games in all competitions, the Etihad Stadium side would appear to be falling well short of expectations, but not through Guardiola’s eyes.

“We play good, faster than in Munich and even in Barcelona, when we had one player [Lionel Messi] who was amazing and helped us to create those steps,” the Catalan explained ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League clash against Celtic, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian. 

“In general, I am so satisfied in the short time we have been together. Of course, we need time in a whole we don’t have. But in general I’m satisfied. When we are talking about the last game, I’m so satisfied. I saw again the game and what we have to improve and how many things we did well.”

It was a peculiar claim to make just two days after Man City’s Premier League title hopes had been dealt an almighty blow by the team increasingly looking like front-runners. Guardiola might have been right to a certain extent, in that his side’s performance was better than the result perhaps illustrated, but nonetheless he did little to acknowledge how damaging Saturday’s loss could prove.

But after such a dismal run of form it’s somewhat remarkable that Guardiola isn’t presently under more scrutiny. Of course, the Man City boss is facing questions over what has been a stuttering start to the season. His famed philosophy has come under fire, but where are the back-page headlines decrying City as being in crisis? Where is the hysteria that usually comes with such a slide?

That’s not to say there should be any. For once it’s refreshing that such a reaction hasn’t been prompted by the …

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