When Guardiola goes he will not want to do it quietly
As the old saying goes: “All good things come to an end.”
In the case of Manchester City, that means a day will come when Pep Guardiola bids farewell to the Etihad Stadium.
The date of those final farewells is yet to be determined.
It is, however, safe to assume that the Catalan coach is considerably closer to the end of his reign than he is at the start.
He arrived in England back in 2016 with City fans aware that a glittering coaching CV hinted heavily at success being enjoyed over a short period of time.
Supremacy
That trend has been bucked in spectacular style, with the record books being rewritten on a seemingly annual basis.
A quick glance at odds to win the Premier League for 2024-25 sees City topping the market once again at 13/10, with it difficult to see who can knock them from the loftiest of perches.
The likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Chelsea will hope to earn favour in Premier League betting tips, but they are fully aware of how sizeable the challenge is that they face.
City have locked in domestic supremacy across the last four years and six of the previous seven seasons.
They have become an almost immovable object at the top of the table, with Guardiola steering a relentless course towards success.
Having never spent more than four campaigns in any managerial post, the Catalan coach is now heading into a ninth with City.
Obvious opportunities to cash out while his luck is in have been passed up on a regular basis.
Few could have questioned a decision to walk away on the back of a historic Treble in 2023, while history was made again last season when claiming a fourth successive top-flight crown.
Guardiola has refused to step down, but is entering the final year of his contract.
He has said when asked about his future: “We have to see the players, how is their behaviour, our standards, if we can keep it, and if the players follow you, if I am tired or not. I think we have time. Now I feel really good like always I have been but football changes a lot.”
Guardiola is not a man who tires of winning, with impeccable standards demanded of himself and those who work under him.
He has said of that success keeping him sharp: “Winning helps you to have more energy, when you are losing games you are more tired.”
Change
City keep on winning, so Guardiola has no need to consider a change of scenery.
A new challenge will be sought at some stage, though, with there no suggestion that the blue half of Manchester is set to witness a tenure to rival that once enjoyed by Sir Alex Ferguson in the red department.
Guardiola is taking in a long goodbye, with there every chance that the end will be reached in 2025.
It would take a brave soul to bet against him walking away with another sackful of trophies under his arm, with there no chance that one of the very best in the business goes out quietly.
It is just not in his nature.
15.07.2024