Pep Guardiola has led Manchester City for 500 games. "It's like 500 months," the Spaniard said.
Not to mention the first 486 games, Guardiola's last 14 games with Man City have been a nightmare. It's been 2 months of constant injuries. Or maybe it's 60 days that feel like decades for Guardiola.
The former Barcelona coach believes that will help him appreciate the good times more: "Maybe the difficult period makes you realise how great it was before, and hopefully we can come back," Guardiola said ahead of the win over Leicester.
The statement felt like an acknowledgement that the best days of the Manchester club were behind them. It was also perhaps Guardiola’s best time at the Etihad, even though he is still under contract until 2027.
There have long been threats that Man City's era of dominance could end in 2025, when a verdict is announced on 115 charges brought by the Premier League. But, whatever the outcome, they have collapsed before that due to factors on the pitch.
Even Guardiola, who has long argued that winning is not as easy as it looks, admits he never envisaged a slump like this. However, the Citizens were unbeaten in 32 Premier League games and 26 Champions League games before that, which is why Guardiola believes their success in 2024 should not be judged differently by their recent form.
"Not a month and a half. It's been an unbelievable year. We've been in the FA Cup final, won the Premier League for the fourth time in a row, got to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a really good record," said the 59-year-old strategist.
That has changed in the last eight weeks and has proven Guardiola wrong. "There are things I feel I should have reacted differently, but it's an incredible lesson. Football is unpredictable and you can't take things for granted," Guardiola said.
City's decline can be traced to sloppy decision-making. Rodri warned last season that he was working too hard. However, they failed to sign a new defensive midfielder, leaving a gaping hole in the squad when Rodri was injured.
Other players have also been overworked by City’s hectic schedule over the years. Burnout has become a regular feature of injuries, some due to over-exertion and some due to age. In a season that includes the FIFA Club World Cup and promises to feature 75 games, the Citizens simply cannot keep up.
That decline has been exacerbated by City's transfer business, with only Josko Gvardiol, of City's six signings since the treble, now a regular starter.
Man City may have squandered their dominance. Instead, the best team have become the best businessmen. And now Guardiola and his players have no idea what awaits them in 2025.
