THE FERGUSON BLUEPRINT: COULD PEP GUARDIOLA MIMIC SIR ALEX’S LEGENDARY 2013 EXIT?
Shay Given suggests Pep Guardiola could mirror Sir Alex Ferguson by leaving Manchester City if they secure the 2026 title.
People are starting to wonder if Pep Guardiola will bow out in style if he wins the Premier League this season, kind of like Sir Alex Ferguson did with Manchester United during his last year.
On Saturday night, Manchester City beat Leeds and pulled itself just two points behind Arsenal. The pressure’s on. Arsenal still lead, and they can stretch that gap to five points again, but they’ve played one more game than City. It’s a tight race.
City are no strangers to chasing down Arsenal; they’ve done it twice before in the last three seasons. Guardiola’s team has the experience, and honestly, that counts for a lot right now.
Arsenal have a great squad, no doubt about it, but not many of their players have actually won the Premier League. That could make a difference as the pressure builds.
Shay Given, who used to play in goal at the top level, thinks Guardiola might walk away from Manchester City if he lifts another trophy. He sees a bit of Ferguson in Pep winning big, then calling it a day. Given talked about it on Premier League Productions: “Arsenal probably have the deeper squad, two or three players for every position. But Pep’s not giving anything away. When someone asked him what Arteta needs to do to win the league, he just said, ‘I’m not going to tell him.’ He wants that trophy for himself.”
It’s pretty simple now: If either team wins all their remaining games, they win the league. Given says he’d back City. He trusts their experience. “They’ve been here before,” he said. “And I’ve got a feeling Pep might leave if they win the league. He’s rebuilt the team; maybe it’s time for someone else to take over, but he’ll want to go out on a high.”
Guardiola and City haven’t stood still. Over the last year and a half, they’ve kept reshaping their squad planning for life after Pep. Marc Guehi, Tijjani Reijnders, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Antoine Semenyo have all come in. Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias are either at their peak or about to hit it. The city looks ready, whatever happens next.
BERNARDO SILVA TRANSFER SAGA TAKES A TURN AS GUARDIOLA REVEALS PRIVATE FRUSTRATIONS
Pep Guardiola issues a stark warning to Man City before Chelsea. Get the latest on Bernardo Silva's future and injuries.
Pep Guardiola isn’t downplaying the importance of Sunday’s match at Stamford Bridge. City’s chasing Arsenal, nine points back with a game in hand. And since Arsenal still has to come to the Etihad, that clash could be the real turning point for the title.
Talking to reporters before the game, Guardiola didn’t sugarcoat how tough things are. “We need a lot of points if we want to keep our title hopes alive. I’ve picked up lots of yellow cards myself, which shows how intense we’re playing right now,” he said.
He admitted City hasn’t hit the standards he expects. “We really need these points. We’ve dropped plenty this season, some in games we should have won, and now there’s just no margin to slip up again.”
As for injuries, things aren’t ideal. Ruben Dias is getting better, but won’t make it for Chelsea. John Stones is only joining in on part of the training, and Gvardiol’s still nowhere near 100%.
On the subject of Bernardo Silva’s future, Guardiola just shrugged. “I’m annoyed with him, honestly. I told him a month ago, ‘Let me be the first to know what you’re doing,’ and here we are, still nothing. I even joked about it, but he kept quiet, so I really don’t know what’s happening.”
He went on, “Bernardo’s a top talent, anyway you measure it. I’ve had him for nine years, and he barely ever misses games, always fit. He reads the game perfectly, pitches in everywhere, always gives us composure.”
The City boss also said, “Handing him the captain’s armband this season was the best call I made. He’s not the tallest guy or the flashiest goal-scorer. But he’s brave, brings his personality every time, lifts everyone, and I would love nothing more than to see him finish his career here.”
Guardiola summed up leadership simply: “Just put the team before yourself. People talk about putting the nation first, but you don’t always see it. With Bernardo, City always comes first.”
One more thing, he’s every coach’s dream because he can play pretty much anywhere, except in goal, and he just gets tactics. Guardiola remembered, “He played as a winger in the year we did the treble, that was massive for us.”
“He’s not going to bang in a bunch of goals or constantly run in behind. What he does do is control the tempo and make every play matter. Players change over time, but his tactical instinct is something you rarely see.”
FABRIZIO ROMANO REVEALS MAN CITY’S SECRET PURSUIT OF HERTHA STAR KENNET EICHHORN
Man City joins the race for Kennet Eichhorn. Discover why Rodri could leave for Real Madrid in a £50m summer deal.
Man City are looking at a Bundesliga wonderkid as they head into summer.
They’re known for spotting young talent across Europe and turning them into Premier League stars. This summer, that skill becomes even more important, as they might need to fill the shoes of one of their very best players.
Rodri’s contract is up in June 2027, and if City don’t work out a new deal, he could walk away for nothing after next season. City won’t want to lose him on a free, so selling him this summer looks like a real option.
Fabrizio Romano says Man City are watching Hertha Berlin’s Kennet Eichhorn, a young midfielder who’s catching a lot of attention. On X, Romano posted: “Manchester City join the race with Bundesliga and Premier League clubs for German gem Kennet Eichhorn. Sixteen-year-old talent is seen as an interesting profile with Man City, one more PL club and Bundesliga giants on it. One to watch next month.”
Eichhorn’s already made a name for himself with Hertha Berlin’s first team. Fifteen appearances this season, a goal in the domestic cup, he looks every bit a future star. Top German sides like Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, and Eintracht Frankfurt are interested too, showing just how good this kid is.
City could realistically sell Rodri for about £50 million. Here’s how one source put it: “Honestly, the best City can hope for is a one-year extension. But a lot depends on whether Real Madrid want to pay, say, £50m, that’s probably the number City would listen to. It’s not really a surprise he’s thinking about Spain again after the injury, the intensity of the Premier League, and the fact he’s pretty much won it all here. He’ll be 30 this summer, even though sometimes it’s hard to believe. Now’s just a natural time for him to think about his next move.”
