Pep Guardiola has dropped a major hint that he will remain at Manchester City next season, as the relaxed Etihad boss looks forward to a treble-chasing run-in after reaching a fourth successive FA Cup semi-final with a comeback victory over Southampton at Wembley.
It was a throwaway closing line and one that Guardiola would feel bound to say. Perhaps best not to read too much into it. But you could read a lot into his demeanour before he left us with this parting shot. “There are five (Premier League) games left and a Cup final,” he said. “Then holidays and come back next season.” All of us, Pep? He does not break contracts and his current one with Manchester City runs until the summer of 2027. But not a day goes by without the suggestion of this being his last English season getting stronger. Some are already anointing Enzo Maresca as his successor.
Yet as he hunts down what would be, even by his standards, a remarkable treble, this is a re-energised Guardiola. Re-energised but, in a way, relaxed. It is a simple thing to say but he looks well. No scratches, no pained looks. It would be stretching it a fair bit to say he is relaxed, but he is not far off. Not when a game is going on, of course – then, he is in his standard state of extreme animation and agitation – but away from the field. Ok, it helped that Nico Gonzalez had just hit a spectacular late winner to take City to a record-breaking fourth successive FA Cup final but Guardiola was as laid-back as you have seen him after another Wembley victory. So laid-back that he has told the players they are off until Wednesday afternoon. And if they want to travel abroad in that mini-break, then they can. But his contentment comes from the position this latest version of a City team has put themselves in. And you can tell that Guardiola is already very proud of how this reshaped squad has developed.
He explained: “After what happened last season, there was a question mark about this season. How would the players react? We have arrived where the players are at their best moment. The club is defined by arriving at the later stages fighting for the title. I am so proud of that. Of course, I love to lift titles but being there and not taking a step back, that defines a big club. Not all the clubs can win all the time but being there, fighting against Arsenal, against Liverpool in previous seasons, four FA Cups in a row, that is extraordinary. It is time to enjoy it.”
What he clearly enjoyed about this latest FA Cup semi-final win was that he was able to heavily rotate ahead of a 21-day spell that will feature six treble-deciding matches. Sure, he had to make changes during the second half and endured a scare when Finn Azaz put Southampton ahead in the 79th minute but Jeremy Doku’s deflected equaliser and the Gonzalez stunner made it the perfect day.
When asked about having to play those six games in three weeks – starting with a trip to Everton on May 4 – Guardiola said: “Terrible! That’s why I felt I had to let all the players play today. You cannot manage these games with the same players. I need the squad.” He then reeled off praise for a long list of players, his enthusiasm unbridled. He even suggested Matheus Nunes ‘can be one of the best right-backs in the world.’ Not like Pep to get carried away. But this IS a re-energised Guardiola, clearly thrilled by the way this squad has responded to him. And if that convinces him to carry on next season, it would be no surprise.
