“From my point of view, I always want to fight until the end of my last chance.” These words from Pep Guardiola are enough to prove his unyielded optimism. Throughout the years, the Spanish tactician’s hunger for success has remained constant, as he leads Manchester City. Manuel Akanji, a player who’s currently in his system, sheds light on his winning formula, attributing it to the ‘hunger’ to win more trophies amidst ‘healthy competition’. 

Often, teams don’t maintain the same level of focus throughout the campaign. However, teams under Guardiola, like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and now City, consistently exhibit unwavering focus until the season’s culmination. Akanji was asked in a lengthy interview with GQ about how it feels to play with such a demanding mentality. Interestingly, he replied, “It’s the hunger to win these titles. We’re not happy if we finish second in the league or as runner-up in the Champions League.” The Swiss international then revealed how Guardiola instills a similar mentality within the whole team. 

“We want to be there, we want to fight for these titles, and he brings that mentality to us,” he said. While acknowledging the team possesses a good group of players, he opened up about the competition among players to play every game. “Everyone’s trying to be in the starting 11. It’s healthy competition. When you’re on the pitch, you give it your best, so you can play in the next game,” he concluded. Hearing about the atmosphere within the City dressing room from Akanji suggests that it’s not just Guardiola, but even the players show optimism for glory. Speaking of which, what does the tactician himself have to say about this?

How has ‘Pep Roulette’ worked out for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City? 

Pep Roulette is a phrase in the soccer dictionary that describes Pep Guardiola’s unexpected rotation policy. It means that each player must understand that they could be replaced at any time, irrespective of their performance, whether it’s due to tactical reasons, rotation, or the emergence of other talented squad members. In fact, in a press conference last season, the Spaniard himself acknowledged that “Nobody has a guarantee with me. They have to earn it [Place in the starting XI].” But has this proven to be successful? 

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Well, to everyone’s surprise, it has, as evidenced by Guardiola’s remarkable trophy cabinet. Let’s keep aside Barcelona and Bayern; with Man City, the intensity of rotation has increased which has mostly worked wonders. Today, the Sky Blues boast two first-team capable squads—one on the pitch and one on the bench. This approach has led to a treble and 5 Premier League titles for the Cityzens.

However, Pep’s rotational policy has also drawn scrutiny, particularly after losing the 2021 Champions League final against Chelsea, where he unexpectedly dropped Rodri from the midfield. Not taking any of the plaudits away from the Tuchel-led side. Despite the criticism, Guardiola continues to strive for success with his unconventional methods. Let’s see what this season holds for Manchester City.

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