Pep Guardiola takes responsibility for Man City's struggles: "This season has been really poor"

By SABC Sport
30th March 2025

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, has held himself accountable for the team's underwhelming performance this season, labeling his own managerial efforts as "really poor."

Having dominated English football over the last four years, winning the Premier League title each season, City currently finds itself sitting in fifth place, 22 points behind leaders Liverpool with only nine matches left to play.

Guardiola, who has steered City to six Premier League championships since his arrival in 2016, has never finished a campaign outside the top three during his illustrious managerial career. Yet this season, the team's struggles have been palpable.

When asked about his self-assessment for the current campaign, the 54-year-old was candid, saying, "This season? Really poor. The opponents didn't give us any red carpet to win the titles we've enjoyed in the past. My responsibility was to handle the challenges far better than I have done."

He pointed to "a few details" as the key reasons behind the team's current predicament, expressing hope that the issues won't be repeated in the next season. "Hopefully, this won't happen again next year. That's crucial."

While City still holds aspirations for the FA Cup, where they aim to reach the semi-finals for a seventh consecutive season, Guardiola's eyes remain focused on a larger goal. They face Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarter-finals this Sunday at the Vitality Stadium.

However, Guardiola emphasized that even winning the FA Cup and securing a Champions League spot by finishing in the top four would not fully redeem their disappointing Premier League campaign. "Of course, it would be nice to make it to the FA Cup final and win it, and qualifying for the Champions League would be a big achievement," he said. "But no matter what, the season has been poor, and that won't change."

Despite City's pursuit of silverware, Guardiola maintained that the team's high standards had not been met this term. "Our standards, and many other things, were simply not up to par. That's the reality, and it won't change even if we win a cup or qualify for the Champions League. We'll be happy, of course, but this season will remain disappointing."

In the face of adversity, Guardiola's self-reflection highlights his commitment to pushing City back to its best next season, determined not to let this setback define their future success.