Pep Guardiola’s Harsh Self-Assessment: “Really Poor” Season for Man City

Manchester City’s Struggles in the 2024/25 Season

Manchester City, a team accustomed to rewriting the history books with their dominance, is enduring one of its most difficult seasons under Pep Guardiola. The reigning Premier League champions have already been eliminated from the Champions League and are falling short of their usual standards in domestic competition.

For the first time in his managerial career, Guardiola failed to guide his team past the group stage of Europe’s elite competition. Defensively, City has also shown uncharacteristic weaknesses, conceding more goals than any of Guardiola’s previous teams with still nine league matches left to play.

Guardiola’s Brutal Honesty: “Really Poor”

In a rare moment of self-criticism, Guardiola did not hold back when evaluating his own performance this season. When asked about his coaching, he bluntly responded, “Really poor.” His assessment extended beyond individual matches, as he acknowledged that even an FA Cup triumph would not alter his overall disappointment with the campaign.

Reflecting on past glories, Guardiola emphasized that success has never come easily. “The titles we won in the past, no one handed them to us. My responsibility was to handle this situation better than I have.”

Can the FA Cup Save City’s Season?

City is still in contention for silverware, with an FA Cup quarter-final clash against Bournemouth on the horizon. However, Guardiola dismissed the idea that a domestic cup win would redeem their underwhelming season. “Winning the FA Cup is a big success, but the season has not been good,” he admitted. “Our standards have not been met, and one trophy won’t change that.”

With the Premier League title slipping away and their Champions League journey already over, City faces an uphill battle to salvage something from this campaign. The question remains: can they finish strong and use this season as a stepping stone for future success?

What Do You Think?

Do you believe Pep Guardiola is being too harsh on himself, or is this just a reality check for Manchester City?