"It is just about having the best players" - Graeme Souness claims Pep Guardiola is not a 'genius' manager despite big Manchester City success
Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness reckons Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's managerial success has been largely due to the presence of brilliant players in his squad. Guardiola has been at the City helm since 2016.
The Spaniard has achieved extraordinary success in his senior managerial career, beginning with Barcelona in 2008. A hugely successful four-year spell saw the club win the continental treble, two UEFA Champions League and three consecutive La Liga titles.
At his next stop at Bayern Munich between 2013 and 2016, Guardiola delivered three straight Bundesliga titles before making City the team to beat in England and Europe.
However, Souness thinks Guardiola's managerial success is mostly due to the top players he has inherited from his predecessors rather than his own managerial genius. He said on William Hill's Three Up Front podcast (as per Mirror):
"Pep Guardiola has managed three clubs, and in all of those, he has had the best group of players in whatever league he's been in".
"He took over from Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona where he had Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and many others. He went to Bayern Munich after they had just won the Quadruple. Then he came to Manchester City where he took over a side that both Manuel Pellegrini and Roberto Mancini had won the Premier League with."
Souness continued:
"He took over an exceptional group of players in every case. City are the richest team in England, and they only needed the slightest bit of tweaking when he took over. He obviously manages players very well, but there is no genius there. It is just about having the best players".
"If you have an average manager with great players, then you have a chance at being successful. I've been in dressing rooms where everything had been set in stone for the squad by the players that came before us, so the manager barely had to speak to us."
Guardiola's City have won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup this season.
What's next for Pep Guardiola's Manchester City?
Manchester City are in the midst of a superb season. Having won two titles this season, they are on course to win another two.
Pep Guardiola's side are looking to win an unprecedented Premier League four-peat, trailing leaders Arsenal by a point but have a game in hand. They next take on Fulham away on Saturday (May 11).
After taking on Tottenham Hotspur (May 14, away) and West Ham United (May 19, home), City take on Manchester United in the FA Cup final on May 25, hoping to defend their title.