RIVAL POCH IS WORLD CLASS
I love his style says Guardiola
PEP GUARDIOLA has hailed title rival Mauricio Pochettino as one of the best managers in the world.
The pair clash at White Hart Lane tomorrow with Guardiola’s Manchester City four points clear of their second-placed rivals thanks to their 100 per cent record.
But Pochettino knows what it takes to dent a record after leading Espanyol to a famous derby win over Guardiola’s Barcelona – their first for 27 years – in 2009.
Faced
And Guardiola admits he is a big admirer of the way his rival’s team are playing as the Londoners, who beat City 4-1 at home last season, look to mount a second successive title push.
The City boss said: “We faced each other as players and then coaches and I don’t think he’s one of the best managers in England . He’s one of the best in the world.
“I enjoy watching Tottenham play now and since last year he has been doing an amazing job.
“He is aggressive and he has a lot of quality players and the basis of the national team – Dier, Alli, Kane.
“If I wasn’t a coach and would just be a fan or a young coach wanting to become a coach, I’d see Tottenham and say I want to play in that way. I saw a few minutes of how they played City last year at White Hart Lane, and if they do the same as they did last year, then I like them.
“They are playing at a high level so it will be a tough game. We need a good performance to win there.”
Guardiola, 45, hinted that he could extend his stay at City after making a stunning start to life in England.
The Spaniard signed a three-year contract at the Etihad Stadium in the summer after spending the same amount of time at Bayern Munich. He quit at Barcelona after four years and took a year out to recover but said that if all goes well at City, he might be tempted to sign a new deal.
Guardiola added: “I am so happy here so I’m not just thinking about, ‘Will it just be three years?’
“I can stay more time or less. Less will happen depending on the results or if the chairman is not happy with me or our job. That is always the case.
“But if they are happy with me I can stay that period and I am happy, why not longer?”