PERFECT PEP THE FULL PACKAGE
Koeman: His teams are fantastic to watch and successful. We know the managers who have won trophies but totally failed to entertain fans
CRYSTAL PALACE v MANCHESTER CITY
Former Southampton and Everton boss Koeman believes the Manchester City manager has brought a whole new ball game to the Premier League.
City hope to go into 2018 looking to set new standards for Premier League points and goals scored after winning 19 of their first 20 games.
Their current 18-match winning streak is a new record – and can be extended at Crystal Palace today.
Guardiola has also taken City into the last 16 of the Champions League and semi-finals of the Carabao Cup – with the FA Cup still to come.
But Koeman insists Guardiola’s success is not down to financial power.
He said: “Of course, people will argue that he is getting the opportunity to do well at Manchester City because of the club’s funds.
“But those funds have also been available to a couple of other managers over the past few years in the Premier League – and none of them produced football at such a high level and as entertaining as Guardiola. We all know the managers who won trophies, but completely failed to entertain the fans.
“The football that Guardiola is giving us is fantastic to watch – and he is successful. I have to underline that what he is doing is the most difficult way of being successful in football.
“People think he has copied Barcelona, but this style of football is far more Guardiola’s own DNA.”
City have left everyone in their slipstream – and Jose Mourinho (above) has moaned that Manchester United will have to spend more on players, despite the club backing him to the tune of £300million. Yet Mourinho’s view that he took over a club with a much weaker squad when he followed Guardiola to Manchester does not stack up. City finished above United on goal difference in 2015-16 – and Guardiola inherited a squad with no fewer than 12 players aged 30 or over. The squad Louis van Gaal handed to Mourinho had five players beyond the age of 30 – and Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young have been two of his most consistent performers. Koeman said: “Pep’s ideas, his philosophy and the way he works is a victory for football all over the world. This is a manager who is always looking for his team to score more goals. He will never defend. If he goes 1-0 up, you will never see Guardiola’s team cave in.
“He will push them to kill the opposition by scoring two, three or more. Pep has this fabulous system, with wingers and full-backs all pushing up and playing high.
“He has players on the flanks and on the inside at the same time. And the best thing about Guardiola’s football, tactically, is that he is always creating an extra man in every area of the pitch.”
Koeman became friends with the City boss when Johan Cruyff asked the Dutch defender to room with Guardiola when the Catalan was a young player at Barca.