Pep’s not backing down

PEP GUARDIOLA has warned his record-breaking champions he will not tolerate any slackers as he bids for back-to-back titles. And the Manchester City boss, left, has vowed to be far harder on his players in a bid to buck the trend over the last decade of Premier League victors suffering a dip the next season. No team since Manchester United in 2009 have defended the title and Guardiola says there can be no complacency among his stars despite their runaway success last season and the bookies making them clear favourites.

Guardiola managed to successfully defend La Liga and Bundesliga titles in his spells with Barcelona and Bayern Munich but knows it will be far harder in England where the competition is so tough. “I don’t know the hunger we have,” he said on the eve of the Community Shield clash with FA Cup winners Chelsea. “I don’t have an answer but I’ll try to repeat what we did at Barcelona and Bayern and be harder with my players.

“That’s the best way to describe it. If after winning the title they are thinking, ‘OK, we’re really good’ that’s the moment we start to go down.

“To be clear with them, the guys who are good, we’ll say they are good and if they are bad, we are going to say they are bad.

“I try to be fair with what I see on the pitch, and off the pitch, try to choose the right line-up and try to win games and do our best.”

Guardiola thinks it will be impossible to repeat City’s record 100-point total last season but says that should not reduce their ambition or their hunger to improve.

“I’ve had it in Barca and Bayern and we were able to