Pep’s words of welcome for Mourinho

PEP Guardiola welcomed old sparring partner Jose Mourinho back to the Premier League.

The pair had a fierce rivalry in La Liga that was expected to be renewed when they both took up residence in Manchester, but they barely bothered with each other as City outclassed United on the pitch.

Mourinho was sacked in December 2018 but has returned this week to the Tottenham hotseat after the north London club decided to sack Mauricio Pochettino.

Spurs beat City on their way to the Champions League final last season but with the club currently 14th, Mourinho got the nod.

Asked about the managerial changes at Tottenham this week, Guardiola did not have much to say about Mourinho but wished him well as he praised Pochettino’s contribution to the club.

“I think you know him better than me, many years here in different clubs. Welcome back. An incredible manager and I’m pretty sure he’ll do a good job,” he said.

“I was a little surprised [with Mauricio because] all the managers are judged on titles but he had done an incredible job and the club was better.

“Always the managers when they leave it is to know if the club and team are better than when they take over but decisions are made and there is nothing else to say.”

PEP Guardiola’s faith in the character and ability of his players is keeping alive his belief that the Premier League title race is not over.

Liverpool’s nine-point lead has, he says, got the world thinking that the hunt is over, and that Jurgen Klopp’s team can start planning their victory parade in May.

But the way his City team hauled back a seven-point gap last season, in fewer games, means Guardiola is refusing to concede. His players vowed after defeat at Newcastle left them adrift of Liverpool to try to win the last 14 games – and did exactly that, to overhaul the Merseysiders and then hold off a strong fightback.

“If you asked me after we lost at Newcastle last season are we going to win 14 games in a row to be champions, I’d have said no,” admitted Guardiola.

“I know that to be there until the end we have to go on an incredible run of games – we know it. But I think it will be a big mistake if you think too far ahead.

“It’s Chelsea and, after a good dinner, then Shakhtar. I’d like to say we are going to win 20 in a row, but I cannot say that.”

Guardiola was also asked why, in the last two seasons, when his team was described as ‘perfect’ or ‘unstoppable,’ he always advised caution and insisted there were plenty of improvements to be made.

“I see things that you are not able to see, every training session at 11am I am there and you are not,” he said. “I am in the locker room and you are not and in the games I have a plan, you don’t know the plan and sometimes you have a plan and it works and you don’t win, sometimes you have a plan and it turns out to be a disaster, and you win, it depends on the opponents, on our quality and how they play.

“I decided to play with the strategy, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I have the info, to know what we have to do, that’s the only reason.”

Guardiola has had a fortnight to mull over the defeat at Anfield, with most of his players away on international duty.