After 17 Years At The Top, A Tough Job Is Taking A Toll On Pep Guardiola | Jonathan Wilson

Perhaps nan astir revealing facet of the interview Pep Guardiola gave to GQ was really tired he sounded. The headlines that he was contemplating a 15-year break from nan crippled didn’t wholly bespeak what he said – “I don’t cognize really agelong I’ll extremity for: a year, 2 years, 3 years, five, 10, 15, I don’t know. But I will time off aft this spell pinch City because I request to extremity and attraction connected myself, connected my body” – but his weariness was clear.

To an grade it is not a surprise. Jürgen Klopp was exhausted (and self-aware) capable aft almost 15 seasons astatine Dortmund and Liverpool (plus 7 astatine Mainz) to discontinue past summer. There were times past season, peculiarly successful that four-month spell either broadside of Christmas erstwhile City’s shape dipped alarmingly, that Guardiola seemed shattered. By his ain admission, his determination past November to motion a statement extension to summertime 2027 was motivated successful portion by guilt astatine nan downturn. “The problems we had successful nan past month, I felt now was not nan correct clip to leave,” he said. The problems sewage overmuch worse.

To which location tin beryllium 2 reactions. On nan 1 hand, it is uncommon and admirable that a head should consciousness specified a consciousness of work to his club. While galore are sacked earlier they person a chance to resoluteness problems, location are besides plentifulness happy capable to locomotion distant pinch a pay-off and walk nan situation connected to personification else. But connected nan different hand, it astir apt is not a awesome motion if a head pinch 2 years near connected his statement is already looking guardant to nan extended vacation he is going to person erstwhile it is each over.

But guidance is exhausting. It was striking successful nan question and reply that nan constituent Guardiola picked retired arsenic astir debilitating was having opposing fans chanting he was going to beryllium sacked successful nan morning, nan benignant of mundane banter that it is easy to presume conscionable washes disconnected managers arsenic knowledgeable and successful arsenic Guardiola. Beyond that, though, it is useful to beryllium reminded conscionable really reliable a occupation guidance is and it whitethorn beryllium getting moreover tougher.

Over nan people of his 2 autobiographies, it becomes clear really relentless Brian Clough recovered nan grind of management: location was nary clip to bask a triumph connected Saturday, he said, earlier he was having to commencement reasoning astir nan crippled connected Wednesday. That was earlier nan almanac was arsenic packed arsenic it is now and Clough was personification rather happy to popular complete to Mallorca for a vacation during nan season, personification who was noted moreover astatine nan clip for nan infrequency of his appearances connected nan training pitch.

A crushing 5-1 conclusion astatine Arsenal past play summed up City’s struggles connected nan pitch. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Managers coming person acold much thief than they utilized to. They person master coaches and analysts, and their job, astatine slightest astatine nan apical level, is focused mostly connected preparing nan team. With 1 aliases 2 exceptions, transfers and semipermanent strategy is nan work of a sporting director.

But still, it is an often thankless domiciled wherever successes are quickly forgotten and a fewer bad weeks tin lead to nan sack. Guardiola, for each he whitethorn person disliked nan banter from opposing fans, astatine slightest had capable in installments successful nan slope not to fearfulness that.

And he is right; location is possibly nary different occupation personification faces specified unending scrutiny, specified vocal criticism, from group who, frankly, cognize acold little astir it than they do (and, yes, that includes journalists, and no, that does not mean each disapproval is needfully misguided).

Guardiola has spoken pinch a grade of enthusiasm astir nan situation of rebuilding City. Given he has a people sarcastic tone, it is ne'er wholly easy to tell, but that tin astir apt beryllium taken astatine look value. One of nan problems for a head who has been successful a occupation for an extended time, peculiarly erstwhile they person been arsenic successful arsenic Guardiola, is uncovering caller challenges. Building a squad to triumph nan convention is invigorating, stimulating, exciting, mounting it going again to triumph again little so.

The comedian Stewart Lee wrote successful his autobiography astir really connected agelong tours he would deliberately suffer portion of his assemblage because of nan footwear he sewage from winning it back; it is not to propose Guardiola would person chosen to beryllium successful this position to opportunity he whitethorn relish nan situation of restoring City to nan title.

There is different factor, which is that very fewer managers stay astatine nan very highest level for overmuch much than a decade. Sir Alex Ferguson is an evident counter-example, 20 years separating his first title astatine Manchester United from his last, moreover aft his successes pinch Aberdeen, but he is an outlier who skews expectations. Arrigo Sacchi’s highest lasted astir 4 years. Even José Mourinho was astir apt already past his champion erstwhile he won his past convention title, astatine Chelsea successful 2014-15, 12 years aft his first, astatine Porto.

Every crippled Guardiola has taken complaint of since he was appointed astatine Barcelona successful 2008 has been dissected. For 17 years – little his twelvemonth disconnected successful New York – opponents person been looking for ways to stymy his attacking plans and protect vulnerabilities. Match footage has been pored over, information crunched. Part of Guardiola’s brilliant has been to support evolving, to stay up of his pursuers.

That has ever happened, but ne'er to nan aforesaid grade arsenic today. Teams person ne'er been worked retired truthful quickly; what mightiness person taken a play 50 years agone now happens successful a mates of weeks. To enactment up is to accommodate perpetually and that is exhausting. There comes a constituent erstwhile nan power almost visibly leaves a manager, arsenic it did pinch Mourinho, arsenic it did pinch Arsène Wenger, and, incapable to enactment successful beforehand of nan battalion immoderate longer, they lapse into self-parody.

Guardiola is not location yet. Managerial arcs seldom extremity successful a cliff edge; it is not that they are abruptly finished. But nary profession tin spell connected for ever upwards. After 17 years astatine nan top, arsenic he originates to consciousness nan toll, it whitethorn beryllium that nan descent has begun. Which whitethorn still beryllium capable to triumph City different convention title, but thing lasts for ever.