LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Pep Guardiola manager of Manchester City dejected at the end of the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC at Anfield on December 01, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are currently in the midst of a terrible run
Erik ten Hag’s stern warning to Pep Guardiola has resurfaced following Manchester City’s horror run of results.
A catalogue of poor displays dating back to October 30 has left Guardiola’s Premier League and Champions League hopes hanging by a thread. In ten fixtures across all competitions, the previously indomitable City have won just a single game, removing all of the fear factor which took the Catalan eight years of blood, sweat and tears to cultivate.
The shocking development has unsurprisingly led to whispers among football fans and in the media over whether City, like any other footballing dynasty, have begun to decline. And ahead of Sunday’s pivotal Manchester Derby clash, the words of the now-sacked Ten Hag when he was appointed Manchester United manager in 2022, have come to the forefront.
When asked about challenging City and Liverpool ahead of his first season, Ten Hag insisted their respective managers did not need to leave the Premier League for their “era” to come to a close.
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City and, to a lesser extent, Liverpool had dominated the league since 2017, with Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp being viewed as juggernauts of the English game by the time Ten Hag arrived on these shores.
“I admire them both,” Ten Hag said. “They play fantastic football. But eras come to an end.” The manager was then pushed as to whether that could be the case while both continue to work in the Premier League. “I think so, yes," he added assuredly.
Ten Hag was not the man to bring about the end of those eras, finishing third and eighth in his two years in charge before being unceremoniously dismissed two months into the new season. Yet the Dutchman was proven right when Klopp finished fifth and third, before leaving Anfield in the summer and citing fatigue as the reason.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag looks on during the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2024 in London, England.(Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Erik ten Hag believed he could end Man City's era of dominance ( Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
While there is no guarantee that City’s era of dominance faces the same conclusion, their rocky spell has led some doubters to argue just that. Certainly, the age profile of some of City's key players is of growing concern.
The likes of Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gundogan appear a shadow of their former selves, while John Stones and Bernardo Silva are now also in their 30s. Club legend Kevin De Bruyne’s injury struggles mean he is not available as often as Guardiola would like.
City’s dreadful form, exacerbated by talisman Rodri’s season-ending injury, has brought the idea of the squad needing a wholesale revamp to the forefront - when the same players were being hailed just a few months ago as they won nine games on the bounce to claim a fourth successive league title.
Guardiola, meanwhile, has appeared uncharacteristically aggravated these past months, which only adds weight to the perception of Ten Hag as a kind of oracle. His frustrations got the better of him and he left scratch marks on his own head after blowing a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord, joking afterwards that he wanted to “harm” himself.
Several of Manchester City's key players are in their 30s ( Image: PA Wire)
He then made a six-fingered gesture at Anfield, symbolising his six league titles won, after being goaded by Liverpool supporters following their defeat this month.
But while rival fans dream of a toxic end to his time in England, Guardiola is a serial winner who simply refuses to go down. In a show of defiance, he signed a new two-year contract with the Etihad club which will run until 2027, rather than stepping away at the end of this season as people had expected.
"I felt I could not leave now. Maybe the four defeats was why," Guardiola told the club's website. "I think we deserve, after four defeats in a row, to bounce back and try to turn the situation. I think we deserve to be here. I am not arrogant to say, but it's the truth."
If the Catalan’s comments are anything to go by, he is determined to see City back on top, rather than walk away as Klopp did. Ahead of the Manchester Derby, coming up against the head coach who beat him 4-1 with Sporting CP just over a month ago, Guardiola has the chance to put the negativity to rest.
If they lose, however, City will find themselves in deeper, uncharted waters - and Guardiola will no doubt be swimming with the sharks.
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