Pep Guardiola’s future at Manchester City is under intense scrutiny after the club’s disappointing start to the new season.
After a disappointing 2024/25 season, Pep Guardiola made wholesale changes to his squad. Fans were hoping the Spanish manager could turn things around, but his team have not had the best of starts to the new campaign, and the pressure is slowly mounting on the 54-year-old serial winner.
According to Pete O’Rourke via Football Insider, Guardiola has already come under the scanner following the poor start. Given the number of changes made to the squad, the former Barcelona boss will be given time to turn things around, but he will certainly have to deliver the desired results sooner rather than later.
While they began the campaign with a sensational 4-0 win over Wolves, Manchester City have lost their last two league outings. They were outclassed by Tottenham at home before losing to Brighton away. With two defeats in their opening three matches, Guardiola is starting to feel the heat.
Pete O’Rourke on Pep Guardiola’s future
While speaking about Guardiola’s situation at City, O’Rourke said, “Guardiola has admitted himself that the pressure is on him. He said last season after their bad run of form that any other manager – if he didn’t have the faith of the owner and the sporting director – probably would have been sacked. It’s a new squad he’s working with, so it’s going to take time for this new team to gel and get used to each other.”
Guardiola has been in charge of the Premier League giants since 2016. He has transformed Manchester City into a dominant force, regularly winning the league and securing the Champions League title during his tenure.
While he has achieved remarkable success, Manchester City endured a disappointing campaign last season. They went trophyless and looked a shadow of their former selves. It was a significant drop in standards, and Pep Guardiola himself admitted that had it been any other manager, they might have been sacked by now.
Guardiola still has the backing of Manchester City chiefs
However, Pep Guardiola still has the full backing of the owner and sporting director, which is why he remains in charge of the Manchester giants. In response to the poor campaign, City signed seven first-team players, saw eight players leave permanently, and sent a few others out on loan.
The rebuild provides Guardiola with the tools he needs to succeed, and the club is willing to be patient as the new signings settle in. The former Barcelona manager is fully aware of the mounting pressure but remains confident he will be given time to turn things around.