Pep Guardiola could go on to win the Champions League after one of the bravest selections – and most brilliant tactical masterplans – by an English club in Europe.
And if Manchester City lift the European Cup in Istanbul, Guardiola will deserve it.
If they are anywhere near their best, I expect City to win the Carabao Cup final against Aston Villa this weekend and for their coach to land his sixth major trophy in three seasons.
But City’s 2-1 win against Real Madrid in midweek was so audacious it took your breath away.
When I saw the teamsheet, and there was no Sergio Aguero or Raheem Sterling in City’s starting XI, I just thought, “Wow – is this guy for real?”
(Image: REUTERS)
By the end of the night, we had our answer: Pep the genius knew what he was doing all along.
Just imagine Tottenham going to the Santiago Bernabeu and leaving out Harry Kane and Heung-min Son for tactical reasons.
Imagine Barcelona playing their arch-rivals in El Clasico and leaving Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez on the bench.
Imagine Liverpool rocking up to play Real Madrid and keeping Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino in reserve as part of a tactical masterplan.
I know Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 last season without Firmino and Salah, but that was not by choice – they were injured and Jurgen Klopp’s hand was forced by injuries.
What Guardiola did on Wednesday night in the Spanish capital was not just brave: It was awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping… and it worked.
(Image: SIPA USA/PA Images)
After a week in which City had been hit by a two-year ban from the Champions League – subject to appeal – they did not feel sorry for themselves.
They unfurled one of the finest performances by an English club in Europe.
When Guardiola came to the Etihad, and missed out on the title by 15 points in his first season, everyone was asking if he could convert his stylish brand of football into a winning culture.
I’ll tell you what – his influence has transcended the Premier League and filtered all the way through the leagues, down to the grass roots.
Even my ProFootball Academy Sunday league youth team are trying to play their way out of their own six-yard box now, and teams in the JPL and all over the country at grass-roots levels are doing it, too.
(Image: RODRIGO JIMENEZ/EPA-EFE/REX)
Bravery on the ball, taking risks and wanting to receive the ball under pressure have all become features of the game at every level.
I believe Guardiola has been a greater influence on English football, in a progressive way, than any coach.
Only Arsene Wenger, who transplanted a whole new culture – both on and off the pitch – at Arsenal comes close to matching Guardiola’s genius as a breath of fresh air.
Even when they fell behind on Wednesday night, City stuck to the game plan. Kevin De Bruyne looked like the best midfield player in the world, and Guardiola’s plan to use KDB and Bernardo Silva as interchanging ‘false’ No.9 forwards worked a treat.
Real centre backs Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane didn’t know whether to stick or twist, and the full backs didn’t know whether to go forward or sit tight.
(Image: PA)
City are overwhelming favourites to win the Carabao Cup final – no disrespect to Villa, who did wonderfully well to reach Wembley, but I fear they could be blown away like Watford in last season’s FA Cup final.
And if a single performance, on the back of a tactical masterclass, is rewarded further down the line, City will be crossing the final frontier and lifting the Champions League trophy on May 30.
For changing the landscape, from Premier League all the way down to grass roots, I genuinely believe Pep Guardiola deserves it.
