It takes many things for a squad of players to become successful – but Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is not a fan of one thing that has become very prominent in the modern game.
Manchester City finished the 2023/24 by winning the Premier League title, edging out Arsenal on the final day by beating West Ham United.
City couldn’t follow that up with an FA Cup, losing to Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. But City did win the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup earlier in the season.
And of course, City won an historic Treble in 2022/23, so it’s been a very successful period.
The City players have been especially incredible over the past 18 months or so, and part of the reason for this is the focus and mentality they all have.
And there is one thing Pep Guardiola makes clear to his players to ensure that focus remains…
Pep Guardiola has told his Man City players to stay off social media
In football today, social media is huge.
There are many platforms out there where fans can talk about the game and react to anything that is happening.
And obviously, it isn’t just fans who use it – many players do too. That said, you don’t see the top players posting all that regularly.
The Daily Mail have published a new interview with Phil Foden where he talks about social media, with the star admitting he does take a look at what’s being said sometimes. He said: “I do look sometimes.
“I’m not on it a lot. It definitely fuels me. It’s proving people wrong. I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
It is advisable for footballers not to pay too much attention to social media because often, it is not a representation of reality, and things are often ignored to create unfair narratives.
The Daily Mail add that City manager Pep is actually not a fan of social media use.
Apparently, he tells his Manchester City players to stay off these platforms. Presumably, he takes a less strict stance when it’s the off-season and his stars are not pushing for trophies.
Pep stance on social media surely improves focus
You do often see the City players posting on the likes of Instagram after games have been won. But it’s very possible that these posts are done by management companies, and that the players don’t actually even see what is being put out.
Some do make their own posts. After all, footballers are just regular human beings like everyone else.
It is interesting to note Pep’s stance on social media though, and maybe this is one small part of the reason City are so good.
City are often praised for having a very strong mentality and collective focus. It may well be that Pep’s stance on social media does help to improve these things.