Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has revealed that Pep Guardiola does something special at Manchester City apart from managing the first-team.
Pep Guardiola has a reputation of being a world-class tactician and one would assume that his priorities are firmly set on outthinking the opposition manager.
In addition, the £378,846-a-week manager would be expected to be an intense figure on the training pitch to ensure his Manchester City players get a grip of his tactical plans.
Darragh MacAnthony reveals one special thing Pep Guardiola does behind the scenes at Man City
Speaking to talkSPORT, Darragh MacAnthony initially said: “We’ve [Peterborough United] a great relationship with Man City, with young players, with a couple of last year, with a couple of this year. They like the way we play, our style and everything else.”
Darragh MacAnthony has claimed that Pep Guardiola has managed to ensure that Manchester City play the same style of football across all levels.
MacAnthony added: “And it’s fascinating when you do Zoom calls and talk and their [Under] 21 structure and the coaches, they’re all on the same page. That’s what he’s doing.”
“He’s not just the guy who’s coaching Man City’s first-team to win trophies. He’s coaching and running the football club and that’s why Man United went and got the CEO [Omar Berrada] and some of the top people that were at Man City, like [Jason] Wilcox.”
No wonder youngsters seem comfortable playing under Guardiola
In our view, the revelation from Darragh MacAnthony explains why every time a youngster from Manchester City is given an opportunity by Pep Guardiola to play for the first-team, they look comfortable.
It seems like the player in question — whether that was Phil Foden when he first broke through or Oscar Bobb this season, they seem like they have been familiarised with the club’s system for years.
The same can be said about Rico Lewis and Micah Hamilton, as well as Cole Palmer before he left City to join Chelsea.
It seems like Pep Guardiola wishes to create a seamless pathway for young players to the senior team, as is the case at Barcelona when La Masia graduates play for the first-team.
If that is indeed the case, Guardiola’s plan has proven to be successful.
As a result, young players who train at City for a few years look like the archetypal Guardiola players — technically gifted, tactically intelligent and well-coached.
Managers in the future will expected to have a similar impact as Guardiola has in this regard at the club.