Coach Pep Guardiola is ready to let go of anyone if they threaten the club’s interests or simply because they no longer have the commitment. At the beginning of this season, when Brighton & Hove Albion sold stars like Moises Caicedo or Alexis McAllister but still achieved promising results, praise was showered on the club’s leadership and coach Roberto De Zerbi. However, if you look deeper, Pep Guardiola deserves the accolades throughout his illustrious coaching career.
There are still opinions that since entering the coaching profession, Pep Guardiola has been favored and has managed strong clubs like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, or Manchester City. However, could he have won major titles without talent?
Pep Guardiola can replace anyone if he feels that person threatens the club’s interests or if they no longer have the desire to commit. From Ronaldinho, Deco, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Cancelo, numerous stars have bid farewell, and all he did was wave goodbye to them. Regret may exist, but the former Bayern Munich coach has never appeared worried.
Pep Guardiola quickly finds high-quality replacements on the transfer market or maximizes the potential of the players at his disposal. Many say the coach born in 1971 is fortunate to have absolute financial support, but if you look at Manchester United or Chelsea, you’ll understand that money is just like crumpled paper if not used correctly.
John Stones is the most notable example of this. Perhaps no one would have dared to push a center-back to play as a central midfielder and perform excellently to the extent that he played a crucial role in Manchester City’s historic treble-winning journey. Even the “surplus” label didn’t stop Nathan Ake from undergoing a complete transformation and contributing to “The Citizens” reaching the pinnacle of success.
New signings, regardless of their positions, are molded by Pep Guardiola to fit his philosophy and style of play. Most of the players he brings in are significantly elevated. The question is, if they wore the jersey of another team, could they reach superstar status, like when under the guidance of the Spanish manager?
Of course, there are exceptions like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, or Xavi. However, no one knows the exact answer because Pep Guardiola chose to leave Barcelona at a time when everything was still going well. It could have been a wise decision, or with his foresight, he knew what would happen in the future if the Camp Nou lost those important names mentioned.
