Pep Guardiola: Man City boss says no silverware would mean failure - BBC Sport
Pep Guardiola says his first season as Manchester City boss will be considered a failure if he does not win a trophy.
Pep Guardiola said his first season as Manchester City boss will be considered a failure if he does not win a trophy.

Guardiola arrived last summer following success with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but his current side trail Premier League leaders Chelsea by 10 points with 11 games remaining.

City are, however, still in the FA Cup and Champions League.

"If I have no silverware, I will not be here for a long time," said the 46-year-old Catalan manager.

"No silverware - it will not be a good season," Guardiola added. "I knew that in August. Being a manager depends on results.

"I know what my standard was in the past and I know what is on my shoulders. I have to handle that.

"But I know we will be judged on the titles we have won. My period in Munich was judged like a disaster because we were not able to win the Champions League. I won three leagues in a row, we won two cups from three, we arrived every time in the semi-finals and finals but it was a disaster.

"I have to handle that but what I can say is try to play better, better, better than the previous month. That's what I want to see for the next year - be better."

City travel to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday before heading to Monaco for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday. They then face top-four rivals Liverpool the following weekend.

Guardiola said: "It is an important week. We have done a good job in the past - especially in two competitions and we are doing quite well in the Premier League as well - but this week is so, so important. These three games will decide what's going to happen in the next two months, definitely."

Guardiola said captain Vincent Kompany is now back in training and the defender could be in contention to return at Middlesbrough.

Analysis - not everything has gone well

Pep Guardiola knows his time as Manchester City manager will be judged on the trophies he wins.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach has brought his distinctive possession-based style to the Etihad Stadium.

At times, beating Barcelona 3-1 [in the Champions League] and West Ham 5-0, [in the FA Cup] it has been mesmeric. But Claudio Bravo's troubles as a ball-playing goalkeeper is proof that not everything has gone well.

Yet Guardiola feels assessments on style are irrelevant compared to results.

With Chelsea 10 points clear in the Premier League and the EFL Cup already won by Manchester United, it puts extra emphasis on City's FA Cup sixth-round tie at Middlesbrough on Saturday.