Manchester City Revival: Guardiola Reveals What Turned Things Around

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City’s resurgence this season has been driven by a shift in mindset and the return of the energy that he felt was missing last term.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking ahead of City’s New Year’s Day clash with Sunderland, Guardiola reflected on the previous campaign, telling BBC Sport that managers cannot simply ignore deeper issues when things are not going right.

The experienced City boss, who has enjoyed long-term success throughout his career, emphasised that he has never publicly criticised his own club, even during challenging periods.

“Managers are not magicians. Sometimes you need time. Last season, there was something in the fog in Manchester, around our training centre. We missed something,” he said.

“I could talk about my career, the big numbers I’ve achieved. But I never, ever blamed anyone. It wasn’t about individuals—it was something in the atmosphere in Manchester, surrounding our training ground. We missed something.”

Guardiola highlighted the club’s pre-season trip to Al Hilal as a key moment that helped restore belief and unity within the squad, regardless of results on the pitch.

“When we went to Al Hilal, it wasn’t about the wins; it was about how good we were as a team. During the holidays, I said: ‘Go on holiday,’ but I was impressed with how we trained and competed.

“We were in Boca Raton, in front of the beach, everyone happy. We had dinners, long discussions about what we needed to do next season. We wanted to extend the experience, just to enjoy it together.”

According to Guardiola, the most significant change this season has been the return of intensity and purpose, both in training and in matches.

“Energy, energy, energy. We lost it last season. Now we train better, we compete better,” the former Barcelona manager said.

“It doesn’t guarantee wins, but you can recognise the team again. We’re now on an eight-game winning streak. It’s not easy, but we compete the way we should. There’s room to improve, absolutely, but this mindset is much stronger.”