Having just become the Premier League manager to reach 500 points in the quickest time, it’s obvious that Pep Guardiola is in a managerial class of his own.
All of the ‘Fraudiola’ talk needs to die a death now, given that the Catalan has ripped up the rule book in La Liga, the Bundesliga and now the English top-flight.
Those that continue to suggest that he’s only managed it because he has had money to spend can’t even make a cogent argument.
It’s like saying that Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo would have a bigger feather in their cap if they took Doncaster Rovers to the Champions League title.
There’s no sense in constructing an argument that isn’t there in the first place.
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Pep is the best manager in the world bar none, so it should follow that he will manage the best clubs.
That they happen to have more money than the other teams isn’t a reason to beat Guardiola with a stick. He still has to manage a highly strung group of individuals and get the best out of them week in and week out.
A dozen wins on the spin doesn’t happen if your manager doesn’t have something about him in the tactical department.
It’s little wonder then that he’s being courted by others, and one job in particular could well be of interest.
According to the Sunday Mirror, cited by 90min, the Dutch federation want Guardiola to take over from current national team manager, Louis van Gaal, in 2023, when his Man City contract comes to an end.
A return to Total Football is required, and the Dutch clearly see Pep as best placed to bring back those glory days.
Can he resist?