Guardiola Offers Explanations for Man City’s Struggling Form.

PEP GUARDIOLA has always stood out for setting football milestones — but this was a twist no one expected.

The Manchester City boss, celebrated as the best in the world, openly discussing “lost dressing rooms.”

Pep Guardiola says he would quit Man City if he felt he had lost the dressing roomCredit: Reuters

What made it even more remarkable was that Guardiola brought it up himself.

Suddenly, even the staggering seven defeats in ten games for the four-time champions seemed insignificant. This revelation was far more shocking.

Guardiola was confronting the toughest spell of his managerial career head-on, standing firm and insisting it has only strengthened his resolve for the fight ahead.

For the serial-winning Spaniard, there’s only one kind of loss that could truly bring him to his knees — and it wouldn’t happen on the pitch.

It’s the moment Guardiola dreads — the realization that his words no longer resonate, his players no longer view him as their guiding light, and the dressing room slips from his grasp.

Yet, before City fans hit the panic button, Guardiola assures there’s no sign of that happening.

However, he admits that if it ever does, his departure from the Etihad would be swift and decisive.

Guardiola declared: “There’s only one thing that would make me stop and think, ‘Pep, it’s time.’ That’s when I lose the team.”

“When I feel they do not run. When everyone says the manager has lost the team and they don’t follow me.

“In that moment I will not be here for one more minute.

Guardiola appeared to scratch his head multiple times during Man City’s match against Feyenoord last month. “But right now, I’m here more than ever — no doubt about that,” he stated.

He acknowledges that the current run of defeats — as many as City suffered in their previous 105 games — isn’t due to a lack of motivation from the manager.

Instead, it’s down to a dreadful injury list, the long-term absence of key players — with Rodri being the most significant loss — and a schedule that would be overwhelming for any team.

Guardiola continued: “I don’t know how we would have fared with all our players available… with Rodri, Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb, and the four central defenders fit. I can’t say for sure what position we’d be in.

“I can imagine, but I can’t prove it. We’d be a better team, everyone knows that, but the reality is the complete opposite.

“In the past, maybe we’d go the whole season without losing seven. But it’s football, it’s life.

“If you’d told me a month ago, when we were top of the league and unbeaten, that we’d lose seven, I’d have said, ‘Are you crazy? That’s not going to happen to my team.’”

“But it’s happened — and maybe we’ll lose more. The reason? The schedule,” Guardiola explained.

“Rodri played 75 games last season. He won the Euros with Spain, got injured with Spain, and came back. Do you think he’s fresh this year? No.

“As strong as he is, he returned tired. But I needed him against Arsenal, even though he wasn’t at his best.

“Usually, after a game, we recover the next day while those who didn’t play train. But now, we’ve got seven, eight, or nine players out. We’re not at our best because we simply don’t have the players.

“We’ve made mistakes, but there’s no time. You have to practice to improve, just like writing a novel requires practice—unless you’re William Shakespeare! Then, you don’t need anything.”

Despite these challenges, Guardiola is fully aware that the responsibility ultimately lies with him.

The fact remains: City haven’t been good enough.

A win in the Manchester derby might help restore pride but would only serve as a bandage over deeper issues.

Guardiola admitted: “We don’t have a defense, my friends. We’ve lost too many games because of it. The criticisms and judgments? They’re deserved.

“You can share and listen to opinions, but at the end of the day, decisions are on me. That’s why I’m well paid. If I can’t handle it, I should find another job — it’s nothing new.”

The silver lining? Guardiola has no plans to walk away anytime soon — a rare bright spot for Manchester City.