Manchester City fans must be careful what they wish for.
“We want you to stay,” they sang before the 3-0 thrashing of Liverpool.
And just to make sure Pep got the message in his 1,000th game in the dugout, they unfurled a huge tifo with the words in Catalan.
Not that Guardiola needed it, as his English has come a long way since his “What is tackles?” gibberish of 2016.
And so have City.
That comment came after a 4-2 drubbing at Leicester in 2016 when City were easy meat for the rampant Foxes.
He tried to argue that tackling was a bit unnecessary if you played the game properly.
Hearing that, many doubted whether the acclaimed former Barcelona and Bayern boss would cut the mustard in English football.
But now, 40 titles, a Treble, a wobble, a scratched nose and an ominous-looking comeback later, English football wonders what it would do without him, City fans especially.
550 of those 1,000 games have been with the Blues, whom he’s turned into one of the world’s elite clubs.
Just for the record, he has 716 wins, 156 draws and 128 losses in all.
And whatever you think of the owners and the 130 charges still hanging over them, he has produced a brand of football that is as easy on the eye as it is hard to repel.
Yes, he’s had lots of money, but so have many others. It’s how you spend it that counts – just ask Liverpool.
Yes, he had Messi at Barcelona, but he’s still done the business at both Bayern and City.
The true test of greatness is longevity – Fergie did over 2,000 games at United – not in one-season wonders.
And now, after negotiating the biggest crisis of his career, Pep is at it again.
Last season, after he was driven to despair, City still finished third.
And now, he’s doing it again. Facing down his critics. Turning back the tide. And, in doing so, he has reignited the title race.
Last weekend’s performance sent shivers down Arsenal’s spines and delighted neutrals.
City could be back. Not quite the old, unstoppable City, but getting there.
The injuries have subsided, with only Rodri and Mateo Kovacic long-term absentees.
There were unmistakable signs of new boys bedding in and “old” ones regaining their spark.
There was both a stunning “team” goal and an individual gem to match.
Erling Haaland finished a move that began at City’s left corner flag. Every outfield player touched the ball.
With slick, rondo-like passing, City escaped from a cul-de-sac and went on the counter. It was mesmeric stuff.
No Liverpool player had a sniff, and it was all capped with the inevitability that follows the ball landing on the Norwegian’s head.
The third was a wonder strike by the player of the match, Jeremy Doku, who produced a fabulous curling shot to round off a vintage display of dazzling dribbles.
The re-tuning of Doku was just the highlight of several heartwarming signs all over the pitch.
Phil Foden has his mojo – and England place – back after looking like a little boy lost last season.
Nico Gonzalez, bought as a long-term replacement for Rodri, finally looks up to the task.
And he may have solved the long-standing problem position of left-back with one off the production line in Nico O’Reilly.
He’s even getting a tune out of Matheus Nunes, who had seemed likely to be another Kalvin Phillips, at right-back.
Everything in the garden looks rosy, but there’s still a cloud hanging over it.
Almost forgotten are the 115 charges (since amended to 130) against City laid by the EPL in January 2023.
No one talks about the possible draconian punishments – relegation, a transfer ban, eternal damnation – anymore.
A City points win in the APT case and the going-on three-year wait for the decision have lulled everyone into a false state of security: that nothing untoward will happen.
This feeling is reinforced when you see the huge expansion of City’s north stand along with the massive deals they are making with Etihad Airways, among others.
It seems inconceivable that this club could be playing at places like Wrexham, Portsmouth and Oxford next season.
City’s partners would simply not sign up if there was any such prospect.
Which makes everyone think either they’ll win the case or there will be some complex fudge of a draw. Which would be tantamount to a City victory.
Pep said he would still manage in the Championship, but you just can’t see him having to.
But City fans are once again wondering just how long they will be able to keep the great man.
A serious return to the glory days is surely what he craves and we saw how he celebrated the second goal against Liverpool.
Last year he signed on until the end of the 2026-27 season and has always fulfilled his contracts.
To come back and win the title would be the Maraschino cherry on top of the wedding cake for him.
But that, especially if it’s accompanied by another Champions League success, would surely be enough.
The end of this season would mark a decade in the job and when you think of burnout, he has often looked as if he’s about to self-combust.
There’s also the example of Jurgen Klopp, who also signed on for extra but then dramatically cut it short – admitting that he had nothing left in the tank.
If he does harbour such thoughts, Klopp would be one of the first people he’d call.
As a result of their epic rivalry, there’s great mutual respect.
So, ironically, the more City improve, the closer the day will come when Pep calls it a day. But not before one more tilt at a trophy.
He’s changed the game. Right through the pyramid, possession ruled. Even playgrounds see more passing.
And now, when set-pieces are the thing, he leads the resistance to it. If he wins the title, the set-piece craze will fade.
And if they win the league this season, it would be one of his greatest achievements.
A man in 1,000 indeed.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.