Pep: Manchester City will be better in my third year

Pep Guardiola may be less than 15 games into his career as Manchester City manager, but he is already talking up his team for the 2018-19 season.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss signed a three-year deal at City, and despite his side’s 100 per cent start to the new Premier League campaign, he insists they will be even better in his third year at the club.

And after five seasons at his boyhood club, and three at Bayern, the 45-year-old is already talking up his chances of extending his stay at the Etihad.

“In my third year here our game will be much, much better than it is now. Most of our wins so far we’ve won with our enthusiasm – a new coach, we are new, and you win a lot of games that way,” said the Champions League winner.

Photo by Marc Mueller/Bongarts/Getty Images

“I’m so happy here – I’m not thinking it will just be three years. Every time I’ve decided to leave a club, to say goodbye to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, it’s in the last year I decide, when I say ‘OK, that’s enough’

“Maybe I can stay longer or maybe less – I don’t know what’s going to happen, it depends on the results, whether the chairman is happy with me or with our job, always that can happen.

“If they’re happy with me and I’m happy, why not longer? It depends if the success is there and if I have the hunger or the chance to improve the squad isn’t there anymore.

“I never want to be a problem with the club. If I feel I don’t have the energy – me, Pep, without energy, is not good.”