Guardiola was then asked a detailed question about tactics in regards to how he has deployed his front three this season – with reference to something he said way back in 2006 – and seemed taken aback by the reporter’s knowledge, responding: “Do you want to be my assistant coach?! F*cking hell, you are brilliant. You are top.”
The response drew laughter from the press room, before Guardiola went on to say: “We have qualities with the players we have. We have just one proper, proper winger right now in Antoine [Semenyo] and we have to make a system comfortable for the players. No more than that. When I am 70, 80 years old I will look back and as a manager I would have changed many, many things. The ideas in terms of the build-up, high pressing. But if I don’t have wingers, I don’t play with wingers, I have to play another one in order for them to feel comfortable, no more than that.”