Following a disappointing 1-1 draw against Chelsea over the weekend, Manchester City bounced back with a 1-0 victory over Brentford on Tuesday, bringing the Sky Blues within one point of Liverpool for the top spot in the English Premier League table.
Manchester City’s latest win saw star striker Erling Haaland bounce back from a shambolic performance against Chelsea, as the Norwegian scored his team’s lone goal against Brentford.
Following his team’s win, City manager Pep Guardiola responded to a question from The Athletic’s Sam Lee by expressing faith in his star player, while also taking a subtle swipe at the reporters in the room.
“When I was young, one friend of mine told me as a person — I wasn’t a journalist. I am not and I would not be — ‘top scorers strikers score a lot of goals, don’t criticize him. Because will shut your mouth.’ So that’s for sure. Sooner or later, it’s always his day,” said Guardiola.
After the legendary Spanish manager proceeded to breakdown the difficulties that facing Brentford presents, Lee followed up by asking, “What’s wrong with being a journalist?” It was at that point that Guardiola let his true feelings be known.
“I am a manager. My life is better than yours. That’s why I want to be a manager. I don’t want to be a journalist,” the 53-year-old said as the room erupted in laughter. “It’s not personal. Especially with you, Mr. Lee.”
https://twitter.com/HaytersTV/status/1760073844906401902
Hey, Lee asked. And Guardiola answered honestly. So, fair play.
While the Manchester City manager’s answer might invoke memories of LeBron James reminding his critics that they’ll have to “wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today” for some, this was more of a matter of Guardiola having a playful exchange with a reporter he seemingly has a good rapport with. It’s also worth noting that Guardiola’s arrogance is a part of his charm and while money isn’t everything, his reported $24.9 million salary certainly suggests he lives a pretty good life.
Over the weekend, Guardiola and Manchester City received a visit from Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla. And while the two coaches surely bonded over their love of free-flowing offenses, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they also discussed how they truly feel about the reporters they deal with on a daily basis.
