Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has made a bold claim about Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, that the likely future Liverpool boss, Arne Slot, should take into consideration.
Souness dismissed any suggestion that Guardiola is a 'genius' manager. Despite the Manchester City boss having been involved in some titanic tussles with Jürgen Klopp over the years and acknowledging Klopp as his 'toughest opponent', Souness remains unconvinced of Guardiola's genius status.
Arne Slot is Liverpool's next boss and will have to test his mettle against Guardiola in the upcoming season. Interestingly, comparisons have been drawn between Slot and Guardiola due to their similar attacking style of play. In fact, Slot has openly admitted being inspired by the City boss who many believe to be one of football’s greatest ever managers.
Guardiola could lead his team to an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title this season as they are currently locked in a battle with Arsenal at the top of the league table. However, Souness questions whether this success can be attributed solely to his managerial skills.
Financial factors also doesn’t lie for Souness
Since taking over at Manchester City in 2016 (according to Transfermarkt), Pep Guardiola has spent over $1.3bn (£1bn/€1.2bn) on new players while Liverpool under Klopp has invested around $1bn (£800m/€928m) on new recruits during his tenure.
Liverpool legend, Graeme Souness, said:
"Recruitment is the single biggest thing you have to get right at a football club. If you've got great players with an average manager, you've got a chance of winning stuff. The likelihood is you will win stuff," he told the Three Up Front podcast.
“Pep Guardiola, whatever league he's been in, he's had the best group of players. He took over from Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona, where he had Messi at 20 or 19. Then he goes to Bayern Munich, and he takes over from Jupp Heynckes, [who won] four trophies, every trophy including the European Cup.
“Then he comes to City, the richest, and a team that just needed the slightest bit of tweaking. And yes, he obviously manages players very well. But for me there's no genius there.”
Both teams are expected to strengthen their squads again this summer although any major signings will likely need funding from player sales due to strict Profit and Sustainability Rules enforced by Premier League authorities.
Spotlight will be on Arne Slot next season
As Arne Slot prepares to step into the shoes of Liverpool manager, he should take note of Souness' perspective on Guardiola. While it is undeniable that Pep Guardiola has achieved significant success at Manchester City, the financial backing he has received may have played a crucial role in this.
Slot will need to balance his admiration for Guardiola's style with an understanding of the financial realities of managing a top Premier League club. This will be especially important as he navigates potential squad changes while adhering to Profit and Sustainability Rules in the upcoming seasons.
