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There is no doubt Pep Guardiola is the world's best manager right now. With his arch-rival Jose Mourinho currently out of a managerial job, and Sir Alex Ferguson retired, that leaves Guardiola miles ahead of all the current managers worldwide.
Guardiola rose to fame during his stint with FC Barcelona when he won 14 trophies in just 4 years at the club. Before taking up the Barcelona first team job, Pep was the coach of the Barcelona B team, which he guided to the Tercera Division title in his first and only season in the 2007-08 campaign.
After winning everything possible with the Barcelona side, the Spaniard took a one-year sabbatical, before joining German Bundesliga club, Bayern Munich, where he won 7 competitive titles in 3 years. Now, the top flight manager is in charge of English club Manchester City since 2016 and has revolutionized the whole club in almost all sorts.
There has been one unique thing about Guardiola which separates him from all the others in the profession - his obsessive passion for the game. Not many times do we see Pep complaining when he loses to a team which played better because he enjoys the game, and much more than that, he enjoys the game from a tactical point of view.
So, here are 3 facts about the Spanish tactical overlord's footballing strategies which you probably might not have known:
#3 The Doppelsechs
When Guardiola took charge of the Bayern Munich team, the first thing he changed about the team was Jupp Heynckes's system of midfield - The Doppelsechs, which literally translates to 'Double Six'. It is a reference to the number 6 position on the field - the traditional defensive midfielder.
Guardiola's predecessor Jupp Heynckes used to deploy two defensive midfielders, Javi Martinez and Bastian Schweinsteiger, in the center of the field, but Guardiola was against this system.
A defensive midfielder during his playing career himself, Guardiola believed that if there was a sole defensive midfielder, the player could get more space to play, and deploying two players in that position just restricts the area of play for both of them.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was one player who Guardiola loved in the position at Bayern Munich, and during his first season, Hobjberg was consistently used in the majority of the matches that the club played.
In case you didn't know, Jupp Heynckes had won the treble of Bundesliga, Champions League, and the DFB Pokal before passing the baton to Guardiola, and still, Guardiola was firm of instilling his strategies upon his arrival. This was a dicey call, but that's what makes Guardiola one of the best in the business.
(Source: Pep Confidential - The inside story of Guardiola's first season at Bayern Munich)
#2 Guardiola's rendition of the False Nine
Guardiola was once quoted saying that while trying to make Lionel Messi the best player in the world, the Argentine ended up making him the best manager in the world.
Everyone is aware that it was Guardiola who developed Lionel Messi in the False Nine position, but not many are aware of the fact that the decision to play Messi in that position came as a rescue to Guardiola during a match.
It was a match against Real Madrid in 2009 when Guardiola-led FC Barcelona were unable to break the defense of Madrid, and that's when the Spanish manager switched the roles of Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi, albeit with a twist.
With Eto'o going wider to the right wing, Lionel Messi was ordered to play in a false nine position in the center.
Guardiola's strategy in doing it was simple, Real Madrid midfielders used to press high up the field, whereas the center-backs used to guard Iker Casillas' goal by staying close to the goalkeeper, which left a huge space between the Madrid midfielders and defenders.
Lionel Messi exactly exploited that space helping Barcelona win 6-2 at the Bernabeu, and the rest is history. Another tactical masterclass by Guardiola to make the best player in the world realize the best position for himself.
(Source: Pep Confidential - The inside story of Guardiola's first season at Bayern Munich)
#1 The Day before the Game
Ever imagined what Pep Guardiola does right from one game week to another, during the weekdays?
Well, apart from conducting the training sessions of the first team squad, the Spaniard resorts to his whiteboard and DVD Player, watching videos of his next opponent and creating notes about their strengths and weaknesses. He probably does this for the first 2-3 days of the preparation week.
But the real magic happens on the day before the game.
As per Martin Perarnau, the author of two biographies of Guardiola's Bayern Munich and Manchester City career, Pep spends the evening before the game locked up in his room, where he tries to find the way to win the match on the next day.
Guardiola has also explained in the biographies, that it's a frustrating process, but when he finds the answer to success against the next opposition, that is the point where he believes his love for the job.
Pep Guardiola is on track to win another Premier League title with Manchester City this season, but the race still remains open against Jurgen Klopp-led Liverpool FC. He will also be looking to challenge for the Champions League title as the team currently takes on Tottenham Hotspur in the Quarter-Final of the tournament.
(Source: Pep Confidential - The inside story of Guardiola's first season at Bayern Munich)
