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Much has been made of Pep Guardiola's time at Manchester City. The Catalan arrived at the Etihad Stadium to replace Manuel Pellegrini, the Cityzens' Premier League-winning coach, to kickstart a new era as they chased the elusive UEFA Champions League crown.
Guardiola, a two-time winner of the coveted European title with Barcelona, has fallen short on several occasions since his fabled Blaugrana days, and is closing in on a decade without an appearance in the final.
His poor run of results continued at Manchester City, witnessing his side being eliminated by the likes of AS Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur, and, more recently, Olympique Lyon.
These unceremonious exits are made to look even worse when considered along with the resources that the former Barcelona boss has had at City. Guardiola has a net spend that comfortably breaches the £500m barrier, spending more at any club he has ever managed at, and has an appearance in the final — let alone winning the UCL — to show for.
Despite his two majestic Premier League titles, there is a feeling that Guardiola isn't as invincible as he was thought to be, and that his cycle at the club could come to an end in the near future. Should that be the case, here, we take a look at five potential replacements for him.
#5 Erik ten Hag | AFC Ajax
A manager who has personally worked with Guardiola before, Erik ten Hag of Ajax gives City an exciting option to consider given the nature of his philosophy and expansive approach to the game. The 50-year-old worked with Bayern Munich's reserves for nearly two years, which coincided with the Catalan's stay in Bavaria.
Ten Hag saw his stock rise significantly after his heroics with the Amsterdam club in the 2018/19 campaign, during which he led Ajax to the semi-final. More impressively, his side eliminated the likes of Juventus and 13-time champions Real Madrid en-route the penultimate stage, and played some phenomenal football in the process as well.
Ten Hag's record with Dutch champions is nothing short of brilliant. The former FC Twente centre-back has managed Ajax for a total of 120 games, out of which he's registered a whopping 87 victories, 18 losses, and 15 draws, and saw his side score 325 (!) goals in the process. His attack-minded approach, in particular, could appeal to City as a potential Guardiola replacement, should Ten Hag be open to leaving the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
#4 Mikel Arteta | Arsenal
While this might be a bit of a long shot given that the Spaniard has just set off on his managerial career at the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta is undoubtedly an option that City are likely to keep tabs on in the future. The former Gunners midfielder joined Guardiola's coaching staff upon the latter's arrival in England and worked as the Catalan's assistant during the Cityzens' incredibly successful domestic spell.
Arteta left Manchester City for his former club, Arsenal, in the wake of Unai Emery's sacking. And since that moment, there has been no looking back for him. The San Sebastian-native has instilled a sense of character into the side and revived a squad that was devoid of inspiration. He led them to an FA Cup and the Community Shield in his first few months in charge. His Arsenal side beat Guardiola's City in the semi-final and emerged victorious over Chelsea in the final.
The 38-year-old's record at the Emirates speaks for itself. In the 35 games he has managed at Arsenal, Arteta has overseen 22 wins, seven losses, and six draws, all of which have come with a squad that is in need of a revamp. With a proper pre-season, new signings, and renewed faith in the manager, Arsenal could be better placed this year. At just 38, he has a long career ahead, and could perhaps return to the Etihad one day in the future.
Also read: 10 Biggest Ballon d'Or wins in football history
#3 Julian Nagelsmann | RB Leipzig
While many expected Julian Nagelsmann to join German champions Bayern Munich after he departed from TSG Hoffenheim, the German took up the job at RB Leipzig and has, so far, done a phenomenal job at the Red Bull Arena. The 33-year-old has been one of the most exciting managers in recent years and has been tipped for a big one in the near future, after having already rejecting an offer from Real Madrid.
The record-breaking German recently achieved another milestone as he became the youngest manager to enter the UCL semi-finals. He guided his fearless Leipzig side to their maiden appearance in the penultimate stage of the competition. Nagelsmann set his side up to play some high-octane football, and they dominated the 2014 and 2016 finalists Atletico Madrid to dump them out of the competition in the previous round.
His record at Leipzig is quite impressive as he's overseen 29 wins, 15 draws, and just seven losses, scoring 118 goals in the process during his debut campaign. With more time and resources at the Red Bull Arena, based on the evidence of his first season, he will only get better — and could be lined up as a replacement for Guardiola at City in the future.
#2 Mauricio Pochettino | Ex-Tottenham Hotspur
One of arguably the three best coaches in the world without a club, Mauricio Pochettino's case as Guardiola's heir is one that doesn't need too much of an explanation. The Argentine's body of work at Tottenham Hotspur and how he managed to elevate the club from mid-table mediocrity to UCL regulars is simply sensational.
Pochettino inherited an ageing, weak squad and built his side around a core group of both young and experienced players including the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld, and several others and turned them into household names. With the little resources available to him, the 48-year-old got Spurs to play some brilliant football and came ever so close to winning their first-ever UCL, but were beaten to it by Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool in the final.
In just under 400 matches with the North London club, Pochettino recorded 160 wins, 60 draws, and 73 losses, with many of them coming in the transitional period upon taking over in 2014. His man-management ability and an affinity for expansive, attacking football could appeal to the City hierarchy, and he will be a name that they are likely to consider in the event of Guardiola's departure.
#1 Massimiliano Allegri | Ex-Juventus, AC Milan
In terms of accolades, results, and overall credentials, there is perhaps no available coach without a club that could match those of Max Allegri. The Italian, formerly of Juventus and AC Milan, guided the former to four Coppas Italia, five (!) successive Serie A titles and two Champions League finals in three years, albeit unfortunately losing both to Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The 53-year-old has an uncanny knack of being able to grind out results, emphasising on organization and the structure of his team. This isn't to say that he is the most defensive coach in the world as his Juventus side averaged 1.93 goals per game across just over 270 games in charge, highlighting the consistency of Allegri's approach.
The Italian's know-how of the game and experience, in particular, places him above the likes of Pochettino and Ten Hag, who could be argued as better stylistic fits for City. Allegri has overseen 191 wins, 41 draws, and 39 losses across all competitions at Juventus, conceding 208 goals in 271 matches while scoring a staggering 524. In terms of credentials, Allegri is perhaps the name that City could regard highly among available managers.
Also read: 10 Most expensive footballers from famous footballing nations
