It feels like Pep Guardiola has become increasingly aware of public opinion over the years. The negative element of the public opinion that he is nevertheless fed. Algorithms will do that to you.
Nobody is safe for that. Not even the big man. He may have removed WhatsApp and claimed not to have social media on his phone, but that has not always been the case. Guardiola was once spotted with scrolling during dinner, and fed the idea that the Manchester City manager had a burner account on X.
Guardiola has referred to money, and how 'the people' (are catch for the entire population) believe that City has only bought their way to a period of dominance and cheated on expansion.
To combat this argument that aims to denigrate his coaching capacity, he has reached the recent net edition statistics that are forced. In the summer they let City continue an expensive rebuilding of an aging team.
That kind of pushback is to be expected from someone who leads a club that is run by his friends and who now identifies himself as an honorary city supporter.
More interesting is what Guardiola thinks the football audience thinks about him. He often refers to how people accuse him of onenheid; How his praise for, say, Bournemouth is seen as faux admiration. “I know people think:” Ah, Pep is only for show … “He could say.
He knows that 'the people' roll their eyes to expressions for effects the same applies to his bear hugs from opposition players or dress up his own tactical.
Another example is his position on the qualification for the Champions League. 'Desinguous' Guardiola again means that ending in the top four is the most important achievement. How can he say that when City consistently wins the title?
Well, he says it with authenticity since he arrived in 2016 and it comes from fearing a season like this.
Because the qualification of Champions League is important for the money to offer a basis for competing at the top of the Premier League. One season from that may not be disastrous, but if one becomes two, it is difficult to navigate.
It is why Guardiola has spent so much of this term on the fact that the city did not fall into the lower corners of the upper half or further, like other large clubs. That despite the accident of a chronic injury list and rightly the poor performance criticized – both at the same time where – the city is still fighting for a place at the top table in Europe.
Tuesday evening, against Aston Villa, the battle will not arrange for one of the three places that are still available for five teams (Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest the others), but the victory would be a great interpretation.
Guardiola described it as a 'final' in the sense of occasion. Not like those nights against Tottenham – the Peter Crouch winner (2010) and the own goal of Peter Crouch (2011) – when City bumped their way to the elite at the beginning of 14 consecutive seasons in the competition, but still important.
Guardiola knows that City cannot be affected to miss the wealth of all years this year. A new era is on them – Kevin De Bruyne is the newest big victim after Kyle Walker and other big names that are threatened.
Guardiola has admitted that even if the club has the same list of transfer goals, whether they reach the champions or Europa League, getting a yes of the best is less likely when they are in the latter.
“If we think qualification is not enough for us, we are in ruin,” Guardiola said. 'I have always thought that qualification is a great, great success. I try to convince the players that it is a huge achievement in this competition.
'Do not feel sorry for ourselves because we have not had a good season. We still have something to fight that is really good for the future. '
That is in the last line the key. In the coming weeks, the short future of the city will define the future new director of Football Hugo Viana.
The run-in started 10 days ago against Crystal Palace and Villa from Unai Emery Tonight is the largest remaining roadblock for a 15th consecutive invitation for the biggest party in UEFA.