Gary Neville’s ‘selfish’ statement on Pep after dramatic period at Man City

Gary Neville 'selfishly' hoped Pep Guardiola would have left Manchester City by now and doesn't believe for a second that their current efforts on the pitch will last indefinitely.

The Cityzens are now winless in six games – an unprecedented run for Guardiola. His squad looks confused as Premier League leaders Liverpool saunter out of their grasp – something that has not been taken well by the Spaniard, who this month agreed to an unexpected two-year contract extension.

During a crumbling performance that saw a 3-0 lead at the Etihad surrendered to Feyenoord, resulting in a 3-3 draw in the Champions League, the manager was questioned on Tuesday evening about self-inflicted marks on his nose and face as he endures a rare felt storm.

Yet Sky Sports' Neville – long-time patron of City's rivals Manchester United – still wishes the manager had written his surprise new contract not for his own good, but for the good of the Red Devils.

“Something has changed, I think; we all felt like this might be his last year, maybe one more year, but certainly not another two years,” Neville told The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet.

“It's good for the competition. Perhaps there is no club he can go to that will ultimately offer him some kind of platform and foundation, an opportunity to continue.

'I never thought he would stay this long. To be honest, I was even hoping he would leave well before then,” the ex-United star admitted.

Since Guardiola's arrival in the Premier League in 2016, the Red Devils, now led by Ruben Amorim, have not finished above their city rivals and have had to watch the blue half of Manchester storm to six league titles and a treble.

“I say that selfishly, just about the United and City issue,” Marcel continued. “But honestly, I think Pep Guardiola's presence in the league and him being in Manchester is a huge attraction for the league and the city of Manchester.

“Although I want Manchester United to win, you have to understand the impact this man has on football, so it is positive that we have him in the league because we have lost some good managers in recent years.

“Like Jose [Mourinho] have left [Antonio] Conte is left, [Mauricio] Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp – they are big characters to lose. We can't afford to lose Pep Guardiola at the same time, so that's a good thing.”

However, things are not getting any easier for the out-of-control Guardiola, now that a top match against leaders Liverpool looms on Sunday, and games against United, Aston Villa and a Champions League match with Juventus are coming up. thick and fast for Christmas.