Danny Mills believes Manchester City will benefit sooner or later if Pep Guardiola's uncertain future at the club is resolved.
Guardiola is in the final year of his contract at City and had dropped hints towards the end of last season that this could be his last on the blue side of Manchester.
However, recent reports suggest he could sign a one-year extension that would see him stay at the Etihad for a tenth year.
The Spaniard joined the club in 2016 and has won 18 trophies with the club, including six Premier Leagues, the last four of which he won in a row, a Champions League, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups, a UEFA Super Cup and a Club World. Cup.
Mills, who played for City between 2006 and 2009, says it will be better for everyone at the club once a decision has been made about his future.
“It's very, very difficult to know what Pep is going to do. He really is a man in his own head,” Mills told Stats Perform.
“I don't think he's giving too much away about his thought process. We know he's incredibly intense. His dedication is sometimes unparalleled.
“He's constantly thinking about football, thinking about Manchester City. That's what he does, and he's incredibly good at it. Only he will know what the next stage of the process is.”
“We have seen before at Barcelona that he needed a break after three or four seasons because he was burned out. He needed a break after three seasons at Bayern. He has been at Manchester City longer than at any other club.”
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— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 18, 2024
“He has been very successful in that time. He has revamped the team several times, changed the playing style, dealt with players coming in and out, and dealing with all kinds of pressure. He has won everything there is to win in that time fell.
“I think he has earned the right to decide what he wants to do. If he stays, recruitment may look a little different than if he decides to leave. A new manager may want a slightly different style of player.”
“Look what Liverpool did with Arne Slot. The players Klopp wanted will be similar, but a new manager always wants to put his own spin on it.”
“The conversations now about recruitment for January or next summer will be a little different if Pep is involved than if there is a new manager. Some players may look at Pep and think: 'I want to play under him because we know each other. ' , and he knows how I play'.
“A new manager with a different style may not give those players the same security. So they will wonder: 'If Pep leaves, where does my future lie at the club?' It just creates some uncertainty. The sooner that is resolved, the better for Manchester City.”
Guardiola has won 353 of his 490 games in charge of City in all competitions (D70 L63), with a winning percentage of 72.04%. In that time they scored 1,200 goals.
The 53-year-old has seen a number of records broken while at the helm, including the record number of points in a Premier League season when they won the title with 100 points in 2017-18.
After seeing so much success in his first eight seasons, Mills admitted it would be difficult to find someone to fill the void he leaves behind.
“I think it's very difficult to find someone to replace Pep. It's a bit like replacing Alex Ferguson. It's very, very difficult,” he added. “Or replacing Arsene Wenger.
“Okay, maybe Wenger stayed a little too long, but when he was in his best period, there was no one to replace him.
“Pep has reinvented Premier League football, changed the way Manchester City play and influenced the way many teams play.”
“Who do you bring in to take that to the next level? There will be young coaches who will be given a chance. Obviously Arteta is a big rival at the moment, but he knows the football club so his name will be in the conversation.” .
“Someone like Ruben Amorim may have been mentioned but he has now crossed over to the red side of Manchester so that rules him out.
“Manchester City used to have the people in place to make sure the succession plan was in place. Some of those people are now moving on, which is creating some uncertainty. City's planning has always been exceptional, from top to bottom, from sporting director to academy .” coaches, but that has recently been disrupted.
“You also throw the 115 charges against the club. Who knows what will happen with that? I think a lot of the charges are false. Look at Forest and Everton: they have been punished for two charges, and City have 115. Some will be trivial, such as not dating a piece of paper correctly or signing it in the wrong place.
“We still have to wait for the outcome. It has no consequences for the players now, but it could have consequences for the team and the club in the future.”
Even if Guardiola stays, there will come a time when he is no longer in the City dugout, but Mills believes he will have a lasting legacy thanks to his influence on England's top flight.
“I think Pep's legacy is incredible. What has he won at this point? Four Premier Leagues in a row, six out of seven, that's phenomenal. Pep has only finished outside the top two once,” said Mills.
“I think this was his first season at Manchester City. He's only finished outside the top two once in his entire career. That's incredible. It's a ridiculous record. He's always finished first or second, and that's part of his legacy.”
“The way he changed the playing style is another important part. A lot of people doubted whether it was possible to play in the Premier League like this, from the back.
“Look at the position of the goalkeeper. Look at teams taking goal kicks and playing one-twos in their own six-yard area. That's all to do with Pep. That's another part of his legacy.”
“So I think there are two parts to it. His winning legacy is phenomenal and his success rate is second to none at the moment. He has to be among the best of all time. But also the style of play and the way he shaped what many thought was impossible was, and now everyone has copied it.
“One of the greatest forms of admiration is imitation, and everyone has tried to copy Manchester City. They haven't quite succeeded, certainly not in terms of quality, but in an ideal world everyone would want to play winning football.” that style.”
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