Pep Guardiola has taken a swipe at Manchester City’s critics by joking that Manchester United went six years without a trophy before their Carabao Cup triumph because “they didn’t spend” any money.
Over the past five years, United have spent £685m to City’s £660m, and their respective net spends are £527m and £162m. Guardiola was asked whether United’s victory against Newcastle at Wembley on Sunday signalled they are a force again. “Sooner or later it should happen, shouldn’t it?” he said. “It should happen.”
He was asked again whether United were back and this time he answered with a smile. “If they spend a little more money, yes. It’s because they didn’t spend, isn’t it? It’s normal, they’re in the position they normally should be. The reality is that two teams, Liverpool and ourselves, have done incredibly well in the numbers.”
Guardiola, whose team travel to Bristol City for their FA Cup fifth-round tie on Tuesday, started at City soon after United had won the FA Cup. “When I landed here I thought United would always be there, for their history, for everything. Erik is doing an incredible job,” he said. “And the players – you see how committed they are, how all together they try to do it. When you have been five or six years without winning one title [you need this].”
Guardiola has guided City to four League Cup wins. “I remember when we travelled to win our first Carabao Cup and everyone was so excited to do it. For the staff it was new, for the players it was new. The fourth time we travelled there to win the Carabao Cup for the fourth time in a row, it was: ‘Well, it’s OK, another one, another day in the office.’ That’s normal.”
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Guardiola said Kalvin Phillips requiring more time to understand the demands of operating as the holding player “is the only reason” for his limited opportunities. The 27-year-old has started one game since joining in the summer, though he was injured for a period.