This is major reputational damage for Guardiola. Bottom line is that he is rightly lauded as a super coach and innovator, and for many years we have heard the old conundrum ‘ could Pep get a tune out of Wolves or Stoke?’. Now we have the answer . One of the least fruitful seasons of our history, the worst in Pep’s history anywhere. But it started right in front of our eyes , probably in the treble season, but in reality since Aguero , Silva and Fernandinho left we have not properly replaced .
Pep has trusted his troops, possibly to his detriment , trusting his old hands and not giving opportunity to Lavia, Frimpong, Palmer, McAtee,Rodgers , Harwood Bellis, Delap, who all could probably should have been integrated into the squad much earlier than they were ( or never were in some cases ).
Some of the names linked may never happen and will take time to integrate . The replacents for Palmer and Mahrez been poor, and the pace of the team gone backwards with age.
But this is Pep’s one chance to prove above all that he’s not a quitter, will roll up his sleeves, be ruthless where he needs to, rip up the script if need be, and put things right , if not this season then next