Jose Mourinho calls him "a specialist in failure" - but Arsene Wenger is the "commander-in-chief" for Pep Guardiola .
Netflix
fan Guardiola picked up the term from US TV series 'House of Cards' and
it underlines his huge respect for the Arsenal boss - in stark contrast
to Mourinho's attitude towards him. Wenger
must feel like a soulmate for Guardiola as he struggles to preach the
gospel of passing football in the land of the long ball.
"He's the commander-in-chief because he's the boss, no?" said the City coach.
Pep a big fan of Frank Underwood of House of Cards
"I saw many Netflix series and that's why. Commander-in-chief and colonel, I use a lot." Unsurprisingly, Guardiola is a huge fan of Wenger's style of play ahead of tomorrow's showdown at the Etihad.
"I like it, yes, He's been here a long
time. When that happens at a club such as Arsenal, it's because a
person is doing a good job.
"I understand it's not easy to win
the Premier League, but I have a lot of respect about his career. I've
said many times that I admire the way he tries to play and especially
the quality of the players they like and they buy. I like a lot."
Yet
Wenger still hasn't won the Premier League since 2004 - a fact Mourinho
never tires of mentioning - and Guardiola knocked him out of the
Champions League three times with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Wenger is accused of refusing to adapt his philosophy to the
physicality of the Premier League, which is also levelled at the purist
Guardiola.
Guardiola is irked by this charge and insists he understands the need to adapt to English football's long-ball style.
"I am pragmatic,I'm so pragmatic. Look at my past, I'm so pragmatic.
"I'm here because I won. I want to win. I'm so pragmatic, guys. Concede few goals and score more goals.
"I have to learn about the players, know the players, but to build something you need time."
Guardiola has not been helped by injuries and suspensions and he
confirmed Ilkay Gundogan needs surgery on his season-ending anterior
cruciate ligaments injury.
Gundogan is expected to be operated
on by Guardiola's favourite surgeon Dr Ramon Cugat in Barcelona and the
City boss feels for the Germany midfielder.
"It's so sad for him, We're going to miss him a lot, but he will be operated on by the best." Guardiola said.
The Portuguese boss has confirmed he was sacked by the Blues in December 2015, despite the club insisting he left by mutual consent
Jose Mourinho bears no grudges to anyone at Chelsea despite confirming he was sacked in December 2015 and did not leave by mutual consent.
Mourinho was shown the door seven months after leading the west London club to the title, after Chelsea opened their defence at the start of the 2015-16 season with nine defeats in their first 16 games.
At the time the club statement claimed the Portuguese had left by mutual consent but Mourinho, who returns to Stamford Bridge for the first time since with Manchester United on Sunday, was adamant he was dismissed by owner Roman Abramovich.
“Mr Abramovich decided to sack me,” He told Sky Sports. “It was not mutual consent. But I left without a bad word about anything or anyone at the club.
“That was in my first period at Chelsea when I agreed it was time to change.
“I was keen to change, more than ready to go to other countries but this time it was not like that.
“It was a decision by the owner and I was informed of that decision. I accepted it in a polite way and we signed the papers. I did it in a calm, respectful way.”
Mourinho continued to live in London before he was named United boss in May.
“I waited for what I preferred, which was to stay in England, in the Premier League and I was lucky to have a big club like Manchester United,” he added.
“It took a couple of days [to get over it] and then it was finished and I started my life in a common way.
“I was still in London, I kept a house there, I was walking in the street, going to the gym, watching football…”
Mourinho, who guided Chelsea to two Premier League titles in his first spell in charge, believes the sack is a part of modern management.
“It’s not nice for me or anyone but that’s life, I took it in a positive way,” he said.
“To be sacked is [part of] football, many of the best managers in the history of football have had their moment to be sacked.
“Of course there are exceptions but normally, and especially in modern football, you are in a position where it can happen to anyone.
“If it was a club where I gave nothing it would be more difficult. When I leave the club that in two different periods I gave titles and, to the fans, some of the best moments that a club’s supporters can have, then I leave with a feeling of ‘I did my job’.”
Mourinho claimed the fans wanted him to stay before the axe fell.
“I don’t think they wanted it but, even if they did, they cannot remove me from Chelsea history,” he said.
“I am in their history and they belong to my history too, so there is no reason for bad feelings.”
