Pep Guardiola Admits to Three Mistakes Made by Manchester City During the Transfer Window
Manchester City’s transfer business is usually hailed as one of the most finely tuned operations in world football, a machine overseen by the collaboration of Pep Guardiola, sporting director Txiki Begiristain, and the wider City Football Group structure. Yet in a candid admission, Guardiola has reportedly identified three mistakes the club made during the most recent transfer window. His comments reveal a rare vulnerability in City’s recruitment model and highlight how even the best-run clubs can misstep in the volatile, high-stakes market of elite football.
This piece breaks down those mistakes, why they matter, and how they could affect City’s trajectory this season and beyond.
—
Mistake One: Failure to Refresh Key Positions
The first misstep Guardiola acknowledged was the failure to adequately refresh certain key positions, particularly full-back and central midfield.
For years, Guardiola’s tactical framework has relied on versatile players capable of inverting, covering multiple roles, and sustaining the intensity of his positional system. But City entered this season with gaps that have yet to be fully addressed:
Right-back uncertainty: Kyle Walker remains one of the best defensive full-backs in the league, but at 34, his physical explosiveness cannot be guaranteed over an entire campaign. Joao Cancelo, once a cornerstone of Guardiola’s inverted full-back system, was pushed out after a breakdown in relationship. A permanent replacement never arrived.
Midfield transition: The departures of İlkay Gündoğan (to Barcelona in 2023) and the struggles of Mateo Kovačić to settle have left City’s midfield lacking the balance of control, creativity, and leadership that once defined them. While Rodri remains indispensable, overreliance on him makes the system fragile.
Guardiola admitted that City needed fresh legs and dynamism in these areas, yet their targets either proved too expensive or slipped away. The result is a squad that looks thinner than usual, particularly in positions where tactical fluidity is critical.
—
Mistake Two: Holding on to Too Many Fringe Players
The second mistake Guardiola pointed to was retaining too many fringe players, leaving the squad bloated and potentially unbalanced.
In August, Guardiola warned publicly that the squad was “too big and not healthy,” noting that excessive competition can lead to unrest when players are denied meaningful minutes. Yet the window closed with several fringe figures still on the books.
Players who were earmarked for departure stayed put, blocking pathways for younger prospects.
The dressing room now contains players who know they are not first-choice but still occupy squad space.
Guardiola has long insisted that cohesion is as much about emotional harmony as tactical execution—too many unhappy bodies risk poisoning the atmosphere.
By failing to trim the squad as planned, City not only missed out on potential funds to reinvest, but also created a situation where Guardiola must juggle egos in addition to tactics. His candor on this point suggests he sees it as a threat to unity, particularly after a disappointing start to the season.
—
Mistake Three: Overconfidence in Internal Solutions
The third mistake Guardiola highlighted was overconfidence in internal solutions, relying on academy graduates and versatile senior players to plug gaps instead of securing external reinforcements.
City’s academy is among the best in Europe, producing talents like Phil Foden, Rico Lewis, and Cole Palmer (before his exit to Chelsea). Guardiola has often praised this pipeline. However, betting too heavily on internal development can backfire when the immediate pressure to win every competition looms large.
Rico Lewis is highly talented but still a teenager learning the game. Expecting him to seamlessly replace Cancelo’s creativity or Walker’s defensive nous places unrealistic pressure on his development.
Phil Foden has been asked to shoulder greater creative responsibility, but without a balanced midfield around him, his workload grows unsustainably.
Several prospects were kept around the squad rather than loaned, leaving them in limbo: not quite trusted for major minutes, but also denied consistent game time elsewhere.
Guardiola admitted that relying too heavily on internal stopgaps was optimistic. City’s success has always hinged on blending academy output with targeted world-class signings. This time, the balance tipped too far toward faith in youth and versatility.
—
Why These Mistakes Matter
At first glance, these admissions may not appear catastrophic. City still boast arguably the strongest squad in England and a manager who thrives on tactical adaptation. But in the razor-thin margins of elite football, these small gaps can grow into major vulnerabilities.
1. Tactical Staleness: Without proper reinforcements, Guardiola’s tactical flexibility diminishes. For instance, deploying four centre-backs in build-up has worked before, but without true full-backs, it becomes predictable and easier to counter.
2. Injury Risks: Overreliance on Rodri, De Bruyne (returning from injury), and Walker magnifies the impact of any absence. Opponents know that targeting City’s depth can destabilize them.
3. Dressing Room Dynamics: A bloated squad full of frustrated players could breed unrest. Guardiola has seen this before—most notably with Cancelo—and knows how destabilizing it can be.
4. Lost Momentum: City’s aura of invincibility was built on always staying one step ahead in recruitment. Falling short in one window risks handing rivals like Arsenal, Liverpool, or even Chelsea a psychological and competitive edge.
—
Lessons Learned
Guardiola’s willingness to acknowledge these mistakes suggests he sees them as correctable, not fatal. The lessons are clear:
Be ruthless in exits: Sentimentality or indecision cannot dictate who stays. Trimming the squad is essential to maintaining harmony.
Prioritize key roles: City’s model has always relied on targeted purchases rather than scattergun spending. Allowing key positions to remain unresolved undermines the system.
Balance youth with experience: While the academy is a source of pride, it must complement, not replace, external recruitment. Young players thrive best when shielded by experienced signings.
—
The Guardiola Factor
Perhaps the most important takeaway is Guardiola’s own self-awareness. Unlike many managers, he rarely deflects blame onto the board or the players. By admitting mistakes, he shows humility and accountability—qualities that earn him credibility within the squad and hierarchy.
Yet his admission also raises questions about managerial fatigue. After nearly a decade at City, Guardiola’s intensity has inevitably worn down both himself and his environment. These mistakes may be less about incompetence and more about the natural difficulty of sustaining perfection year after year.
—
Looking Ahead
The January transfer window will now take on added significance. Guardiola and Begiristain must decide whether to address these errors swiftly or risk allowing them to snowball. A new full-back or midfielder could recalibrate the squad, while a couple of timely exits might restore harmony.
In the bigger picture, Guardiola’s honesty may act as a reset button. By acknowledging errors, he has already created the conditions for correction. City’s past resilience—bouncing back from setbacks, legal scrutiny, and tactical challenges—suggests they are more than capable of responding.
But his words also remind us of a sobering truth: even the best get it wrong sometimes. For a club that has lived in near-perfection under his reign, these three mistakes are a reminder that Manchester City, too, are vulnerable to the pitfalls of modern football.
—
Conclusion
Pep Guardiola’s admission of three mistakes during the transfer window—failing to refresh key positions, retaining too many fringe players, and over-relying on internal solutions—represents a rare crack in the armor of Manchester City’s transfer machine.
While none of these errors are irreparable, they expose the fine margins that separate dominance from vulnerability. If addressed quickly, they may be remembered as mere blips in an era of sustained success. If not, they could signal the beginning of a gradual decline in City’s aura of inevitability.
For now, Guardiola’s candidness is both refreshing and instructive. It shows that even at the very top, self-criticism is vital—and that sometimes, the greatest strength lies in admitting weakness.
Leave a Reply