Pep Guardiola. A thread.

He receives a lot of criticism, Pep; some from a view of purity, some from jealousy, some from wherever. He doesn't receive criticism for the football. The football is very difficult to criticise.

Pep Guardiola is probably the most criticised most successful man in football ever

The football at Man City is breathtaking; as it was in Munich, as it was in Barcelona. This man simply does not get it wrong.

11 years of first-team management, 26 major honours. Stupendous. Not only do his teams win, they win playing -what I deem to be- the right way.

Why does Pep need to spent money?

Wouldn't you?

Every successful manager needs to spend money.

Pep is in a position to manage wherever he likes, he decides the project. Why not choose the one with the most resources and the biggest platform to succeed? He has nothing to prove.

Money has never and will never guarantee success, especially not in the Premier League.

Too many clubs have spent fortunes to see players fail to settle, systems fail to take shape, opponents with lower budgets win with a better plan. The plan is key. Pep's plan is brilliant.

He assembled this expensive squad. This squad overflowing with superstars. This squad which is the envy of the football world. But that's the very first step.

He has to train, to drill, to coach, to educate, stimulate, convince he is worth fighting for. There's no price on that

Manchester City set the standard with the way they play.

City somehow managed to make offensive, all out attack, possession-based, multiple chance-creation football look quite boring.

That's what Pep created; his standard. Everything after that was challenging Pep's standard.

We see Man City's rivals hit heights never before imagined possible, they will spend sums never before imagined possible, teams will turn up at Eastlands with the view of either playing a cup final or avoiding humiliation; Pep Guardiola did that. That's his standard.

Pep Guardiola brought his attitude, his obsession, his tireless relentless work-rate, and he utilised his employer's financial power to create a team of monsters. Those monsters borne rivals, and those rivals became monsters themselves in defiance; and the game is better for it.

So, for what Pep Guardiola has done for the standard of the English game, and for the competition his brand of football indirectly inspired; for his obsessive love of football, I thank him wholeheartedly. I hope he sticks around.