Pep Guardiola is a famous personality in the field of modern football, and his strategies have always attracted the attention of fans, bettors, coaches, and players. One of his achievements was Manchester City’s victory in the English Championship in 2017/18, because then Pep Guardiola became the first Spanish coach to lead his team to win the EPL. This is just one of the huge number of achievements of this coach throughout his illustrious career. In this article, we will talk about why Pep Guardiola’s strategies are always in the spotlight and what is ahead of us in the 2025/26 season, as well as compare the current strategy with the previous one.
Guardiola: a Coach Who Constantly Changes the Game
Pep Guardiola is one of the best coaches in the modern world of football, and he has come a long and difficult way to achieve everything he has and what we admire about him now. He has been maximally successful at every club he has ever worked with and remains the same today. To begin with, in the early years of his career as a coach, he gave many interesting lectures, both theoretical and practical, right from the football field.
What is more, the “tiki-taka” style of play known to everyone today, developed by Johann Cruyff as the basis for Barcelona’s football philosophy, was improved and popularized by Pep Guardiola. This style is based on short passes and constant possession of the ball, as well as the movement of players to create pressure on the pitch. As a disciple of Cruyff, Pep Guardiola took this tactic to a higher level, making it precise and effective.
Many believe that Guardiola’s strength lies in his ability to build complex and effective strategies that are based on the quality of his players. Pep Guardiola is seen as a perfectionist who scrutinizes his opponents in detail and uses risky tactics to show and surprise his opponents.
Guardiola’s preferred formations for Manchester City are 4-4-1, 4-2-3-1, and 4-3-3. In this formation, players take the initiative, build play from the back, and provide high pressing when the ball is lost. Read on to find out about Pep’s latest ideas for the current season.
Pep’s Main Ideas for the 2025/26 Season
The 2025/26 season is attracting the attention of many bettors who are watching everything closely and trying to predict what will happen next. Many sports betting platforms, such as Melbet (Arabic: ميلبيت), offer many options for football fans in general and those who are passionate about Manchester City. Everyone is watching Pep Guardiola’s moves, as his strategies are always exciting. So what is new in the 2025/26 season?
In August 2022, during one of his interviews, Pep stated that he prefers working with a small number of players and that everyone should be involved in the process. This season, we are seeing real action. He aims for a compact squad, because it isn’t his story anymore when 5-7 players are left on the sidelines regularly and don’t get real practice.
Developing Young and Promising Players
In the summer of 2025, Manchester City made several transfers and signings. Guardiola has changed his approach to staffing and is bringing in players who are better suited to new ideas. As a consequence, the club got more competition for players and fewer “unnecessary” contracts.
In some previous matches, Manchester City had problems in the transition phase, and in the 2025/26 season, there is a greater emphasis on quicker transitions from defense to attack and vice versa. Thus, in the current season, Manchester City is reducing its vulnerability to counterattacks from its opponents.
Analysis of Changes from the Previous Season
The changes that Pep Guardiola has made to Manchester City’s performance are significant compared to the previous strategies. This season, every player has the opportunity to play, which significantly increases the motivation of players, and the identity of the squad is clear. Below, we describe the key differences between this season’s strategy and the previous ones.
- In the 2024/25 season, there was a wide rotation and a large number of on-bench players, and the emphasis was on the squad depth. In the current season, the main goal is a compact squad and a minimal number of players on the bench.
- Although in previous seasons, players could change positions during a match, their roles were stricter. In the 2025/26 season, Pep got tactical flexibility without a large number of reserves. Now, players who can play in 2 or 3 positions have the advantage.
- The previous season saw a huge focus on ball dominance, complex combinations, and pace control. In the current season, the focus on ball control remains, but it is weaker; there is an emphasis on quick transitions from defense to attack.
Pep Guardiola’s strategies are characterized by their risk-taking, precision, and matching the team’s capabilities. The proof of the effectiveness of his strategies is the huge number of victories he has led his teams to. Pep realizes that the world of football is evolving and changing, and therefore, he is ready to be more flexible and open to change. Watch Manchester City matches under Pep Guardiola, and you will see for yourself the great skill of this coach.