Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says boredom has helped inspire him to develop new tactical ideas as he bids to win a fifth consecutive Premier League crown.
Guardiola, 53, began his ninth season at City on Sunday with a comfortable 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He said his development was down to worry, but also to the reaction of opponents to his ideas.
Asked why he employed different systems throughout his time at City and at Barcelona and Bayern Munich previously, Guardiola told ESPN Brazil: “It's because otherwise I get bored. Doing the same thing for eight years would be very boring. That's the first thing.”
“And secondly, when you do something and it turns out well, they… [opponents] They watch you and create an antidote. If you get too far in, they close up. If you open the field too much, they'll open it even more.
“Everything we do and they respond to us, we have to respond back. The third reason is the players we have. What specific qualities they have and when they best fit the way we want to play.”
The Catalan manager added that he never thought he would remain with the reigning champions for so long amid reports he is considering leaving at the end of his contract, which expires after this season.
“Not in my wildest dreams,” Guardiola said when asked about the length of his tenure. “If we hadn't won, we wouldn't be here, everything would have changed.”
City's Premier League campaign continues against Ipswich Town on Saturday.
