"The managers aren't good, Luis Enrique and Vincent Kompany, really, really shit players." That's Pep Guardiola, deadpan and dripping with sarcasm, explaining why he attended a League One match between Stockport County and Port Vale instead of watching one of the Champions League semi-finals live.
He watched the PSG vs Bayern 5-4 thriller afterward, he admitted — glass of wine in hand, already knowing the result. Classic Guardiola. The joke landed, but the underlying message was genuine: he loves English football, top to bottom.
Rodri edging closer, Stones nearing the exit
The more substantive news out of his pre-Everton press conference centred on fitness. Rodri, Ruben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol are all improving, though Guardiola was careful not to commit on the Spain midfielder's availability for Monday. "He still hasn't trained with us, so we'll see in the next few days. Will he be ready for Everton? I always have confidence." Make of that what you will.
Rodri's return would be a significant boost to City's title hopes — his absence has already cost them dearly this season. Any match he's available for shifts City's win probability noticeably, and Everton away is exactly the kind of game that could slip away without him.
On John Stones, Guardiola was warmer than you'd expect from a manager losing a player at season's end. "He was one of my first signings," he said, recalling a trip to London to meet Stones at his brother's house. He called him "by far the best player" in the Champions League final in Istanbul — a claim that tends to get lost in the Treble narrative but holds up on review.
No fixture complaints, and a sharp word for those who do
Guardiola took a pointed swipe at PSG's postponed Ligue 1 fixtures and the broader culture of managers moaning about scheduling. "If you don't like it, go coach in France or Portugal." He's held this line since his Barcelona days and shows no signs of softening it.
With City already out of Europe, the lighter schedule has at least given him time to scout ahead. He spoke highly of Brentford — "they played very well" at Old Trafford despite losing — and admitted he might tune in to watch Arsenal against Fulham on Saturday at 5:30pm if he's finished training.
Arsenal extending their lead would pile pressure on City heading into Monday. Guardiola shrugged it off publicly — "at this stage of the season, it doesn't change anything" — but a two-point gap looks very different from a five-point one when you're the team chasing.
As for Everton, he expects a fight. David Moyes, a new stadium, a side with European ambitions and momentum. "Another final for us," Guardiola said. He'll miss Goodison. But sentiment doesn't win points.
