Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola targets tussle with Sunderland’s ‘Big Sam’ Allardyce to prove his Premier League mettle
Ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich man has doubters who question if he can bring brilliant football to England
PEP GUARDIOLA can’t wait to wrestle big Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland on the opening day of the Premier League season to prove he isn’t a one-trick pony.
The new Manchester City boss claims he still has doubters from his incredible managerial career at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
His critics claim he only bosses the fastest horses in the smallest races as he has bossed both the Primera Division and the Bundesliga.
But the Catalan coach says he will prove his mettle against one of English football’s toughest nuts, the scourge of Arsene Wenger’s tippy-tappy football, Big Sam.
When asked if he can continue his success and style in England, he said: “That’s why I am here. I am here to prove myself and that I am able to do that.
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“In Barcelona and Munich they said I would not be able to do it so that is why I am here.
“When I arrived at Bayern Munich, I had an idea to move on from what I knew from the age of 13 years old.
"I learned that at the end, I have to adapt to the quality of my players. The quality was totally different to the ones I had at Barcelona.
"I am pretty sure it will be completely different in England to in Germany. That is why I am here.
"I need to adapt my ideas to the quality of the players. You have to find each other as soon as possible.
"I never played on a Boxing Day. I have never been to a stadium where it is windy and freezing and the pitch is not good. It's a target for me. I want to prove myself here.
"Against Sunderland, against Big Sam [Allardyce], in the first one, I am sure it will be completely different."