By Mutlu Demirtastan
ISTANBUL (AA) - Josep "Pep" Guardiola, regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time, cannot seem to find a solution to Manchester City’s poor form.
Guardiola has achieved numerous successes with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City but is currently going through the most disappointing period of his 17-year career.
The Manchester team have won only once in the last 11 matches, suffering eight defeats and two draws in the period.
The 53-year-old Spaniard, who has suffered the longest losing streak of his career at the helm of City, lost four consecutive matches in the Premier League and five consecutive matches in all competitions for the first time in the teams he coached.
Guardiola, who last month renewed his contract until 2027 despite a difficult process, has won 18 trophies with his team, including last season's famous treble -- the local league, local cup and Champions League trophy won in the same season.
- Only one win in last 11 matches
Manchester City managed to secure only one win in a difficult 11-match period that started with its defeat against Tottenham on Oct. 30.
The Sky Blues lost 2-1 to Tottenham in the English League Cup and 4-0 in the Premier League.
In the league, they also lost 2-1 to Bournemouth and Brighton, 2-0 to Liverpool, drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace and finally lost 2-1 to Manchester United in the Manchester derby.
City, which continued their terrible form in the UEFA Champions League, lost 4-1 to Sporting Lisbon and 2-0 to Juventus and drew 3-3 with Feyenoord.
Their only win in this period was a 3-0 defeat of Nottingham Forest.
Manchester City, which are in fifth spot in the Premier League with 27 points in 16 weeks, are in 22nd spot in the Champions League with 8 points after six weeks.
- Guardiola's past and present
Pep Guardiola's football genius was leading his first team as a head coach, Barcelona, to the most dominant period in their history with his invented pass-based approach to the game.
The Spanish coach won 14 trophies in four years with Barcelona, including two Champions League trophies, and his system has inspired a new generation of coaches such as his compatriot and former assistant Mikel Arteta and former German manager of Liverpool Jurgen Klopp.
Guardiola, who maintained his success with German powerhouse Bayern Munich, which he joined after Barcelona, is the second most trophy-winning manager in football history with 39 trophies, after Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson with 49 trophies.
In addition to the bad display of his team after the recent consecutive bad results, Guardiola's mood, which also seems not very good, is also noteworthy.
After Manchester City's Champions League match on Nov. 26, in which they drew 3-3 with Feyenoord despite leading 3-0, he said that he had scratched his face, wanting to hurt himself, when asked by a reporter about the marks on his face.
Guardiola, who recently said he could take a break from coaching by claiming that he was tired, also stated in an interview that Manchester City’s management could fire him after the disappointing results he received.
*Writing by Selcuk Bugra Gokalp