'I was p***** off' - Pep Guardiola summer regret over Man City changes

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about how important their summer was for reshaping the club.

Pep Guardiola believes three weeks with Manchester City players in summer was the catalyst for three months and counting of excellent performances. The Blues sit second in the Premier League heading into 2026 - five places higher than they were at this stage last year - as a new team have developed rapidly and competed in three competitions.

City knew they needed to reinvigorate an ageing squad back in January and spent £175m in the winter transfer window to help save their aims for last season. With Champions League football secured, work was done quickly in summer to ensure that the bulk of their summer signings could travel with the squad to the Club World Cup in June.

It was there that Guardiola believes the magic happened as a 'fog' that had been surrounding them in Manchester for months lifted and a new energy was forged among the squad. However intangible the feeling that was sensed among players and staff alike, it has been seen on the faces of everyone at the football club in the last few months as they have played their way into Premier League and Champions League contention.

There remain concerns over how the Club World Cup will impact the fitness of all players who competed in it, and City made headlines for the wrong reasons when they were dumped out in the last-16 by a Saudi Pro League side. However, Guardiola's frustration wasn't in the defeat but that it meant they had to leave the Florida paradise they had made together.

"Energy, energy, energy. We lost it last season. We started to train better, compete better. After that we can talk about three at the back, four at the back, wingers or full backs – that is all bull****," he said. "We needed energy and then you have a good environment. When we went out to Al Hilal, it wasn’t the fact that we didn’t win but that we were so good there.

"It was then holidays so I said, 'OK, go holidays,' but I was p***** off because we were good there, good with the guys training, good with the competition. The place we were in, Boca Raton in front of the beach. Everyone was happy. Made a lot of dinners, a lot of talks, what we have to do next season. What we have to do.

"We wanted to extend it, just to live that. I think there, after talking with Pep (Lijnders) and James (French), Manel (Estiarte), Hugo (Viana), Txiki (Begiristain), we turned around and said something changed. Something (you can feel).

"It doesn’t mean you are going to win but that you are able to recognise the team. Now it is eight victories in a row. It is not easy but compete in a way we do. We have to improve, absolutely, but this mindset is better."

City's changes in summer did not immediately yield results, and the picture looked bleak in Brighton with two defeats in their first three league games and a mess to sort in the transfer window. The international break that followed gave Guardiola clarity to see what they needed to put right though, and with the growing influence of the new players and staff City have won 12 of their 15 league matches to sit just two points off the top of the table.

"Something was in the fog in Manchester, surrounding our training centre. We missed something. It is not switching on or off (energy). Results help. The methodology. And Pep Lijnders, James, Kolo Toure," said Guardiola.

"New players, I want to help them. When you’ve got the same players it is, “ah, tired” but new players you think “ah, how is this guy?” and try to analyse. We looked at why Spurs was not good, the man-marking, and the energy comes from there."