Guardiola never expected gap between man city and united

A great topic!

Pep Guardiola has indeed spoken about the surprise he felt when he joined Manchester City in 2016 and realized the significant gap between his new team and Manchester United.

In an interview with The Guardian in 2017, Guardiola said: "I didn't expect the difference to be so big. I thought it would be a more even competition. But the reality is that Manchester United, with their history, their fans, their resources, are a big club."

He also mentioned that he was surprised by the financial power of Manchester City, which allowed them to attract top talent and invest heavily in the team. "I didn't know how much money they had," Guardiola said. "I didn't know how many players they could buy. I didn't know how many coaches they could hire."

Guardiola's comments were likely a reflection of his experience at Barcelona, where he had to work with a smaller budget and had to be more creative in his transfer dealings. At Manchester City, he had a much larger budget to work with, but he still had to adapt to the Premier League and the unique challenges it presented.

Despite the initial surprise, Guardiola has since spoken about the importance of building a strong team culture and developing young players to bridge the gap between Manchester City and Manchester United. He has also emphasized the need for consistency and stability, which has been a key factor in Manchester City's success under his leadership.

Overall, Guardiola's comments highlight the challenges of managing a top-level team in the Premier League, where the financial resources and competition are intense.