Five reasons why Pep Guardiola needs to resign immediately – he’s in danger of outstaying his welcome like Arsene Wenger

Pep Guardiola should offer to resign as Manchester City manager after nearly ten years in charge.

That is according to talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham after a pair of disappointing defeats in the last week.

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City were comfortably beaten by bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Their derby day setback was followed by a shock defeat to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League three days later.

Despite winning 18 trophies since joining City in the summer of 2016, Durham believes Guardiola has a ‘duty’ to offer his resignation.

It comes with the club at risk of missing out on a top eight finish in the Champions League league phase.

Meanwhile, City have slipped seven points behind Arsenal in the title race amid a run of four league matches without a victory ahead of Saturday’s clash with Wolves.

Discussing Guardiola’s future at the Etihad Stadium on talkSPORT Daily’s Fiery Fridays podcast, Durham compared his current situation to the end of Arsene Wenger‘s Arsenal tenure.

He admitted: “Pep Guardiola has been brilliant, but he isn’t anymore. It reminds me of the Wenger reign.

“The long Wenger reign at Arsenal, where he was brilliant, but it just stopped being brilliant, it was time to go and he just left it way too long. Pep Guardiola should offer to resign and here’s why.

“I have this long held policy or belief that any manager that oversees a side that suffers an embarrassing result like a cup shock or a heavy defeat, a result that shouldn’t really happen, they have a duty to the club, to the fans, to offer to resign.

“It doesn’t mean that resignation is going to be accepted, it doesn’t mean that they’re definitely going to go.

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“It’s just that that manager is acknowledging, ‘I’m accountable, I’m the one to blame, I’m going to give you the opportunity to back me or get rid of me. So I’m offering that opportunity to you because I’ve failed to do my job properly.’

“Pep Guardiola’s time for that has come.”

Guardiola’s current City contract runs until the end of next season after he penned an extension in November 2024.

However, Durham has pinpointed five reasons why the time has come for 55-year-old to leave his role.

‘Bad football and bad management’

The manner of City’s back-to-back defeats have shown issues which need ‘seriously addressing’ either by Guardiola or the club, says Durham.

He explained: “You can have a bad game, no problem with that. You can have an unlucky game.

“Remember when Pep’s Man City got knocked out of the cup by Wigan, not the cup final, but a few years later [February 2018, fifth round].

“City were just incredibly unlucky in that game, they had a million chances and none went in.

“But these two performances, the Man United one and Bodo/Glimt. Or the ‘Bozos in Bodo’ as I called it.

“They could have easily been five or six-nil both of those games. That’s not unlucky, that’s just rank, bad football and bad management. So something needs seriously addressing there.

“He says Bodo/Glimt were very good, and they were very good, but City made them look like prime Barcelona. Ironically managed by Pep Guardiola.

“Just incredible performances, truly incredible, I find it hard to believe.”

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Missing man

City’s failure to win a trophy for the first time since Guardiola’s first season in charge last term was largely put down to Rodri‘s absence.

The midfielder missed eight months after tearing his ACL in September 2024, with Nico Gonzalez signed as a replacement at the start of last year.

However, Rodri has struggled since returning to action, with Durham asking: “You might argue they’ve been unlucky with injuries and let’s analyse that defensive midfield role.

“Nico Gonzalez arrived a year ago to cover for Rodri, who has barely played in 18 months or so because of injuries.

“Nico’s injured, but Rodri’s back, although he looks like a shadow of the player that won the Ballon d’Or. So is he being pushed back in too soon?

“In the midst of all this, why on earth is nobody asking where Kalvin Phillips is?

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“He’s on £150,000-a-week, wondering how (Marcelo) Bielsa and (Gareth) Southgate could get a tune out of him but Pep Guardiola can’t.

“If I was owning Man City, yes if I was a country, I would be asking, ‘Why are we paying this guy £150,000-a-week when we need him in midfield and he’s not playing?’”

Kalvin Phillips has made just 32 appearances for City since signing from Leeds in 2022.

Meanwhile, following loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich, his only outing this season was a seven-minute Carabao Cup cameo in September.

Phil Foden

Phil Foden has shown glimpses of his previous title-winning form for City this season after an underwhelming campaign last term.

However, the England international has now gone nine matches without a goal or assist for City having been taken off after 70 minutes on Tuesday night.

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Durham has questioned whether Guardiola is still the man to get Foden firing ahead of this summer’s World Cup.

He continued: “City are losing against Bodo, their starboy can’t get in the game at all, he can’t make an impact at all (and) gets subbed off.

“He looks completely and utterly lost. England need him to be on top of his game. Pep, what are you going to do about it? Can he do anything about it?”

Full-back obsession

Recent seasons have seen Guardiola’s experimental approach focus on the full-back position, with central defenders often deployed at both right-back and left-back.

The tactic has come at a cost for summer signing Rayan Ait-Nouri, though, with the Algerian unable to establish himself in the side.

Instead, Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake have continued to deputise in the position when required.

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Meanwhile, Guardiola has converted midfielder Nico O’Reilly into a left-back since bringing the academy graduate into the first-team.

Highlighting Ait-Nouri’s woes, Durham said: “Pep’s obsession with not using orthodox full-backs has come (back) to bite him hard.

“Rayan Ait-Nouri, he must be wondering what has happened to his football world. He looked a million dollars and more at Wolves, now he looks like me. Incredible.”

The 24-year-old has been limited to six Premier League appearances, with just 12 minutes of action in the league since returning from injury at the start of November.

Erling Haaland

City’s recent struggles have been highlighted by a barren run in front of goal for Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian has scored just once in his last eight matches across all competitions despite finding the net 26 times already this term.

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Durham concluded: “The world’s foremost goal machine is now malfunctioning badly on this manager’s watch.

“You, me and my dog could get Erling Haaland scoring goals, Pep Guardiola can’t.

“So, I’m not saying it should be accepted, but he should definitely offer to resign.”

Haaland has not scored from open play since firing in a double against West Ham on December 20.