Pep Guardiola has dismissed the idea that he is too inflexible to succeed in English football, declaring that his winning record shows he is a pragmatist.

Guardiola has won 21 trophies since beginning his management career with Barcelona in 2008, becoming arguably the most sought-after coach in world football as a result.

His reputation, though, has taken a knock during a testing first few months at Manchester City, with several pundits suggesting that his passion for high pressing, possession-based football needs refining if he is to win titles in England.

Guardiola attracted plenty of criticism for saying, after last Saturday’s 4-2 defeat at Leicester, that he did not coach his players how to tackle, with former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore suggesting that such an approach was “deluded”.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager has acknowledged that he needs time to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, in which his team have fallen from first to fourth place after collecting only 15 points from the last 30 available.

He said: “I am the pragmatist. I am so pragmatic. Look at my past, I am so pragmatic. I’m here because I won. I want to win. I’m so pragmatic, guys. I want to concede few goals and score goals.



“To build something, you need time. So I try, as much as possible, to make the team better. I think my perspective will need more time. I’m here to learn what works here. But at the end, I think it’s 11 against 11, the pitch is the same. And try to, of course, adapt.

“I am living here so I have to adapt that - but the principle isn’t going to change, the principle is the opponent has the ball, I’m going to pick it up. But I want the ball and when I have the ball, to make a good build-up.

“I’m going to adapt, I am adapting to the league. Actually, I am adapting to the quality of my players but the way I am going to play, every day that pass, I am more convinced what I want to do.”

Guardiola's style of play has encountered problems in his first few months (Getty)

On Sunday, the visitors to the Etihad Stadium are third-placed Arsenal, a team who have, under Arsene Wenger, been accused repeatedly of having a soft centre that undermines an attractive style of play, a claim now being made about City.

During his time with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Guardiola managed against Wenger in eight Champions League fixtures, winning four and losing two. Perhaps significantly, Guardiola won all three of the two-legged knockout ties in which they met.

“We played against Arsenal many times when I was in Barcelona and Bayern Munich,” Guardiola said. “We have a lot of respect.

I am the pragmatist. I am so pragmatic. Look at my past, I am so pragmatic. <p>Pep Guardiola</p>

“Arsenal always has a huge quality. They buy the right people, good players. They have fast players up front, they can defend well, use perfectly the counter-attack – they are a good team.”

Guardiola referred to Wenger as Arsenal’s “commander-in-chief”, because, he said: “I saw many Netflix series and that’s why. Commander-in-chief and colonel, I use a lot.