Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted that he is not losing his cool like former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho following recent comparisons.
Last Sunday (December 1), Guardiola emerged as a hot topic of discussion after he raised six fingers during Manchester City's 2-0 Premier League loss at Liverpool. The Spaniard repeated the gesture after the final whistle in an attempt to remind the Liverpool fans that he has lifted six English titles.
After the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager's six-fingered gesture, comparisons were made between Guardiola and Mourinho. The ex-Chelsea boss raised three fingers after Manchester United's 3-0 home league defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in August 2018 and also demanded respect.
During a recent pre-match press conference, Guardiola was asked to shed light on his latest gesture and opine on the comparisons with the ex-Chelsea and Manchester United boss. He replied (h/t Yahoo! Sports):
"I was never cool. I was only cool because we won. When you don't win, it's completely the opposite. I hope [it's] not [the beginning of the end] in my case. Maybe we are similar like Jose, but he won three and I won six!"
Guardiola, whose side are on a seven-game winless run, concluded:
"We are together in those situations. It was just to make our fans feel that what we have done is extraordinary. I want to prove that we are an incredible football club. Sooner or later, it's going to be the end but I will try to extend as much as possible for the best of my club."
Manchester City, who are fifth in the Premier League table with 23 points from 13 outings, will next be in action on Wednesday (December 4). They will face sixth-place Nottingham Forest at Etihad Stadium in search of a rare victory.
According to Mirror, Juventus have joined the transfer race to rope in Ipswich Town star Liam Delap. They have identified the former Manchester City striker as a potential replacement for Dusan Vlahovic, whose deal will expire in 2026.
On the other hand, both Chelsea and Manchester United have been monitoring the 21-year-old star's development at Ipswich in the ongoing season.
Delap, who left Manchester City for an initial £15 million earlier this summer, has established himself as the Tractor Boys' starting striker of late. He has scored six goals and recorded one assist in 14 Premier League games this campaign.