An overreliance on Guardiola’s genius has sent champions down a diverging path to Slot’s revamped Liverpool

On this week’s episode of the Rest is Football podcast, the Manchester City midfielder Rodri was asked if he ever fancies emulating Pep Guardiola and becoming a coach. “No,” comes the firm response. “I see Pep, and I don’t know if I want that for the next period of my life. I see Txiki’s face and I like it more. More clean and relaxed.”

Of course Rodri has made no secret in the past of his admiration for City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, and his desire to go down that career path after he retires. All the same, there is a faintly damning quality to his words. Imagine being so hard-working, so ruthlessly dedicated to your job, that even Rodri starts to think: whoa fella, bit much.