It is often difficult to read Guardiola.
He can appear tired in news conferences but there is also an inner fire which has enabled him to set and maintain his standards.
There is also something different about his attachment to City.
He still talks about Barcelona as “his club” but he found the pressure suffocating and quit after four seasons.
At Bayern, he stayed for the length of an initial three-year contract and nothing more. At City, he admits, he has everything he needs.
He likes living in England, has no intention of moving to Italy, so what were the alternatives. The big question, post Treble triumph, is where does the motivation come from?
This season, there is a feeling he is responding to a double challenge. He has brought up City’s 115 Premier League charges on at least two occasions, suggesting the negativity attaching itself to the club is on his mind.
In addition, his side’s form would concern any manager. His reaction has been telling. In the aftermath of the 4-1 defeat at Sporting earlier this month, when asked about the challenge in front of him, Guardiola replied: “I like it, I love it. I want to face it.”
It almost feels as if, having achieved so much, he is relishing the prospect of having to prove doubters wrong.
