Pep Guardiola has decided to come out swinging after Manchester City were cleared on a technicality of being massive financial cheats, pity he didn’t bother to check his figures first when taking aim at Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.
Poor, hard done by City.
Everybody is against them. The so-called ‘hateful eight’, named by The Daily Mail’s Gammon-in-Chief, Martin Samuel, who has been leading the City cry-fest for a few months now, just want to keep City out of their exclusive club.
All this, despite the fact City bought their membership long ago.
After demanding an apology from anyone listening, Pep then went on a tirade about how everybody spent loads of money, even Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.
Really?
That’s how you’re going to back yourself up here, Pep? By using the manager who was relentlessly lambasted in the media for being ‘tight’and ‘stingy’ and the club whose fans frequently sang ‘spend some f**king money’?
That’s the hill you’re aiming for?
Ok, let’s look at that, shall we…
From his first season 96/97 to the last season we won the league 03/04 – Wenger spent £170m and recouped £124m
Loads isn't it?
— JD (@JamieDalton82) July 15, 2020
Pep even had the audacity to talk about City’s success before he arrived, specifically naming Mancini and Pellegrini. He didn’t offer any other examples because before that, well, City hadn’t tasted any sort of success for decades until they bought it. Pep wouldn’t be there otherwise.
In his first summer at City, Pep spent £168.85m on new players with a net spend of £165m. The next season he spent £272m on players with a net of £177.55m. The season after that? A tiny £2m profit following a gross spend of £69.75m
This season, they’ve spent £155m with £64m coming in.
In total, Pep has spent £665.6m on players. That’s £431.55m if you want to go net.
Since arriving at City, Pep has a NET spend of £431.55m.
Gross it is £665.6m in 4 years.
Arsene Wenger spent £690m (gross) in 22 years.
His net was £257.12m.
Leave Arsene Wenger out of this, Pep.
(all maths may not be 100% correct but you get the idea)
— Daily Cannon (@DailyCannon) July 15, 2020
Or, if you prefer:
in light of Pep's criticism of Wenger, Ferguson and Mourinho I crunched the numbers and thought the results were interesting pic.twitter.com/KYZomTNGZs
— Soup Tube™ (@bloatyhead) July 15, 2020
The arrogance Pep Guardiola and City have shown throughout this is the type that only comes with the sort of supreme wealth that also ensures you never have to face any consequences for your actions.
To then demand an apology and attack other clubs and managers shows that Pep’s mask is starting to slip. Underneath, it’s not a good look for a man long-known to be as bitter and snide as Jose Mourinho, just a lot less honest about it.