Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola gestures during an award ceremony. File photo

Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola is the quintessential go-to coach. He is the Motivator beyond compare. If his players win a match, he showers loads of praise on them, as he did after the team’s 6-3 win against RB Leipzig in Wednesday’s Champions League fixture.

 “I’m delighted and happy and thankful again for these incredible players that we have,” Guardiola said after the match.

“The first game at home is so important. To do it and score a lot of goals, the last three games at home we’ve scored 16, so for our fans it’s nice.”

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And if the team lose, he does not berate them or sulk on the sidelines. Rather, he has a word of encouragement for them, like he did after City’s loss to Chelsea in the Champions League final. He promised that Manchester City will “come back stronger” from this defeat.

Now he has been slammed for his comments about the support of Manchester City fans.

The manager was hauled up for encouraging fans to turn up in greater numbers yesterday for the club’s clash against Southampton after 38,062 watched City beat RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

Kevin Parker, general secretary of the club’s official supporters’ group, suggested Guardiola was out of touch.

“Mr Parker should review the comments,” Guardiola said.

“I will not apologise to him, absolutely not. I’m not going to apologise for what I said. I love this club, I am part of this club, otherwise, I would not be in my sixth season here.”