This admission that he is “not good enough” should be seen first and foremost as a device deployed by a manager who needs to protect his players now more than ever. But the difficulty with casually passing it off that way is that in highlighting his own failings, Guardiola has a point.

Pep Guardiola declared himself “not good enough” after Manchester City’s season sunk to a new low after a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.

Manchester City have won just one match from their last 10 in all competitions, their worst run of form since Guardiola took charge in 2016.