Guillem Balague: Your questions answered on Pep Guardiola

Guillem Balague has been answering your questions on Pep Guardiola following the announcement that he will be taking over at Manchester City at the end of the season.

Manuel Pellegrini announced the news in a press conference on Monday, and Balague has been addressing your queries on a host of subjects relating to the incoming Spaniard on our Facebook page.

Here is the best of what Balague had to say...

Andy Gower asked: Do you think City are trying to entice top players by announcing Pep now on deadline day?

Guillem says: The plan has been put in place for a while. It's just Pep had to sign that contract but the timing was Pellegrini's. I'm pretty sure Guardiola didn't want it to be announced now, I'm pretty sure he would have waited until the end of the season or at least until he made sure that he wasn't meeting City in the Champions League, because imagine if they met! But Pellegrini wanted it all sorted out now.

Al-Dylan asks: Why did Pep join City and not United?

Guillem says: I believe in 2012 was when the official communication started with Guardiola, but he said: "Not now, I can't go from Barcelona to City with a lot of Barcelona influence". Because he thought it would have been seen as a betrayal. But later on he said: "Well, now the time has arrived."

Samuel asks: With Guardiola's appointment, does this put them right up there with Europe's elite sides?

Guillem says: Well if you actually have a look at recent results in Europe, even though they're not qualifying for semi-finals and finals, Man City are in the elite now. Look at the players they have and the times they've won the league in the last three years. But with Guardiola they're just going to go to a completely different level.

Ross Harrington asked: Do you believe Pep has taken the easy option with Man City? And do you believe he will lose some credibility?

Guillem says: It's so easy to talk sometimes. Do you think that getting Man City to the next level is easy? Talk to Cruyff, Ancelotti, Mourinho and everybody in the managerial profession. The most difficult thing is to take a team from here to here, from being the second or third best to being the best. I'm pretty sure Pep will want to do that and that's how we'll analyse how well he's doing. 

Matt Harrington asks: Will City's performances this season be affected by the news Pellegrini is to be replaced by Pep?

Guillem says: Well the first thing to say is Pellegrini, who has left with a lot of grace, needed the world to know Pep was coming so he could plan for his own future. The time was chosen by Pellegrini. Secondly, if you're a player who knows a new coach is coming and you know that there is still a gap between what Man City is and what Guardiola wants to do, it means you're on trial as a player.

LIMA TALK asks: Why did Pep choose an average club with no history?

Guillem says: That's interesting, when does history start? Because, if I look at recent results, City have won the league twice, are building a history and are without a doubt the biggest football project in the history of the world. If you're a coach, would you really not want to get involved with that?

Ssebo asks: How would Pep solves City's defensive woes?

Guillem says: This is one of the most interesting questions I've read because you are going to have to think completely differently about this. City will defend better with Guardiola by attacking better, because it's all about how you attack. If you attack as a team as a whole unit you can recover. You are going to have to think differently about football and I think we're all going to learn a lot.