Thursday 27 April 2017 19:16, UK
Former Manchester City striker Shaun Goater believes Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world despite the club looking set to finish the season without silverware.
City face a battle to secure a place in next season's Champions League with local rivals Manchester United able to leapfrog Guardiola's side with a win in Thursday night's crucial derby clash, live on Sky Sports.
"The expectation was to win a trophy, ideally to win the league but we all know the Premier League is the most difficult league to win", Goater told Premier League Daily. "It's not been a good season if we finish the season trophy-less.
"There's no pressure on Pep Guardiola because he is the best manager in the world. There would be if Manuel Pellegrini was there. This is the first season that he's had to reconstruct to be the best team but I have confidence that he will get it right."
Under Guardiola's guidance, City started the season strongly, winning their first 10 games in all competitions, but have since fallen away in the title race.
"He comes with a clean record of having such great success", added Goater. "When he came at the beginning of the season it looked as though there would definitely be a trophy or two. Roll on to where we are, we've still not secured top four.
"I have no doubt that he is the right man and the best man for the job. We're playing a style of football that is refreshing but at the same time it is about results."
Guardiola is expected to oversee a squad overhaul this summer and Goater believes Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany could be among the high-profile departures.
"I think Kompany should stay but I think they may move him on, so I could see a centre-back coming in there and I think it's a similar thing with Sergio Aguero," said Goater.
"I could see five or six players coming in. He showed that he's not comfortable with the goalkeeper so I could see a goalkeeper coming in. I could see full-backs because we're now starting to see ageing full-backs."
Watch Man City v Man United on Thursday night. Coverage begins on Sky Sports 1 at 7pm.
