Graham Hunter has called for calm among those calling for the head of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, after their shock exit from the Champions League.
The Spanish football journalist was speaking on OTB AM, in the wake of City's 3-1 defeat to Lyon at the quarter-final stage.
Hunter addressed comparisons between Guardiola and Alex Ferguson, saying both managers harboured strong European trophy ambitions in order to cement their legacy.
"If you talk to any of the footballers who played for him [Ferguson] in the two Champions League finals he lost, they will say his focus was on 'This is what I want to do to Barcelona'... I think he wanted to be named as one of the great European coaches.
"To him, he thought he could win those finals.
"I'm not defensive of him [Guardiola], because I think he made mistakes building up to the Lyon defeat, and during the Lyon defeat.
"Manchester City were tired. In that instance what you need are those players with a spark who can unlock a pass, unlock a space, make the opposition make a challenge.
"Pep Guardiola, when he was pretty dominant as Barcelona coach, always said 'It's the players, it's the players, it's the players...'
"He has never claimed to be some overarching genius that should be lifting the Champions League every two seasons. The very first thing he did after beating Real Madrid in a relatively tepid home performance said 'Don't start talking about a final, we've seen what Rudi Garcia can do.'
"I thought they would beat Lyon, and am still sure that they should have done, but Guardiola, for those who are out with the pitchforks and burning torches, Guardiola said 'Listen, we're going to have a tough task to get past this Lyon side.'"
Hunter said that the loss to the French side in the last-eight doesn't necessarily point to a permanent flaw in Guardiola's footballing philosophy.
PEP 💬 It is what it is. One day we will break the gap to the semi-finals. Second half was okay, we were there, I had the feeling we were better, but you have to be perfect in this comp and we didn't.
🔵 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/062u9kPEMH— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 15, 2020
"From my knowledge of him, if they were knocked out in the first round of the Champions League, his philosophy wouldn't change, his ideas wouldn't change. And I don't think they should.
"I think he got the team selection wrong, and I think it was evident. If I were involved in the Manchester City project or I were a Manchester City fan, I would say 'You've had a bad day.'
"It was long, long overdue that Riyad Mahrez and one of the Silva's came on. Foden has precisely the style that Lyon would have hated.
"If you've got a plan, a philosophy that is your bible, you can still have a bad day, and he really did. When people start totting up the failures, I don't believe that applies in any way to [the] Tottenham second-leg last year.
"It does apply a little bit to Tottenham in London... the second-leg was just pure mayhem and fluke and an incorrect decision.
"Things keep totting up against him in terms of, why did the players do that? Why did Sterling not bury it? Why did the keeper fumble something?
"I think he will say 'We're still developing as a club', where the razor sharp difference between winning the Champions League or going out in the quarter-final or semi-final hasn't yet completely gripped this club from top to bottom."
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