Is Guardiola finished?

Pep Guardiola epitomises modern managerial cool: elegant, charming , fluent.

Unlike some of his peers, he has also introduced tactics that have changed the game – like the goalkeeper who is so comfortable with the ball as to become an auxiliary defender.

The stats say otherwise to the image.

The last time he won the Champions League was in 2011. At his last club, Bayern Munich, he did not get them beyond the semi-finals of the Champions League; at Manchester City, no further than the quarters after massive spending.

His only trophy this season is the League Cup. He has spent  as much as anyone and one wonders if the Dubai owners are now losing patience.

He has baffled with his tactics, switching against Lyon to three defenders with rookie Garcia in the middle of them, not maximising de Bruyne and generally being passive against unfancied Lyon.

Notwithstanding his Manchester City finishing 18 points below Liverpool, the ever-increasing reputation of Jurgen Klopp, elimination to Arsenal in the semi-final of the FA Cup, the Guardiola brand remains intact.

Probably he will be given another £150 million to spend in the summer but he is becoming the footballing equivalent of Graeme Hick: short of achievement at the highest international level.

His main advantage now is the paucity of managerial talent.

Barcelona just appointed Ronald Koeman whose only stint at a biggish club Everton ended in failure.

The best around is Julian Nagelsmann, but his rejection of Real Madrid indicates that he had learned a lot when studying business administration and may not want to have his illustrious CV to date tarnished.