They call him a chequebook manager whenever he gets it right, simply because they can’t get it right themselves. Instead of lowering their pride and learning from him, they throw labels around—so he keeps dominating.
Yes, he buys players. Some become key figures, others don’t survive. That’s football. Guardiola, alongside a strong administration, built Manchester City. Other clubs take shots from the sidelines but can never rewrite his legacy.
Some teams spend millions on average players. Chelsea, for example, have a bunch of raw, ineffective profiles—they don’t bite. Meanwhile, one Rayan Cherki is more dangerous than almost all the forwards and even midfielders across the so-called top six.
Funny how Darwin Núñez was even more expensive than Haaland.
So shame on those who call him a chequebook manager. We’ve seen his “students” buy players like Gyökeres and still not know how to use them or fit them into a system. If football were only about money and not brains, then the Saudi Pro League would be the best league in the world.