Pep Guardiola has hit back at Gary Neville after the pundit accused Manchester City of being 'boring'.
2023 was the most successful year in Man City's history, with Guardiola's side winning the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Since joining the club in 2016 the Catalonian coach has revolutionised football in the Premier League, introducing ideas including positional play, defenders pushing into midfield and goalkeepers getting more involved in open play.
That plenty of teams have adopted these methods is an indication of how highly regarded Pep's City are, but not everyone is always entertained by their play.
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That includes former Manchester United captain Gary Neville, who recently labelled City 'boring' and 'unwatchable'.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville bemoaned the lack of jeopardy in City games, despite the fact that they have kept just two clean sheets in their last 13 Premier League outings.
Neville said that he didn't watch City's 3-1 Champions League defeat of FC Copenhagen on Tuesday because he "felt a bit bored", and feels like City have ruined the competition because they are so predictably good.
Speaking ahead of City's clash with Chelsea on Saturday, Guardiola hit back at Neville when asked what he made of the comments.
"It depends on us and how satisfied we are - that is what belongs to us," Guardiola said.
"If people don't appreciate it, it doesn't matter. It's not a big, big problem.
"We are still here, the importance is to still feel for ourselves. Not because of the compliments from outside or the regrets from outside."
The City boss warned that what his side has achieved is more difficult than it looks, and that nobody will ever forget his team.
"What can I say? It's so fine. Thank you [Neville] for the compliment. Everything is so difficult in football.
"We are admired, I am pretty sure of that, [by] the people in the world of football who know how difficult it is being six or seven years there in all competitions every week.
"I am going to tell you something, in the future you will not forget. It looks easy, but it's not. Remember that sentence: it looks easy but it's not.
"The opponents respect us. Sometimes [for] people it is not enough what we are doing, but I know how difficult it is."
City host Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening looking to keep the pressure up on table toppers Liverpool.
Topics: Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Gary Neville, Champions League, Premier League
Alex Brotherton