Pep Guardiola’s influence on the football world is undeniable. From his early days as a coach, the Catalan manager transformed the way the game is understood, with a philosophy based on possession and total ball control. 

His style has been key to the numerous titles he has won with FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City. However, despite his success, his footballing approach is not without criticism and detractors, both on and off the pitch.

Guardiola’s tactical brilliance has led many coaches to attempt to replicate his possession-based style, a complex system that requires technically gifted and mentally prepared players. While some teams have succeeded with this philosophy, many others have failed in their attempts to adopt it, partly due to a lack of players capable of executing it properly.

Guardiola’s Style: An Impossible Model?

Former U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard has been one of the most recent critics of Guardiola’s style. During an interview on the show "It’s Called Soccer," Howard made strong statements about the negative impact that, in his view, Guardiola has had on football.

"If you look at my generation, we were a team full of tough, resilient guys. We had players who won games and made us believe we could compete offensively. Today, that’s been lost," Howard said, longing for a more direct and pragmatic style.

The former goalkeeper claimed that Guardiola’s approach has hurt many teams, convincing them they can play possession football when they don’t have the resources to do so. "Pep Guardiola has ruined football in every sense. He’s taught everyone that they can play that way, but it’s not true. Only three teams in the world can do it well. Sometimes you need to be more pragmatic," Howard stated.

Pochettino and Pragmatic Football

In contrast to Guardiola’s style, Howard praised the recent hiring of Mauricio Pochettino as the U.S. national team coach, emphasizing the importance of a solid defense. "When you look at his best teams, they were defensively strong, or at least they tried to be. If he can instill that firmness, the U.S. has enough attacking players to be a dangerous team," Howard explained, suggesting that Pochettino’s approach is better suited to teams without the talent required to adopt Guardiola’s style.

Howard’s words reflect a common criticism in modern football: the difficulty of replicating such a specific style as Guardiola’s without the right players. While some see his philosophy as the sport’s evolution, others, like Howard, view it as a barrier for teams lacking the resources needed to play that way.