There has always been a paradox with Pep Guardiola and goalkeepers. Over the course of his glittering 16-year career in management, the Catalan coach has rarely had to rely on a 'keeper to bail his sides out.
His two Champions League final wins with Barcelona were so dominant that Victor Valdes barely had to make a save. The Catalans, meanwhile, won the Copa del Rey twice with Jose Manuel Pinto, a ‘keeper that, it is believed, only stayed so long at the club due to his friendship with Lionel Messi.
Manuel Neuer was superb in Guardiola's three years at Bayern Munich, but each season his side stormed to the Bundesliga title, rarely having to look to the goalkeeper to keep them on track. It could have been said that, in his first seven years, Guardiola was able to take goalkeepers for granted. But all that changed when he took charge of Manchester City.