Pep's on a mission

I didn't get the impression Pep Guardiola was interested in spending much time with the journalists at Friday's news conference.

He was dismissive of a few questions and did not really elaborate on some of his answers in the way he normally would.

As far as the domestic campaign goes, it is full steam ahead now. No more international breaks and, clearly, no European distractions either.

In a sense, Guardiola has delivered his verdict on the campaign as a whole by declaring neither he, his coaches, nor his players, deserve a bonus this season, even if they win the Club World Cup in the summer.

However, the opportunity is still there to win the FA Cup - which would bring his tally to three and City's to eight (only Arsenal and Manchester United have won it more than that) - and qualify for next season's Champions League, which is an imperative.

If City can accomplish that, it might not be as good as winning a title or a European Cup, but it would be an acceptable conclusion by virtually any measure - other than their own high standards.