It's been the foundation of his game forever, in exactly the way @Trilly highlighted in his David Silva example. Absolutely hate Guardiola. Biggest fraud of a manager there is to me. Says he is about positive football, but excessively uses fouling and ref bias. Had the crop of football for his greatest success and failed to replicate that since then. Makes his teams play great football, but can only use the most expensive and best players for his brand. I highly doubt he'd have any success with a medicore squad or at a team where he cannot exchange half the squad in one transfer window with endless cash reserves. Relies on doping for his players to get through a season with the high physical demands of his game. Take away the money and drugs from him and he's a nothing man. Without his name and the fortune of having the trust of the Barca hierachey when switching from Barca B to A, the guy would be a nothing man. Look up Alexander Zorniger, his history and play style - he's exactly Guardiola without the money. Breathtaking attacking play, but players not on drugs and a fallible defense - he build the offensively most exciting pressing Stuttgart team of the last 20 years but couldn't for the life of him get it right - cause he lacked the players and the players he had lacked the stamina. If Stuttgart had the money of City or Barca to get the players Zorniger needed, he would be managing City by now. He's now managing Brondby in Denmark with relative success. And that's where Guardiola would be if not for his name, drugs and the money everyone gives him.
