Hodgson must be bored at home – Guardiola marvels at Palace boss

Pep Guardiola joked Roy Hodgson must get “bored at home” ahead of his next meeting with the veteran Crystal Palace manager.

Manchester City boss Guardiola turns 49 on Saturday, when the
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Premier League champions welcome Palace to the Etihad Stadium for a fixture the Eagles won 3-2 last season.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach was once again quick to voice his admiration for Hodgson, 72, who has made a successful return to top-flight management after his England tenure ended in 2016.

“Of course I admire him. It’s incredible how he still has the patience to be a manager at his age,” Guardiola told a pre-match news conference.

“It’s incredible and he is doing really well. We cannot forget the situation when he took over when they had zero points and everyone considered them relegated.

“Instead of that, he did an incredible job and it is a pleasure and an honour for me every time I get to see him.”

Guardiola, a famously intense presence at the training ground and in the dugout, does not envisage emulating Hodgson’s longevity.

“I think when you are still training at 74 it is because you are bored at home,” he chuckled.

“When you retire you have curiosity to do other things. The problem is when you have no interests to do anything else and you are at home doing nothing.

“If afterwards you want to enjoy other things, why should it be a problem? I am interested in other things and I think I am going to do them when I am not a manager, but I enjoy being a manager.”

Guardiola reported Aymeric Laporte had enjoyed another encouraging week working with his team-mates as he closes in on a return from meniscus surgery.

Form and fitness problems mean John Stones has not been able to effectively step up in his fellow centre-back’s absence, but the City manager joined his former assistant Mikel Arteta in shutting down talk that the England international could join Arsenal on loan.

“I am not going to talk in this period about the rumours, our players or other players,” he added.

“We are linked so far with five million players we are going to buy.

“Don’t ask about that because you know the answer.”