Pep Guardiola feared losing his job after first season in charge at Manchester City

Pep Guardiola admits he thought he may have paid the price for Manchester City‘s title failure last season with the sack.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach is set to claim his first Premier League crown, with victory at Everton on Saturday potentially putting City 19 points clear of nearest rivals Manchester United with only 21 to play for.

Yet little over 12 months ago the Spaniard was sweating on his future at the Etihad.

Last season’s clash at Goodison Park in January 2017 was a different story to now, with City losing 4-0 despite dominating the play and going on to finish in third place, 15 points behind champions Chelsea.

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Guardiola has now confessed he was concerned his methods weren’t working and that he may be sacrificed as part of the City owners’ relentless pursuit of dominance.

“Of course. I thought ‘If it doesn’t work, I’ll go home, another one is coming and someone can try in his way’, so in that moment there was concern about the results, what we can do to improve,” said the 47-year-old City boss.

“In that moment I thought that could happen, that it doesn’t work.

“But at the same time, I thought if next season it’s not going well, if it’s the same, Txiki (Begiristain, City’s director of football) or Ferran (Soriano, City’s chief executive) would decide ‘OK Pep you are not good enough’ and change.”

Guardiola speaks from a position of strength now. But he showed a little-seen vulnerability in admitting he experiences self-doubt, especially when results weren’t going as well as expected last season.

“Of course you think ‘It’s not going well, we are not winning. What do we have to do?’” he said.

“That is normal. All the managers think the same when they don’t win.

“They think ‘What can we do to get better?’ But I said many times we’ll try until the end.

“I said last season many times when I was asked – it works to play my way and I said ‘I am going to insist (playing that way), so I never had a doubt about that.”

The City boss insists he is unaware of any title celebrations planned.

“It’s not already done! We need three – or two wins,” he added. “I don’t know absolutely anything about what they are preparing or anything like that. Nobody has said, nobody has consulted me.”

Meanwhile, Guardiola has admitted there is interest in £100m-rated winger Raheem Sterling.

The 23-year-old England star, who earns £180,000-a-week and is under contract until 2020, is yet to follow team-mates David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne and sign an improved deal.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain are now eyeing Sterling’s situation.

“Maybe other clubs are interested, anything can happen but he knows how important he is to us,” said Guardiola.

“For contracts I’m not the guy, it’s Txiki. No doubt it’s so important – the deals of the agents and the circumstances.”

Guardiola, who is under contract until 2021 on a £19.5m deal, insists he will be at the Etihad next season. “My future is next season here.” he said.

City are set to be without John Stones (concussion) and Sergio Aguero (knee) for the Everton clash.

Stones came off in England’s 1-1 draw against Italy, while Aguero missed Argentina’s friendlies against Italy and Spain and City’s 2-0 Premier League win at Stoke City before the international break.