'It's not easy': Pep Guardiola feels for Newcastle after a difficult season but says 'potential is there'

He might get the better of Newcastle United more often than not on the pitch, but we still have a soft spot for Pep Guardiola.

The Manchester City manager always speaks well of Newcastle United and the man just oozes class in victory and defeat, unlike Jurgen Klopp other bosses, who shall remain nameless.

Manchester City coasted to a 2-0 victory against Newcastle on Saturday, knocking the Magpies out of the FA Cup and thus ending their trophy hunt for another year.

Speaking to the press after the game, Pep Guardiola was asked if he can see how difficult it is for clubs like Newcastle to bridge that gap to the top teams.

Pep had sympathy for Newcastle as they navigated the Champions League schedule

Pep admitted that Man City and Liverpool had to grow to get where they are (ignoring how much of a massive gate has been put up around them since then), but then went on to say how he felt for Newcastle this season as that first season in the Champions League is not easy.

"This is the first time that they play four competitions, that means playing every three days, especially in the beginning. When it's the first time it's not easy for any club.

"I'm pretty sure they will take the lessons from that because the potential is there."

We're not quite on Pep's radar as competition, but it's coming

The reality is that we're a good few years away from being a genuine concern for the likes of Guardiola's City side, but he can clearly see the upward trajectory the club is on.

Next season will be another benchmark season for the PIF-led project with this one always expected to be worse than the last after over-achieving. The project mapped out did not have us playing Champions League football so soon and we simply were not ready for it.

It's now about how we take those lessons, as Pep mentioned, and use them going forward. We still have a squad that is not Champions League level if we're being brutally honest, and even after what we expect will be a busy summer, I don't think we'll be there yet either.

Last season's over-achievement has given us fans a strange sense of entitlement. Yes, it sucks going back over, but three leaps forward and one step back is still forward momentum, and as long as we keep taking more strides in the right direction than we do back over, then we will get to where we want to be.