Guardiola is evoking memories of Big Mal for Manchester City legend Tony Book

MANCHESTER CITY legend Tony Book has paid Pep Guardiola what, for him, is the ultimate tribute.

The Catalan reminds him of Malcolm Allison!

“Malcolm would have loved Pep,” says the man who skippered the club to the League title 50 years ago.

“I think they are kindred spirits.

“For Malcolm it wasn’t just about winning, he wanted to win playing the right way.

“He was a coach who was way ahead of his time in terms of ideas and methods. A great innovator, always looking to improve his team and his players.

“Pep comes from the same mould. Over the past decade at Barcelona and Bayern Munich he has redefined how we think about football.

“When he came to England, some critics said he couldn’t do the same thing over here – but just look what City have done.

“The greatest coaches and managers find a way to implement their beliefs.

“Fifty years ago, Malcolm brought a new philosophy to the club and he made the players believe it his ideas and what he was trying to achieve.

“We all loved him. We would have done anything he told us because we believed that everything was geared to making us a better team.

“Pep has brought that level of belief to the club again.

“I would have loved to have listened to a conversation between Malcolm and Pep.

“I think Malcolm saw the game in the same way that Pep sees it now.”

“Big Mal” was first-team coach under Joe Mercer during City’s last spell of top flight dominance half a century ago when the team won all three domestic trophies plus the European Cup Winners’ Cup in the space of three seasons.

He persuaded the club to sign Book at 32, who enjoyed a career mostly in non-League football after the pair had been together at Bath City.

Book repaid his faith by skippering the team to four trophies, becoming Footballer Of The Year at 34, playing until he was 40 and going on to manage the club.

“The City team I played in is still loved by the fans,” Book goes on.

“It is remembered as City’s greatest-ever team. But I think that’s about to change.

“I can see Pep’s team going on to achieve things that the supporters didn’t even dare to dream about a few years ago.

“The one thing my team achieved that this current team still need is success in Europe.

“When we won the League in 1968, Malcolm said we would terrify Europe – and we were knocked out of the European Cup in the first round!

“But we did win the Cup Winners Cup the following year and I think it is only a matter of time before Pep delivers another European trophy.

“It’s going to be a tough quarter-final against Liverpool in the Champions League, but I have absolutely no doubt that Pep has the better squad and will go through.

“In fact, I’d go as far as to say that City now have the best squad and the best manager in Europe.

“I think that they have even more quality in depth than both Barcelona and Real Madrid.”

Book was the last City player to be voted Footballer Of 7he Year when he shared the honour with Dave Mackay in 1969.

He is in no doubt, however, that period of famine should be ended next month.

“Kevin De Bruyne deserves to win it just because of his unbelievable consistency,” he says.

“His performances have been outstanding. He has been the best player in what is by far and away the best team in the country, if not in Europe.

“Kevin seems to be a step ahead of every other player on the pitch. He sees things before everybody else.

“Not only that, but he delivers in every game, including the biggest matches.

“When I see De Bruyne moving so gracefully through the midfield it brings back memories of Colin Bell.

“He has got that same effortless way of running and, like Colin, he is a complete midfielder.

“He can do all the brilliant things but he also does the dirty work defensively. He is a real team player.

“City are not a one-man team. They have been brilliant from 1 to 11 this season – but De Bruyne has been THE man.”