The sarcasm was thick recently as Pep Guardiola described himself as a "lucky guy" for being held to higher standards than just about any other coach in the game.
Responding to a suggestion from Rio Ferdinand that Manchester City would be judged on the Champions League, the manager explained how his time at Bayern Munich was "not good for most people" because he had lost three semi-finals in that competition.
The former Barcelona manager has already laughably defeated any suggestion that his style would not work in the Premier League, yet in this increasingly strange world there remain some that aren't fully convinced by his ability.
While not wanting to give too much attention to the latest Twitter 'expose', a comparison with the trophy counts of his predecessors inadvertently sparked a reminder of another Guardiola achievement in English football.
City's coach may only have the same number of trophies that Manuel Pellegrini managed in charge and just one more than Roberto Mancini but he has already done something neither of them could manage: mount a decent defence of the title.
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After winning the league in 2012, Mancini didn't even see out the following season with Brian Kidd taking temporary charge of the team for the final two games of the season. City finished second, but 11 points behind first place and United secured the title in April with four games to go.
Pellegrini is in the books as going closer, ending up eight points behind Chelsea in 2015, but that slightly misleads given six consecutive wins to end the campaign saw the Blues make up seven points. Chelsea clinched the title with three games to go, but it had realistically been over as a contest for much longer; when they lost the derby at Old Trafford in mid-April, they had slipped to fourth in the table following six defeats in eight games.
Barring a spectacular collapse, Guardiola's side need just six points from their remaining games to eclipse the points tallies of the previous City title defences and will end up very close to first place if indeed they don't beat Liverpool to it.
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Even if they don't become the first team in a decade to defend the Premier League title, it will be the first time since United lost on goal difference back in 2012 that the champions have kept pace until the end. As well as failed City efforts since, United finished 7th in 2014 with David Moyes, Chelsea finished 10th in 2016, Leicester ended up 12th in 2017 and Chelsea came 5th in 2018; all four of those managers - three of them title winners - were sacked in time for the following season.
Win or lose the title come May, Guardiola will not be exiting the Etihad. Taking charge of the first competitive champions for eight years - having spent less than half the money that rivals Liverpool splashed out on in 2018 - is another way the coach has impacted on the Premier League.
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