Pep Guardiola was not about to start grasping at the straws being proffered to him over Manchester City ’s Premier League season.
The Blues were a country mile behind champions Liverpool, and the fact that Raheem Sterling had scored twice, at Vicarage Road, to close the gap on Jamie Vardy in the race for the Golden Boot did not register on the manager’s personal Richter scale.
Apart from gaining some momentum for the Champions League clash with Real Madrid, the collective goal of scoring 100 goals, and a few individual landmarks, City had little to play for at Watford.
But Guardiola ’s reaction to a question about Sterling’s personal quest to catch the Leicester striker – and hit 30 goals in a season for the first time - got short shrift.
“It's important for Raheem to score a goal but we cannot forget we finished far away from the champions so this season was not good for us in the Premier League,” he said.
It was as rapid a change of subject as you will see in a press conference – most managers are happy to seize on a positive subject and eat up the minutes waxing lyrical about one of their players.
Guardiola, perhaps also a little irritated that Sterling had grabbed the ball for a penalty ahead of usual taker Kevin De Bruyne in his pursuit of personal glory – and promptly missed it before knocking in the rebound – was having none of it.
An attempt to re-focus his mind on Sterling, gave a little more, but again made the point that individual honours are only meaningful if they are set in the context of team success.
“I love when the players can achieve their desires and score goals and have the commitment to score goals,” he said. “I like it, I cannot say anything else. But Raheem has to know like all of us have to know that we were far away from Liverpool.”
Then Guardiola was called upon, on the final day, to hand the Premier League’s Golden Glove award to Ederson and the Playmaker of the Year statuette to De Bruyne.
He fixed his grin, said the right things, and afterwards genuinely praised both men, pointing out that Ederson’s goalkeeping merits were already very much appreciated within the City camp.
Of course, Guardiola is not averse to his players winning individual honours – he gave a barbed response to the prospect of Jordan Henderson being named Footballer of the Year, pointing out that a Liverpool player had also won it when City won the league by a mile.
But that was maybe a sign of irritation that even when City are outstanding, they don't get the recognition they deserve.
If Sterling ever won the Golden Boot in a season when City won the title, it would be a cause for Guardiola celebration, as it would mean individual excellence contributing to collective triumph.
To win it when the team has failed to take the title, means little, in his eyes.
With the bookies having De Bruyne and Henderson slugging it out for the PFA Player of the Year award, as well, you sense that Guardiola would take another Liverpool player triumph only as another sign that his team should get more respect, when they deserve it.
Vote for your City player of the season here.
Deep down, the manager knows that winning major team honours, but being snubbed for the individual awards, is a reflection of his football philosophy.
Team is everything, individuals should submerge their egos and personal ambitions in the drive for the greater good.
When asked about the Ballon d’Or, he was withering about players who place such baubles above team achievements.
“To see the team, the team spirit, to play better and better, the players know they depend on their team-mates, not their own performance,” he said.
“If the goalkeepers make a good performance it's not for the keepers it's for the team, if we score goals it's not for the strikers it's for the team, and that is what is important.
“When I hear so many times 'I always dream of winning the Golden Ball, the Ballon d'Or', these kind of things, that is ridiculous. It makes no sense. Win the titles, make the people happy.”
