Why is praise for Pep Guardiola in short supply?

Watching Didi Hamann and the RTÉ football panel in recent weeks question Pep Guardiola’s standing as a coach for remaining stuck on just the two Champions League titles in a career that’s barely a decade old, we were reminded of the opening scene in March to Madness, the esteemed John Feinstein’s season-long study of about the only championship in world team sport that’s as hard to win as football’s famous cup with the big ears.

The morning of the 1997 NCAA national championship final, Feinstein is sitting in an Indianapolis coffee shop when he’s approached by an elderly basketball fan wanting his take on a game 36 hours earlier.

“You’ve been around. Don’t you think Dean got outcoached on Saturday?” Feinstein instinctively bursts out laughing.