The boss was reacting to whether Vincent Kompany’s departure has left a leadership void in his squad this season, but Pep says that is not the case at all and that new leaders have emerged.
“Everyone is special and different and no-one can be many things like Vinny but we knew it,” said the Catalan.
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“Vinny knows perfectly the locker room, but everyone in there are leaders - maybe some who don’t talk too much, but they are still leaders.
“And there are others who like to communicate. I said to the players: Vinny is Vinny I don’t want you to copy him, you need to be who you are, that is the most important thing.”
Pep was also asked about the exciting crop of youngsters coming through into the first team this season and whether they could potentially compare to the local youngsters who emerged at Manchester United in the early 1990s or the Barcelona team Pep was part of.
With Tommy Doyle and Taylor Harwood-Bellis both in the away end at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening, Pep offered his opinion on the young blood who, including Phil Foden, also have grown up as City fans.
“I would like to answer and say yes, but I don’t know,” he said. “Honestly they must be City fans because I saw the short clip in the stands from Old Trafford.
“They train regularly with the squad and it depends on desire and how they grow up.
“They are better players, hopefully it’s good for the club to have a relationship with our fans.
“They are young and we’ll have to wait. So I would like to say yes but I don’t know because it is so demanding; sometimes you win titles and it isn’t enough.
“Phil Foden is an exceptional player and sometimes maybe doesn’t play the minutes he should.
“That is the truth, but of course it depends on them. I have two eyes, but Txiki and assistants have eyes and when someone is really special, we know they can do it and we don’t have doubts.
“I don’t know in Europe if it’s happening right now. One guy who is 17,18 or 19 years old to go into first team and play three times a week. I don’t imagine at big clubs it’s happened.
“You have to respect the process with young guys because we have tendency in this country after two games to say ‘he’ll be the new Rooney, George Best, Beckham...’
“They need to believe it is difficult. But when the quality is there, for example Phil, it is there. More than 50 games so far at 19, 20 it’s quite remarkable and everything is going to happen naturally with these type of talents.”
Pep also added that the only way young players learn is by making mistakes.
Asked if an inexperienced player could be badly affected by errors, he responded: “Don’t you think guys who are 31 or 32 don’t make mistakes?
“That’s the way to grow up, but for some moments I think you need time to learn and it’s a bonus if you play some minutes or train.
“Just training with first team is ‘wow’ more than playing in second team.
“It’s about the right time and the right tempo. We have opportunities in Carabao Cup. And Phil played against Sheffield United and played incredibly well. That’s good for him and for the future.”
