Pep Guardiola feels he is having to be a manager in the true sense for the first time because achieving success is a far greater challenge with Manchester City than it was at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

City’s Champions League exit at Monaco in the last-16 ended Guardiola’s run of having reached at least the semi-final of the tournament across seven seasons with his two previous clubs. He is in the unusual position of being 10 points off the pace in the league too. Guardiola did experience similar in his final season at Barcelona but has otherwise won the league at every attempt.

He admits he is having to prove his worth at City. “It’s the first time in my career as a manager when I feel that now is the moment you have to see yourself like a manager,” he said. “That’s the first time. For the other ones, I was so lucky managing and training big clubs. Now is the first time I want to help the team so people say: ‘Wow, Pep could do that again at a team in England and at Manchester City’. I love this club and want to be here for a long long time. I want to try to do it.”

There is no sign City are losing patience. Guardiola has received the backing of Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the chairman, despite the Champions League disappointment and said he has never felt more powerful at a club.

City got to the Champions League semi-finals under Manuel Pellegrini last season yet Guardiola received positive communication from Mubarak after the defeat at Monaco. “The chairman? I received a text message from him the day after,” he said. “He prefers to win the Champions League. He was not there [at Stade Louis II] but he is always close to me. So I always feel he is there, so close to the team, so close to me. But he knows, I know better than him, how it works. I always feel in the good moments and bad moments, especially in the bad moments, I appreciate his reaction. I am really impressed.”

In each of his previous seasons as a manager Guardiola has won a trophy. City are in the FA Cup semi-final yet he accepts this could be a first campaign without one, although he feels more energised than ever. “I have more power than ever in my life as a manager,” he said. “For me it’s a big challenge and I want to deal with that. I want to see myself if I am able to do that; that is my impression.”

He admitted before City’s game at home to Liverpool on Sunday that he had been surprised by the reaction to defeats at City. “In terms of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, when you talk about these kind of teams, it’s a big disaster when they don’t win,” he said. “I knew that. Here I didn’t think that, but it is a big disaster when you don’t win as well. It will take more time to put the team that I want. In the other clubs for many other reasons it was a little bit closer, here it will take more time. But that’s what I like.”

In the summer the futures of up to 18 City players will be in the balance for reasons of contract, form and physical condition. Guardiola said: “I met Sheikh Mansour in Abu Dhabi and I know the plan. It’s a team that took the next step seven years ago and we are thinking about how to get better. I want to be involved in that as much as possible and to help my team to make the next step.”

Vincent Kompany is fit again yet after travelling with the squad to Monaco and to Middlesbrough for City’s previous outing, he was not included. The captain is suffering a third injury-blighted season and Guardiola admitted he could not rely on the defender remaining fit to play. “When it was 2-1 I thought about that we might need him against the tall players of Monaco on the field to defend those kind of situations,” he said. “But he was a long time injured and sometimes he arrived [played] but was injured again so I could risk him and to be safe and be so sure [he would last].”

Guardiola had hoped Kompany would get the chance to prove his fitness with Belgium this month but Roberto Martínez has opted not to select the centre-half. The national manager claimed Kompany still had a big part to play for Belgium, but said: “It is important we don’t bring him in if he’s not fully ready and not fully match fit.”

Pep Guardiola set for Manchester City clearout with 18 players at risk Read more

Yaya Touré’s agent, Dimitri Seluk, has said he has held talks over a possible move for the midfielder, whose contract at City expires this summer. “From yesterday we officially started negotiating with different clubs about his future,” he told Sky Sports News.

“We waited until 15 March for what Manchester City will say but until now Manchester City don’t say anything. Before March we didn’t negotiate with anybody because Yaya does a lot with Manchester City, so we waited. But we cannot wait until the last minute, until June, and have no negotiations with anybody.”

Touré has said he wants to stay at City and Guardiola has indicated contract issues will be dealt with at the end of the season. Seluk said: “Some clubs have contacted me. Now we have three options. I don’t speak about Yaya and China or the MLS. He will play in Europe. I have spoken with clubs in different countries – Italy and Spain.

“I said to Manchester City that we will start negotiations with other clubs about the future of Yaya. After that, if Manchester City want, they can start negotiations. If they don’t want then we will find another club.”