I think the running joke about Pep 'the genius' is largely unfair on him and is very much taken out of context. When people often joke about what they perceive that genius to mean, it's usually in relation to his overall ability to win and succeed, regardless of club stature or circumstance.
The actual root of it is in reference to his insight, tactically as well as individually. Whether at Barcelona, Bayern, or Man City, there are numerous quotes from top professionals, all of whom have trained under the worlds elite at different clubs, whom have stated at various times how Guardiola taught them insights, which improved them, tactically and mentally, which they weren't learning prior. That's all. He's just a progressive, forward-thinking coach who does have some unique input. If this weren't true these quotes wouldn't exist. That they do is at least indicative of his level of footballing insight.
Again, the label genius, however exaggerated, isn't associated specifically with regards to success and points, it's in relation to his insight, corporately and individually. When players praised him for these insights, it wasn't to make a point about how many points the team was winning, but how much insight the player was learning.
