Manchester City is not going through its best moment. The ‘citizen’ team has won one of its last ten games, conceding 23 goals and losing seven of them. In advance of the Manchester derby that they will play against United at the Etihad Stadium, Pep Guardiola has spoken at a press conference to remove drama from the situation of a team that has Liverpool – leader of the Premier League – at eight points with one game more than them.
After losing 0-2 to Juventus in Turin, Guardiola sees the match against Manchester United as just another match despite the significance of the match. “It’s one more game, the same points. Emotionally for our fans it is a bit special, but in these types of situations and these types of games, the less emotional you are, the better you will be,” he said.
I have a certain authority from my career and from the titles we have won that allow me to know when we are playing well or poorly.
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City coach
As he did at the end of the Champions League match, the Santpedor coach once again emphasized his team’s good play despite the poor results obtained in recent weeks. “What I feel now is the same as I felt in the last three weeks. I am grateful for how we played, and I have a certain authority from my career and the titles we won that allow me to know when we are playing well or badly. We have to shoot more Yes, we have to defend better, yes, we have to avoid mistakes, yes. But the game is there. Except for the game against Liverpool and the Bournemouth game, we were there in the rest of the games,” he acknowledged.
When questioned about the possibility of the club turning to the winter market to bring in new additions, Guardiola reiterated that what he wants is to recover his injured players. “I want my players back. I would love to compete with the squad we had at the beginning of the season. It’s the only thing I regret. At the current moment we are in, we’ll see what happens…”, he confessed, leaving the door open to any possibility in January.
In fact, one of the keys why Guardiola thinks they are in this difficult moment is the fact of having such important players for the squad in the infirmary. “We are playing without the Ballon d’Or and without the best player in England last season, playing four or five games, but no more than that. No team can play without central defenders, without the winner of the Ball and without the best player. of the season,” he said.
Guardiola, worried during City’s match against Juve.AP
Just as Grealish had to play as a midfielder in the match against Juventus, the fact of having only three defenders available will surely cause changes in the ‘Citizen’ defense against United. “I don’t know what to do! I need players, we’ll see what happens today and tomorrow. Maybe some wingers have to play as full-backs, or Matheus -Nunes- maybe can play as a full-back, or maybe play with five at the back with full-backs as wingers. “I don’t know,” he continued.
Maybe some wingers have to play as full-backs, or maybe play with five at the back with full-backs as wingers
Pep Guardiola, Manchester City coach
Furthermore, Guardiola was realistic about the team’s situation, asking people for understanding and support in the difficult situation. “Right now we cannot compete, we can survive. Sooner or later the players will return, although qualifying for the Champions League will not be easy, but we will qualify. I encourage the fans to support the players until the end, because they deserve it,” he stated.
The Spanish coach also referred to the racist insults made against Kyle Walker in the match against Juve to come to his defense. “First of all, it is unacceptable. But not because it is Kyle, for any human being. Unfortunately in the real world this happens many times. It is not necessary to mention the support he has from the entire club,” he said bluntly.
After talking again about injuries like Aké and the tough schedule that the teams suffer, going so far as to affirm that perhaps the squads need 25 or 30 players in the future, Guardiola ended the press conference praising the figure of Ruben Amorim as coach of the ‘red devils’. “His influence is already there. All the patterns they are starting to make, how well everyone moves and the rhythm. Yes, he will do a good job at United,” he confessed.
