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“I’m not good enough” – Pep Guardiola speaks out after Man City’s defeat to Man Utd

“I’m not good enough” – Pep Guardiola speaks out after Man City’s 2-1 defeat to Man Utd in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

A Bruno Fernandes penalty and Amad Diallo strike saw Man Utd produce a late comeback, City led until the 88th-minute courtesy of Josko Gvardiol’s header but collapsed in the closing stages.

The result puts further pressure on Pep Guardiola, whose side have only won one of their last 11 games in all competitions, extending the club’s worst run of form since 2006.

Pep Guardiola speaking to BBC Match of the Day:

“Not much to say. No defence, they were incredibly persistent. We have not lost eight games in two seasons. We can’t defend that. It’s not about this or that player. We gave away goals, our fault. We don’t play with composure. The results are not good, the game was not exceptional. I know the situation, I understand but the reality is this.

“They have to know that these situations happen. In the box you have to be careful. It’s not about Matheus [Nunes], he played really good in not his position at full-back. But it’s not about that, we have to play better. The result will help us to take our best but right now we don’t have it. The way I learn is to keep going.

“I’m not good enough. I am the boss, the manager, I have to find solutions and so far I haven’t. That’s the reality.

“We want to play better, create chances. But at the moment it’s not possible.”

 Pep Guardiola speaking to Sky Sports:

“This year it happens many times unfortunately. We gave away many things. We are not nice in the way we played. Before it’s so fluid, now we’re struggling for different reasons. A lot of defeats. We put everything in and the game was almost closed. They had more possession first half but nothing special. We give away two goals, very difficult.

“It is what it is. What can I say? We can not blame this player or that one, it’s not that. It’s the season, a tough season.

“We didn’t play our best. We are not our best and we struggle a bit. Now we don’t play for the week.

“Previously we didn’t lose that many in two seasons. Now we’ve done it in eight games. You have to defend. We have lost a lot of games. It’s difficult. We have to move on and try to find the solution and try to win games.

“I think in nine years it wasn’t the toughest defeat. Champions League defeats harder. But at the moment, we need results to lift our mood. It’s getting worse and worse. I have to find the solution. So far I didn’t find it and this is the truth.

Phil Foden speaking to BBC Match of the Day:

“Massively [disappointed] – game was in our hands. 1-0 up we were controlling the game. We had a lot of possession. Seems to be the story at the moment I don’t know what happens but we switch off and they score two goals. It keeps happening at the moment. We have to stick together now, rebuild and go again.

“We’ve not been used to losing this amount of games in a short period. But sometimes you have to experience this in life, you can’t always win. When things go wrong they then seem to go worse. We have to stick together and regroup.”

Thought you were in control? “100%. We had control of the game 1-0 up. You can concede at 1-1 but you can’t concede straight after, that’s unacceptable. It’s just one of those, it’s the way it is.”

Is it a mentality problem? “At the start when you lose a couple of games no, but when it happens a lot it feels like a mental thing. We need to get out of that and get back to winning ways and pick ourselves back up.”

 Bernardo Silva speaking to Sky Sports: “We deserved what happened. At this level a game or two is unlucky. We can’t say this is lucky or unlucky – 10 games it’s not about that.

“Minute 87 in a derby, winning 1-0 and our corner ends in a penalty for them, if we make these stupid decisions with three or four minutes to go you deserve to pay for that. Looking at the game I think there was only one team that could win the game, but at the end we lost.

“It’s not one game, it’s a lot of games lately. We have to look at ourselves. You can say oh t’s a bit unlucky, no. It’s the decisions you make. Today in the last minute we played like under-15s.

“We don’t want them to happen. It’s a bit frustrating because if you look at the game until 86th minute there was only one team that could win the game. Then from a corner for Man City, you leave a centre back, Ruben stayed, but we end up with the ball at our keeper. There’s no excuse for that.

“When it happens in 10 games, we have to look at ourselves and see what we can do better. There needs to be communication for us to play short or to keep the ball in the corner or something. At least if the ball ends up with one of our midfielders, just put it in the corner. Not put yourself under pressure. It’s not just the pass from Matheus to the keeper. It’s everything, how the ball ends up from Ruben to Matheus and Kyle we have to do better. Be more experienced, smarter, at this level even if you’re better than the opponent. You deserve to lose the game.

“It’s quite normal that we’re not very happy at the minute. Not just this game but the last month. We have to do better individually and collectively because it’s not the standards of Manchester City.”

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim speaking to Sky Sports: “Three points. We have a lot to do but massive for our fans. But I see the same game until 85 minutes. Maybe our conversation would be so different without the goals but the performance was the same. They were in the game for 90 minutes. We didn’t control the result throughout but I think we deserved this. Good day for us.

“You can feel it we were near to scoring. We improved our speed in our runs and had opportunities. We controlled the attack of City and we believed it in the end. We wanted it more when we scored the first goal. Congratulations to the lads.

“It’s really important but when these game finished I remembered one week ago in the storm. We were 3-1 down at home to Nottingham and I keep that feeling for these days to not get carried away. We needed it a lot the three points.”

Thinking about the next game already? “It’s more the problem with Mason Mount, you think right away. We have a lot of games. We have to continue to win. This will change if we don’t continue to win.

“He [Mount] fits our style. He’s a very good player inside and also outside the pitch. The type of character we want in this team and the club want. He made the movement and stretched his leg, he felt something. But we need him.”

On Amad Diallo: “Erik [Ten Hag] and Ruud [Van Nistelrooy] did a great job with him, we continue that. Really important. All the players fit in my system. If they want to be in it, if they are talented, every player can fit in this system.”

On Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho: “Nothing special. Finish one game, start a new week. New week, new life, if they train well they will compete for a place in the team. They are playing because they are talented, we need Rashford and Garnacho.

“Next week if they train well like the others. It’s the same for everyone. They will play or be on the bench. It was not a disciplinary thing. We have to improve out standards inside and outside the pitch. It was a normal week.”

 Amorim speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “It was incredible. I think we deserved it. It was a very tough match but we believe until the end. We managed to score, we needed that win, it was important for us and for our fans.

“We were in the game for 90 minutes and that is very good. We talk about the Arsenal game, we played well in the first half but they were not believing that we could win. Today was so much more different.

“I also believe. Then we have Fergie time and we put the things together and something magic happened. It was a good day for us.

“They [the fans] need it. Just like us, but you can see the way they celebrate is special. But we need to continue. Our club needs to win these kinds of matches, I understand the happiness of our fans but we need to continue.

“With a victory for City, the performance was the same. We need to improve a lot of things but today the guys deserved the win. They were in it until the last minute and that is important for us.”

On Amad Diallo: “He can play different positions, he is very humble. We have to be very careful with Amad because sometimes in our club we put young players in a special place. Lets stay clam with Amad.”

Bruno Fernandes, speaking to Sky Sports about Amad Diallo: “He has been doing well, he has been doing great things and there is a still a lot to come from him.

“He showed again today he is always alive. That is why he gets the penalty, why he gets the goal. He has been brilliant. When he is like this he is unstoppable.

“I just want him to keep working, that is what he has been doing. It is great what he did today but I am sure he can do this every week. We want this week in, week out. He is now getting his chances, deservedly.”

On taking his penalty after missing a big opportunity: “It was a big chance when still 1-0 down. I just tried to lift the ball away from Ederson. A penalty is a moment of nerves. They are a big part of games. I am ready to calm myself down in big moments.”

On adapting under Ruben Amorim: “It is a process, we know what he demands, what he wants. It doesn’t matter what happens, we stick to what we do.”

 Fernandes speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “It was [pressure taking the penalty] after being one-on-one with the keeper and not scoring. You have to just calm yourself down and hit the net. I try to focus on my own world, breathe, relax, and then hit it.

“We are really happy. We know what the derby means. We are not in a position to be bouncing about anything. We are moving forward. It was a really tough game obviously, they are really good on the ball, one of the best. These guys have won so much, you need to be focused for 90 minutes and that’s what we did.

“To play for this club you need to be full of confidence. You need to know how to deal with these kind of moments. We know we are in a worse position than them.

“City are still up there in the table, we are in a worse moment than them. We play for one of the biggest clubs in the world and that is the focus for our dressing room.”

On Amad Diallo: “He is eager for more. When you do the right things you get your chances, you get goals, you get momentum. He has been really good for us. I want to keep him under the radar so that he goes still more and more because I want Amada to do this ever game.

“We know we have a quality team but not everyone has shown their quality at its best.”

Manchester United’s player of the match Amad Diallo: “We wanted to win this game. It was not easy.

“In the second half we pressed good, we wanted to win and we showed today that we can win any game.

“I want to thank god for this. Let’s enjoy it today and look forward to the next game.”

Here’s how fans reacted as Pep Guardiola speaks out after Man City’s defeat to Man Utd…

@mancity_talk: And now we’ve lost it. We are finished. Embarrassing. Spineless. Let the club down today. No quality at all on show today. Utd just as bad as us. Shameful from the lot of them. Pep seems to have lost the dressing room. They aren’t playing for him anymore. 1 win in 11. Disgraceful. Cue the usual bs in the post-match interviews. Do your talking on the pitch, which we aren’t doing and won’t do until we sell most of this squad

@ClaireMulcahy17: Thats not the case, they are trying they are just not good enough. He needs akanji, ake, stones back. They are terrified to attack incase they give the ball away and get countered, haaland can’t hold up the ball or link play so I’d adding nothing at the moment

@mancity_talk: Disagree. This isn’t a quality issue. It’s a mentality issue

@MCFCDyl: It’s not rocket science. For 4 straight seasons we were invincible. Rodri got injured and the rest of the squad got a filthy reality check that they can be beat. They simply cant handle it 🤷‍♂️ not to mention 1/4 of our squad is over 30

@mancity_talk: This is a lot more than just Rodri missing

@donkevlon: A group of players have somehow found themselves playing for city who are just not good enough. We’ve gone from have a group who have an exceptionally high football I.q to players like Nunes and Doku (and others) who are mid level.

@Jvshyyy6783: Some players need to be sold asap. For the 2nd goal why has foden let ugarte take it down and then the defence is so so bad.

@TheEllisScott: I’m starting to think he should have called it a day at City after last season. To win 4 leagues in a row, win a champions league amongst it and the other trophies, it’s surely too much pressure for anyone to sustain. Loving the downfall of the tin club though

@MarkAbel_28: Any coincidence this is happening as the investigation into financial conduct has come to its completion and we’re now months away from the outcome/verdict? It’s an enormous distraction for Manager and Players.

@SteveJ_Elstone: They train 2-3 hours a day, have the best of the best in physical therapy’s sports science, nutrition etc, and they play (AT MOST), 3 times every 8 days….. I’ll never buy into “their legs have gone”

@TomMcFarlane599: The squad is too old and they’re becoming complacent. That’s the real issue. City need to spend big and bring in more quality players.

@Thurman9219: They deserved it they was the better side and that amad lad wow different sort of player him

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