Pep Guardiola reveals reason behind Man City’s poor form and speaks on receiving criticism

Pep Guardiola reveals the reason behind Man City’s poor form and also speaks on receiving criticism in an interview with Sky Sports.

The manager has openly discussed the reasons behind Manchester City’s recent struggles and his perspective on the criticism he’s received.

Guardiola points to the absence of key players due to injuries as a significant reason for the team’s downfall, with City sitting 7th in the Premier League with 28 points from 18 games played and already 14 points behind leaders Liverpool.

Players like Rodri, Ruben Dias, John Stones, and others have been out, impacting the team’s stability and performance, with Guardiola emphasising the challenge of maintaining consistency with such a depleted squad.

He acknowledges that there might be mental fatigue or a drop in focus among the players, leading to what has been described as a “downward spiral” in performance. This includes not being as fluid in their play and struggling to find solutions during games, as noted in his comments following matches.

Guardiola has also addressed the criticism he’s faced, stating that he accepts it as part of the job but believes it’s unfair to point fingers at specific players.

He has taken responsibility for the team’s performance, suggesting that the criticism should be directed at him for not finding the right tactical solutions or managing the team effectively during this period.

Guardiola spoke of the intense schedule and the physical toll it takes on players, especially after years of high achievement, as another factor, hinting that the body sometimes needs rest after prolonged periods of success, which has not been adequately addressed due to the nature of modern football.

Interviewer: now a lot of people might not know this but we met on the first day that you arrived at the club think 500 games later when you when you arrived did you think I’m going to be here for eight years I’m going to hit this milestone?

Pep: Impossible

Interviewer: Why was that?

Pep: Because I didn’t expect so, I’m here because they have an incredible results now apparently it doesn’t look like so we have had 35 really bad days in terms of results, but if you see in general 500 games have been an incredible joy and a unbelievably period, otherwise if you don’t win in a big club like this you are you cannot sustain so I’m so proud to have what we have lived together with many players staff back room staff our bosses 500 game is a good milestone I could say in England especially in this modern area in this modern football

Interviewer: How much have you changed do you think as manager from when you arrived at Manchester City to where you are now what has changed about Pep Guardiola as a manager

Pep: I would say I’m a better manager, apparently it doesn’t look like right now but I had the feeling that there better manager experiences helps you to do this no good moments bad moments

Interviewer: How you learn many things so of course it is is it frustrating at all that people will focus on what’s happening now some of the losses some of the performances rather than looking at the other 490 games

Pep: No absolutely not, so football has to be today and it’s normal that the recent results and what happened now have to be focused in there, we’ll have time to reflect when be over, to say okay how was the period how many years, how many, we have done the good moments is spend and of course the good moments beat the bad moments otherwise you cannot be 500 games here but it’s normal that today the people is what’s happen

Interviewer: Does that make your job almost easier because you can just live in the moment as well and you can forget about the results of move on to the next one

Pep: I don’t believe what happened in the past, it will be when I will be grandfather and you know in fighting the fire and say okay I believe that was so nice and incredible memories but right now the day has to be focused what they have to do

Interviewer: Well I want to just look back at a few of the different achievements you’ve had fourmidables, winning four trebles in a season, you have the centurions as well 100 points and treble winners winning the the FA Cup the Premier League and the Champions League

Pep: No continue with that, you will not finish if you have to say all the records you will finish we could keep on going and going I’m sorry don’t continue to that

Interviewer: So which was the most difficult out of those in the eight years

Pep: All of them

Interviewer: Really

Pep: Yeah now I realise people take it for granted and now realise how difficult you know we have done. imagine now you know the domestic treble and quadruple and 100 points and four four in a row six to seven so many one of the reason why it’s now happen this is it’s consequences always a part of that is a consequence for the success we had in the past so definitely it is

Interviewer: Is this the most difficult period that you’ve had as a manager what you’re going through right now

Pep: We’ve never, I’ve never, we never been so for long happened but the problem is we make the ordinary extraordinary in the past and the people believe is you know it’s normal and it was people say ah it’s ordinary it happen it happen, was extraordinary like a little bit like that, I expect the soon will happen, I didn’t expect was the 30 days you know in some games with 3-0 we didn’t win, we won 0-1 against United two three minutes left and we lost the game so now the situation is we are not balanced, we are not consistent and we can lose games absolutely I lost in the past but this round always will find a way after two three-day game to turn around and now you’re not able and the situation that happened we have to try to change it quick as possible but to be consistent with the players that we have we will struggle

Interviewer: So talk to me about that then you mentioned you’ve lost games in the past you’ve bounced back how difficult will it be to bounce back from this for yourself?

Pep: We’ll be back, we’ll remember that period that it was wild what happened but in the same times the moment will we be back, with the moment we have. the squad I’m sorry to say but it’s difficult you know to visualise going to happen every three days game game games when they have the problems with a really really important players out so it’s more difficult

Interviewer: And does it make it almost easier that people believe in Manchester City no matter what people are saying they’re they’re not writing you off they’re not saying that that you’re completely done because they know the extraordinary things that you have achieved

Pep: No it’s completely normal the people doubt about that now it’s completely normal, so when happen many times that we cannot believe, be faith with us or we have to prove it ourself, so at the end I’m here, I have to deal with all of you, but the last 30 days is always the same subject the same, the pattern, so it just works, so the people believe other, the people have to talk about the facts you know and we put it in the past, sooner or late it’s going to happen so I know that, so we’re going to change, the sun will rise and we will take the dynamics and we will be back that is going to happen, when I cannot tell you that because they now tell me you know I said before we didn’t train once in all season all defenders together not even one day so players are getting old and the pace that we don’t have and some important players like Rodri and central defenders for a long long time injures and that make a little bit more difficult in the moment we are okay 3-0 against Feyenoord the game will be over, almost over, and you are already qualified for the Champions League is another mindset right in the games that we played really good in the first house against games like Brighton or games like we cannot sustain it in and after that when it happens it is a little bit more difficult first because we don’t have okay the players back at the end when we won the quadruples or triples or all the records we have born we had the squat you know the squat all of them with one injure or two injure now we have a lot and when they come back because they make an incredible effort they make two training sessions and they has to play, you know, table massage one or two days like the training is a little bit soft because they cannot prepared they have to play 90 minutes after three days 90 minutes like R happened was injured one month and they have to play five games in 14/15 days, because the muscles not sustain this amount of energy been required to sustain that time and and when that’s happened yeah it’s a little bit more difficult and I say it’s excuse yeah maybe it’s excuse, to see an argument, you know that, and John came back and 45 minutes Tottenham has to play one more than out come back making incredible effort we not ready we need him and go 45 minutes now and three weeks or two or three weeks one month out and from that is part of that the other issues with the players that we had is is that the situation that we have but they have to blame or have to with the players they gave us the most incredible era in the mother football in England what gave us that no what have to do push them and help each other and you know accept it that we have done wrong in terms of the club in terms of the players and and and continue and maybe will be the next game maybe another one but sooner or later we’ll be back

Interviewer: I can really feel that when you say we’ll be back you really believe it where does that belief come from is it the structure of the club is the Players you’ve got is it you as a manager for for all of that

Pep: In your thoughts you can think it’s going to be bad and going to be good so and I prefer to be positive I think it’s going to be well and I’m realistic I know we’ll be easy I know we’re going to do you know that but I have to be so this is what it is