Pep Guardiola slams Man City players and criticises fans before walking out of his post-match interview after the comeback win vs Tottenham.
First-half goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Emerson Royal are overhauled by a 12-minute second-half burst from Man City, with Alvarez, Haaland and Mahrez sealing the turnaround; Haaland’s first goal in four games helped close the gap on Arsenal to five points.
Guardiola was visibly upset after the final whistle, and his supporters, who booed the players off at half time, were not surprised to see that he was still unhappy with how the game played out.
However Pep fears his side will be crushed by Arsenal if they perform like they did in the first half against Spurs on Thursday night.
“I cannot deny how happy we are, but we are far away from the team that we were,” he told reporter Pat Davison.
“Not in terms of play, we played good enough but there are many things like competitiveness, in terms of what we have to do in many things that we are far away.
“Rico Lewis conceded four fouls, but they weren’t yellow cards because it’s Rico Lewis and we don’t react. We play because ‘my manager told me to play this and how to do this’, but there’s nothing from the stomach or the gut.
“Today, we were lucky but it wouldn’t change, sooner or later we are again [going] to drop points. [We are missing] passion, fire and desire and to win from minute one.
“It’s the same with our fans, they are silent for 45 minutes. They booed because we were losing, not because we played badly. We played good, we had more chances, expected goals from Tottenham is 0.89 so we were better.
“They booed because we were losing, but maybe it’s the same as our team. Maybe we were so comfortable winning four Premier League‘s in five years and that’s why we… you know. After the goal, they react, but that’s not the point.”
“They were silent for 45 minutes” 🤐
Pep Guardiola commented on the crowd reactions at the Etihad last night 🔊 pic.twitter.com/InrT7k3CRn
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 20, 2023
When questioned if the fire has gone out in his players, Guardiola added: “Definitely. Otherwise we wouldn’t concede the goals we concede in every single game. We give them [the goals] and today we were lucky but after, we will not be lucky.”
How do City get it back? “That is my duty, my job. I want my fans back, I want my fans here. Not my away fans, they are the best, but my fans here [at the Etihad]. The support for every corner and every action and support it. We have to do it, but everyone is relaxed.
“The Premier League doesn’t wait. We have the opening with Arsenal and they have the fire.
“Two decades, they haven’t won the Premier League and every player knows they will make history, like we felt when we won the first Premier League and broke all the records and won back to back.
“We don’t have the fire inside and we don’t have to ask anything, I just explained the reality that everything is so comfortable. And the opponents don’t wait. Of course I’m not [happy with my team]. I don’t recognise my team. My team always has passion and desire and run and everything.”
Guardiola said in his press conference straight afterwards: “I’m incredibly happy but if we don’t change we are not going to win anything. I have to see my team. The love in our life is to have passion for something – our fans are comfortable, we are comfortable.
“Are you going to tell me we played bad in that first half? Absolutely not.
“We have the problem that we have four Premier Leagues in five years and Arsenal have two decades without the Premier League except Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko and every ball and every action and every corner and every duel it’s there. We miss it. We don’t have it.
“Do you think I said something special at half-time? Play bad? No. We always play good. But there is something that’s not about that. We give the goals [away]. Today it was Edi or Rodri. The next day it will be a fight back and then a central defender and so on.
“Of course you have to do it. I want the passion from Julian, from Rico, from Nathan.
“Right now we don’t have it.
“The fans – they come here and we have to give them [something to be excited about]. They expect ‘oh, we’re Manchester City, we have to do it’. No, we don’t have it right now.
“The tendency of the human being when you’ve won a lot is ‘ah, I should do this, I should do that’. No you have to work. You have to put fire there – in every ball, in every action, in every situation.
“If we want to do something we have to come back.
“This is a challenge. I want it.
“Our fans have to push us, demand more, have to shout: ‘Come on guys, I know how good you are, you have to show us.’
“We come, score a goal. No. It cannot be 0-2 down to react. Nine times out of 10 you don’t come back. Today we were lucky. We are not able to come back every time.
“I want a reaction for all the club, the whole organisation – not just the players, the staff and everyone. We’re a happy flowers team. Happy flowers, ah it’s good. No I don’t want to be a happy flower. I want to beat Arsenal.
“But if we play in that way Arsenal will destroy us. Arsenal will beat us.
“I want to see my team.”
Fans reacted as Pep Guardiola slams Man City players and criticises fans before walking out of his interview…
@chelseascontent: Get new interviewers 💀
@mark_v1: Clever interview by pep
@FP_El__Zer0: All interviewers say exactly the same things. I wish they would ask more in depth questions about tactics etc.
@LBingham02: It’s true though, good to see the passion from Pep. Everything he said is spot on. City have lost their way since just before WC. Need to get that desire back to win trophies! Arsenal have that currently..
@DJSamIrons: Pep always sees the bigger picture, sending out subliminal messages, warnings, taunts etc.. Uses Psychology/Reverse Psychology and mind games to turn things round, he is clear of any manager I’ve seen (Bielsa close second 👀🥲)
@JYates1892: @ManCity fans actually BOO’D the team off at half time, the team that’s won 4/5 Premier League titles. Honestly, most pathetic fan base in the league, I’ve always said they’re like Everton with money. No wonder Pep hates them 😂
@nathswfcmoss: Imagine if that was Klopp
@jai_s9: Pep meltdown era begins
@liaml11l: He’s raging 🤣🤣🤣 don’t even blame him
@Oli_Collins98: Honestly the guys who ask the managers and players questions for these interviews are absolute muppets who are only ever after some sort of reaction for a story constantly asking stupid dumb questions or trying to get people in trouble.
@LukeChristy14: actually is embarrassing that bad. been up there for one of the best teams in the land for a few year, get booed off at half time, then the manager isn’t happy when they’ve come from 2 down to win 4-2 😂😂
@WillDanielsRUFC: Top top stuff from Pep. Showing the interviewer the disrespect he deserves for a poor line of questioning. Never afraid to be himself and express his own ideas, the very thing that’s taken him to the top of world football. 🐐
@hornchurchammer: Fed up with the idiots this mob employ and their stupid line of questioning. Good on him.
@JamesFalaise: I love this version of Pep. Honest, Realistic, Comfortable. I can still see them beating us to the league, he just sounds, looks and feels like he knows what he is doing
@MarkPilkington1: Bleeding bloody obvious, has been like this since before the World Cup.
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