Pep fears stars in danger over fixture pile-up
Pep Guardiola saw Manchester City return to winning ways at the end of the Premier League’s exhausting holiday schedule, but warned the English game is in danger of destroying its top stars.
City beat Watford 3-1 yesterday, 48 hours after the leaders saw their 18game winning streak come to an end in a draw at Crystal Palace.
A spell of four games in 11 days has taken its toll, with City’s Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus sustaining a knee ligament injury which will sideline him for four to six weeks.
Fullback Kyle Walker also limped off after the victory over Watford with what appeared to be a groin injury.
“We are going to check it out, he (Walker) might have a little problem,” Guardiola said.
“But what everyone saw in the last weeks is how many injuries the players have. We are going to kill them.
“The federation bosses have to reflect a little bit. It’s not normal to play (December) 31 and two days later.
“I know the show must go on, but... that is not normal.
“They (the authorities) have to control it. They don’t protect the players and they are who the people come to watch. “Here in England you don’t protect the players, you have to look for the quality, not the quantity.”
Guardiola is the latest in a long list of high-profile managers to question the traditional English fixture schedule this season, his Manchester United counterpart Jose Mourinho being chief among them.-AFP rule to be changed after the controversial late penalty conceded by Arsenal’s Calum Chambers in Sunday’s draw at West Bromwich Albion.
The Football Association has charged Wenger following his conduct in the referees’ changing room after that match. Wenger pointedly said Mike Dean “saw what he wanted to see” at the Hawthorns and believes referees in England need to sharpen up.
“For me, they have to serve the game like we have to serve the game, and to try to give positive emotions to people who love football in the stand,” Wenger said.
“It’s not appropriate any more, in 2018, that the guy calls a player, speaks half a minute, or a minute to him, to say, ‘Look, you have to behave properly.’ That is gone.
“That is not the rhythm of a modern society. People want crisp, sharp action, and the referee has to make sure that that happens.
“This is the 1950s, where the guy talks to him - ‘If you’re not nice, I might punish you’. Come on, let’s not waste time. “What does it help for the game? Nothing. Nothing happens. People who sit in the stand don’t want to see that.
“They want to see, ‘Come on, let’s get on with it and play’. That’s our responsibility. We don’t live in the dark ages.” minutes later as he went past Angelo Ogbonna before chipping the ball onto the roof of the net.
Ben Foster was called into action on 21 minutes as he parried away Lanzini’s driven effort from another Carroll knockdown, while the burly striker curled a shot just wide of the post two minutes later after Cheikhou Kouyate won back possession off Claudio Yacob just outside the box.
McClean tested Adrian moments later at the other end with a dipping strike, but there was nothing the Brazilian could do to prevent the Irishman from breaking the deadlock on 30 minutes after his shot deflected off Pedro Obiang and looped in just under the crossbar. Foster produced a fine save to keep out Lanzini in the 39th minute after the Argentine shifted to his right to get off a curling shot that was pushed beyond the right post, and the visiting keeper denied Kouyate with a brave save at close range two minutes before half-time.
It was almost 2-0 at the break as the Irons failed to clear McClean’s free-kick in added time, with Jonny Evans poking a loose ball goalward but Adrian saved on his line.