Pep the perfectionist still isn’t satisfied
PEP GUARDIOLA took out his frustration on his chair, his team and even a ball-boy.
When he had got his way and another crushing Manchester City victory was complete, he took aim at his best player, Leroy Sane.
The message was clear: nobody at the Etihad is safe if they don’t measure up to his expectations. Make no mistake, the driving force behind this ruthless, relentless City side is their ever-demanding manager. Pep the perfectionist.
That is six straight wins now with 24 goals scored, and still he wants more from his players.
‘They know it,’ he said after claiming Sane ‘didn’t deserve’ to play after a poor pre-season.
The 21-year-old was the only change from City’s 6-0 win at Stoke and he responded with a goal and two assists. Presumably Sane has done enough to keep his place, but you never know.
‘They know their team-mates are all playing well,’ added Guardiola. ‘If the next guy is playing well, they have to play well. That’s how you get the best performances. Everybody has to push each other.’ Sane broke Crystal Palace’s resistance just before half-time but that didn’t prevent his boss from kicking out at his seat in the dugout and disappearing down the tunnel like the Tasmanian Devil. His frustration at the game’s slow pace extended to putting an arm around a ball-boy and having a quiet word. Fingers crossed, he’ll still be there next week. You could argue without Pep’s exhortations, his team would not have raised their game to the level they did in the second half, pummelling poor Palace. But Roy Hodgson was not the only one surprised to see a furious Guardiola still hopping around screaming for a penalty with the score at 3-0. ‘Pep’s going crazy for a penalty, and I’m thinking, “You don’t need that!” ’ said Hodgson. ‘Man City get better and stronger as the game goes on. They don’t show any mercy.’ Guardiola’s options are frightening. When £52million defender Bernard Mendy was injured, he sent on Danilo, a £26.5m recruit from Real Madrid. When he gave two-goal Raheem Sterling a rest, on went £43m man Bernardo Silva. City’s other substitute, Fabian Delph, scored a brilliant goal. It was a mere footnote that Sergio Aguero moved to within one goal of City’s all-time scoring record, while his strike partner Gabriel Jesus sat on the bench.
A trip to Chelsea is up next after tomorrow’s Champions League tie against Shakhtar Donetsk, and greater challenges lie ahead, but City cut through Palace here.
Here was the team that can’t stop scoring coming up against the team that simply can’t score.
No other club in the history of professional football in England has opened the season with six league defeats without scoring.
Can it get any worse? Well, actually, it can. Palace’s next two games are against Manchester United and Chelsea.
In Hodgson’s opinon, his players only have to look at City to improve their work-rate.
‘Some of the things they did off the ball are a good lesson for us. We can say, “Listen, if they are doing that with their talent, there’s no excuse for you not doing it”.’
Those are the standards set by Guardiola. Pity anybody who falls below them. SUPER STAT: Raheem Sterling has scored five goals in his last four Premier League games, as many as in his previous 31 combined. MANCHESTER CITY (4-1-4-1): Ederson 6; Walker 7, Stones 6.5 (Delph 70, 7), Otamendi 6, Mendy 6 (Danilo 29, 7); Fernandinho 6.5; Sterling 7.5 (B Silva 61, 6.5), De Bruyne 8, D Silva 8, SANE 8.5; Aguero 7. Subs not used: Bravo, Mangala, Gabriel Jesus, Toure. Scorers: Sane 44, Sterling 51, 59, Aguero 80, Delph 89. Booked: Mendy, Danilo, Sane. Manager: Pep Guardiola 8. CRYSTAL PALACE (4-2-3-1): Hennessey 7; Fosu-Mensah 6, Dann 5, Sakho 5.5, Van Aanholt 6; Cabaye 5.5 (Puncheon 57, 6), Milivojevic 6; Townsend 6.5, Loftus-Cheek 6.5, Schlupp 5.5; Benteke 5 (Sako 72, 6). Subs not used: Speroni, Ward, Tomkins, McArthur, Riedewald. Booked: Schlupp. Manager: Roy Hodgson 6. Referee: Neil Swarbrick 7. Attendance: 53,526.