MOON SAINTS PAIN HAS PUEL HOPING FOR CHANGE OF LUCK
hard, so I was busy with a lot of things last season.
“This year, we’ve had a relatively quiet six months – most of the things we needed to do have been done and it’s been a good year for us.
“The little one is starting to sleep now and obviously I try to do my part as a dad – he’s my son, my responsibility and I want to do it.
“He’s very busy, very loud and he loves playing outside and we like him to be active and outdoors, rather than sat in front of the TV.
“He has started to recognise me when we’re on TV and he know it’s daddy – when he’s not busy playing, of course.”
Guardiola has a reputation as a perfectionist who is obsessed with football.
But De Bruyne revealed the father-of-three has a holistic approach to the welfare of his players that extends beyond the training ground and tactics board. CLAUDE PUEL felt he should have lifted the League Cup with Southampton last season and is hoping for better luck tonight.
Saints lost 3-2 to Manchester United in the final (above) and were desperately unlucky, with Manolo Gabbiadini having an early effort incorrectly ruled out for offside with the game goalless.
They then fought-back from 2-0 down to level before Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored an 87th-minute winner for United.
Puel was axed from St Mary’s in the summer and is now in charge of Leicester, who host Manchester City tonight in the quarter-finals of the competition. “He tries to engage us all and it’s nice to talk about your kids and family,” said De Bruyne.
“And if you have a problem, somebody can help you because as a footballer, it’s always better if things are good and your family is happy, and he definitely understands that.” City travel to Leicester in the League Cup tonight, on the back of a record 16 straight wins in the Premier League, with De Bruyne admitting such a relentless run takes its toll.
“We take it game by game and try to win each one, but mentally that’s Reflecting on the events at Wembley in February, the Frenchman said: “It wasn’t a good memory. I think it was for us a fantastic final with quality.
“Perhaps we deserved another result at the end of course with the goal ruled out.
“We came into the game after 2-0 to
2-2 and the third goal was difficult to accept at the end.”
Referee Bobby Madley will be in the middle tonight at the King
Power Stadium, where Puel has unfinished business in this competition.
He added: “The next game will tell us whether this is a possibility or not because we
tough and can be draining,” said De Bruyne. “When everything is going well, there are occasions when you want to take things a little more easily.
“But we can’t afford to take our foot off the gas.
“We’re fortunate in that everyone has been in pretty good form this season.
“We beat Real Madrid, Spurs and West Ham in pre-season and what it did do was give us a good flow going into the season and we’ve just carried that on.” have to play a fantastic team. It’s important of course, the decisions of the referees.
“But the first priority for us is for a good game on the pitch with quality and to put on a performance with a good feeling and ingredients.
“They are the top team in Europe and it is difficult to beat this team - all the teams try without a good result.
“But it’s a unique game, a quarter-final, a cup and not a Premier League game and with the support of our fans we can make a fortress at the King Power Stadium.”