PUMP UP THE VOLUME
Pep’s rallying cry: We need more noise from our supporters... it’s the most amazing time to be a City fan
PEP GUARDIOLA has warned Manchester City’s fans that they will never have it so good.
The City boss has taken it upon himself to be a touchline cheerleader when the Etihad atmosphere has dropped this season.
And he fears that supporters have started to take their team’s excellence for granted after winning the Treble last season and lifting five Premier League titles in six years.
Guardiola has now urged the Blues faithful to enjoy the ride because it is not going to last for ever.
“We won a lot and in the future we have to understand in your mind that this is an exception,” said Guardiola.
“This is not normal. It’s not normal to win the Treble, not normal to win five Premier Leagues in six years – and they have to understand that.
“Continue to enjoy it, but bad moments are coming – this season and next one, next one, next one. You have to be there. And I’m pretty sure they will be there because it’s a club that has come from Maine Road, from being in the middle of the table, not fighting for the title and they were there all the time.
“I was not there, but people talk to me who were there all the time.
“The most important thing – and I know they know it because otherwise it would not be possible what we’ve done – the players are always there, always.
“Losing 0-2, still we run, still we fight, in the locker room they are saying, ‘What do we have to do?’.
“I don’t have that feeling that people and the spectators know it.”
City face Tottenham at home today and Guardiola added: “Listen, the fans, first, I’d like them to come. It’s a lot of effort – thank you so much! Second, we want them to enjoy it, have fun, have one hour and 30 minutes in a good moment and that depends on us. When we play well, always they are there. “Just sometimes the situation is not going well. In that moment, it’s not because the players don’t want it, because they proved for how many years the consistency is there. “And in that moment, we need it (support). You are part of that, you are closer when the situation is not going well. That’s the moment to do it.” City have a formidable record at the Etihad and on Tuesday night they hit back from 2-0 down to beat RB Leipzig in the Champions League. Tottenham are next and it was another spectacular fightback against the Londoners last year that sparked City’s charge for a third title on the bounce. They won 4-2 after trailing 2-0, but Guardilola still laid into his players for being “happy flowers” and demanded more fight. He has no regrets. Guardiola said: “I will do those things whether they want to hear it or not hear it.
“Listen, in my time here, if you can say how many good things I’ve said to them publicly and privately, it’s a thousand times much, much more than the negative things I can say.
“I was being incredibly honest and felt that, so said it. Maybe because we won – if we had lost I might not have said it.
“We won, so it was, ‘How brilliant was Pep?.’ It might not have worked. It is a manager’s job to say what really, really happens, if you don’t like to listen, it’s your problem.”
He added: “We conceded four goals against Chelsea – two avoidable goals. We have a problem.
“You could say it doesn’t matter – but if we don’t solve it we will lose games. If we want to win games, we have to solve it.”