HUNGER GAMES
Zinchenko has a thirst for glory but Pep takes Quadruple off menu
OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO insists there is no reason why Manchester City cannot pull off an historic haul of all four trophies this season. But manager Pep Guardiola has ordered Zinchenko and his team-mates to stop dreaming of a Quadruple and focus on the here and now. Zinchenko can be forgiven for thinking big as City sweep all before them. The defender revealed that he can see the look of hunger in the faces of his teammates and said: “We want to try to win everything so we have to show our best in every performance. “Yeah of course [City can win everything], like Bayern Munich showed last year – I guess they won everything and I think everything is possible. We have an unbelievable squad, the best players in the world, so definitely, why not?
“Inside the dressing room I can see the hungry eyes, everyone is so hungry for the titles – and that is what you want.
“This period is the most important two months in our careers and especially for players such as Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho, who have been here around 10 years each, they deserve it so we are going to try.”
But Guardiola, right with Zinchenko, insists
City cannot win the Quadruple. Instead he wants his players to focus on one game at a time, starting with tonight’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Borussia Monchengladbach in Budapest. City are 2-0 up from the ‘away’ leg and Guardiola, who will recall Raheem Sterling to his squad after leaving him out for the win at Fulham on Saturday, said: “I am older than Mr Zinchenko, I have more experience and I don’t agree with him.
“The only thing he has to be worried about is trying to do a good game here and try to go through. This is the only way.
“Four titles is a utopia. It never happened before and I think it’s never going to happen. We just think about this one, then the next one at Goodison Park, then the international break. If you ask me if I agree with Zinchenko, I’d say completely not.” Guardiola knows the pressure on his stars is relentless and he added: “They have to handle it, they have to know it’s not nice to lose. “We have to win and win, that’s for sure. But it’s out of the reality and focus. I don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of the season. Normally, it’s not going to happen. It never happened before.
“What we have to do is think about the game against Monchengladbach. That is the only thing I’m concerned about.”