DON’T CLOCK OFF
Pep warns City: Watch out for a late show by Ronaldo
PEP GUARDIOLA has warned his players to be ready for ‘Fergie Time’ at Old Trafford today – and not let Cristiano Ronaldo out of their sight.
The Portugal forward has been the star of several injury-time escape acts for Manchester United this season.
Against Villarreal in September his strike in the fifth minute of stoppage time pulled a win out of the fire and away to Atalanta this week another injury-time equaliser rescued a point.
In between those two smash and grabs, he scored an 81st-minute winner against the Serie A side at Old Trafford.
So after seeing his attempt to bring Ronaldo to Manchester City gazumped by United in the summer, Guardiola is wary of becoming the latest victim.
Ahead of the derby, the City manager has warned his side to be on their guard once the clock goes into the red zone.
“We have to be ready the last minutes of the first half and the second half, I’m pretty sure they will call Sir Alex Ferguson to install the ‘Fergie Time’,” he said. “It’s going to happen.
“They also bring physicality to the game and they have people with ability to win games up front, good runners in behind especially when Bruno Fernandes has the ball. They are so good up front already and now with Cristiano Ronaldo they are better.”
Guardiola is still touchy about Ronaldo slipping through City’s fingers.
Asked yesterday to assess the 36-yearold’s impact at United he was short to the point of grumpiness.
“I don’t talk about other players at other clubs but I’m pretty sure he’s happy at United,” he said.
The irritation stems not only from the snub but from the failure of City’s hierarchy to deliver a striker in the summer despite also chasing Harry Kane.
In 17 matches this season, City have scored 41 goals but they have come in 11 games and there have been six shutouts.
“In the future maybe we will sign a No.9 who doesn’t score goals, who knows,” said
Guardiola. “But we are who we are. I’ve spoken many times about this. We wanted to [buy a striker] and couldn’t do it.”
City enter the derby as hot favourites but Guardiola has warned fans a repeat of United’s 5-0 humiliation at the hands of Liverpool is unlikely.
“We cannot play like Liverpool because we have different players and different ways to play,” said Guardiola. “We are going to try and play our game but we have different qualities. Maybe if United played Liverpool again they would play in a different way and it would not be the result they had because everyone learns from it.”