HODGSON’S FUL OF HOPE FOR EAGLES
PEP GUARDIOLA claims Sergio Aguero has finally bought into his philosophy as he closes in on becoming Manchester City’s all-time record goalscorer.
Aguero needs just two more strikes to equal Eric Brook’s 78-year record of 177 for City and Guardiola expects him to beat that tally soon. Guardiola left Aguero out last season as he demanded more than just goals from the Argentina hitman. The City boss drilled into 29-year-old the importance of being part of the team’s “high press” to win back the ball and is pleased he is listening to him. “All we can do is convince him to be involved in the way we want to play, to be not like a striker heading the ball in the box, scoring a goal,” said Guardiola. “But to try to make one high press in the right moment, to help win the ball as quick as possible, to attack as quick as possible, and to be involved in the process to play football. I like strikers who are part of the process, like I don’t just like the central defenders to defend, they have to be involved in the play.
“That is what I tried to do when I arrived. He has the character to score goals.
“He had it in the past when he was in Argentina. His mother and father gave him that talent.
“He will die scoring goals.”
Aguero’s hat-trick against Watford last Saturday took his tally to six in six games for City and Guardiola says he is benefiting from having Gabriel Jesus (above) playing alongside him.
Guardiola reckons Jesus helps occupy the opposition defenders, when previously they only had Aguero to more The stats suggest Aguero was already arrived: than a goalhanger BEFORE Guardiola Pre-Guardiola Post-Guardiola Total Per 90 Total Per 90 N/A Games 150 N/A 36 0.81 Goals 102 0.84 25 N/A Mins/Goal 107.76 N/A 111.2 5.05 Shots 569 4.66 156 N/A Conversion% 17.93 N/A 16.03 0.16 Assists 26 0.21 5 1.39 ChancesMade 193 1.58 43 28.29 Passes 3610 29.56 874 23.28 Successful 3064 25.09 719 48.46 Touches 6073 49.72 1497 0.62 Tackles 99 0.81 19 0.16 Interceptions 52 0.43 5 mark. “Last season Sergio was alone in the box because the qualities of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva are to arrive in the box,” said the Catalan. “Then it was completely different. “Now there are two or three guys there to disrupt the central defenders. They can’t focus on Sergio. “If you focus on one, you help the other one to score goals. “That is the way we have changed it a little bit.” Thanks to Aguero’s red-hot goalscoring form, the bookies have made City the shortest-priced odds ever to win a Premier League game when they face Crystal Palace at home today. But Guardiola last night told his men to go to bed thinking they may lose to dispel any thoughts of complacency. “You have to be careful,” he said. “What I want to see is the respect for the opponents that I saw at Watford. “They have to know we can lose the game tomorrow. They have to know that. “They have to go to sleep tonight and know that tomorrow, we can lose that game. “If that happens, we will be closer to winning that game.” ROY HODGSON believes his Crystal Palace side will not be “doomed” even if they lose their first eight Premier League games of the season.
And the former England boss said his 2008 win at Manchester City with Fulham proved miracles can happen.
The Eagles have made the worst ever start to a top-flight season after losing their first five matches without scoring a goal. And after visiting leaders City today, Hodgson (below) takes Palace to Manchester United next weekend before hosting champions Chelsea.
“We’ll have to live with people writing us off and dooming us, especially if the next three results don’t go our way,” he said.
“Realistically, I can’t deny that there’s a risk of that because we are playing the top teams. But I refuse to believe that we are doomed.
“It would be pointless for me to say, ‘This is our points target’. Our target has got to be to play well at the Etihad.”
Back in April 2008, Hodgson’s Fulham team needed to win at City to continue their relegation battle. They were 2-0 down after 70 minutes before a Diomansy Kamara double and a Danny Murphy goal set them on the path to survival.
“Had that scoreline stayed, we were relegated, even with three games to go,” he added.
“I remember saying at half-time, ‘Right, it’s 2-0, all we can do is try to win the second half’. We were doomed, week after week. We just kept believing.”
Mamadou Sakho will make his first Premier League start of the season, while Hodgson backed Christian Benteke to get off the mark – and then go on a scoring streak. The Belgium striker has found the net only once in 10 games.
“Christian will score goals,” Hodgson insisted. “It’s like all centre forwards, Harry Kane gets major questions every year about why is he not scoring in August and then in September he smashes them
in from all angles.”