Daily Mirror

The buck stops with me. We’re struggling to create chances and I HAVE to find a solution GUARDIOLA PLEDGE TO GET CITY BACK ON TRACK

- BY DAVID McDONNELL

Champions League: 5.55pm

PEP GUARDIOLA says he must shoulder the blame for Manchester City’s erratic start to the new season.

City have already lost twice in the Premier League, including a 2-0 defeat away to Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham last weekend, which has left them down in 13th place.

Their haul of 10 goals from eight league games is their lowest return since the 2006-07 season at the same stage, when they eventually finished 14th under Stuart Pearce.

Tonight, City have some respite from their domestic woes, switching their focus to the Champions League, in which they have a 100 per cent record this term.

A point at Olympiakos will be enough to clinch their last- 16 place, but Guardiola accepted City’s league form has not been good enough. Asked if the players needed to braver in terms of taking on chances, Guardiola cleared them of blame and said the buck stops with him as boss.

“No, they are so brave,” said Guardiola. “The he reason why is the manager – I have ave to find a way.

“I have to find nd a way to adapt the qualities that hat we have, because the same ame players playseason­s in different seasons can make different ifferent movements and nd can be in better form orm or not better form. m.

“It’s in my hands ands to help them. m. I have to adjust ust something, to o let them feel we can create more chances. .

“I have to find nd a way to help them be what we were in the p re v iou u s seasons. Even when we struggle, we have to find a way.

“We have enough players to score and we’re going to do it. We know we’re a team who last season scored a lot, but now we’re struggling. gg We have to find solutions.

“We h have the players to find the r right way to attack more fluently flue and I have the feeling w we can score goals. “It It’s the little details we have to improve. W We conceded penalties tie that are not nece e s s a r y an d so sometimes we need cle clear chances to scor score.

“But the moment we break one or two of these kinds of things, we wi will get better.

“Th The e season is still young and I ’m fully optimistic w e ’ r e going to have a g o o d s e a son .” Guardiola rejected the notion that, after two year of domestic supremacy, broken last season by champions Liverpool, teams have worked out how to stop City.

Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham nullified City’s attack and emerged victorious, despite having fewer chances and less possession than Guardiola’s side.

But Guardiola defended his style of play and said: “We conceded only two counter-attacks. They had four shots on target and two goals – congratula­tions.

“We shot more, we crossed more, we didn’t concede one corner.

“From day one, all the teams I know defend so deep, except Liverpool, a little bit in some moments Chelsea. but the others defend so deep and you have to find a way to avoid it.

“We weren’t always able to do it but that’s not the big problem, the counter-attack.

“It’s our fluidity to attack, to win more often and to create more chances. This is what we have to improve.”

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