PEP’S THE BIG GAME HUNTER
EVERY KICK, EVERY GOAL, EVERY GAME Guardiola aims to be City prize guy
FOR all Pep Guardiola’s command of the English language, there’s one word that’s never entered his vocabulary.
Unlike so many of his peers battling on all fronts, “prioritising” just doesn’t come into it.
Middlesbrough? Monaco? FA Cup or Champions League? Guardiola wants to win them all.
Manchester City may be two days away from their biggest game of the season but reaching the last eight of Europe’s premier competition is unlikely to give their manager any more pleasure than this routine victory.
Not for Guardiola (below) the headache of fixture backlogs or talk of the cup losing its magic. A win is a win is a win, and when it books a day out at Wembley, so much the better.
Message
“Except for the second year at Barcelona, when we went out in the last 16, I have always arrived in semi-finals or finals,” he said. “In Germany and in Spain, and now I am delighted to be in a semi-final here.
“Every game you play, you have to win. That is what I want to help and introduce to my players and this club.”
On this evidence, that message is getting through loud and clear.
Forget Monte Carlo or bust. City’s strong team-sheet, and the manner in which they outclassed Boro, gave the impression the FA Cup was the be-all and end-all.
It helped, of course, that Aitor Karanka’s side sat so deep early on that David Silva fired City ahead on three minutes before most home players had touched the ball.
That City had to wait until the second half for Sergio Aguero’s decisive second was down to some inspired goalkeeping from Brad Guzan, Boro’s fighting spirit and some lazy finishing from Leroy Sane and Silva in particular.
But for all their polish, it was City’s desire which shone through. The Premier League and the Champions League are for another day. They really wanted to win this one.
City are back at Wembley and for defensive stalwart Pablo Zabaleta, it’s a trip back in time to the place where the Blue revolution started with their 2011 FA Cup Final triumph against Stoke. “We know how special that place is for the players, the fans and the club,” he said. “It feels like a long time since that first one. “It’s a huge competition here in England and we’re so happy to BRAD GUZAN Prevented a cricket score ADAMA TRAORE Wasteful be in the semis and will be trying to make the final.
“We are trying to win trophies every day, so the FA Cup is a target.”
So, too, is trying to improve on last season’s run to the last four of the Champions League and simply protecting their 5-3 first-leg advantage won’t be an option this week.
“We’re not going to change our style of play,” added Zabaleta. “It would be a big mistake if we went to Monaco to defend.
“We are a team who needs to play to win the game and that’s the best way to go through in the Champions League.”
Boro can now concentrate on trying to secure Premier League survival and their prospects don’t look promising.
Karanka’s side can’t score goals and now they’re conceding far too many as well. But for Guzan’s heroics, this could have been embarrassing.
At least heads did not drop on Saturday and midfielder Adam Clayton believes the togetherness within the camp can see them through.
“I remember watching City at West Ham and within half an hour they were three or four up – they can do that against quality teams,” he said.
“The fact we stayed in the game and went on the front foot is testament to the group and how hard we work.
“We’re in a bit of a hole but I can’t tell you how much we are trying to turn it round. There are no chinks between Aitor and the team.
“The amount of things we have been through together has made us a very strong group.”