Pep: Sane has to be focused, like all my players
LEROY Sane has had a turbulent time this season already for City.
After his high-profile omission from the Germany World Cup squad, Sane barely featured in City’s opening fixtures despite having a full pre-season behind him.
He was left out of the matchday squad all together as City hosted Huddersfield in their opening home game of the season, with Pep Guardiola saying the decision was purely because he has so many attacking players at his disposal.
Since then, though, Sane has fought his way back into the starting 11, lining up on the left wing for City’s last three Premier League fixtures.
He has contributed a goal and two assists in that time, showing signs of the form that won him the PFA Young Player of the Year last season.
After the 2-0 win over Brighton, Guardiola praised Sane for his response to being left out against Huddersfield, but challenged him to continue the standards he has reached.
“Yeah, he is playing really good in the last games,” Guardiola said.
“But it’s not about respond, he has to know it, so the players must realise about his progression.
“So Leroy was important, is important, and will be important for us, but our profession is so demanding, and we have to do every single day your best and of course in the last two or three games he was really good.”
When asked if Sane understood how high the demands are at City, Guardiola sent a warning to the entire squad. “All my players, I want them to be focused,” he explained. “What I want is to be focused and that is the main thing, apart from their families the most important thing in life is to be every single day what you have to do.” VINCENT Kompany has one big wish before his glorious Manchester City career comes to an end… to lift that Champions League trophy.
And the Blues skipper laughed off David Silva’s plea - from this time last year – that he dreamed of bagging himself a winner’s medal in the elite European competition.
Kompany’s current contract runs out next summer, and City chiefs are waiting to see how his season goes before considering an extension, even though Pep Guardiola THERE was only one man dominating headlines following City’s open training session yesterday morning - Kevin de Bruyne.
However, there was probably a more relevant piece of team news for supporters when Sergio Aguero emerged onto the sun-drenched training pitch at the CFA. made it plain that he wants to see the big Belgian given more time.
Kompany marks ten years at City this season, and he echoed Silva’s words from last season, but added: “He’s won the Euros and the World Cup!
“I’d love to win it with City, but it’s such a tough competition to win.
“It’s OK to say we want to win it but there’s other teams who are just as well equipped to win.
“We’ve to deal with fact we lost against Lyon, worry about Hoffenheim and then if we get momentum, anything is possible.
“It’s the last step we haven’t
Despite thermometers suggesting the temperature was barely touching 10 degrees, the injury boosts, coupled with a welcome return of the Manchester sun, gave the impression of a pre-season session at the training ground.
Indeed, in many ways this could signify the real beginning of City’s season.
Pep Guardiola and his side have been forced to battle without their achieved yet and the club is always aiming to progress.
“There’s nothing more we haven’t achieved, maybe competitions together.
“But this is such a difficult competition to win.
“I don’t want to put the pressure on the manager but we’ll see.
“We’ll do best.”
The impending return of his countryman Kevin De Bruyne also filled Kompany with great optimism.
The midfielder has returned to training this week and is likely to return to action after the international break.
City have coped well without him, hitting top spot in the Premier League, but maybe missed him in that home defeat by Lyon.
Kompany was asked how much the Blues had missed their inspirational heartbeat, and said: “It’s difficult to quantify.
“He’s one of the best in the world, our best player for nine games now, and with Liverpool setting the pace early in the Premier League, the Blues have gone about their work quietly without the media frenzy surrounding the Merseyside club.
This was again the case on Monday morning as a handful journalists ventured through the maze of the CFA and into position to witness a calm training session unfold. Many City reporters were and whenever he’s on the pitch, you get more goals, more assists. “That’s what you lose, but we have a huge squad and many players able to fill in the gap. “He’s a big presence, more goals and assists and you don’t find it anywhere in football.” Kompany himself has been a bit-part player so far this season, but refused to be disheartened by that, despite being such a key figure for the team over the past decade. He said: “I’m a proud man, but a rational and patient man. “I’ve been lucky to play most of the games even when coming back from long term injuries, and got back in quickly. “It’s easy to do that but you take someone’s place. I always look at players who behave the right way. “When I play I’m happy but when I don’t I will help everyone forward, take responsibility and I’ve still got training to try to prove the manager wrong.” Vincent Kompany already en route to Germany for the Champions League encounter vs Hoffenheim, resulting in a quieter session than usual at the Etihad complex. Guardiola will be hoping to do his talking on the pitch and was in a quiet mood at the CFA as he, like the journalists, watched on.
Aguero’s return could be the most pivotal for City this week, the club record scorer hobbled off during the win against Brighton but has