Blues still need a leader, urges Micah

pep Guardiola praised his City side for being brave in taking the game to Liverpool at the etihad stadium last night.

He hailed the premier League champions as the ‘best team I ever faced,’ and played down suggestions Jurgen Klopp’s men weren’t fully focused on the match.

He said: “Liverpool were incredibly focused. I saw the guard of honour and they didn’t even say thank you.

“that is why they are champions of europe and champions of the premier League.

“I think they drank a lot of beer in the last week but they arrived here with no beer in their blood to play us.

“We beat the champions, an extraordinary team.

“they were brave to play, we were brave to play.

“After our first goal we made a good performance and could have scored more goals.

“We tried to play football, taking risks, because they are the best team I ever faced in my life with high pressing. “It is incredible how fast they are, how quick they play.”

MICAH Richards believes City need a leader in defence to close the gap on Liverpool next season.

Pep Guardiola’s side have lost eight Premier League games this season, more than they lost in the previous two seasons combined.

The Blues have paid the price for failing to replace Vincent Kompany last summer, with Aymeric Laporte having also been sidelined for most of the campaign through injury.

And the former City defender believes Guardiola will seek to bolster the heart of his back four.

“It’s been very difficult for City. I feel a bit sorry for John Stones,” he said. “He’s a top player and you’d think the way City play he’d just fit in easily, but he’s made a couple of high-profile mistakes, and he’s not really been able to claw that back.

“Without Laporte there, they don’t really seem like they’ve got much stability. Losing Laporte for the first half of the season was massive.

“City are looking at various players for the summer, but for me they need a leader at the back to play alongside Laporte.

“That’s no disrespect to Nicolas Otamendi and Stones, I’d still have Stones around to try and win back the manager’s confidence.

“Going forward it hasn’t been a problem for City.

“They’ve been scintillating at times, but then you just know that there’s going to be some sort of uncertainty at the back without Kompany’s leadership.

“They’re just missing that voice.”