MAN CITY WEST HAM UTD PEP’S MILES BETTER!
Aguero backs happy boss to run away with City honours
SUPER striker Sergio Aguero has revealed Manchester City have plenty of reasons to be cheerful thanks to Pep Guardiola.
Aguero is loving life under the former Barcelona chief and revealed: “Pep’s a very cheerful manager.
“He’s always talking to you, cheering you up and pushing you. You can tell he loves football and his job.’’
The big prizes eluded Aguero and City last season – but the Argentina ace reckons Guardiola and his team could be laughing come May with their new boss always upbeat with his players despite an intense public face.
Aguero said: “Pep tries to teach us his concepts and he has changed the way we have been playing in previous years.
“In my case, he’s very demanding of me. Now I need to be the player who starts the pressure on opponents.
“And with my pressure the rest of the team-mates will join me and keep up the pressure. I’m happy to do that.
“We have played just three games, so I’m still getting used to it and I need to keep improving even more.
Concepts
“I always respect the style of play every manager has. I try to adapt myself to what the manager wants as fast as possible and he has brought a style of play he has always used.
“We all need to get used to it as soon as possible but I’m enjoying the new concepts he’s teaching us. We just need to keep working his way.
“What he tells me is to make me a better player. If he tells me anything it is because he wants me to grow and improve.
“It’s just the beginning, I need to get used to what he wants, but already after talking with him a few times I know he hopes to achieve something big at City.”
Scoring has never been a problem for Aguero, but the 28-year-old hitman reckons he will be in the mix for the Premier League’s top scorer after Tottenham star Harry Kane took his crown last season.
“To me, Pep’s arrival is great because with his way of play I’ll have even more chances to score and hopefully we will be able to win more games,” he said.
Aguero, who faces a depleted West Ham at the Etihad Stadium today, has already scored six goals in three games – including a double at Stoke last week.
Although Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has hit the goal trail at Manchester United, Aguero has played down a Golden Boot scoring race between the pair.
“Both Zlatan and I have started the season in great shape, both scoring goals,” he said.
“But I’m not thinking about competing with him. I compete against myself. I try to improve myself from the season before, so if I’m able to do as well as the previous season, I will keep growing as a player. That’s my goal and also improving as a team.
“It’s always nice to start the season by scoring goals and winning. But it’s just the beginning.
“You never expect to score so many goals. Obviously, you always try to play as best as possible, try to win, which is what really matters.
Confident
“I always try to work hard, try to help the team. If I can score, even better. But, as I always say, I like my goals better if we win.”
Despite facing Barcelona again in the Champions League group stages, Aguero is confident City can go one step better than last season when they reached the semi-finals.
He said: “I think every season it’s important to make a step forward from the previous year.
“We have great players, we are building PEP GUARDIOLA has claimed born-again Raheem Sterling is “feeling the love” after starting the new season in red-hot form. Sterling suffered with England at Euro 2016 and had a tough first season at the Etihad Stadium after his £49million move from Liverpool. But from day one Guardiola insisted he had faith in Sterling to shine – and he believes the 21-year-old winger (left) has responded to that support. Guardiola said: “Now he feels the love. But do you think I improve his skill in one month and a half? “All the managers in the world, we try to create a good environment for players to be comfortable and to get the best from them because if they play good, I will be a very good manager. “They play, my friends, I a good team, a new manager has arrived and we can aspire to go further.
“But it’s not easy, there are other teams that have been doing well for years and it’s going to be difficult, but I think we are on the right path to achieve that.”
The key is Aguero staying fit – with Guardiola admitting managing the South American’s injury risk is a priority.
The Spaniard said: “I know the history of Sergio and he was always three or four months injured, but I am pretty sure that with Manuel Pellegrini he tried to avoid that.
“And we’re going to try to avoid that too.
“So we’re going to try and control his conditions after games.
“But I know that the most important thing is he’s trying to help us by believing what we are doing is best for him and the team.”