Guardiola full of admiration for Newport and their fans
PEP Guardiola admits he was “surprised” by the level of Newport County’s fanbase, and admits he now understand why so many sides have experienced so much cup pain at Rodney Parade.
A sell-out crowd of just over 9,000 fans created an electric atmosphere for what was one of the biggest nights in the club’s history, even when the visitors eventually eased their way to a 4-1 win.
And having spoken about his side’s need to adapt to the Rodney Parade surface earlier in the week, the Barcelona legend admitted that the atmosphere generated by the Amber Army was well beyond his expectations.
Asked about the level of support, Guardiola said: “I’m quite surprised. The support for the team was incredible. It was a good atmosphere.
“I understand completely why Leicester and Middlesbrough suffered so much in this stadium.”
With that in mind, it’s perhaps little wonder that Guardiola named such a strong side for this one, with Leroy Sane, Riyad Mahrez and John Stones just some of the stars to step out under the Rodney Parade lights.
But Guardiola insisted that the attitude of players was going to be the most important factor in ensuring his side emerged victorious, before congratulating Mike Flynn’s men on their incredible FA Cup journey.
He added: “It was tight – we scored the third goal in 90 minutes. The game was tight, but we knew that.” We spoke with the players and said ‘guys we have to be ready to compete, because it will be tough’. And it was. Big congratulations for what they have done in this competition to get so far.
“I came from here. My first year as a manager was in fourth division. I played on pitches like this.
“I know that in this competition there are managers that are really well prepared.”