Guardiola: ‘We can get better’
PEP GUARDIOLA has described the heavy demands he is placing on his recordbreaking Manchester City team, as they look to extend their incredible winning run. The 50 -year-old has admitted he has struggled to relax away from the training ground and yesterday, he delivered an emotive message to his squad, believing his obsession with winning is matched by the players. City head into this afternoon’s clash with West Ham looking to chalk up an astonishing 20th consecutive victory in all competitions and go 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League. ‘Sometimes I shout at my players when I should not but I cannot control it,’ Guardiola said. ‘When I was a player, it was like this too — it’s the way I am. I don’t want to be fake to myself. I don’t want to feel weak. These are the demands on myself and I demand it of my players too. They have to know that I am not resting. They have to (follow me). When they arrive here, they have to know we must win. If you do not accept it, you cannot be here. That’s the only way at the big clubs. Our chairman does not want one day of sleep or rest. We push each other to be better.’ Guardiola, who penned a two-year contract extension in November, was also bullish about his future at City. ‘I came to play in a special way and I did it. The job is done, but still I have the feeling we can do better. Still I feel we can win more and make our fans proud. If I did not feel we could get better, I would not have extended my contract here.’
LEEDS’ all-time top goalscorer Peter Lorimer is in a hospice due to a long-term illness. Speculation about the former Scotland winger circulated on social media on Thursday night and Leeds issued a statement yesterday to update their fans on the 74-year-old’s condition. The Premier League club said: ‘Sadly we can confirm that Peter Lorimer is currently in a hospice battling a long-term illness.