SIR JIM WON’T CHANGE GUARD
PEP GUARDIOLA is backing Sir Jim Ratcliffe to revive Manchester United – but says his champions are not going anywhere.
The Manchester City boss, preparing for this evening’s trip to Bournemouth, was responding to comments from the new United supremo, who poured praise on the Blues and vowed to knock them off their perch.
Guardiola returned the compliments to Ratcliffe but insisted he is not worried.
He said: “It’s not about being worried.
I’m pretty sure with
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the other people that United are going to take a step forwards.
“I feel they know exactly what they have to do, appoint the people they need to appoint with their experience in the business world to make projects better.
“But that is normal. It’s not just United. All the teams want it. We want to be there.
“As long as I’m here, we will try to be there again.
“What I want is Man City, my team, being there. The rest? I don’t care.
“Always, since I arrived on day one, I expect United to be there, with their history and traditions.
“What we want is to be there for ourselves.”
Guardiola is concerned by the prospect of the title being decided on goal difference after his side totalled 56 shots in recent home games with Chelsea and Brentford but scored just twice.
He said: “We have to score more.
“We are creating shots, not on target, and in those positions in the last two games we should be doing more.
“Goal difference can always happen. It happened in the past with Liverpool when we won by a small margin, always it was possible, and right now we are below them and Arsenal.”
Kevin De Bruyne (inset) is available after missing the win over Brentford on Tuesday as a precaution over his recent hamstring injury.