Turner praise for ‘gent’ Pep at City
BEN Turner came away from the Etihad Stadium hugely impressed by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s response to City’s 9-0 humbling of Burton Albion.
The Brewers centre-half and his team-mates were congratulated individually by Guardiola for “an amazing journey” in reaching the Carabao Cup semi-final.
“He’s a gent. He shook the boys’ hands at the end of the game,” said Turner.
“I thought, fair play to him. He doesn’t have to, he can just walk off, he doesn’t owe us anything.
“Firstly, he’s an unbelievable manager, isn’t he, when you see how he can get a team to play.
“I know we’re not good enough to give them anything to worry about, as we saw, as much as we tried.
“But the way he sets his teams up, it doesn’t matter if it’s here or in Spain, they are superb.
“I was clapping our fans and he shook my hand and said, ‘congratulations on an amazing journey in this competition.’
“But he’s obviously a brilliant coach, a brilliant manager and he seems a gent as well.”
The reason for Guardiola’s praise, of course, was the fact that the Brewers had knocked out three Championship teams – Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough – and a Premier League side, Burnley, as well as League One rivals Shrewsbury Town, to set up their last four encounter with City’s footballing aristocrats.
Turner says that should be a source of pride for the Burton players.
“As far as Burton Albion goes, we’re the only team that’s ever been in the semi-final of a major cup competition,” he said.
“That’s that dressing room in there and our manager and staff, who have done that.
“And we are the only set of players who have played in the Championship in the club’s history.
“So in our own small, little world, we’re doing all right.”