GUARDIOLA’S DOUBT
Now I have to see if I am good enough
BIDDING to avoid a hat-trick of Premier League defeats for the first time, Pep Guardiola was in more confrontational mood than usual as he outlined plans for today’s game at Southampton.
The message was clear and defiant. Despite throwing away leads against Crystal Palace and Leicester over t he Christmas period, Guardiola was not going back to basics as other managers l i ke to parrot during difficult moments. Instead, he indicated his t eam will double up on t heir attacking philosophy as a way of fighting back against Liverpool and Spurs in this intriguing Premier League title race.
‘If we score the first goal, score another one. And another one. Holding back? Forget it,’ said Guardiola. ‘I was waiting for the questi on about changing our philosophy. That is not going to happen. It did not happen in the first year, it’s not going to happen!
‘The same applied when I first came to City. People wondered about this guy, what he believes, coming here and playing this way in England. I defend what I believe and it’s not that I try to show I’m special or better. Always I believe to win you have to play good and I will continue with that way. I trust a lot in the way we want to play and what we do.’
We have become so used to embracing the artist Guardiola, the magnificent coach who led City to the title last season with a record number of points and goals, that seeing the street fighter in action was fascinating at a rare Saturday afternoon news conference.
Like Sir Alex Ferguson and all the great ones, one sensed Guardiola was enjoying a glimpse of chips down, back against the wall. Tipped by outsiders as potential invincibles less than a month ago, three league defeats in four league games have changed everything.
‘It is a big challenge for me to show myself if I’m good or not,’ said the serial winner at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now City. ‘I will not say I like to live this situation but I know it is common in football. I am a guy who first of all puts the mirror in front of myself. I never point the finger at another one.
‘I try to make a map and discover why we lost these games. All the managers have it, I’ m not an exception. It is easier to think about Southampton after two defeats than two victories.’ Guardiola has several issues to contend with, particularly with Liverpool visiting the Etihad on Thursday.
Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva are only recently back from injuries and not match sharp. Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling look a little jaded. Fernandinho’s return cannot come quickly enough. He and Gabriel Jesus and Vincent Kompany all t rained yesterday having not played at Leicester because of knocks, but the manager admitted some of them ‘are not 100 per cent’ and it would be tempting to give them a few days extra rest before taking on Jurgen Klopp’s side.
The manager is known for his intensity but promises he is not too scarred by recent events. ‘You feel a little bit sad and depressed after a defeat happens but then, after 15 minutes, you recharge the batteries
and discover why we lose. I’m so close to the guys and I trust them. They are absolute heroes. Why would I not believe in them after what they have achieved in the last 16 months?
‘Our strikers are young, except for Sergio. The midfield players, except for two guys, are young. There is no book that tells a coach whether to be tougher on them or sweeter after losing. It’s how you feel. We have 44 points in the first half of the season and 88 points is usually enough to be champions, so we have done quite well. Why should I change because we lost two games? No way!’
Guardiola confirmed that young f o r ward Bra h i m Di a z is ‘in conversation’ with Real Madrid about s i gning a pre- contract agreement in January which would then see him leave the Etihad when his contract is up in the summer.
He also repeated his stance that January signings were unlikely, a n d n o t n e c e s s a r y. T h a t is Guardiola during t urbulence. Defiant to the last.