Manchester, UK – December 15, 2024 – Pep Guardiola was left reeling after Manchester City’s stunning collapse against Manchester United on Sunday, admitting that he didn’t see the team’s drastic decline in form coming. The Spanish manager’s men have now won just once in 11 games in all competitions, suffering eight defeats in the process, and their Premier League title defence appears to be over before Christmas.
City’s 2-1 loss to their local rivals was a devastating blow, with the team conceding twice late on to surrender a lead and gift United a dramatic victory. The manner of the defeat was particularly galling, with Matheus Nunes’ slack pass and subsequent foul on Amad Diallo gifting United a penalty, which Bruno Fernandes converted, before Diallo sealed the win with a simple finish.
Guardiola was left to ponder the wreckage of City’s season, admitting that he’s “not good enough” as a manager to turn things around. “I don’t have any defence, I’m the boss, I’m the manager,” he said. “I have to find a solution and I don’t find a solution. This is a big club, when you lose eight out of 11, something wrong is happening.”
The Catalan manager’s honesty was refreshing, but it’s clear that he’s struggling to come to terms with City’s decline. The team’s unprecedented four consecutive Premier League titles have given way to a crisis of confidence, and Guardiola’s usual tactical acumen has deserted him.
City now trail leaders Liverpool by nine points, with the Reds having a game in hand, and sit outside the Champions League places in fifth. It’s a stark contrast to their dominance of English football over the past decade, and Guardiola knows that he’s under pressure to deliver.
“I am sitting here in the press conference because of what we have done in the past,” he added. “I knew that it would be a tough season. From the beginning, I said many times, even when we were winning. But I didn’t expect it would be so hard, like it is right now.”
Source: Africa Publicity
Have a press release, feature, article for publication? Send it to us via Whatsapp on +233543452542.
