‘I’m not good enough’ – Pep Guardiola takes blame as dramatic Man United defeat deepens City crisis
Pep Guardiola claimed he is ‘not good enough’ as Manchester City crumbled to another defeat – this time to bitter rivals Manchester United. The Premier League champions were on the end of a dramatic late turnaround in Sunday’s Manchester derby, conceding twice in a minute to lose 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola couldn’t believe what he was seeing as United struck in the 88th minute to level and then snatched victory a minute laterGetty Josko Gvardiol’s 36th-minute header had given the hosts the lead but quickfire goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo snatched all three points for Manchester United to deepen the crisis at City. City have now won just one of their last 11 matches in all competitions – losing eight of them – and Guardiola admits he just cannot find the answers to their unprecedented slump in form. The Spaniard said: “I’m the boss, I’m the manager, I have to find solutions but I don’t find solutions. “This is a big club and when you lose eight of (11) something is wrong. You can say the schedule is tough or the injuries to players, but no. “I’m the manager and I’m not good enough, simple as that. I have to find a way to talk to them, to train them in the way we need to play, to press the way we need to press. I’m not good enough. I’m not doing well. That is the truth.” Guardiola signed a new two-year contract in November at a time when City had lost four games in succession, insisting he could not leave the club while they were struggling. But it is has got far worse since then, and even he accepts he might not be able to turn things around. “I’m here,” he said. “I’m responsible. It would be easy for me to say we lost because of this action or this player or this situation but football is a team. “I’m completely convinced in what I’m saying, that I’m not good enough to find a way for them to feel peace in their bodies and their minds. I want it desperately. I’m here to try and I will try again and again but that is the reality.” Asked if he is losing his magic and energy nine years into the job, he added: “I didn’t have energy or magic before. I was no magician. You never saw me here when we won and I said: ‘I am a magician.’” Bernardo Silva was scathing about City’s collapse against United, with the Portuguese playmaker saying: “It’s not one game, it’s a lot of games lately. We have to look at ourselves. You can say: ‘Oh it’s a bit unlucky.’ No. It’s the decisions you make. “Today in the last minute we played like under-15s. We don’t want this to happen. It’s a bit frustrating because if you look at the game, until the 86th minute there was only one team that could win. There’s no excuse for that.” City have won just one of their last 11 matches in all competitions and are nine points off leaders Liverpool in the Premier League tableGetty Sunday’s loss follows a defeat to Juventus in the Champions League in midweek to leave City’s hopes of advancing in the balance. Guardiola’s side are 22nd in the league phase table, just a point clear of the elimination spots. Meanwhile, they sit fifth in the Premier League and are now nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool. Guardiola went on to analyse City’s performances further in his post-match press conference, and offered hope he would turn it around. He said: “I’m completely convinced in what I’m saying, that I’m not good enough to find a way for them to feel peace in their bodies and their minds. I want it desperately. I’m here to try and I will try again and again but that is the reality.” “Well, controlling the game was not in the situation that we had before the final of the game. Even with 2-0 or 3-0, we were not in control. So look what happened against Feyenoord or with 3-0 up, and at the end, we could not win the game. “That will help us to be qualified for the next round. We are not playing in the way we always played, in terms of the position and being there… “And we are struggling a little bit. But in the moment, sometimes you have to take the results, get the games, to lift your mood. And we were close, except for one action from Bruno Fernandes, that Anthony Taylor again conceded an incredible foul for Jeremy Doku, that required a mega transition. They didn’t create much. “They had a little more ball in the first second. After we changed the shape, the pressing was a little bit better. And yeah, the problem was, I would say that we gave away again. But the reality, the reflection I have right now, I’m not good enough. “So I’m the manager. Because it’s one action, it’s every single player, every single action. I will fix it. But it happened many times, something is, I’m missing. “The truth is I’m missing. So, and I had the feeling that, always I found a way, you know, to even the feeds, to find a way, to say to the players, to tell to the players, to the training, the preparation. Always I had the way to get back. Now I’m not. “Now I’m not… I didn’
Pep Guardiola claimed he is ‘not good enough’ as Manchester City crumbled to another defeat – this time to bitter rivals Manchester United.
The Premier League champions were on the end of a dramatic late turnaround in Sunday’s Manchester derby, conceding twice in a minute to lose 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
Josko Gvardiol’s 36th-minute header had given the hosts the lead but quickfire goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo snatched all three points for Manchester United to deepen the crisis at City.
City have now won just one of their last 11 matches in all competitions – losing eight of them – and Guardiola admits he just cannot find the answers to their unprecedented slump in form.
The Spaniard said: “I’m the boss, I’m the manager, I have to find solutions but I don’t find solutions.
“This is a big club and when you lose eight of (11) something is wrong. You can say the schedule is tough or the injuries to players, but no.
“I’m the manager and I’m not good enough, simple as that. I have to find a way to talk to them, to train them in the way we need to play, to press the way we need to press. I’m not good enough. I’m not doing well. That is the truth.”
Guardiola signed a new two-year contract in November at a time when City had lost four games in succession, insisting he could not leave the club while they were struggling.
But it is has got far worse since then, and even he accepts he might not be able to turn things around.
“I’m here,” he said. “I’m responsible. It would be easy for me to say we lost because of this action or this player or this situation but football is a team.
“I’m completely convinced in what I’m saying, that I’m not good enough to find a way for them to feel peace in their bodies and their minds. I want it desperately. I’m here to try and I will try again and again but that is the reality.”
Asked if he is losing his magic and energy nine years into the job, he added: “I didn’t have energy or magic before. I was no magician. You never saw me here when we won and I said: ‘I am a magician.’”
Bernardo Silva was scathing about City’s collapse against United, with the Portuguese playmaker saying: “It’s not one game, it’s a lot of games lately. We have to look at ourselves. You can say: ‘Oh it’s a bit unlucky.’ No. It’s the decisions you make.
“Today in the last minute we played like under-15s. We don’t want this to happen. It’s a bit frustrating because if you look at the game, until the 86th minute there was only one team that could win. There’s no excuse for that.”
Sunday’s loss follows a defeat to Juventus in the Champions League in midweek to leave City’s hopes of advancing in the balance.
Guardiola’s side are 22nd in the league phase table, just a point clear of the elimination spots.
Meanwhile, they sit fifth in the Premier League and are now nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
Guardiola went on to analyse City’s performances further in his post-match press conference, and offered hope he would turn it around.
He said: “I’m completely convinced in what I’m saying, that I’m not good enough to find a way for them to feel peace in their bodies and their minds. I want it desperately. I’m here to try and I will try again and again but that is the reality.”
“Well, controlling the game was not in the situation that we had before the final of the game. Even with 2-0 or 3-0, we were not in control. So look what happened against Feyenoord or with 3-0 up, and at the end, we could not win the game.
“That will help us to be qualified for the next round. We are not playing in the way we always played, in terms of the position and being there…
“And we are struggling a little bit. But in the moment, sometimes you have to take the results, get the games, to lift your mood. And we were close, except for one action from Bruno Fernandes, that Anthony Taylor again conceded an incredible foul for Jeremy Doku, that required a mega transition. They didn’t create much.
“They had a little more ball in the first second. After we changed the shape, the pressing was a little bit better. And yeah, the problem was, I would say that we gave away again. But the reality, the reflection I have right now, I’m not good enough.
“So I’m the manager. Because it’s one action, it’s every single player, every single action. I will fix it. But it happened many times, something is, I’m missing.
“The truth is I’m missing. So, and I had the feeling that, always I found a way, you know, to even the feeds, to find a way, to say to the players, to tell to the players, to the training, the preparation. Always I had the way to get back. Now I’m not.
“Now I’m not… I didn’t expect it before. Of course, by the fact that when we were winning, I never spoke that I could not leave, you know…
“So I was a football player. I win with Barcelona many times and after it was a disaster season. So that is not the question. Of course, I will be honest, I could not expect to lose eight to ten when we were a team.
“Like maybe, I say, we lose eight games in one season or two seasons. But, but like I didn’t expect that it was, you know, now is not the moment, no, it’s part of the game and have to move forward.”
He continued: “The players, they try it, but they have to find a way. Always when we won, you never ever will see one core different. Like I said all the time, that belongs to the players. They play.
“I was able to give them the confidence and the process and visualise that it’s going to happen. And good chemistry, a good group. And now I miss it. I miss something that I cannot help the players.
“And they have to relax. And I’ve never done it. So I never went over as a spectator. And in bad moments I go to the managers.
“Listen, I’m where I am. I’m not judging the other ones. I go to them and say, no, we lost four players. They had one.
“They had the club. No, I don’t like it. This is…
“So I’m the boss, you know? I’m the manager. You know, Pep has created something and I have to accept the other one. Now the media and everything is that. It’s part of my job.
“I have to accept it. But it’s not about that. I can handle it. I was a football player in Barcelona.
“I had depression since I was 18, 19 years old. I know today, tomorrow will be the sunrise again. I’m not able to find, you know, with the interior and the big, big clubs like this club it is. Because this area, this group of players make the greatest history of this club.
“Always we find a way, you know? And now I’m not. So this is the truth.”
What's Your Reaction?
