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Pep Guardiola: That’s why I’m going to fall short - I cannot have success this season


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Man City manager Pep Guardiola believes he was destined to fail this season - but believes defeat to Chelsea was critical

 

When Pep Guardiola sits down to review his first season in English football, one game will stand out above all others.

December 3 at the Etihad proved to be a turning point in Manchester City's campaign - a truly ‘Sliding Doors’ moment.

Had Kevin de Bruyne found the back of the net with the goal gaping - rather than the crossbar - City’s 1-0 lead against Chelsea would have been doubled.

It would have been no more than they deserved after utterly  dominating Antonio Conte’s side, who went in to the game four points clear of their title rivals.

The rest is history.

 

Chelsea went on to win 3-1 - an eighth Premier League victory in succession and a run that would eventually end after 13 straight triumphs.

It was a true six-pointer. 

Victory for City would have closed the gap between the two to one point. Instead it extended to seven - and was quickly 10, with fallout from a game that saw Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho sent off resonating as Guardiola’s team were beaten 4-2 by Leicester the following week. In the context of the title race, they have never recovered.

“We finished the game against Chelsea four points down and,  believe me, I saw the game many times,” said Guardiola ahead of Wednesday’s game against the leaders at Stamford Bridge.

“We were much, much better. I’m sorry Antonio, but we were.

“We deserved to win.

“At that moment it was one point, then we go to Leicester without  Sergio - another three and soon it’s 10 points. 

“These are minimum details.”

Guardiola is rueful, rather than bitter.

His rival has made much lighter work of English football than himself - but it has come as little surprise to the City manager, who privately declared Chelsea among the title favourites before a ball had even been kicked. 

Considering the champions-in-waiting finished last season in 10th place - 31 points behind Leicester - it was some prediction.

But Guardiola was convinced Conte would take the Premier League by storm.

He even suggests Chelsea - not City or United with Mourinho - may have appointed the best manager in world football last summer.

“My opinion about my colleague Conte is that he’s superb, maybe he’s the best,” said Guardiola, whose side sit 11 points below Chelsea. “How he was able to make Italy play beautiful football, Juventus too, in a culture where it’s so defensive.

“He’s an excellent manager, I learn a lot when I see his teams - Juventus, Italy and now.

“I like to do that because you see what they want to do. Their teams control a lot of aspects.

“It’s a good lesson for me to see his teams and learn.”

Has Conte benefited from less expectation, compared to Guardiola at City?

 

“In my case I had to win the treble and change English football,” he said. “Expectations were quite high, that’s why I’m going to fall short defniitely. I cannot have success this season.

 

“But in spite of that I knew from the beginning they’d (Chelsea) have a good season.

“Through (Michael) Emenalo, the sporting director, he’s bought very good players.

“They started the season so so, but after they settled the way they want to play - and the fact they have a week to work on many things - that helps a lot. It’s a big advantage if you have time.

“The good managers can do it with good players. In Barcelona we won the three titles in a row, we played all the competitions, we played the Champions League every three days and we were able to play almost immediately. Sometimes you need more time.

“In spite of that I think a lot of games we’ve played a lot of good football. I didn’t expect that high level.

“In general we’d like to be further up, but how they try and how they play, I’m so satisfied.”

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-city-fixtures-chelsea-results-12845948

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20 minutes ago, HoneyNUFC said:

What do they put in the council pop in Manchester?

Chlorine, Ammonia, Fluorine, Trhalomethanes, Nitrates, Pesticides, Arsenic, Radium, Aluminium, cooper, lead, mercury, Cadium, Barium seasoned with dead rats  ....Yum!

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3 minutes ago, Happy Blue said:

Chlorine, Ammonia, Fluorine, Trhalomethanes, Nitrates, Pesticides, Arsenic, Radium, Aluminium, cooper, lead, mercury, Cadium, Barium seasoned with dead rats  ....Yum!

For years I thought Noel was the way he was because of the drugs but that puts a whole new perspective on things.

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1 minute ago, LFCMadLad said:

Pep has to take a lot of the blame. Buying Bravo has cost him possibly 6 points and paying £50m for Stones instead of sorting out the fullbacks has again cost City points. 

Bravo has cost us at very least 15pts, we have hardly lost a game since he got dropped

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10 minutes ago, True Blue said:

You did get defenders and expensive one's, too bad they are all shit + the world class goalkeeper didn't help either

Bravo couldn't handle the step up to the Premier League and Stones is one for the future. all's we need is 2 fullbacks, a CB, GK and DM 

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31 minutes ago, HoneyNUFC said:

He basically says he's not a success because expectations of what success is were unattainable this season. That's one way to polish a turd season.

I am not a success because I cannot be a success.

Well, not with that fucking attitude you can't, Pep.

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5 hours ago, Happy Blue said:

Yeah, we upgraded the attacking side of the team with Sane, De Bruyne, Jesus, Sterling, Gundogan  ..now we need to work on the other half

Sane and Sterling are pace babbys with no end product. Kevin 'hit the crossbar' De Bruyne, Jesus Injuredinho, and an overweight Turk. Nice team, broseph.

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Just now, Spike said:

Sane and Sterling are pace babbys with no end product. Kevin 'hit the crossbar' De Bruyne, Jesus Injuredinho, and an overweight Turk. Nice team, broseph.

Sane has no end product????   ...you mean apart from goals? xD  ...id have him over Hazard everyday of the week!

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Just now, Happy Blue said:

Sane has no end product????   ...you mean apart from goals? xD  ...id have him over Hazard everyday of the week!

If you are going to rate a player on goals, don't choose to compare them players with more goals.

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When Gundogan and Sane joined I thought that this was going to be City's title to lose. Pep had since January to identify targets and the budget to get these players so everything seemed set and in place.

I know he had to wait for clubs to sign some of his players and realistically nobody was going to pay for Nasri, Mangala or Toure but given his first game against Sunderland where the full backs were encouraged to do so much work I was really surprised he didn't identify and invest in younger full backs that could play this role. It was really naive on his part to think he could coach everybody to play in this system in what is a very competitive league for over 45 games in ten months.

I guess it's a learning curve for him and we will see more next season.

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