MANCHESTER, England: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola pointed the finger squarely at himself after his team’s calamitous run of results continued when their late collapse resulted in a 2-1 loss to Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday (Dec 15).
City were ahead until the 88th minute whey they conceded a penalty converted by Bruno Fernandes and were then hit with a sucker punch two minutes later when Amad Diallo scored.
“I don’t have a defence. I’m the boss, I’m the manager and I’m not good enough,” Guardiola said. “I have to find a solution and I don’t find a solution. It is as simple as that. I am not doing well, that is the truth.”
City have one victory from their last 11 games in all competitions in what has turned into a full-fledged crisis for the champions and has everyone from players to pundits shocked.
“Today in the last minute we played like under-15s,” said City midfielder Ruben Dias.
Former United defender Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: “This just does not happen to Manchester City, it does not happen to Pep Guardiola.
“These fans have not seen the like for many, many years. These players, serial winners and serial champions.”
Guardiola, who recently signed a two-year extension with City, looked disconsolate when he walked into the tunnel after the final whistle, with the United fans gleefully singing: “He’s getting sacked in the morning.”
Guardiola had blamed the condensed fixture schedule for the number of injuries his side has suffered this season but he made no excuses in a long and heartfelt post-game press conference.
“(We were leading) 3-0 against Feyenoord at 75 minutes and we draw that (Champions League) game. Is that the schedule, the injuries? No. We have to win that game,” the Catalan said.
“Today we have to win that game because apart from Bruno Fernandes (with a late chance that the United captain put wide) nothing happened. So, we give it away again.
“If always it’s the same problem, it can be fixed. You say ‘Ah, it’s that player.’ It can be fixed: he doesn’t play. But it’s not that.”
City failed to register a shot on target in the second half, and their defeat marked the latest into a game that reigning champions have led in a Premier League contest and lost.
“I’m incredibly well paid to handle these situations, to handle the press conference, accept all the criticism, but I want to be honest, in one or two seasons, over a year, year and a half, we were able to lose (only) eight games,” Guardiola said.
“We were top of the league and the only unbeaten team in Europe and in one month and 10 days, we lost eight games. This is a big club and the club of course cannot accept it.
“I am sitting here in this press conference because of what I have done in the past; otherwise in big clubs they don’t sustain a manager that way.
“I knew this would be a tough season but I didn’t expect it would be as hard as it is right now. I want it, desperately. But eight (losses) out of 11? I’m here to try and will try again and again. That is the reality.”
