Guardiola on injury updates and City financial charges judgement update
Embargoed section
20/12/2024
CFGA, Manchester, UK
Embargoed section
20/12/2024
CFGA, Manchester, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00Hi Pep, it's a big day for Jack Grealish tomorrow going back to Aston Villa,
00:09how do you sort of assess the season that he's had so far?
00:12He's done well after having two or three setbacks from the injuries,
00:17and also he's a player that needs time and minutes to get his form,
00:22for his physicality, but he's strong, he's come to his, I would say, home.
00:29It's over a year now, Pep, since he scored for City,
00:31it was mid-December last season since he last scored,
00:34is that something that worries you, those sort of statistics?
00:38Well, last season it was not a good season for him,
00:41and now they have again setbacks, of course the people up front
00:44have to produce as much as possible, but it's not just Jack,
00:49so a few of them we are struggling to create a little bit up front,
00:57but always I am optimistic about my players,
00:59that they are going to turn and perform well.
01:12Hi Pep, you sold Alvarez in the summer and didn't buy anyone,
01:17and now you're coming up to January, I don't know whether you're going to go into the market,
01:21but do you feel the charges hanging over the club
01:24is maybe causing some players to think,
01:26should I go to City because I just don't know what the future holds,
01:29would that be a fair concern of theirs?
01:34In the winter time it's not easy to buy some players that make an impact,
01:38especially players up front, I would say.
01:44Of course Juliano was an important player in terms of numbers,
01:48for the minutes a player was always effective,
01:50but we had the field and we had Oskar, and both we didn't have it that season.
01:55When I thought of a replacement for them,
01:57you have these two players, even Mkhitaryan can play there,
02:00always I trust a lot with the process,
02:02Oskar is a guy that shows us he can score and assists a lot,
02:05and it's unnecessary to say how much impact he has in our game.
02:12And in that situation that happened, it happened that season,
02:15so that's why we struggled a little bit in that concept,
02:19for the players up front to give us the numbers that we need to be solid in our games.
02:25But specifically with regard to the charges, you don't think that's...
02:28The charge?
02:29Yeah, the 115 or 100-plus charges that may be causing some players
02:32who you might be interested in to think,
02:35I don't know whether to go to City because I just don't know what's going to happen.
02:38I don't know, it's going to happen in winter time,
02:42I don't know if it's going to happen...
02:44I know the people are expecting that,
02:47but I don't know if it's going to happen in February or March,
02:50we'll see.
02:51You just talked there about your front line,
02:54would you ever consider going back to your false nine system just for a change?
02:59With Erling?
03:00Well, without Erling maybe, just change it up, Bernardo Silva maybe...
03:03I prefer to play with Erling.
03:06You wouldn't consider that?
03:08I didn't think in the situation that I had that Erling let him play, absolutely not.
03:12No, no, I didn't think about that.
03:15Always I play false nines for the quality, specifically the players I have at that moment.
03:19In some games, for example, playing against men-to-men,
03:22I love to play against false nines, but to have an Erling, I have to adapt.
03:28Pep, you mentioned McAtee there,
03:30what is it that you've not seen from him and from some of the younger players?
03:34That's a good question, but in that period that we have,
03:37I'm going to make it a responsibility for the senior players.
03:40The last game, for example, against United,
03:43I could play really good, but put that pressure in that situation,
03:46the young players playing in that position,
03:48maybe I'm wrong, it happened in the past,
03:51but I had the feeling that in that moment,
03:54the players have no experience,
03:57but they have to show and prove who we are as a team,
04:00what they have done in the past, I have to give them the keys
04:03to try to lead us, to try to turn around the situation.
04:06Is it sort of that, you feel like the players that have brought you success
04:11or are the ones that need to get you out of this room?
04:14We have to do it, all of us,
04:17but of course there are players that have more experience in that position,
04:20and normally this type of thing takes a lot of minutes,
04:25I'm not saying it's not going to happen, but so far I've decided that way.
04:29And are the younger players ready to come in?
04:32Always they are ready, the young players always have the ability
04:35to not defend anything in the past,
04:38they are free and they can do it, absolutely.
04:42Hi Pep, speaking of Erling,
04:45he's obviously played a lot of minutes this season,
04:48no player for City has more,
04:51do you think he's getting close to what is sustainable for the body
04:56and for the mind in terms of minutes and matches?
05:01I see him well, I see him fine,
05:04the reason why he's not so productive in that situation
05:07is for the way we are playing,
05:09that we don't produce this amount of chances
05:11that we were able to do in the past,
05:14and that's why when he's surrounded by two or three central defenders
05:18it's not easy for him,
05:20so we have to create more good games,
05:23our play better, to create the spaces for him.
05:27You mentioned also Phil and Oscar
05:30that can maybe play in the same position,
05:34how important do you feel it is to get someone to play in the same position
05:38so Erling can get some rest?
05:40Erling is irreplaceable,
05:42I'm saying the positions are close to make him some rest,
05:45but that is not the point,
05:47and of course we need all of them,
05:50our best version for all of them,
05:52not just one specific player,
05:54for me it should be so easy to blame in that position,
05:58I would be so selfish in that terms,
06:00it's what it is, it's about us,
06:02it's not about...
06:03I said many times,
06:05I said to the players,
06:06if the problem was just one specific player,
06:08it would be easy,
06:10the decision would be easy,
06:11but it's not about that,
06:12so many, many, many of the goals,
06:16we give them away,
06:18we give them,
06:20so it's not about one specific,
06:22a lot of the situations,
06:24in that situation it's more difficult,
06:26and you have to work on that,
06:29and step by step,
06:30the moment Sampdora is back,
06:33it will be better.
06:35Just a quick one,
06:36Oscar as well,
06:37because it's January, February,
06:40he was expected to return,
06:41is it still like this?
06:42I don't know,
06:43with Oscar,
06:44so I still didn't train with the team once,
06:46we'll see,
06:47I think it's a question of the bone,
06:49and when it's fixed,
06:51and not pain,
06:52he will be ready,
06:53and I think for his physicality,
06:56with some weeks of training,
06:58he will get his rhythm,
07:02not like we saw in pre-season,
07:05but quite similar.
07:08Pep,
07:09Txiki has obviously been a crucial part of the club
07:13for a very long time,
07:15just so many excellent players
07:17have been brought to the club,
07:19and the way the players have been sold on,
07:21you obviously have a very close working relationship with him,
07:25obviously he's a friend,
07:27he's obviously going,
07:28you've got Varaneh coming in next year,
07:30how important is it
07:33that that transition is handled smoothly?
07:36Because it's going to be another challenge for the club,
07:39having a different sporting director
07:41who's been so successful,
07:43and you know how he works,
07:44how important is it
07:46that that transition is smooth
07:48and works quickly,
07:50particularly when you look at the age profile of the squad,
07:52and maybe the work you're going to need to do with it
07:54over the next year or two?
07:57I think Txiki is doing the same you have done,
08:00thinking what can we do
08:02if you have to do something in winter,
08:04next summer,
08:06we'll be involved in the transfer window,
08:09I think,
08:10talking with the club,
08:12with Hugo maybe,
08:14especially when Hugo finishes his part in Lisbon,
08:18and do it the same way they have done,
08:20and after that,
08:22yeah,
08:23it changes,
08:24just for the fact that the persons are different,
08:27and of course,
08:30the people who are a long time here
08:32have to welcome and help,
08:34you know,
08:35Hugo when he settles here,
08:37and understand the game,
08:38understand the team,
08:39understand the club,
08:40and it's going to happen.
08:42The fact that the club knows,
08:45they've planned,
08:46obviously they've got this new guy coming in,
08:49but you think Txiki will help
08:51in the winter,
08:52in the summer,
08:53put a lot of building blocks in place really,
08:55so you're going to give yourself every chance you think
08:58for it to go as smoothly as possible?
09:00I don't think,
09:01the club,
09:02I think,
09:03what we spoke and we talked,
09:05in winter we're going to do something,
09:07really we need it,
09:08or we believe something,
09:09we can find something,
09:10not for just four or five months,
09:12except exceptional things,
09:13you know,
09:14for the next three or four,
09:15and in winter it's more difficult to do,
09:17but we will see,
09:19we'll see not just for that situation,
09:21it happened,
09:22I don't know in the last years,
09:24how many times we went in the winter,
09:27maybe with Laporte,
09:28Aymeric,
09:29maybe,
09:30yeah,
09:31years ago,
09:32always we have not been,
09:33we are not a big fan of that,
09:35but the circumstances,
09:36this season is special,
09:37have been special,
09:39and we have to see,
09:41if we have to do something,
09:42it's possible,
09:43you know,
09:44we're going to wait in the summertime,
09:45thinking about how we finish the season,
09:47how the players finish,
09:48how they perform,
09:49knowing that we'll have again,
09:51short,
09:52short holidays next summer,
09:53and next year we'll be here,
09:55and we have to see what we have to do,
09:57and we talk,
09:58and we see what the market is possible,
10:00and because maybe it will not be possible,
10:03we'll see.
10:06Pep,
10:07just following on from that,
10:08can the players that come in,
10:10if any players come in next month,
10:12I know you plan,
10:14clubs plan for the future,
10:16and they've got to be the right player
10:17for years to come,
10:18but anyone that comes in next month,
10:21are they not going to have an immediate impact
10:23in giving everyone a little bit of a lift
10:24within the squad anyway,
10:25just having a new face?
10:26Yeah,
10:27but it's not easy to do that,
10:31because the players,
10:32the teams don't sell,
10:34have to be a player,
10:35like maybe they don't play,
10:36or they don't want to sell,
10:37they are so expensive,
10:39so,
10:40yeah,
10:41depends on the market,
10:42depends on the situation,
10:43so we will see,
10:44and the lift,
10:45the team is simple,
10:46it's players back,
10:48players back,
10:49except Rodri,
10:52have the squad there,
10:54and after that,
10:55we will be the team like maybe we were,
10:57but apart of that,
10:58there are situations that don't depend
11:00just exclusively for that,
11:05and we are not able to solve it,
11:06to get results that we need right now.
11:09You talked about the players coming back,
11:10I don't know whether I misheard you before,
11:12but you said you got two,
11:13it sounded like you got two new,
11:15long term injuries,
11:16Ruben and...
11:17No, long term,
11:18no,
11:19but listen,
11:21when you are in September,
11:22October,
11:23international break is not a match,
11:24when we are in December,
11:25November,
11:26December,
11:27January,
11:28February,
11:29when you lose three weeks for a month,
11:30you lose seven,
11:31eight games,
11:32it is a lot,
11:33it is really the situation,
11:34because Eddie having struggled
11:35with some niggles in his leg,
11:37and now he doesn't feel completely fine,
11:40and of course it is so important for us,
11:42for the personality,
11:43for everything,
11:44and of course Ruben it is,
11:45but this is what I said,
11:46so he played five games in 14 days,
11:49or five games in 15 days,
11:51something like that,
11:52so coming from injury,
11:53because he cannot replace him,
11:55because they are injuries,
11:56and he is injured again,
11:57what happened with Nathan,
11:58and this,
11:59no,
12:00role is again,
12:01and again,
12:02and again,
12:03so I don't want to make Nathan play,
12:05you know,
12:06every three days,
12:08three games every three days,
12:09because we know this is not for Nathan,
12:11but we didn't have an alternative,
12:13because John was injured,
12:14Manu was injured,
12:15and the players were in that position,
12:18and that's why you still,
12:20when I said back is for that,
12:22you know,
12:23but you can rotate a little bit,
12:24for this schedule,
12:25and now we cannot do that,
12:26and that's why I said to survive,
12:27and try to get results,
12:28our mood will lift,
12:29and our game will be better,
12:32and accept the situation,
12:34that is what it is,
12:35this is what I want to transmit to the team,
12:38so don't pretend to be a big target,
12:40so we are in this position that we are right now,
12:42and I have to accept it,
12:43and as much as you accept it,
12:45that we are not in our best,
12:47we are not fine,
12:48we will be better,
12:49we will be better.
12:50Can I just ask,
12:51obviously the players had Monday and Tuesday off,
12:54after the game on Sunday,
12:56was that like a period of reflection for you,
12:59was that beneficial to have a couple of days to...
13:03If we win, yeah,
13:05if we don't win,
13:06why is it in training?
13:08I had to make a decision,
13:09take a decision all the time,
13:10I've done it all my career,
13:11and I love to do it,
13:12and I thought in that moment,
13:13what happened is better than see each other,
13:15go home,
13:16your families,
13:17our families,
13:20forget football,
13:21we have three, four days,
13:22you know,
13:23to prepare the game against Aston Villa,
13:24and the other one,
13:25sometimes it's good,
13:26it's not about the training,
13:27now everything is in our minds,
13:29you know,
13:30in our heads,
13:31how you intervene that,
13:32that is the secret,
13:33intervene with 21 or 22,
13:36and everyone has to do it,
13:38we can be better in that department,
13:40the other department,
13:41yeah, of course,
13:42but we have been better in eight years,
13:43you know that?
13:46So, and that's why,
13:47we have been,
13:48I said,
13:49not good results with 45 days,
13:51have been incredible results for eight years,
13:53so this is a different situation,
13:55and everything is in our mind,
13:57and you have to get back of that,
13:59and the results,
14:00but especially with the players back,
14:01that is what we missed this season,
14:03this season the team was really, really good,
14:05I remember the first game,
14:06or second game,
14:07I saw the people in the bench,
14:09or the people warm up before the game,
14:11I said,
14:12wow,
14:13what a squad we have,
14:14we can make a lot of things,
14:15we can move a lot of players,
14:16we can do it,
14:17but step by step,
14:18day by day,
14:19week by week,
14:20you know,
14:21and that's why we start to win games,
14:22but 2-1,
14:231-0,
14:24you know,
14:25always was,
14:26you know,
14:27but okay,
14:28it's normal,
14:29we won a lot,
14:30but immediately start to,
14:31you know,
14:32fell down,
14:33four central defenders at time,
14:34and everything,
14:35and after that,
14:36I start to don't get results,
14:37and doubts,
14:38and of course,
14:39it's happened,
14:40it's happened to all the teams,
14:41it happened to us,
14:42and we didn't expect it after the United,
14:45didn't expect to do it as much longer as it's going,
14:48but what can I do,
14:50it's good,
14:51yes,
14:52moments,
14:53okay,
14:54work harder,
14:55and try to give confidence to the players,
14:57and themselves,
14:58and back to our basics,
15:00what we are strong as a team,
15:01and come back from that side.
15:04Everyone?
15:05Right,
15:06thank you.