Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on possible transfers, James McAtee form, Kyle Walker departure and their Premier League clash with Chelsea
Etihad training campus, Manchester, UK
Etihad training campus, Manchester, UK
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00:00There's still a week and a half to go of the transfer window.
00:02Do you still think there might be other players coming in,
00:04or are you happy with what you've got now?
00:06Yeah, maybe.
00:07It's the defensive midfield of his one that we talk about.
00:11I don't know.
00:12I don't know.
00:14But it's a possibility.
00:15What are the options if you don't sign somebody?
00:18No, no, listen.
00:19I said one week ago, we are who we are, you can play us, it's fine.
00:24Again, we should do it, because for normal circumstances,
00:30we delay the previous season,
00:33because the previous season we were not so active in the last transfer market.
00:38In the transfer market we were not so active,
00:40because we were the champions for many years,
00:43and we've been so consistent in many situations,
00:45and it immediately occurred what would happen,
00:48we didn't expect it,
00:50and we decided instead of doing it in summer,
00:52we should do it now.
00:54What's going to happen, I don't know.
00:56So, we will see.
01:00James McAtee, Pep has played in the last six games,
01:02he's featured in the last six games,
01:04there's still a lot of speculation he might leave.
01:06The fact he's played in the last six games,
01:08does that suggest you want him to stay here?
01:10I would love to stay here.
01:12I repeat the game,
01:13it was not the last four or five months in Sheffield,
01:17quite often playing,
01:19and I was the one who relied on him to stay,
01:21to come back, to come back, to come back.
01:23I want him to stay,
01:24but what's going to happen in the potential newcomer,
01:27I don't know.
01:31Kyle now has almost officially gone,
01:36could you just say how much you're missing this season,
01:40because it's another experienced defender gone,
01:43and could you just give a few words
01:46on what he's meant to Manchester City and to you personally?
01:50Thank you so much for the seven years he's been with us,
01:53the amount of trophies, the inconsistency,
01:56and being a really important figure.
01:59I said personally to him,
02:01I said personally in front of the group,
02:03I wish him all the best, for him and his family,
02:06and that's all.
02:08You miss him, actually, in a playing sense,
02:11for the rest of the season.
02:14Hard to replace.
02:15He decided to leave.
02:16Pep, just a couple of questions on Kusanov.
02:19How long have you been aware of him and his talents
02:23and the club as well?
02:26Well, since the beginning of the season,
02:30when we make meetings with Chiqui and other people,
02:33say the potential players in every position,
02:36and they start to talk about him,
02:39and for the situation with John, like Nathan,
02:44and of course, Manu and Ruben have,
02:47so we should go to the market.
02:51The people say this is a potential player
02:54for the conditions for the next years,
02:56because all the players we didn't sign for one year,
03:02so they are big years to come here,
03:05and that's why we decided to do it.
03:07We saw his specific qualities that we didn't have,
03:11or we don't have,
03:13so I'm pretty sure it's going to help us.
03:14And of course, he's young, he's going to learn,
03:17like Victor, like Omar, to understand,
03:19it happens in time,
03:20but of course it's always better to do it in summer time,
03:23to have the process every season,
03:24but as much as we have new players,
03:27to have more potential being on the bench,
03:29or potential playing every three days,
03:31that is important for us.
03:33I think he's used to playing in the middle position
03:36of a three in defence.
03:38Where do you see him in your team?
03:39I know it's early days,
03:40but can he play anywhere across?
03:43I think he can play in the centre-right,
03:44right-back,
03:45he can play in the back three in the right,
03:47he can play in the back three in the middle,
03:49so he can play in different positions.
03:54Kuznetsov is obviously a very, very quick player.
03:58I think he's been clocked as quick as Kyle Walker in his prime.
04:04Is the pace something that maybe you need
04:09that little bit of extra energy,
04:12especially in midfield,
04:14if you're looking at other players?
04:16I don't think that just the speed for Kuznetsov
04:19is going to solve our problems.
04:21It can help us.
04:23It can help us.
04:24Of course, speed is important when you do it,
04:28but against Paris Saint-Germain,
04:30we run more than them.
04:33The problem is with the ball.
04:36People have the spirit and do it.
04:38Of course, we are not the most offensive team,
04:42but what would define our team is what we do with the ball.
04:44Everyone runs, but we are not an incredibly defensive team.
04:49We always defend the ball.
04:52With the ball, we were good in Ipwich,
04:56but this season is what we missed,
04:59so what we have to do is pass the ball more.
05:02We don't want to run too quick,
05:04we want to make the actions without pause,
05:07without our composure with the ball.
05:10If you have the ball,
05:11and you don't pass the ball properly to the opponent,
05:13and you make another one,
05:14everything is so difficult.
05:16After that, when this happens,
05:19and you lose balls that normally didn't happen in the past,
05:22what happens?
05:23You have to wear more tools,
05:25and we are not great for that.
05:27You see the team,
05:29Savinhos, Dokuz, Kevin, Phil,
05:32and even Gündo right now,
05:35any team, any,
05:38any team in the Premier League is better than us.
05:40They are better.
05:42So today, the statistics,
05:43how many come to run,
05:44how many that,
05:45now we run more than ever
05:47in these nine years,
05:48comparing the opponents.
05:50But football, people are confused,
05:51not about that,
05:52it's about what you do with the ball.
05:53The other one is the spirit,
05:54it's hard.
05:56When you run more than the opponent,
05:57they are hard,
05:58they have spirit.
06:00But you have to do it better with,
06:02of course you have to run,
06:03of course now the teams,
06:04comparing our arrival is unbelievable.
06:07When I arrived,
06:08all the keepers loaned ball.
06:10Now all the keepers are central defenders.
06:13And all the midfielders
06:14make the central defenders wide,
06:16and they make a process,
06:17they come a lot of players,
06:18everyone is in the pocket,
06:19and everyone,
06:21and the people now,
06:22you are struggling more
06:23to regain the ball
06:24than it was before
06:25when I arrived nine years ago.
06:26You've been like,
06:27phew,
06:28make a deal,
06:29the ball was for us.
06:30Now you have to sweat it.
06:31But what is the problem
06:32when you have the ball?
06:33It's a problem.
06:34So when I said they were better,
06:35we were better for that.
06:37They hired me as a manager
06:38for that.
06:39And now we are struggling
06:40in that time.
06:41You have to recover.
06:43Otherwise we will not qualify
06:44for the Champions League
06:45next stage.
06:46We will not qualify
06:47for the top five.
06:49And I know
06:50he's so curious,
06:51interested to know
06:52we're going to qualify
06:53for the Champions League.
06:54We are not going to win
06:55the Champions League.
06:56Many big clubs
06:57in this team,
07:00like Chelsea right now,
07:01for example,
07:02is not in the Champions League.
07:03United is not in the Champions League.
07:04It can happen to us.
07:05Yeah,
07:07it can happen to us.
07:08Not being there.
07:09But we have to try to do it
07:10because we are in time.
07:11We are in time to qualify
07:12for the Champions League.
07:13We are in time
07:14to the Premier League fight.
07:15If we can recover
07:16who we are,
07:17what will we do with the ball?
07:19Do better processing
07:20in the build-out,
07:21do better processing.
07:22Maybe we have to change
07:23something to make them
07:24with the ball comfortable.
07:26You know?
07:27The shape or something.
07:28But the essence
07:29will be the same.
07:30But maybe we have to
07:31do something
07:32to help them
07:33to make them comfortable.
07:34Because that's
07:35a month ago.
07:37What happened is
07:38we are not playing.
07:39Something I'm missing.
07:41Something I'm missing.
07:42And I have to
07:43discover it quick.
07:44But the players,
07:45when I said that,
07:46they run a lot.
07:48So...
07:50But they play better.
07:51But they play better
07:52for the intensity.
07:53They are more
07:54physical,
07:55the stronger.
07:56Yeah,
07:57but him and Brighton
07:58and Bournemouth
07:59and all the teams
08:00are physically better than us
08:01for the age,
08:02for many things.
08:03Even the toughest,
08:04toughest,
08:05toughest,
08:07tough.
08:08So we have to
08:09recover what we are,
08:10what we do with the ball.
08:11Knowing that it's
08:12more difficult
08:13because before
08:14never a team
08:15made a man-marking.
08:16The first team I said
08:17years ago
08:18make a man-marking
08:19was Neil Warnock
08:20in Cardiff,
08:21I remember.
08:22And we suffered.
08:23And after Atalanta
08:24with Gasperini.
08:25And he make us cool.
08:26And now everyone
08:27is...
08:28doesn't matter.
08:29I remember people
08:30came here in Etihad,
08:31stay back.
08:32You know?
08:33Live the process.
08:34Now change.
08:35Everyone come here,
08:36doesn't matter,
08:37men to men.
08:38They just jump to
08:39Ederson,
08:40Stefan.
08:41So,
08:42then you have to adapt.
08:43And after that
08:44do it better with the ball.
08:45Otherwise...
08:50you will be happy
08:51not qualifying for the Champions League.
08:55Hi Pep,
08:56you said earlier
08:57that you
08:58were originally thinking
08:59that you'd need to sign
09:00three or four players
09:01in the summer
09:02and now because of the injuries
09:03you've signed them
09:04now.
09:05I mean,
09:06these three players
09:07you've signed,
09:08are they ones that
09:09three or four months ago
09:10you already had in mind
09:11for the summer
09:12or have you had to
09:13change plans?
09:14No,
09:15the marker above
09:16your needs
09:17basically is your needs.
09:18If you have
09:19all the central defenders
09:20feed,
09:21feed,
09:22feed,
09:23feed,
09:24feed,
09:25we will not have
09:26central defenders signing.
09:27So...
09:28But I mean,
09:29you often don't...
09:30there are some players
09:31who you can't get in
09:32a January market.
09:33How does that work
09:34in particular
09:35for people
09:36who are available
09:37here and now?
09:38Listen,
09:39it's what it is.
09:40The market is...
09:41I said this before,
09:42we can come here,
09:43there.
09:44Now we decide
09:45these players
09:46for the problems
09:47that we had
09:48all the season
09:49and we bring it here
09:50not just for three months
09:51or one month
09:52and they will have
09:53time to adapt,
09:54they will have time
09:55to play not good
09:56but it's coming
09:57for the time.
09:58It's going to help us
09:59because last game
10:00we had five,
10:01six players
10:02and you can't have
10:03success,
10:04you have to go
10:05to the market,
10:06everything.
10:07I said many times,
10:08the biggest teams
10:09in this country
10:10for two decades,
10:11three decades
10:12spend more than
10:13the other ones
10:14and the last years
10:15you saw,
10:16the last five years
10:17we were in 11
10:18spend net.
10:19The last seasons
10:20we were not
10:21because the team
10:22was good,
10:23was healthy
10:24and was consistent
10:25and make something
10:26that team
10:27never,
10:28ever a team
10:29has done.
10:30So that's why
10:31we have a team
10:32like unbelievable
10:33but you have
10:34circumstances
10:35that we cannot
10:36handle it
10:37and we need
10:38players,
10:39you cannot play
10:40without.
10:41And now
10:42we have that
10:43and recover
10:44some patterns
10:45and some
10:46visualize the players
10:47and make them feel
10:48that they are
10:49much, much better
10:50because listen,
10:51we are not going
10:52to qualify,
10:53we are going to
10:54make maybe
10:55this month
10:56or month and a half
10:57or two months
10:58that we have
10:59for longer
11:00and I know,
11:01I know
11:02because we are
11:03leaving all
11:04the clubs around
11:05the world,
11:06the teams around
11:07the world,
11:08it's happened.
11:09I didn't expect
11:10in that position
11:11to be in the
11:12Champions League
11:13or qualify,
11:14be in the position
11:15there but
11:16yeah,
11:17no.
11:18In the beginning
11:19of not,
11:20I would not
11:21think we could
11:22not qualify
11:23between the 24
11:24and we can be
11:25out.
11:26If we know
11:27in the Bruges
11:28that of course
11:29and
11:30okay,
11:31still we are
11:32lucky to have
11:33in our hands
11:34the last chance
11:35in the Champions League
11:36still,
11:37maybe qualify
11:38four teams,
11:39maybe qualify
11:40five teams
11:41for the Champions League
11:42next season
11:43and still we are
11:44there.
11:45We have a tough
11:46calendar,
11:47yeah.
11:48We are not
11:49the best position
11:50circumstances,
11:51absolutely.
11:52I'm not stupid
11:53enough to know
11:54how is our
11:55standard,
11:56what are our
11:57standards and
11:58still I believe
11:59they are fantastic
12:00group of players,
12:01a fantastic
12:02team
12:03like we have
12:04proven and
12:05we are defined
12:06with these players.
12:07These players
12:08in seven,
12:09eight,
12:10nine years
12:11most of them
12:12for two months,
12:13the results,
12:14bad results,
12:15I'm going to change
12:16the opinion
12:17what they have
12:18done in nine years,
12:19nothing,
12:20never,
12:21ever,
12:22ever is going
12:23to happen.
12:24I have much
12:25love,
12:26respect and
12:27so we know
12:28that I
12:29said many
12:30times,
12:31three months
12:32ago,
12:33two months,
12:34this season
12:35we are going
12:36to suffer,
12:37it's merit
12:38and it's
12:39happened and
12:40it's going
12:41to happen
12:42when I said
12:43Edric Jaume
12:44is back
12:45or against
12:46Leicester
12:47is back,
12:48take time,
12:49so still
12:50next season
12:51we will be
12:52back,
12:53really.
12:54Now it's
12:55questions for
12:56the next
12:57season.
12:58So
12:59the normality
13:00is what we
13:01have done,
13:02that I'm pretty
13:03sure of that
13:04and that
13:05made me realise
13:06even better
13:07now that
13:08what we have
13:09done was
13:10exceptional,
13:11exceptional,
13:12anyone can cope
13:13with that so
13:14far,
13:15maybe in the
13:16future,
13:17but no one,
13:18now we accept
13:19the reality
13:20and as much
13:21we accept it
13:22that we are
13:23not in that
13:24but never
13:25give to the
13:26joy,
13:27to be pride
13:28for our club
13:29and they have
13:30to help us
13:31because it will
13:32be a tough game
13:33tomorrow,
13:34it will be
13:35an incredible
13:36tough game
13:37on Wednesday
13:38and all the
13:39games will be
13:40like that so
13:41we have to
13:42do it together.
13:43Given where
13:44you were,
13:45would finishing
13:46in the
13:47Champions League
13:48places be
13:49like winning
13:50a trophy?
13:51Sorry?
13:52Given where
13:53you were
13:54would finishing
13:55in the
13:56Champions League
13:57places be
13:58like winning
13:59a trophy?
14:00The equivalent
14:01achievement?
14:02The equivalent
14:03achievement?
14:04No,
14:05because we
14:06are doing
14:07but there
14:08are seasons
14:09that there
14:10are a lot
14:11of difficulties
14:12and how
14:13you stand
14:14up,
14:15how you
14:16stay here,
14:17stay here
14:18and do it
14:19and achieve
14:20it.
14:21I remember
14:22Jose,
14:23when all
14:24the defenders
14:25are here,
14:26many players
14:27are there,
14:28we will
14:29fight,
14:30we will not
14:31be at 25
14:32now in the
14:33Champions League
14:34or we will
14:35not.
14:36The team
14:37is exceptional
14:38I think
14:39because it's
14:40quite similar,
14:41it's really
14:42really good,
14:43we have
14:44pride in
14:45good but
14:46now sometimes
14:47you live
14:48these kind
14:49of situations
14:50and when
14:51you live
14:52these
14:53situations
14:54sometimes
14:55life
14:56gives you
14:57circumstances.
14:58Ruben is
14:59never injured
15:00and now
15:01play one,
15:02two games
15:03he's injured.
15:04Nathan and
15:05John cannot
15:06be sustained
15:07like in
15:08some period
15:09of the year
15:10of the travel
15:11and John
15:12play all
15:13the games
15:14and now
15:15we can't
15:16and the
15:17teams are
15:18defined.
15:19I said many
15:20times when
15:21we have
15:22to change
15:23especially here
15:24the momentum
15:25in our minds
15:26that we can
15:27do it.
15:28Thank you
15:29guys.