In the 27th round of the Premier League, Manchester City hosted Manchester United. While many commentators are bullish on Manchester City to get a big win, City boss Pep Guardiola said it was a tough game in his pre-match press conference, citing Liverpool's 0-0 draw with Manchester United last time out.
He's a fantastic player, especially in every game in every tournament, and I really admire that. He's the kind of guy who happens when he gets the ball, free-kicks, set-pieces, the combination with the players up front, with Garnacho, with Marcus Rashford, with all their strikers. So, what can I say? He's a very, very important player.
Yes of course. It's always been like this, he can always create something.
I don't like such assumptions.
Against this Manchester United team, we have to give it our all. Do you remember what happened when Manchester United went to Anfield this season? Manchester United lost 7-0 or 7-1 last season, I don't remember. Do you remember those pre-match comments? 'How many goals will Liverpool score? It's easy for Liverpool. "The result? Liverpool did not win. Manchester United is Manchester United and Manchester United is Manchester United Let the past pass.
There will be 11 players on the opponent in this game, and there is a lot of pride. And their coach [Ten Hag], we can't deny how good he has been at Ajax in the past, here he is also trying to do his best, Manchester United is Manchester United. So in different situations, Man City and Manchester United are in different positions, and I know my players are going to be proud, have a lot of personality and give our best at Old Trafford.
The same thing is going to happen at Etihad on Sunday, so it's going to be a very tough game. You have to be humble, humble enough to respect your opponents, give your all, do what we have to do, try to beat them and keep on top. It's not just about beating Manchester United, it's about continuing to fight Liverpool who are above us, Arsenal are there and Aston Villa are close to us, so it's going to take week after week to have a chance to defend the Premier League title.
Indeed it is. I really appreciate his compliments. Sometimes getting compliments from people like this country, like Sir Jim Ratcliffe, means more than a title. So, it's a great honor for all of us. When we're able to get emotions and feelings into players and opponents, it helps us get the job done. Thank you so much that I can't speak for all of us. But I'm sure tomorrow I'm going to try one way or the other and get the best out of the United players and try to beat us. That's for sure.
Yes. Honestly, the best way to improve is to know exactly what's going on. Otherwise, ......You can only defend your position by **, by surviving that moment, that month, or that year, that you can not say those words. The best way to do this is to get yourself or your employees to say, "Oh, what's the reality, what are we doing, what are we playing, what's the next chapter, what's that?" ”
When you're in a bad situation, it happens to us, and you have to accept it. That's why I said in previous sessions that when everybody accepts the fact that we're still a little bit behind, it's the best way to reduce the gap, to close the gap, to get back to the team you want to be, or back to what you used to be. But they also know it. I don't know about them because I'm not there. For us, tomorrow's game is another final.
They must continue to do so! A lot of executives, important players in the past, in the recent past, new people are coming, and they have to (continue to work). I demand the best of myself and they demand the best of themselves, so in all departments of the club we can always do better. You can't just sit there and look back at the work you've done because other people and other teams are working on it.
When you stop, they're working, and working harder, because they want to pull you off where you are. It's normal in football, in life, in sports, it's like this, it has to be this way. We can always do better, not just our players, the coaches, or the staff behind the scenes, all the departments of the club, they have to be aware because the opponent wants to pull you down.
Absolute! It's more sustainable for the club and we always feel that way, I don't know why, but there's something special about the Academy players and it works. Look at the players here, look at the players at Southampton and what they do, Palmer at Chelsea, Adarabioyo at Fulham.
They've always been stable and the academy has been running really well, every day has been done very, really well since 15 years ago, and you take a little bit at a time, you understand how the game is played, or you understand a lot of things, it's a culture or whatever.
It always works when you have young players. It's happened here, it's happened in the Academy at Barcelona, it's happened at Real Madrid, it's happened at Bayern, and at the clubs I've been in, there's always something special about the young players. Now under the FFP limit, you're right. It's a sustainable approach, and it works.
I think they know the reality, they've been to the Etihad Stadium a lot of times, they've seen the environment, they've seen what's going on at the club, and they've adapted a little quicker. Foreign players from other clubs, it takes a little bit of time for them to get used to it. They know the reaction of the fans, they feel comfortable and know how they play. I'm pretty sure the Manchester United players, the Liverpool players, the Chelsea players, they're going to feel like they belong too. We give the youngsters confidence that they will be in the first team and get along well with the older players.
It's easy and faster. Yes, some small details, because in every game, we attack Brentford in a completely different way than against Luton. Why? Because Brentford's defence is different from Luton's. So with these details, what surprised me the most was that they were well educated.
So it's not just about the technique, it's about how they behave, how they respect, how they listen, that when it's good they're consistent, they make their debut, they get a lot of compliments, and a week after they're consistent, they don't feel: 'Now I'm a senior player at Manchester City, quite the opposite. ”
This is thanks to the Academy and the Academy coaches. When players don't behave well, they can't play. Let the young players understand that the club is all that matters, it's not you, it's not your father, it's not your mother, I'm sorry, at home, but not here.
Your broker, they don't matter. The important thing is the club, this is Manchester City, you have to adapt to the way of playing, the way of doing things, from 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and when they come here they are well educated, that's why this kind of work is so important. In the end, Rico Lewis came on, Foden played, Palmer came on, and now Oscar Bob, the focus was not on me.
Everyone at the Academy has done an incredible job, including the Academy's sporting directors, scouts, recruiters and of course every single player, every Under-13, Under-14, Under-15 coach. That's why it's so good, because it's been a lot of years, many, many players, a lot of effort to develop the skills of these players.
People smell that they are gifted, talented, but not just that. It's resilience, it's professionalism, it's being punctual to meetings, going to school, being good there, when the teacher comes, arriving on time, getting your homework done, that's what you need to do to be a better player, a better person, it's no secret.
We'd love to! I remember at Barcelona, when we played Manchester United in the Champions League final, there were seven or eight players from the Academy. What does that mean? Zero transfer investment. We didn't sell them, we didn't make a profit because they were so good and that's why we wanted to keep them. It's every club's dream, and players who love the club are born here ......But sometimes it's not possible because the foreign players are really good.
We have Haaland, he's from Norway, so ......We want Haaland to pop up in the academy but sometimes it's not possible, so you have to put money in it. We've had a lot of young players over the last couple of years and that's kept us financially afloat and maybe they can play here, we never know.
But at that point, you have players, you don't have enough space, they want to start, every situation is different. But yes, it's the perfect situation.