Pep Guardiola takes self-critical responsibility for his team’s disappointing season at dethroned champions Manchester City, but also highlights the chance for a conciliatory end to the season.
Ahead of the important away game at already relegated Southampton FC, coach Pep Guardiola took a self-critical look back at the mediocre season in which his team fell short of expectations: “It has definitely been the most difficult season of my time as a coach. It could have been worse, but I wasn’t good enough to find a way out,” said the Spaniard.
With a current 18-point gap behind leaders Liverpool, the Premier League title was decided early, and the Sky Blues were dethroned after four consecutive titles. The Citizens also fell behind in the Champions League. After two defeats in the play-offs against Madrid (2-3 and 1-3), Manchester’s title dreams were quickly history.
Guardiola: “We had no energy left.”
“It has been much more difficult than in previous years when we were playing for titles. It is much more challenging on an emotional level, in terms of preparation, for the atmosphere, for everything,” Guardiola summed up the past few months. Rodri’s serious injury in the fall was also a key moment. City then slipped into a deep crisis, winning only one of their next 13 competitive games.
With three games to go before the end of the season, Guardiola, who has led ManCity to six league titles, two cup wins and their first Champions League triumph, is harsh on himself: “We had no energy left, and I couldn’t find a way to make the players feel comfortable again and win games.”
Chance for a conciliatory end to the season
With five wins from their last six games and currently 64 points, the Skyblues, who will lose Kevin de Bruyne and national team captain Ilkay Gündogan in the summer, are still on course for the Champions League, which the coach also emphasizes positively: “We can still reach the Champions League, which would be a very, very big reward.”
In addition to the Club World Cup in the summer, where they will face Wydad AC, Al-Ain, and Juventus Turin, City still has a chance to end the season on a high note in the FA Cup. Crystal Palace awaits them in the cup final at London’s Wembley Stadium on May 17.
