Pep Guardiola had a clear message for his Manchester City players ahead of their crunch UEFA Champions League clash with Juventus: injuries are no excuse for poor performances.
City won a record fourth consecutive Premier League title last season but their form has fallen apart this time around. Saturday’s battling 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace extended their ongoing malaise to one win in nine matches.
Wednesday’s trip to Turin comes with City and Juve each on eight points after five Champions League matches and victory is required for either to maintain realistic hopes of a top-eight qualifying spot.
Guardiola will be without three of his senior centre-backs once again in midweek and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri being sidelined by ACL surgery has understandably had a major impact.
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However, amid some calls for Guardiola to adopt a more direct playing style and perhaps play with a deeper defensive line, the City manager insisted there would be no huge diversion from the blueprint that has yielded so many trophies.
“What will save us is the way we play. The mistakes are consequences because we are not playing in the way we have to play. The way we have to play is so simple, so simple,” he told a pre-match news conference.
“Our strength is the ball. Our strength in these past eight or nine years of success is we run like a desperate team when we don’t have the ball and with the ball we are incredibly patient.
“Now we are in a moment when we do a lot of things not in the right tempo, we lose the balls and after we concede a lot of transitions. After that, any team is better than us.
“We have to be so simple and basic to what we are as a team. That confidence will come back for the simple thing – have the ball and pass the ball to the teammate on the right [correct] foot, at the right tempo. After that you will get the confidence. You cannot imagine how you regain the confidence when you make an extra thousand million passes and you are involved in the game, all together. That helps us to be who we are.
“We have to adjust some things mentally now to have to do it but the way we want to play is not going to be changed for obvious reasons. Our success was there and I know that when we are able to do it we are able to play good, even in the situations that we had in the last month.”
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Such tempo control came naturally with Rodri around and the Spain star’s usual deputy Mateo Kovacic will once again not be fit to start against the Serie A giants.
Nevertheless, Ruben Dias — who will marshall an under-manned defence once more — echoed his boss’ “back to basics” sentiment.
“You have only one way to move forward,” he said. “Believe in yourself, be persistent and see the light.
“It’s not an easy period and we’re used to being in very different situations but this is football. This is the time in which you show character and show who you are.
“It’s the time to believe in our process because our process has done some magic over the years. It’s a time to stay strong. Back to basics.”
