As Manchester City head into the fourth round of the Premier League at home to Brentford
s pre-match press conference, manager Pep Guardiola spoke at length about the key players in his squad, particularly the performances of Grealish and Rico Lewis on international days, and re-emphasized the impact of the intensive schedule on his team.
Guardiola spoke highly of Gralish's performances for the England national team, noting that he excels behind the strikers and is more of a midfielder. He emphasized that Gralish has the ability to play in the No. 10 position and expects him to continue to play to that advantage at Manchester City. Meanwhile, Guardiola also acknowledged the performance of Rico Lewis at left-back, especially his ability to receive inside the middle of the pitch to control the ball and organize attacks through short passes.
However, Guardiola also expressed his concerns about the intensive fixtures. He referred to the team's tough fixtures in the Champions League and FA Cup last season, and the huge physical and mental toll these games took on the players. He criticized the intervention of the broadcasters in the scheduling of the matches, arguing that it was detrimental to the players' recovery and the quality of the matches. Guardiola emphasized the need for the team to maintain their energy and be ready for every game during the season, but this needs to be backed up by a sensible fixture schedule.
In addition, Guardiola spoke about City's fourth kit of the season, released in honor of Oasis' debut album, and praised the design of the shirt. He also humorously responded to a photo of himself holding a guitar in a promotional photo of the shirt by saying that he does not play the guitar.
Speaking about the captain's vote, Guardiola revealed that the vote has not yet taken place, but made it clear that he will not be involved in the voting process. Finally, he summarized the changes and development of Grealish at Manchester City, believing that he has done well at the start of this season and expects him to have an excellent season.
