On the night of December 21st, at 20:30 GMT, the highlight of the 17th round of the English Premier League is about to take place, with Manchester City challenging Villa on the road. In a pre-match interview with TNT Sports, City manager Pep Guardiola confronted the team's current situation and revealed his worries and strategies.
Guardiola revealed that the team has won only one of their last 11 matches and in the face of the predicament, he called on the players to take immediate action to turn their plans into tangible results and restore the team's glory. He confessed that the glorious past record does not directly translate into victory and the current environment is tougher than ever.
When asked about the reasons for his team's past success, Guardiola looked a little confused. He reminisced about the team's past successes, when the team was stable, injury-free, and had a harmonious atmosphere, but all of that seems to have left them. He wondered how he sometimes forgets how he led the team to success and that last season was indeed a good time for the team.
Speaking about whether City can turn things around and move up with the table leaders, Guardiola said he is not sure. He admitted that the team currently lacks the confidence to win the title and must focus on short-term goals rather than setting unattainable dreams. He believes that in order to achieve a breakthrough in the Premier League title and Champions League, the team must maintain stability, but the current City clearly lacks such stability.
Faced with the question of whether this is the most serious challenge in his coaching career, Guardiola also said it is difficult to determine. He mentioned that he had encountered difficulties when coaching Barcelona and Bayern, but the current situation seems to be more complicated. He lamented that although history proves the achievement, but the fact in front of him is obviously the most difficult stage in his coaching career.
