On Monday, the Sky Sports program, soccer legend Thierry Henry opened up and shared his insights in response to the recent challenges facing Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola.
Henry said bluntly that today is the first time the public can explore Guardiola's strategic choices with a straight face, such as the decision to let go of players such as Palmer, Mahrez and Alvarez. He confessed, "This time we were able to look at Guardiola's decisions so openly and question his choices."
Talking about the changes to the squad, Henry believes that City have weakened in terms of their goal-scoring ability: "Despite the return of Gündoğan, it is no longer the same Gündoğan who used to be able to contribute 17 goals in a single season. City have lost some key scorers." At the same time, he didn't forget to mention Harland's situation: "Harland is still scoring goals, and although the number of goals has decreased compared to his first season, he is still fulfilling his role."
Henry analyzed City's attacking problems: "Harland misses chances every season, but where did Mahrez, Alvarez, or De Bruyne or Gündoğan's goals go?" This question points directly to the current lack of power in the attacking end of Manchester City.
When asked whether Guardiola will therefore resign, Henry said that although he understands external speculation, but he firmly believes that Guardiola is not easy to give up the coach: "This is the first time that Guardiola's coaching career encountered such difficulties, we should not blame him or the team for the status quo." He further added: "I can't assert that he will never resign, but Guardiola is not that kind of coach. In the moment of victory, he is extremely strict, demanding, hoping that the team to maintain the leading position; while in the trough period, he seems to be more forgiving."
Henry also revealed Guardiola's attitude when his team is underperforming, "When you see the team underperforming, he'll stand up and say, 'I love my team, they did well tonight'. Sometimes even when the team is winning 3-0, he will criticize the team on the sidelines, pointing out someone's misplaced pass." Henry said he admired this style of Guardiola: "At the top you try to change to stay ahead and at the bottom you choose to be more friendly."
