Questions are being asked of Pep Guardiola after his team lost again in the Premier League to Manchester United, whose struggles are considered worse than theirs.
The Spaniard has only won once in 11 games – a sackable offence for any other manager. The loss to the Red Devils is one of their worst ones in this run, despite it being by a slim 2-1 margin.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich man is out of ideas and his players look to be unable to muster the same efficiency with which they powered to the Premier League title last season while fighting a tough battle with Arsenal.
Speaking to the media after the game, the City boss said: “It is something we are missing.
“When you win games, the energy is higher. This is my job. My job is not just to win games and lift trophies.
“I am incredibly well paid to handle these situations. Maybe in one year or a year and a half we were able to lose eight games – now in one month and 10 days we have lost eight games out of 11.
“We were top of the league and the only unbeaten team in Europe [before this run].
“We are a big club; I am here because of what we have done in the past. Otherwise clubs would not sustain their manager.
“All the managers around the world work harder and think more and talk more. I have to tell them that still we are so good.
“I knew it would be a tough season, even when we were winning, but I didn’t expect it to be so hard like it is right now.”
Guardiola also admitted to feeling uneasy when his team were up by a lone goal. “In the past maybe I could presume we could win with two minutes left but in the situation we are in, I never thought about that,” said Pep.
“It’s true that we are not fluid. We always play with this composure that now we don’t have after the amount of games we have been losing.
“Sometimes the spirit helps you to find strength in this type of game. We were there but it’s not about that.
“I am the boss; I have to find the solution.
“This is a big club and when you lose eight in 11, something wrong has happened.
“I can say the schedule or injuries, but no. At 3-0 against Feyenoord after 75 minutes, we have to win that game. Today we have to win that game.
“We give it away again and we have to keep working.. I have to find a way to talk to them and train them on how to play and build up.
“Matheus did an incredible effort at left-back and played really good with and without the ball, but it’s happened, and we move forward.”
