Pep Guardiola is reflecting on his role as manager of Manchester City following a troubling streak that has seen the team suffer seven defeats in their last ten matches. In their latest outing, City fell 2-0 to Juventus in Turin, where goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie condemned them to yet another loss in the Champions League.
With a crucial match against Paris Saint-Germain on the horizon, City now faces the risk of finding themselves in the bottom eight of the Champions League table, potentially leading to an early exit from the competition. Despite Juventus having struggled in the weeks leading up to the match, City failed to capitalize, raising questions about their form and preparation.
Guardiola expressed candidly that he is questioning his own strategies as the team enters a challenging phase. “Of course I’m questioning myself,” he said. “I have my thoughts. I’m stable in good moments and bad moments. I try to find a way to do it.” He emphasized the importance of resilience, focusing on recovery and striving for improvement ahead of their next fixture against Manchester United.
Despite the current turmoil—Guardiola’s worst run as a manager—he remains optimistic about turning things around. He mentioned that challenges like these are part of a manager’s journey, stating, “Sometimes you have a bad period. I’m going to insist until we’re there.”
Midfielder Ilkay Gündogan highlighted that confidence plays a significant role in the team’s struggles and suggested a mental aspect to their performance. Guardiola, however, disagreed with this assertion, arguing that the squad has been competitive in their recent games, even if the results have not reflected that.
The upcoming match against PSG is pivotal, as Guardiola believes that securing just a point could be enough to advance. “Qualification is the target,” he affirmed, urging the team to focus on executing their game plan and displaying their best performance.
In summary, while Manchester City is facing a rough patch, Guardiola’s undeterred attitude and emphasis on improvement indicate a belief that better days can come. The challenge now lies in harnessing their potential to find success in the important matches ahead.
Hopefully, this period of difficulty can galvanize the team, leading to a revival of their form and sparking a turnaround that fans are eager to witness.