‘Write them off at your peril’ – Pep critics fired warning by Man City favourite

Stuart Pearce warned critics to write off Pep Guardiola at their peril after Manchester City's dramatic drop in form.

The four-time defending champions suffered five consecutive defeats in all competitions before opening up a three-goal lead in just 14 Champions League minutes against Feyenoord on Tuesday evening. That capitulation came after they succumbed to a humbling 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

But while City's recent run may be cause for concern as they struggle to deal with the absence of Ballon D'Or winner Rodri, former manager Pearce – who also made 38 appearances for the club in his only season in Manchester – is not done to write down his former side for a moment.

“I think missing Rodri is a big problem for them,” Pearce said. “There was talk about it, but they won the first few games after he was injured and everyone thought, 'Wait a minute, maybe it's OK.'

“The win ratio when he is in the team is absolutely incredible. It tells you everything and they are suffering at the moment, but if you write off City you do so at your own risk.

'They're so good. Their manager is world class and we immediately talk about world class, but he is perhaps the best manager who ever lived. He is so good at what he does and if he is still at the helm and driving City forward, I wouldn't be surprised if they win the Premier League or the Champions League this year.

“Nothing has been won or lost at this point, but there is still a long way to go. They'll be there or thereabouts.'

Pearce was speaking at Shefford Sports Ground, home of Shefford Town and Campton, where he helped launch the FA's 'Greener Game' campaign, a bespoke strategy developed and designed in partnership with E.ON to to help the environment by promoting sustainability practices within the base. game.

Shefford Sports Ground is a great example of the FA's commitment to decarbonising clubs across the country. Solar panels have been installed to help reduce the club's energy bills. Pearce believes such initiatives will only lead to a better future for grassroots football.

He added: “My background was non-league football. I spent five and a half years in non-league, so these initiatives are very important to me. Everything it can do for the community and for sustainability and a greener world and, more importantly, for the health of young people, is important to participate in a team game.

“When I was 16 I left school and had nowhere to go to play football. So I moved to my local non-league team and that gave me a platform to enter the professional game at the age of 21. It is crucial that these initiatives are in place because without this level of football you will not reach the highest level of the game.

“The pyramid scheme is so important and if we turn a blind eye to this level and don't put the facilities and funding into this level of football, you won't get to the top of the game or the next international. I became England captain from my local non-league team. That's its power.”