Pep Guardiola said he is “not good enough” to solve Manchester City's mounting problems after two late goals from Manchester United sent them to a dramatic 2-1 derby defeat on Sunday.
City led thanks to Josko Gvardiol's first-half header at the Etihad Stadium, but came to a spectacular standstill late on when Amad Diallo scored the winning goal for the visitors in the 90th minute after Bruno Fernandes scored from the penalty spot two minutes earlier. equalizer had been achieved.
The penalty was awarded by makeshift left-back Matheus Nunes after his poor return pass left Ederson in trouble, but Guardiola took responsibility as he reflected on an unprecedented eighth defeat in 11 games since.
“I am the boss, I am the manager. I have to find solutions, but I don't find solutions,” he said at his press conference.
“This is a big club and if you lose eight [out of 11 games] something is wrong. You can say the schedule is tough or the players are injured, but no.
“I'm the manager and I'm not good enough, it's as simple as that. I have to find a way to talk to them, to train them in the way we should play, to put pressure on the way we have to exert pressure.
“I'm not good enough. I'm not okay. That's the truth.”
Guardiola signed a new two-year contract in November and said he did not feel he could leave the club at a difficult time, but the crisis has since spiraled and he now faces questions over how and when he will fortunes can turn.
“I'm here,” he said. “I am responsible. It would be easy for me to say that we lost because of this action, this player or this situation, but football is a team game.
“I am completely convinced in what I say, that I am not good enough to find a way for them to feel peace in their body and mind. I really want it. I am here to try and I will too.” try again and again, but that's the reality.”
Speaking to Sky Sports, Guardiola said: “This year I would say that unfortunately this has happened a lot. We give a lot of things away against Feyenoord and in games this season and at this level it is more difficult.”
“We are, I would say, not nice in the way we play. Before it was so fluid and now we are struggling for different reasons – of course because of many defeats – but we put everything into it, the match was almost closed except for one . chance for Bruno Fernandes.
“Okay, they were a little better, more possession in the first half, but nothing special. But at the end we give away the two goals and it's more difficult.”
“It is what it is, what can I say? It's not about this action by a player, or about that, it's a tough season and it will be a tough season.”
“We didn't play at our best today because we're not at our best in some positions. We struggled, but it is what it is.
“Now we don't play for many things, but mainly for the momentum we have.
“We obviously need results to improve our mood, but it is getting worse and the reality is this. I am the manager of this club and I have to find a solution. And so far I have not found it.” This is the truth.”
Silva: We played as under-15s
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva had no criticism of their performance in the closing stages, dismissing their “stupid mistakes” and insisting they got what they deserved.
“At this level, if it's a game or two, you can say they're lucky,” he told Sky Sports. “When it comes to ten games, that's not what it's about.
“If in the 87th minute of a derby you win 1-0 with a corner for your team and the ball goes to your goalkeeper and you get a penalty for them, my friend…
“If you make stupid decisions like this with three or four minutes to go, you deserve to pay for it.
“If you look at the game, there was only one team that could win. But in the end we lost, and it's not one game, it's been a lot of games lately.
“We have to look at ourselves. It's not about luck. It's the decisions you make. Today we played the last minutes as under-15s and we paid the price.”
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