Thierry Henry passionately defended his former boss Pep Guardiola on Monday Night Football but admitted the Manchester City manager could be 'questioned' for the first time over his poor form.
Henry questioned why Guardiola had allowed free-scoring players like Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez and Cole Palmer to leave the Etihad without being replaced, and asked where goals would come from if Erling Haaland isn't firing on all cylinders.
City have eight defeats from their last 12 games after Sunday's 2-1 defeat in the Manchester derby left them nine points off the top of the Premier League after playing a game more than leaders Liverpool.
Although they have struggled defensively in Rodri's absence, Guardiola's side have also comfortably recorded the lowest goals per game of any season since his arrival.
“We all know, it's the first time and we can say it, that we can challenge his decisions by letting go of Cole Palmer, Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez,” Henry said.
“Ilkay Gündogan came back and it is not the same Gündogan who scored 17 goals a season.
“You miss those goals. Erling Haaland scores the same goals, a few less than in his first season, but he does what he normally does.
“I've seen him miss players every season, but where are the goals from Mahrez, Alvarez or Kevin De Bruyne, Gundogan – where are those goals?”
Henry said he did not expect Guardiola to resign just weeks after signing a new two-year contract that will take him until June 2027, but defended the manager he worked under at Barcelona in his first job over the level of consistency he has achieved. ever since.
“One thing I want to say about this team is that this is the first time in his career that this has happened to him like this. Let's not kill that man or this team because of what's happening,” he said.
'You can never say never [that he could quit] – but Pep is not that kind of coach. He is very, very loud, mean and intense when you win because he wants to keep you there.
“And he's nicer when he's down. You can tell when the team wasn't playing well, he'll come out and say, 'I love my team, they played really well tonight'.”
“And sometimes he comes onto the pitch and tries to challenge his team when they have won 3-0. You can see him arguing against someone who has missed a pass.
“I like that. You change when you're at the top, you try to change so you can stay there. Once you get here, now you try to be the nice guy.”
Carra: This is the first Pep rebuild that feels like this
Jamie Carragher added that City's problems only highlighted the level of rebuilding needed as their team's evolution seemed smoother in previous years, despite having to replace club legends such as Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Vincent Kompany during Guardiola's time at the club.
He said: “It's the first time it feels like a rebuild, even though they've been so successful they haven't missed the players you're talking about.
“This is something that every club has gone through. Look at Jurgen Klopp a few years ago, Man Utd under Sir Alex Ferguson, you look at them and think it will take a few years for them to get back to what they were.
“Because Pep is so good, you never felt like it was a rebuild, even though it was.
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