Pep Guardiola has admitted that his Manchester City team has lost their anxiety factor.
And unless he can help them rediscover it quickly, they are in danger of going wrong next year to go wrong Champions League football.
The mini-revival of City was ended on Wednesday by Paris Saint-Germain-and they will be tested again as top-four rival Chelsea will visit Etihad on Saturday.
Guardiola has noticed how more teams are now willing to compete against each other when they visit the home base of the Prem-Champions.
He said: “In the past, teams never did MAN marking. I remember that everyone here came to Etihad and stayed there.
“The first team I saw MAN marking was Neil Warnock in Cardiff. And then Gian Piero Gasperini with Atalanta.
“Now everyone does it, it doesn't matter to them.
“You have to adjust, do better with the ball, otherwise you will not qualify for the Champions League.
“Chelsea is not there this year, Manchester United is not there – it can happen to us.”
A victory over the blues of his old student and so on Maresca would be in the top four again.
But they will be put to the test next month if they take on Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham.
Pep added: “There is something that I miss and I have to discover it quickly.
“The players run a lot, but the other teams play better. They have more physicality and intensity, but all teams are better at that than we, for their age and for many things.
“The strongest and fastest players we had decided to leave.”
City will have the new acquisitions Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vorror Reis in the selection, but they will probably all be sitting on the couch.
When asked if more new faces could come along this window, Pep said, “Yes, maybe.”
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