Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on the challenges of facing the exceptional Nottingham Forest, Nathan Ake's injury and the pressure of being at a big club
Etihad Training Campus, Manchester, UK
Etihad Training Campus, Manchester, UK
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00:00Good afternoon, guys, what are you all saying?
00:02Profs, everyone, mics on either side.
00:03We'll set an embargo partway through for 10.30 this evening.
00:05Simon?
00:06Hello, partway afternoon, hope you're well.
00:08It's been seven days, or will be seven days, from match to match,
00:12and I think that's the longest gap that you will have had between games
00:16in this calendar year so far, which says how often you've played, I think,
00:20as much as anything.
00:21So what benefits are there of that?
00:23What have you been able to do maybe with that extra time
00:26that perhaps you wouldn't have done?
00:28If we win, it will be a benefit, if not, it will not be good.
00:32So, yeah, I will have more time to rest, to train more.
00:36Yeah, fine.
00:38And have you had time for extra meetings and things like that at all?
00:43Less meetings than ever, just training.
00:46You do meetings when you cannot train.
00:49When you train, you don't necessarily do meetings.
00:52That's probably nice for the lads, is it, to be out on the pitch and training?
00:56Absolutely.
00:58Nottingham Forest doing especially well at the moment, third in the table,
01:02despite not having won in their last three games as well.
01:06I'm just wondering your thoughts on Nuno and his team and his staff
01:11and the work that they've done to have put them in this position.
01:14Quite simple, you are third in the table after eight, ten fixtures.
01:19Okay.
01:20But when you happen with 11 games left,
01:25still you are third, it's because you have done really, really well.
01:29Otherwise, you cannot be there for many, many times, many months,
01:32doing good things and being third in the table.
01:36Impressive, I would say.
01:38Is there anything particularly that you see that you've found impressive?
01:42Many things.
01:43They defend really well, really compact, aggressive,
01:45and the transitions are really good, the long balls with Woods.
01:49They win eight to ten.
01:52The four up front, they are really good, create many things.
01:55Hudson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, exceptional player, Woods.
01:59Create many things for themselves.
02:03Good keeper, experienced defender.
02:05I'm an exceptional player, full-back, I can play on both sides.
02:11Physical team in the middle, Anderson, top player as well.
02:15That's why you are third.
02:17Otherwise, you cannot be there before the last part of the season.
02:24Pep, you mentioned on Saturday that you thought
02:28that Ake would probably have to have surgery, and he's had that.
02:33Do you know how long he's going to be out?
02:35Will he be back this season?
02:38Ten weeks, 11 weeks, they said to me.
02:41So that is pretty serious.
02:44That is the kind of thing that's happened to you all season.
02:47When the surgery is pretty serious.
02:50When you go to the surgery, it's because something wrong happened.
02:54But the important is done.
02:56He has struggled a lot this season with the problems in his feet.
03:04It happened.
03:06There's been some more pictures of Jack Grealish this week.
03:10Do you feel sorry for him in a way?
03:12Because he's so recognisable, he seems to be someone who attracts attention.
03:18So maybe a picture is painted of him that might not be the reality.
03:22Or is that just something that players have to deal with in this day and age?
03:26He's so famous.
03:28People follow him.
03:31Nothing to comment.
03:33Hi Pep.
03:34How does the pressure feel at this stage of the season
03:37compared to in previous years when obviously you've been fighting for the title?
03:42Pressure is always there.
03:43In the big clubs, the pressure is always there.
03:45You have to press yourself to do your best.
03:48It doesn't matter what you are playing for.
03:51Does it feel different to previous years?
03:55Yeah, we've had a long week.
03:57The previous season in this stage never had long weeks.
03:59So yeah, it's a little bit different.
04:00But except the reality, the reality is trying to finish the top four.
04:04And tomorrow we have an opportunity to stay third in the table
04:09and climb and secure this target.
04:16Pep, on that battle for Europe,
04:17you've spoken there about Nottingham Forest and how well they've done.
04:21How big a threat are they to yourselves and the other teams competing
04:25to try and get into the Champions League?
04:27Yeah, there are many clubs, many teams.
04:30Many teams, many clubs fighting for this target.
04:32Everyone wants to be in the Champions League next season.
04:35For the club, for the prestigious, for sustainability, economically.
04:39So, for many reasons.
04:42On the financial side,
04:43we've spoken about what it would mean for you here obviously
04:46and the importance to the club of getting in the Champions League.
04:49But for other teams too,
04:50it feels like it's the one thing that can be the gateway to other teams
04:54getting that extra revenue,
04:55which means they can then improve their squad to challenge at the top.
04:58How necessary is it to be in the Champions League,
05:01to be challenging at the top?
05:02It will not be the end of the world.
05:04We want to qualify for the Champions League,
05:06but if it doesn't happen,
05:07it's because we have not been good enough
05:09and the other teams deserve it.
05:11So, in the knockout stage, in the Champions League, in the FA Cup,
05:15in the knockout stage, in the Champions League, in the FA Cup,
05:20I would say the uncertainty part of this particular game
05:27always is involved.
05:29It can be decisive,
05:30but in the Premier League, in 38 fixtures,
05:33it's fair enough.
05:35The result is finished.
05:37We are in the position that is not ideal,
05:40but it's not bad enough.
05:42It's in our hands
05:44and we are going to fight for that.
05:46Can I just finish by asking you about the new players that you signed?
05:49Because you spoke about them after the game.
05:51You thanked the board, I think, after the Plymouth game
05:53for them arriving and joining your squad in mid-season.
05:55Obviously, with Nathan being out,
05:57the likes of Mano and John being out,
05:59and the fact you've been out to sign those reinforcements,
06:01I just wondered how, now they've been here six weeks or so,
06:04how they're integrating into the squad,
06:06particularly the defenders, and also your systems.
06:09What are you seeing from them now
06:10that perhaps you weren't seeing six weeks ago?
06:12How are they developing?
06:13How are they working with your group?
06:15The impact on Kostanov was really, really good.
06:18I want to say for the first minute what happened against Chelsea,
06:21but since then it was really, really good.
06:23And Victor played really good as well against Plymouth.
06:31Now some central defenders from the academy are coming to train with us
06:35because with the absence of the three central defenders,
06:38almost until the end of the season,
06:40maybe in the World Cup we'll be ready,
06:41but maybe in the last one or two games,
06:43but when you're talking about eight, ten weeks,
06:46so it's a lot of time.
06:48So, yeah, we are lucky that the club took the decision
06:53to bring someone in the stadium to do it in summer right now,
06:56otherwise we'd be in trouble.