Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on the serious injury to Erling Haaland, fans protests, the battle for top 4 and Champions League qualification as they prepare to face Leicester
Etihad Training Campus, Manchester, UK
Etihad Training Campus, Manchester, UK
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00:00Hello Pep, obviously we received the news last night about Erling Haaland's injury,
00:07I just wondered what your reaction was to it, obviously a huge disappointment
00:11to lose such an important player at such a crucial part of the season.
00:18Sometimes there are years that these kind of things happen,
00:21happen all season, so I would say that could not be different at the end of the season.
00:26But all the injuries that we had this season, so sorry for them and for Erling as well.
00:33We could recover as quickly as possible and come back.
00:38Obviously there are still tests ongoing, still conversations to take place,
00:42but do you have any idea about how much of this season he might still be available for?
00:48No, they told me the doctors between five and seven weeks,
00:53so hopefully at the end of the season and in the World Cup he'll be ready.
00:57Obviously it gives opportunity to other players,
01:00Omar Mahmoud so far has only started one Premier League game
01:04when Erling was injured for the Liverpool game,
01:07he didn't seem to quite play as the proper number nine like Haaland plays,
01:12is he capable of doing that?
01:14We will find a solution for the players that we have,
01:19different skills and qualities, but we will have another one.
01:26Pep Erling, almost since he came to the club, has hardly been injured.
01:31How much will he be missed in terms of the way that you play?
01:37As I say, he's played in virtually every game.
01:40We don't have another player with his skills or his specific qualities, we know that.
01:46But we have to adapt.
01:48Since many years we've played in different ways up front,
01:51it depends on the quality of the players.
01:53We're going to try to find a solution.
01:56You speak a lot about the fans and the fans backing.
02:00The fans are holding a protest tomorrow before the game
02:05because they're not happy with the way that the ticketing has gone
02:10and clearly they don't believe that the club is acting in the right way.
02:14Have you got any sympathy for them?
02:17Have you got anything to say to them?
02:20Of course I have sympathy.
02:23When the fans can express their good moments or bad moments,
02:26their feelings, it's because the team and the club is alive.
02:30So the worst is when you cannot express.
02:32This is a club that the people can express and they will be in touch,
02:35are in touch, were in touch, are in touch, will be in touch,
02:38the fans and the club.
02:40Only I can say that we need them.
02:42Since the minute one, we need them.
02:44We are playing for the next season to be together in the Champions League
02:48and we need them.
02:51The people can think about it, whatever they want,
02:54but I know how tough Leicester is.
02:56I'm impressed with how they played the last two games.
02:59They played really well against Chelsea and Aston Villa.
03:03They played really good in different ways.
03:05They are using new patterns and they did really well.
03:07That's all I'm concerned about and we need them.
03:09We need them desperately to achieve our success
03:15and to win the Champions League again.
03:25The fans, again, if you don't mind,
03:27they're playing to protest tomorrow.
03:29You say there about how much you need them.
03:32Have you got a message specifically to the fans
03:35who want to make their voices heard
03:37by staying outside the ground for the first nine minutes?
03:40No, I know specifically.
03:42I don't know.
03:43But what I said before,
03:46they can express freely what they want
03:50and the club has its ways, its arguments and can express.
03:57I think I prefer that than to be passive.
04:02The club has to be active in many departments
04:05and the decisions being made.
04:07The club has to take it for the benefit of the club.
04:10The club doesn't take it for granted.
04:12The club doesn't take it for,
04:13OK, this issue or whatever is going to happen when they want.
04:19The people listen to both sides
04:22and hopefully the people can be convinced.
04:26Looking at the game tomorrow,
04:30the league table as well,
04:31you're in this battle to finish in the Champions League.
04:34Every game is really important now.
04:37Is this one of the closest battles you've been involved in
04:40in the Premier League
04:41when you consider the number of sides
04:43that are in that race to finish in the top five?
04:46Even going down to last weekend's opponents in Bournemouth,
04:49four points behind you.
04:50There's a lot of teams at this stage of the season
04:52who will believe they can finish in the Champions League.
04:55That's true.
04:57But don't tell me about the toughest battles.
05:00We had in the past much tougher than these ones.
05:04When you have to win 60 or 70 games to win the Premier League,
05:07don't tell me it's not difficult.
05:11It was not a tough one.
05:12That is different because in the past,
05:15except the first season that we were together,
05:17one season Liverpool was extremely strong
05:19and we could not compete with them.
05:20All the time we were there to fight for the Premier League
05:24and this is the first time.
05:27Alongside the first season when I was here,
05:30nine years ago,
05:32we fought to qualify for the Champions League.
05:34We have nine games left,
05:36we know exactly what we have to do,
05:37five at home, four away.
05:39We have to win our home games
05:41and we are going to try.
05:43More often than not, you've come through these challenges
05:45by winning consecutive matches.
05:47Have you seen signs from the players
05:50that they can do that again this season,
05:52finish out by winning consecutive matches?
05:58I would like to say yes, but I don't know.
06:02Because the previous seasons we have done it
06:05and every season we were able to do it
06:07and we have done it,
06:08but this season we have not been consistent
06:09to tell you it's going to happen.
06:11So I don't know.
06:15In terms of Erling's absence,
06:17how much does it change the roles of other players?
06:20For example, how many more need to step into the box now
06:23to cover that void?
06:24Less crosses?
06:25Yeah, definitely.
06:27We need players in other qualities
06:29and we have to bring more players
06:30with a sense of goal close to the box.
06:31That's for sure.
06:32Because, of course, Erling, his numbers again
06:35have been exceptional
06:36and he's our incredible threat for many things,
06:40for the long balls,
06:44for the sense of goal,
06:45but we have to adjust for the other players.
06:49Do you see that in training,
06:50that they can click?
06:51Because you've been playing with him for so long.
06:54No, it's not about the training.
06:55I know the players have the sense of goal
06:56more than the other ones.
06:58Everybody knows there are players
06:59with a sense of goal more than the other players
07:04and you have to try to bring them close to the box.