Guardiola refuses to be drawn on his City future beyond the end of the season
30/08/2024
CGA, City academy, Manchester, UK
30/08/2024
CGA, City academy, Manchester, UK
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00:00Hi Pep, I'm reading in the last book by Martà Peranao, if I'm pronouncing this correctly,
00:08about the impact that Erling had on the dressing room when he first arrived there two years
00:13ago, that he changed the dressing room atmosphere a little bit. How is his social role in the
00:20group right now, two years later?
00:24A little bit higher, so he knows the environment, the players, how we live, but it's normal,
00:32it's a process that if he stays longer he will be one of the captains of the team, that
00:37is a normal role, but the impact I said many times, since he arrived was really, really
00:43good, so he's always happy and positive and he's incredible on the pitch, it's not necessary
00:52to talk about it off the pitch, it was a surprise for all of us.
00:56He was the captain during the US tour, of course a lot of the senior members of the
00:59squad were away then, but do you see him as a leader for this team?
01:04Yeah, he has to, absolutely. When you play all the games and you are so active on the
01:11pitch, there are leaders that maybe don't talk much and they are leaders, so behaving
01:16on the pitch, when there's a big, big problem, intervene. Sometimes you don't need the armband
01:22to be a leader. Step by step it's going to happen, it's already the third season together,
01:28if he stays longer at the end he will be one of the senior players in the team, so naturally
01:35it's going to happen.
01:36Also, we don't always see what happens in the scenes, but can you explain a little bit
01:43how is he in the relationship with the other players, with the younger players, how does
01:46he take care of them?
01:47It's really good, everybody has good moments, but Bormann is really good, he's always positive,
01:51he's always happy, so I'm not in the dressing room with the players, I see them sometimes
01:58in the canteen, sometimes on the pitch, but the relation between them is extraordinary,
02:04so I said last season, this season, the group of players is unbelievable, so it's one of
02:09our strengths, the respect, how good they train, how they compete, they are friends,
02:16most of them, so that is really good.
02:21Many of your rivals have spent quite a lot of money this summer trying to improve the
02:25squads, you've spent relatively little, maybe just Ilkay coming in, but do you feel that
02:31that's because you've got what you want really, it's hard to get better, and you've got what
02:36you want to do what you want to do this season, to win more trophies?
02:39No, sometimes there are situations for age, for many years you have to be more active
02:48in the transfer market, and some years it's not necessary, I give my opinion to the club,
02:54the club make their opinion as well, and all together we take a decision, and sometimes
02:59maybe in the future you have to invest more, but now is what it is, I'm still confident
03:05with the team that we have, and that's why we decide to do what we have done.
03:14Is Roderick back training with the group this week, is he ready for tomorrow, or are you
03:20waiting until after the international break?
03:21I think he's going to travel, but I don't know if he's going to be ready, I don't know.
03:27Once you return from the international break, it's midweek fixtures pretty much every week,
03:34how has this time been, have you been able to get things across on the training pitch
03:38that you won't have time for later in the season?
03:44I would say more, and higher in many aspects, because we have more time, more days, when
03:50it happens, you know, Brentford, Champions League, Arsenal, Carabao Cup, and all the
03:56fixtures that we have will be a recovery, so we try to remember concepts this time of
04:01weeks, and yeah, hopefully they can be healthy, only I'm concerned about being fit, the players
04:11tired, but be fit, it's the only thing I'm concerned about this season, the rest we'll
04:14do it again.
04:15I don't think you've maybe got a bigger squad than last season, but do you feel like you've
04:20still got a big enough squad for these extra games and competitions?
04:24Well at the end we have Julian, Sergio, and Kepa Gundo and Savino, plus we have Nico,
04:35we have Maka, so it's fine, really, I'm really pleased with the squad.
04:40I know apparently if I don't sign 10 players, we didn't do anything, we'll be weaker.
04:45I don't have that feeling, I don't have it, if the opponents feel it, that's fine, but
04:50I don't have that feeling.
04:54Lucas Paqueta, has he been a player that maybe you've discussed here as a potential sign-in
05:02before?
05:03I never said that.
05:04Is he though, was he?
05:10Before the FA charge, was he one that you would...?
05:14Well I saw in the newspapers, potential we can handle 100 players every season, so that's
05:20the truth.
05:21Of course he's an interesting player, but always with worse hand players, and hopefully
05:26can get out of this situation for the benefit of him.
05:30He's obviously one of their key players that can control a game, one of their threats.
05:36He's an exceptional player, he can play in different roles, but not just him.
05:39Kudus, last season, the last game of the season, the problems they created, Bowen, Antonio
05:44is a guarantee, and they brought out a player physically in the middle.
05:48When you see the squad and the four players up front, plus Sammo Biel for the player,
05:54they bring two, they brought two, so it's quite impressive, the squad that they have
05:59with him and the potential that they have.
06:06Hi Pep, you mentioned that Ilkay only needs a minute to get back up to speed with things.
06:11Is part of the thinking about signing him, because of the schedule that is so busy, they're
06:15trying to integrate a player that's not used to your systems and practices, that it's quite
06:19difficult to get them going when there's so little time on the training ground?
06:23It was not in our plans, so we didn't think Ilkay could leave Barcelona, so that is the
06:28truth, I never thought about that.
06:31It happened in one day, and in three days, four days, we did it.
06:35We know that player, and we spoke, I think, in the last press conference, that 90% of
06:39the questions before he reached down was Ilkay, so we knew that it would be immediately, that
06:45he knows perfectly the roles, that the good players don't need much time to adapt, and
06:52in the situation that we have, and because I like this type of players a lot, so OK,
06:56so if we can, a financial issue in Barcelona, Man City, can happen, so let's go, let's do it.
07:03Would you look for someone else if you didn't get Ilkay in?
07:07I don't think so.
07:08Because of the schedule, or just because of not needing anyone else?
07:12I don't know, I know the schedule is tight, but at the same time, I'm sad, you know?
07:17I live an experience in the past, when I was in Barcelona, maybe I was not the manager,
07:24but I was there, with four, five, six ACLs, a lot of injuries, maybe 14, 15 players available,
07:29plus academy, so few, few.
07:32We won the league, won the championship, and they play unbelievable.
07:36With the help and everyone is so focused, everyone, you know?
07:40You have 23 or 24 players, they just play 16, you don't have 23 or 24 players, you have 16.
07:46And sometimes, you know, I prefer to have players I trust a lot, I have players that
07:51maybe adapt to numbers, but you don't rely a lot, or maybe you don't get minutes.
07:55When this happens, I don't like it.
07:57It's so difficult for them, you know?
07:59Don't play minutes, don't let them play, it's so difficult.
08:02Have a good contract, a good place, but they want to play, they are professionals,
08:05they want to do the job, and you want to do it.
08:07And I have players I can play in three or four different positions,
08:10like everybody knows, and you know?
08:14And I like to, you know, because they are intelligent, and yeah, and it's fine.
08:19If it doesn't work and have a lot of problems, then okay, you have a window,
08:23you have the transfer, and maybe we can go there, and in nothing, nothing,
08:27the season will be over, because the seasons fly, every season, more and more.
08:32So, that's why.
08:35I know the feeling that people say,
08:36no, it's weaker, and they have to sign, otherwise, that is the reason why.
08:40I don't have that feeling.
08:41I love it, I like it, and I like what the club has done for me as a manager,
08:46from the transfer window.
08:50Do you actually think the squad is stronger than last season,
08:53given the start that Sampdoria has made?
08:55We will see.
08:56I'm really pleased that Gundo and Sabino are here,
08:59with Makati is back, and Nico makes a step up.
09:04I like it, but if stronger, it will depend on our performance.
09:07So far, I'm happy.
09:09I didn't expect to play the level we played so far,
09:12and the conditions that we start later than anyone else,
09:15after winning, that always is more difficult, but yeah, we will have lows,
09:21but I'm pretty sure the players, the mentality they have,
09:24will rise and we'll come back.
09:27At the end of the season, we'll tell you it was better than the previous season,
09:30so I don't know.
09:32Non-Foden, the club said he was unwell last week.
09:37It's been seven days.
09:39Who?
09:39Foden.
09:39Yeah.
09:40It's been seven days since...
09:42Are you expecting it to be a lengthy absence?
09:45No, hopefully, after the international break, we'll be ready.
09:50Because obviously, I don't know how long he missed when he had appendicitis.
09:5518 months ago?
09:56No, playing against Chelsea, 45 minutes, and after, he didn't feel good.
10:02And we make tests, he feels good and much better,
10:06but still, he doesn't feel perfect.
10:07I prefer we give that time to recover, be fine,
10:12and after we come back international break, be ready for the next games.
10:19Just to go back to Erling a second.
10:22How do you see his personality, how it's changed on the pitch?
10:27Because when he first came here, he was a force of nature.
10:30You could see how desperate he was to be successful.
10:33He scored all the goals, beat the record, blah, blah, blah.
10:37And there were people saying also that he could only play in one position,
10:41that he couldn't integrate.
10:43But the impression one gets now is that a lot has changed in his head
10:47and his perception of how to play football, not just scoring goals.
10:52It's going to happen naturally, gradually, as much as he plays.
10:56He can do it, I think the ability is to do it.
10:59His ability is his strength and the potential and power
11:03to direct it to the goal and the goal machine.
11:06Please don't change that, never, ever.
11:09Not to add something, you can lose that.
11:11That is not the point.
11:13But, of course, it's involved,
11:15because we talk about what the situation is happening in the game,
11:17we can do better.
11:19But the most important thing is the feeling that this season feels...
11:24You know, when he arrived, he came from Dortmund,
11:26he had a lot of problems with the injuries.
11:28And we struggled, you know?
11:31Last season, I think, he struggled a bit with the success in the past.
11:35And this season, I had the feeling that he's better than...
11:40in terms...
11:41I don't know, I wouldn't say ever,
11:42because he scored, I don't know, 50, 60 goals every season.
11:44So to be better is almost so difficult.
11:47But, you know, finish the training session,
11:48stay in the pitch a little bit more for the finishing crosses.
11:51And he spoke with his physios and the other one,
11:56you know, feels perfect,
11:57don't have any niggles when in the first season, had a lot.
12:00So he's always smiling.
12:02So, yeah.
12:03So, of course, it's one game a week,
12:04the tiredness will come, the winter come.
12:07And, you know, now he's go to Kazakhstan
12:11to play the National League with Norway.
12:13It's 10 hours flight, 10 hours come back.
12:15And, you know, this kind of stuff always accumulates,
12:20and that's why you have to be careful.
12:21But so far, you know,
12:24in the end, part of the tour in the States
12:27to come back to be focused on training,
12:29and, yeah, it's really good.
12:31Yeah, it just seems in a better place to me.
12:33Sorry?
12:34It just seems in a better place.
12:35I mean, he's in a pretty good place, I don't think.
12:37Yeah.
12:38This is like another place entirely.
12:40In the club?
12:41Yeah, in his head.
12:42Oh, yeah.
12:42How he feels.
12:43Yeah, I had that feeling, yeah.
12:46We talk about that.
12:47So, yeah, focus.
12:48These years as a professional, focus completely in the game
12:51and every three days.
12:52So demanding, you know, he knows it.
12:54So it was every three days,
12:55every season is one more year in your body, you know.
12:59But, yeah, as much as he's happy and enjoying the trainings,
13:02enjoying scoring goals,
13:03and has a mentality to be better and better,
13:05always never disappear, never disappear.
13:08When you are, OK, I've done it, it doesn't matter.
13:11And after that, he'll decrease his performance.
13:14Still, this season I see still is there.
13:18I'm not saying performing well is good,
13:19because performing well always, I believe,
13:22depends on many factors, not just myself,
13:24for the mates, for the opponents, for many things, you know.
13:27This play, that play, play good.
13:29Why?
13:30Tell me the reason why play good.
13:31There are many, many factors that involve
13:35and play good and bad.
13:36I'm not saying about that.
13:37I'm saying that be ready, you know, be still...
13:41I want to score more goals
13:42and I want to win another Premier League.
13:44I want to, again, be in the final stages,
13:46Champions League or FA Cup or whatever,
13:48and be a better player.
13:49So, what we have done so far,
13:52maybe we're going to have long weeks, yeah?
13:54So be careful, because we have long weeks this month,
13:56so have time to recover, to go home and do that.
13:59And after that, when it's three, four days,
14:01three, four days, three, four days,
14:03we'll see, we'll see.
14:05Thank you, guys.