Guardiola on details of Haaland contract, Foden form and his change in mood
18/01/2025 shot 17/01/2025 embargoed
CFGA, Manchester, UK
18/01/2025 shot 17/01/2025 embargoed
CFGA, Manchester, UK
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00:00Hi Pep, there's a lot of excitement on social media that nine-and-a-half years equates to 115 months.
00:07Is that just a nice coincidence?
00:12Nine years? How many months?
00:14Nine-and-a-half years, the extension, it equates to 115 months.
00:19For him, for Erling?
00:20Which is obviously a number that has been mentioned quite a lot this year.
00:23It's a lot, huh? Yeah, it's a lot of time.
00:27Is that just a coincidence, it's that long?
00:30Because a lot of people are getting excited, saying,
00:31well, it must mean that it's business as usual at Manchester City.
00:34Listen, I've been really, really pleased with what I said.
00:41Now we have to deliver, so there have been more than 500 games,
00:44maybe 503, and 485 maybe, more or less, have been exceptional.
00:51In the last 12, 13, it has not been like we expect.
00:55But when you take a bigger picture, it has been a dream.
01:00But Erling, of course, is here, he has to deliver,
01:03he has to perform well with the team and push the team,
01:06the team pushes him and each other,
01:07and the manager will be with him, myself right now,
01:10and the same we have to deliver.
01:12So we have to continue to do it,
01:15because it's not, OK, now it's perfect, everyone in the club is happy,
01:21but now we have to do it.
01:23Could I just ask, you mentioned that you've been here for ten years,
01:25if you look at the players that have been at the club,
01:29certainly since the takeover,
01:30Kompany, Aguero, Silva, Zabaleta, Fernandinho...
01:35What players?
01:36These players, once they're at Manchester City, don't tend to leave.
01:42What's the reason behind that?
01:43Why have you stayed for ten years, why have they stayed for ten years?
01:47I have the feeling that still you feel wanted,
01:53you feel they are happy to have us here.
01:58I think this is the main reason, and after the success that we had,
02:02because we cannot deny, as a manager, it depends on the success,
02:06and we had a lot, and we see,
02:09to do my job, we want to be in a better place,
02:11and even now I think the same,
02:13it's not maybe the best season that we have done so far,
02:17but the same feeling I had when we had success,
02:20and I have right now, it's a good place to be.
02:25When you mentioned Haaland, you mentioned De Bruyne as well,
02:28and they go together, Haaland-De Bruyne partnership,
02:33do you think there's any chance that even next season
02:36De Bruyne will be able to continue setting up chances for Haaland,
02:39and if not, are you already thinking about a way
02:42of getting the most out of Haaland when De Bruyne is not here?
02:46Of course it can happen,
02:48I'm pretty sure when Kevin arrives with 22, 23,
02:52and maybe for 10 years, maybe we'll accept it, I don't know,
02:55but now it's different, I have 34, of course it can happen,
02:59but I'm not thinking that next season it will happen in Bridgetown,
03:02I don't have much, and after three days later in Paris,
03:04and three days later in Chelsea,
03:06we have a tough month in February,
03:08really, really tough for the opponents we have to play,
03:10so this is what I'm thinking,
03:12what happens next season, I'm thinking one second.
03:16Were you encouraged by the way that De Bruyne played in the last game?
03:20Absolutely.
03:21It seemed to be more of his level.
03:22Absolutely, absolutely,
03:25but it's every three days, four days,
03:27like everyone from me as well,
03:29for Kevin, for Merlin, for all the players,
03:31it's so demanding, the position that we are in,
03:33the problems still we have,
03:36as I said, after one or two or three,
03:37so we will take time to come back in our consistency,
03:41but we have to try to get results in both competitions right now,
03:45and we'll see.
03:46You see him in training,
03:47do you see maybe an improvement in the physical?
03:50Absolutely, he knows that, he feels that,
03:53he talks about physio, so I feel better,
03:54I feel better, I've been struggling a lot for five years,
03:57making effort this season playing,
03:59it was not any stop,
04:02there is no player at that age,
04:05even younger,
04:05that cannot play completely without niggles or problems,
04:09but there are problems that are more difficult to handle than the other ones,
04:12and Kevin has struggled a lot for those problems,
04:14and make an incredible work ethic,
04:17I saw him working as an animal to come back and being the best,
04:22and of course,
04:23and after having a special quality that we know is unique,
04:27unique in the world.
04:31Unless I'm entirely wrong,
04:33you look happier and more optimistic than I've seen you for several months.
04:38You've had your own personal thing,
04:40you've talked about not feeling well during the bad results,
04:46but today you look happy and optimistic and almost ebullient.
04:51Would I be right in that?
04:52Has something happened with you that's lifted your spirits?
04:59No.
05:00I'm sorry to tell you,
05:01I'm happy,
05:02but not more happy,
05:03because they signed the contract 20 days ago,
05:08so he signed,
05:11so signed already two weeks ago,
05:13three weeks ago,
05:13announced it today,
05:15and so that's why I was happy in that moment,
05:17now I'm just pushed down with what I have to do,
05:19of course I'm happy,
05:20like one player,
05:21not just Erling,
05:22and the other ones,
05:23when the past important players signed the contract,
05:25and we want him to stay,
05:28I'm really pleased,
05:28because they give me the visualisation,
05:31we can win games,
05:32we can do it better,
05:33with Erling you are closer to winning games,
05:36but no,
05:38I'm fine,
05:39I've been fine,
05:40I'm fine.
05:41And do you see the Holland signing and the signings that are clearly going to come in,
05:48as a start of almost like a new transition for you and for the club,
05:52in terms of moving forward?
05:55Listen, last season we had the chance,
05:57we had the feeling that of course Noledo has to make some movement in the market,
06:05so we do it,
06:08we have to try,
06:10we're going to try to do something right now,
06:12but we have to do it in summer,
06:14and just we advance a few months for the situation,
06:17we have not done it if the players would be fit,
06:22but the same now,
06:23now I think today,
06:26we have still one or two central defenders,
06:28and no more than that,
06:30and the whole midfielders,
06:31we struggle,
06:32so the situation,
06:34we have to do it,
06:35because we should do it sooner or later,
06:37for what happened,
06:38for eight years together,
06:39for many players getting more than 30 years old,
06:44and especially there is no way,
06:46with this amount of problems,
06:47to have the players' ability,
06:49so that is simple,
06:51it's a normal,
06:52absolutely normal process,
06:54because otherwise we would not be,
06:56we would not be in the Spain net,
06:58the 11th team in the Premier League in the last five years,
07:02you know,
07:02we would not be,
07:03we could do that,
07:04no, we don't have to do it right now,
07:07so when you make that in the last five years,
07:09or done in the past,
07:10yeah of course,
07:11when years ago during the big clubs in England,
07:13do it,
07:13all the time we have to do it,
07:14and now for the reason that we are not consistent,
07:18the players are not consistent,
07:20we have to add players,
07:21we don't have another option,
07:22because we don't have an alternative,
07:25this is only the reason why the players will be fit,
07:27but we will not go to the market,
07:28absolutely not,
07:29at the end of the season maybe.
07:33Pep,
07:33you've managed hundreds of players over the years,
07:35obviously,
07:36in your experience,
07:37what age do players peak these days,
07:39at what age would you expect,
07:40and in Harling's case specifically,
07:42what age would you expect to see the very best out of them?
07:44Always we believe the more experienced you are,
07:46the better,
07:47right,
07:48so it's happened,
07:49but I saw players with 18,
07:5019,
07:5020 years old,
07:52unbelievable players,
07:53it looks like they play 600 games,
07:56and I saw players with 29,
07:58they still don't understand anything,
08:00so it depends on everyone,
08:04they are pretty settled immediately,
08:06they don't need more time,
08:08everyone is everyone.
08:09And with Harling,
08:11with Erling,
08:12he's obviously had a couple of injury issues the last couple of years,
08:15and you always talk about,
08:16because of his physique and the way he is,
08:18he's maybe more prone to that,
08:19have you been happy with his fitness and the development,
08:22and 10 years is a long time,
08:24do you expect to see a full 10 years?
08:25Yeah, the situation will happen when he comes from Dortmund,
08:30and don't play this amount of games,
08:32I played here in the Premier League,
08:33and he struggled,
08:34and I was concerned on that,
08:35but from day one,
08:38he took his physio,
08:39he took his incredible professionality,
08:41and I think all three years have been here,
08:47especially the first,
08:48and now,
08:50I've been the very best in terms of that.
08:52Injuries are part of the game,
08:55we try to avoid it,
08:56and everyone,
08:57but always a belief,
09:00part of the injuries,
09:00you are not injured when here,
09:02you are focused,
09:03and you have targets,
09:04and when this happens,
09:07you live 24 hours for that,
09:08and after that you are less injured.
09:12Hi Pat,
09:13obviously you mentioned that
09:15Erling signing for such a long time might help with recruitment,
09:18but if you potentially want to sign a second striker
09:20to compete with Erling,
09:21or provide backup,
09:23will you need a special talent and character
09:25knowing that potentially for nine seasons,
09:27they have to challenge Erling to get in that team?
09:30Yeah, but the biggest strikers will not come
09:32to be a replacement for Merlin,
09:36so you have to find the young,
09:39then accept the role,
09:40or the players for the position,
09:41like Oskar can happen,
09:43like Mkhitaryan can happen,
09:44like Phil can happen,
09:45I know it's a completely different play,
09:47but maybe with Erling we play in a different way,
09:49we play with False 9,
09:50we've had alternatives,
09:51more runners from outside,
09:53more runners for the channels inside,
09:55so we will find a solution,
09:56so we cannot go now to buy Mbappé to be,
10:00of course Mbappé was an example,
10:02to put a top, top, top, top, top class player to play,
10:05we should play differently,
10:06no, normally we play with just one striker,
10:09so that's why the club,
10:14it's incredible news that they have,
10:16and of course we have alternatives,
10:17just in case Erling of course cannot play all games,
10:20and all the minutes,
10:20have another option.
10:22I guess on the flip side,
10:23you say looking for a young player,
10:25learning from Erling,
10:26learning from Erling would be a potential,
10:28yeah, absolutely,
10:29character or something,
10:29no, absolutely,
10:30I guess I know defenders,
10:31when I was with Vincent Kompany,
10:32remember,
10:33always I said,
10:33look at Bini,
10:36better than what I said,
10:37look at Bini in every training session,
10:38how defend the boxes,
10:39and how like Ruben now,
10:41so take a look,
10:42and of course the young players,
10:44you have that curiosity to be better,
10:46learn from the best players,
10:48I remember when I arrived,
10:49and people say,
10:50the pocket is the pocket,
10:51look David Silva,
10:53when you are outside,
10:54don't play,
10:54just take a look how he moves,
10:55and that is the best lesson you can do,
10:58and the young players,
10:58when playing the players,
11:00or like a striker,
11:00the moment from Erling in the box,
11:02it's unbelievable,
11:03how good he is,
11:05so just taking a look,
11:06and that is the best way to improve,
11:07playing minutes,
11:08and learn from the best,
11:09and the best we had a lot in this era,
11:12in this 10,
11:1412,
11:1413,
11:1414,
11:1515 years,
11:16okay,
11:16thank you.