Guardiola on changing routines as he seeks solutions to City's slump

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Guardiola on changing routines as he seeks solutions to City's slump  24/12/2024 embargoed until 25/12/2024  CFGA, Manchester, UK

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00:00The injuries are one of the main causes for the run you've been on.

00:03Have you been able to pinpoint why there's been so many this season?

00:07No.

00:10Yeah, basically because we didn't have training

00:14during many, many times, during many months, so

00:18so there are some

00:22details that have, that the lack of training for many, many plays is a lot,

00:27the level of demanding is so high and the body cannot sustain

00:31the amount of energy or the amount of action that you have to do when you are not well prepared.

00:35Basically, it's that you have, unfortunately, the injury from Moscow or Rodri,

00:39that is completely different than the muscles normally,

00:41is when you demand some effort to your body

00:44and the body is not prepared, and prepared for just one reason, we could not have training.

00:48We were

00:50five players in the tour

00:52and after the guys that came back,

00:55so the back four, for example,

00:57all defenders together this season, we didn't have once.

01:01We could not train once.

01:03So when players, for example, in that period,

01:07players and all together, they have 100 less training sessions

01:11than the year and the travel for combined all year

01:14in that period in November, 24th of November.

01:17So that is, I think, the reason why some of the people say, no, why injuries?

01:22It's the schedule, basically, and after, of course, many years together and

01:27and lack of preparation, basically, is that.

01:30And is there a sense of, for example, with John at Aston Villa,

01:33would you prefer to give him a bit more rest before bringing him back?

01:36I can't.

01:38Of course, I would like.

01:40So normally, the guys with the table massage, you know, train, train during three, four days,

01:44they have two, three training sessions that more or less is recovery for the games and games

01:48and they have to play.

01:49One game, it's fine.

01:50Now I have to play another one in three days and three days, another one.

01:53And at the end, they felt they, you know, they cannot sustain it for a much, much longer.

01:59This is the...

02:00I'm not a doctor.

02:01I'm not a physio.

02:03But I think, you know, when you demand your body some amount of effort

02:06and your body is not prepared, you get injured.

02:11Hi, Pep.

02:11Every year you've been here, you've always said that the first target is qualifying for the Champions League

02:16and your chairman and owners are always happy and smiling when you qualify for the Champions League.

02:21How big a concern is it that the top four is looking, obviously not impossible,

02:25but it's looking a challenge now, a lot more so than in recent years?

02:28And what are the sort of financial risks of not qualifying for the Champions League?

02:33Yeah, financial is an issue.

02:34Of course, it is.

02:35But it's not just that.

02:37When I said before, the people laugh.

02:41Yeah, it's presumptuous, you know?

02:43He's winning the Premier League and said that the Champions League is a big success.

02:46I know what it is because it happened in the clubs in this country,

02:49but for many, many years they were dominant in this club

02:52and after many, many years not qualifying for the Champions League.

02:56I think the only team that has been in the Champions League for 11 or 12 years

03:00has been Man City.

03:01Now we are at risk, of course we are.

03:04Definitely we are.

03:05So you have to get points and win games,

03:07otherwise we will not qualify for the Champions League.

03:08If we don't qualify, it's because we don't deserve it.

03:11People are not prepared because we have a lot of problems

03:13and we didn't solve those problems and didn't find a way to win games.

03:17But of course, there are a lot of contenders to be there.

03:19For every club, it's so important right now.

03:23We are out and if we don't win games, we will be out.

03:27And can I just ask, you've always...

03:29Obviously, as a manager, you're always facing problems,

03:32even when things from the outside look as though they're going really easily.

03:35You face challenges and problems every day

03:38and you've obviously always found solutions to these problems very quickly.

03:41You must have done to have so much success.

03:43I just wonder, do you ever reach a point where you wonder

03:46or fear that you can't find a solution to these problems?

03:48No.

03:49Is there a point where you put your hands up?

03:50I'm so positive in that.

03:52Of course, there are doubts.

03:53Absolutely, I do.

03:54The decision is not good or what to do this or how to do that.

03:57But I'm so positive.

04:01So we make the ordinary the extraordinary in the past.

04:07You know, when the people in the beginning of the season started saying,

04:09I know City is going to win in November, they're going to win the Premier League.

04:13You know, the people think it's ordinary to win when it's something extraordinary.

04:18Now it's happened, you know, a little bit the opposite

04:20because it's extraordinary to lose a lot of games and that happened.

04:23That some of them could not happen or we played more than well to not happen.

04:28But it happened because there are reasons.

04:31And because I'm honest.

04:35When I have the feeling that I cannot do it,

04:39I know it's more difficult because I don't have the players.

04:41So that is simple.

04:43And some of them, OK, we cannot do it.

04:47Hi Pep, obviously, you're unbelievably successful.

04:50One of the all-time greatest managers.

04:52I know you don't want to be in this situation, don't get me wrong,

04:54but in the long run, is it maybe a positive or it will even improve you

04:59as a manager having to deal with this?

05:01Yeah, of course.

05:02Of course, even when we won, I didn't take it for granted.

05:08Even when people say, it's that.

05:12I didn't take it for granted.

05:15Of course, every situation in life you make me experience

05:19and know exactly what could have done better,

05:23what you have to do better and what you have to do better in the future.

05:27And I get why you stick up for your players in public.

05:29You always support your players.

05:30I completely understand that.

05:32But just because some of the teams you have put out recently have been quite strong,

05:36are you surprised that they, being elite players who know how to win Premier Leagues,

05:39Champions League, FA Cups, have not been able to sort this out a bit themselves?

05:43You can only do so much, right?

05:44It would be easy for me to say that the reason why are the players.

05:49But they're the ones playing, right? They're the team.

05:51I know, but it would be easy for me that...

05:54It would be completely unfair because they try it.

05:58And they are not able, but it happens because there are many situations

06:01that they want it and they are suffering and they want to do it to get back.

06:05It would be easy for me that, you know, it just...

06:09It would be like cleaning my face.

06:12You know, I know it's easy for me to do that because they try it.

06:17We are not able to do it all together, what I said to Simon.

06:21So it's easy to say, no, the reason why is this one or this one.

06:25There are many, many reasons.

06:27So even I could say for myself, the reason why is Pep.

06:31We have won.

06:33What we have done in a year, 6 to 7, and it happened.

06:36Why should it be different now?

06:38There are a lot of things for the beginning of the season that didn't go well.

06:42And most of the part is for our fault.

06:45And you have to fix it.

06:48This is the point.

06:49You've always talked about what a good relationship you've had

06:52with the chairman, Kaldun Al-Mubarak.

06:54Have you talked, or has he spoken to you specifically about this

06:57just to make sure that you're not feeling too isolated

07:00because it's quite a lonely job?

07:01Or would he just leave you to it?

07:03No, every week we talk.

07:05I'm incredibly in support.

07:07I behave, again, like it happened maybe in the first season,

07:11but it was completely different.

07:14And we both know it.

07:16So when there's a moment that something wrong happens,

07:19we're going to take a decision and it happens.

07:22But I find incredible, incredible support by him.

07:24For, of course, Chiqui Ferran, but especially Kaldun.

07:28And in that terms, I always said,

07:30OK, the situation is what it is and what we have to do to get better,

07:34to improve the team.

07:35And come on, let's for the next one.

07:38Always have been positive.

07:43Just going back to something you said before about the scheduling tomorrow.

07:47You said the players are staying over before, staying here before the match.

07:51How many times have you done that before?

07:54Where they've stayed, at a trading ground?

07:55In this season? Here? I don't know, but we play at 12.30.

07:59I don't know, sometimes we play at first, in January.

08:02And also, maybe at home.

08:06So it's our job.

08:07So we have to be here, we have to be here.

08:09We play at 3 or at 4.30, we'll be at home and come back as usual.

08:12But playing at 2.30, always, I've done in these seven years,

08:15when we play at 12.30 at home, always we stay over.

08:17If traffic arrives or something happens in the morning,

08:20it can be a problem and they will stay.

08:24So listen, it's not a big, big problem.

08:27Stay one day and sleep in here, because we have a game the day after.

08:31So it's not a big problem, honestly.

08:34I think a few of the players had a little Christmas get-together the other day.

08:40It's quite an English thing to think that if a team is having a bad run,

08:45nobody should have any fun and it's not allowed.

08:47Is it a good thing, from your perspective, that they are still doing that sort of thing?

08:55Listen, I want to be honest.

08:57If we are winning 10 games in a row, that would be perfect to celebrate with the families.

09:02I don't like it if they go out and after they don't behave and hangover,

09:07the next day it's not happening.

09:08They were with the families, with friends, they are together to celebrate Christmas time.

09:12In the day off, they have two or three days before,

09:14it will not be an issue if we win.

09:16If we lose, why not?

09:19They have families, right? They have kids.

09:22Why should they be at home and nothing?

09:23They celebrate, they are healthy people, they are with their loved ones.

09:30I don't see absolutely any problem with that.

09:32Yeah, that was sort of my point, in that is it important, from your perspective,

09:37to see them still doing the normal things?

09:41Because it could be, you know, if you're in a bad run of form...

09:44Well, yeah, the normal thing for the fact that they are at home with the families

09:47in the Christmas time, of course, is that we have to do more.

09:51We cannot do the same because the result is not going well.

09:54We have to do more, we have to do better.

09:56We have to do something that has done well during these years,

10:02and now it doesn't work, we have to do something else.

10:05Otherwise...

10:08Do you know what that something is?

10:10Everyone has to do more.

10:14I have to do more in the place, I have to do more.

10:17Even the uncomfortable things and difficult things, I have to do more.

10:21OK, thank you, guys.

10:23Merry Christmas.

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