- 8 hours ago
Guardiola on Foden form and balancing the squad plus latest City injury updates
06/03/2026 embargoed section
CFGA, Manchester, UK
06/03/2026 embargoed section
CFGA, Manchester, UK
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00:00Let's say you're a big fan of Phil Foden. He would play football every day of his life if he
00:03could, this sort of thing.
00:05But he hasn't scored, I think, since the 14th of December.
00:09So seven or eight goals in that period is very good then.
00:11But since then, he seems to have tailed off. Is that fair?
00:13And how do you assess how he's playing?
00:15Step by step, we'll be back.
00:16So we have some very good things in the last game.
00:22His dynamic is still there.
00:24The moment we'll make him a step to relax and do what he does.
00:28Will give us in the final, make an incredible two good assists for Erling.
00:32Make it two shoots.
00:34Especially the second one, really one.
00:35That is what we want from Phil.
00:36So have the courage to be incredibly free in his mind and his soul
00:40to express his incredible talent in the final third.
00:44And his get the ball, turn and go, turn and go.
00:48It's a step by step. He will get it.
00:51Elliot Anderson's equaliser for Forrest the other night.
00:54Phil was the nearest man to Elliot Anderson.
00:57And they seem to lose him.
00:59Marking, is that fair?
01:00It's not the problem, just with Phil.
01:01It was four mistakes in that action that don't start, finish with Phil.
01:07But there are four mistakes that we are working with.
01:13And still, the proof that still we are something that tells you how to improve as a team.
01:21Hi Pep, I just wanted to ask about Ryan Aitnuri.
01:24What do you like that he is adding to the team at the minute?
01:27And what do you still want more from him?
01:28It was a period that I didn't play much.
01:31Nico Riley played there.
01:32And after that, Nico, we didn't have the consistency that they're proving the second goal that we didn't have.
01:38For many times, with Nico, Antoine, help us to be more team.
01:43And in that moment, in that position, like Jusko's injured, Brian, that's why we brought him from Wolves play.
01:48And he's playing really, really good.
01:50So, unfortunately, the last game should be.
01:52We have some niggles in the legs.
01:55He didn't feel comfortable at all.
01:56So, that's why we didn't want to take risks.
01:59But it's obviously your first year working with him.
02:02How have you found him since his move?
02:07He's making a step forward a lot in the last games.
02:10I understand what we want, what we need.
02:12And his quality with the ball is fantastic.
02:14He was an extra pass and defensively, he's more aggressive and more fast than the people could think about it.
02:19And the question of working the line is getting better.
02:24Hi Pep.
02:26When you have a big game on the following Wednesday, the weekend before, what differences do you see in players
02:33if they've got a 3 o'clock game or if they've got an 8 o'clock away game?
02:38Do you see differences in the following days and how they can prepare?
02:43Recovery is massively important.
02:44The rest, the sleep, the foot, the training.
02:48We know how we can handle it.
02:49And, of course, when we are up early at home, so it's better than late for the recovery.
02:55But it's what it is, so we never have some detail about we can do better thinking than the other
03:02one.
03:03So, for him, England, it's more important what happened in the Carabao Cup than the Champions League games for the
03:07English teams.
03:08Happened for the day one.
03:10So, it's no surprise and no ask for anything.
03:13If we play at 8, we're going to play at 8.
03:15So, what I said, we have to travel to, we can sleep tonight and you have a few more hours
03:22recovery from the previous gaming as Nottingham 4.
03:24So, it's what it is.
03:26I don't pay much attention with that.
03:28So, I can say here, we could do that, but I give up.
03:34But definitely for, but not now, for a long time ago.
03:38Because when the travel in Quadruple was completely the same.
03:40So, I'm not going to fall, I'm not a guy who called the referees the day after to say, why
03:45do this, why do that.
03:46Never have in 10 years.
03:48I know a lot of my colleagues do that.
03:49I know the colleagues for the old generations do that.
03:52I never call Howard Webb or call the guy.
03:55So, I'm not wasting my time with that.
03:58Nothing in the schedule.
04:00The broadcasters decide because they say, we pay a lot of money.
04:03OK, well done, I got a lot of money, thank you so much.
04:06You are so kind.
04:07So, it's that.
04:09On the, obviously, the St. James' Park game, the 2-1, was a big, big game.
04:16A lot of talk about the referees.
04:18And we'll have the same one tomorrow.
04:20Thank you so much.
04:21Are you surprised that they gave you the same one?
04:22No, it's good, it's good.
04:24It's good.
04:26That's good.
04:29Hi, Pep.
04:30What's it been like working with Ryan Cherky this season?
04:33Because he's got so much talent.
04:34And you obviously talk to him a lot and give him a lot of advice.
04:37How do you feel he's developing over the season?
04:39Always I want Ryan his talent to give to us.
04:43But only to ask you, play 10 metres up front.
04:49So, the talent close to Rodri, I don't care.
04:52Close to Erling.
04:53How come the first goal?
04:54For him, close to.
04:56How come the assist from Ryan Cherky, Ryan Nuri and Leeds?
05:01It's close to the box.
05:02Live there.
05:03Whatever you want, but live close there.
05:04Because it's unique.
05:06That's the only way I ask.
05:07He likes to go a little bit, you know, deep.
05:12But he's young.
05:13But the numbers and the impact, I would say, in the first season in the Premier League
05:17here have been massive.
05:20So, I'm a delight.
05:21A delight that he gives us to us.
05:24Always trying and always try to tell them to add something to his game for the team and
05:31everything.
05:32Always listen and want to do it.
05:34I'm really surprised, you know, how open and commitment I want to do it.
05:39But, egoistically, I want his talent in the final third.
05:42Because it's unique.
05:43Have vision in the past.
05:45And it's like Kevin.
05:46You know, when he plays Kevin, I want to close the box.
05:48I don't want him in right back positions, you know.
05:51I want to close.
05:52It's not easy because the space is meaner.
05:54But he has the ability to find the smaller spaces to create his talent.
05:59That's interesting though, isn't it?
06:00Because you could say, I'm not quite as good a manager as you are, but you could say, if
06:06Turkey gets the ball deep, he's the type of player that could control a game and give
06:11you a lot of touches and do it that way.
06:12Yeah, but we have Rodri there.
06:13But you've got that already.
06:14And we have Bernardo.
06:15And we have Mark Ewey.
06:16And we have John Stone when playing.
06:18We have another guy there.
06:20So, we not need them there.
06:21We need them there front.
06:22So, score goals and make an assist.
06:25That's why you are here.
06:26So, it's like Phil last game.
06:27You know, play Erling and close by with Phil and him.
06:29Why do we need that guy close to Erling?
06:32For what?
06:32To score goals.
06:33To create chances.
06:37So, you know, there are players that move.
06:39For example, play Tijani.
06:41I said, Tijani, make a run in behind.
06:42Movement right to the box.
06:44He's unique.
06:45He's a player that's unique.
06:46His moments too, like Gundo was in the past, like the tempo to arrive in the box.
06:51Tijani is this type of player.
06:52So, I ask to the players what he has, you know, sometimes for the injury,
06:56sometimes for the problems that we have.
06:57Oh, we have to adapt to play here in that position, their position.
07:00They make an effort, but it's not natural.
07:02It's not a natural position.
07:04You know, for example, with Mateos, have the ball, drive with the ball,
07:08and making speed, 10-50 metres, 20 metres, the ball is unstoppable.
07:11Do it.
07:12Don't make passes, passes.
07:14Do it.
07:14Go.
07:15It's your talent, right?
07:16So, that's why we bought it.
07:17You have to think, you make actions to do it, do it.
07:20I would not ask another player, Rico, for example.
07:25I don't ask Rico to go there and make 45 metres.
07:27They have no disattributes.
07:28Have another one, smaller spaces, this intelligence, defensively, offensively.
07:32Always I ask the players to do what they do and come back with the group, with the team.
07:36So, in fact, this is probably too simple a way to look at it,
07:40but you're thinking of him more like a Kevin De Bruyne, a Phil Foden,
07:44rather than somebody who can have a lot of touches.
07:48Is that where you want him to go eventually?
07:50No, sometimes when we don't have the ball, when we are not able to give two or three passes,
07:54I like Ryan Cherky come, you know, or the players more up front come to play.
07:57I like it.
07:58But when the situation, like Nottingham Forest,
08:00allowed us to go to the mid-block or deep and wait us there,
08:04we have to be there to win the ball.
08:06And after you lose the ball there, it doesn't matter.
08:08We are protecting people from behind.
08:10Common sense, I would say.
08:12Explain something.
08:14Especially.
08:18You always say that you learn a lot about your players when it comes to setbacks,
08:23that's the most, when you learn most about them.
08:25How have they reacted to the setback on Wednesday night?
08:30What are they kind of feeling, the players at the moment?
08:32Many times in the last two years, two seasons, last season especially,
08:37this season as well, we normally react well.
08:39We have the ability to forget quick.
08:41It's another competition, I would say.
08:43It's a final.
08:45It's been in this competition, FIA Cup or not been doing that.
08:48Of course, they were a little bit disappointed.
08:51But, you know, we did in everything much, much more than them.
08:55But that game is like that.
08:57We could not win.
08:58So, expecting goals, 2-15, 0.7 chances concede and withdraw.
09:07That is football.
09:08So, we have to defend better in some departments.
09:11You have to steal, steal, steal, steal, steal.
09:15We are not a complete team to compete to, you know, to be a solid.
09:20That is the reality.
09:21But we are in the process of many changes to, if we can learn quicker,
09:26that there still is nothing lost, we can quicker, you know,
09:29to arrive in the last month with the chances.
09:32But I'm pretty sure next season will be better and next season will be better.
09:35I don't have doubts about that.
09:39I just want to ask about the build-up because this, I mean,
09:43I just want to ask about the kind of little law changes and rule changes
09:47that maybe help it in the game.
09:50We've seen this season, the first season, where goalkeepers are being punished
09:53for holding the ball for longer than eight seconds.
09:56Does that speed up the game?
09:58Does that change how you kind of build up from the back
10:01and how teams are pressing against you?
10:03A few years ago, we saw that goal kicks didn't have to leave
10:06the box, they could take a short pass there.
10:08How do these changes kind of help your build-up?
10:13A good question.
10:14Not much.
10:15These two concepts that you have for the fact that goal kicks come inside
10:21is for two, three, four or five seasons and that will make quick.
10:26The Premier League, the wiser men decide to make quicker, we do quicker.
10:35It may be a problem for the keepers, they have to be there and more long balls, second balls.
10:40Yeah, it's fine.
10:42We adapt.
10:44I'm not in the UEFA and the FIFA and the Premier League board to decide the rules
10:50and everything.
10:50I just adapt.
10:51I always have been like that.
10:55How long is Rico Lewis out for?
10:58Rico has a problem with twisting the ankles and a little bit swollen but he's on the edge to come
11:06back.
11:08He's nearly back, sorry.
11:09Yeah, nearly back.
11:10Are you able to discuss his season as a whole this year?
11:15Because he's playing quite a bit at the start and then he's dropped out.
11:20He's not really playing that much at the moment.
11:22Is that because of the way you're playing?
11:27You need different profiles of players in midfield or is it his age?
11:30Yeah, it's a good question.
11:32Always I rely a lot on Rico, having a special.
11:35So the first or second game in the Champions League playing in Villarreal.
11:39He's now third or fourth in the league, so it's a top team.
11:43Even the Champions League make a good season.
11:45I think Villarreal have a high consideration for me.
11:48I trust a lot.
11:49It's just maybe, you know, for my markings, for this type of less pockets, less positions there.
11:55And sometimes maybe that is the reason.
11:58But I trust him a lot.
12:00I like him Rico a lot, a lot, a lot.
12:03I'm just back on Phil.
12:05When you talk about Phil, you talk a lot about in his mind sometimes, in his head,
12:09rather than kind of the rhythm of his feet and how he is on the training pitch.
12:13Is that the biggest thing for Phil as opposed to some other players?
12:16If it's clear in his mind, then everything else kind of follows after that.
12:22Listen, what James said before, so we're talking about nothing
12:24and he played good.
12:28I had the feeling I didn't watch the game, but I had the feeling that he played really good.
12:33So I don't have that feeling.
12:34But still we are used to be incredibly decisive in the final third.
12:39And it's happened when you don't lose much consequences, be free in the final third.
12:44This type of players, the big, big talent have to be inside of some organization.
12:49Otherwise it's not possible.
12:51He had to express himself in the moment.
12:52He'll lack a little bit when action.
12:54He'll be back because he's always able to help and do it.
12:59Pep, La Liga moved Real Madrid game from Sunday to tonight,
13:04while your league arm made sure that PSG won't play between the legs against Chelsea.
13:10Does it make it harder to progress in the Champions League as an English club
13:14because of the Premier League schedule?
13:19Maybe we are more stronger and braver, quicker and faster than other leagues.
13:23And we prove, we show to other worlds how special we are.
13:29The French league should be jealous of us.
13:34Sorry, Pep, there was a picture the other day of Kovacic back in training.
13:39Yeah.
13:39Is he anywhere close?
13:41It's a good green news.
13:42Finally, he's back training in the last three or four training sessions.
13:47Still enough of your condition needs time.
13:49But the most important, after the second surgery, his ankle is much, much better than the first one.
13:55And, yeah, maybe he can give us a good quality time until the end of the season.
13:59Maybe after the international break?
14:02We'll see.
14:03We'll see.
14:03Need a little bit more training sessions.
14:05I've been almost one year out since, no, one year since, yeah, Fulham, I think, was the last game.
14:11Make a surgery and since then come back a little bit, but he was not fully, fully fit.
14:15And now, you know, after many months, he's back.
14:18And any chance we see Gvardiel before the end of the season?
14:21Sorry?
14:21Gvardiel before the end of the season?
14:23Uh, it's a bit longer.
14:24Still, yeah, I hope so.
14:27I hope so.
14:28But I don't know when.
14:29I didn't speak with doctors.
14:31Thank you, bro.
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