Manchester City’s crisis deepens.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola claims the team is still playing well. EPA / AOP
Manchester City is the reigning Premier League champion.
It has actually lifted the league pole for four consecutive springs now.
That’s why the team’s recent performance is particularly puzzling. With its current power structure, City is not used to losing games.
Nevertheless, the balance of the last ten games shows one win, two draws and as many as seven losses. The ball has gone into their own hands an unimaginable 23 times.
The latest humiliation was felt on Wednesday, when Juventus beat City 2-0 in the Champions League. The result leaves the Manchester group’s continuation in Europe in jeopardy. The team is now in 22nd place in the mega league table, while the best 24 qualify for the next round.
In the next round, they face PSG at their home ground at the Parc des Princes. The future opponent can be found just below the line in 25th place. It also definitely needs a win.
The spiritual side
The Champions League meeting between Juventus and City was hyped as soon as the match calendar was revealed. When the match day arrived, there was an attempt by two big clubs in search of themselves to find the right kind of tune.
Juventus had won only two of the previous ten matches. On Wednesday, however, it was clearly more effective in front of goal.
– We had chances to score goals, but now it feels like every attack by the opponent is dangerous. We are sometimes sloppy in duels and try too complicated things, belonging to the team captain İlkay Gündoğan admitted in a television interview.
The team spirit is also starting to crack. Weston McKennie after completing the 2–0 goal Ruben Dias turned right away Joško Guardioli half blaming this on a labeling error.
İlkay Gündoğan was one step behind Juventus’ Khéphren Thuram. EPA / AOP
At the same moment, Gündoğan threw his hands in the air in frustration and Bernardo Silva turned his back on others. Elekieli said that not everything is okay in the City dressing room either.
– And of course there is also a mental side to this, because self-confidence is so important. It can be seen in individual situations, if even if the player loses the ball, he loses his rhythm immediately.
– The opponent doesn’t even have to do anything amazing when it already affects us.
“Did he say that?”
The German’s comments also came from the manager Pep Guardiola’s to the ears. And he didn’t like them.
– Did he say that? No, that didn’t happen today. We didn’t lose a lot of balls, Guardiola began in an interview with the TNT channel.
– I do not agree with İlkay. Of course, this is a tight place, but with a couple of exceptions, we have played well. Credit must also be given to Juventus for the way they played and defended.
The past fall is by far the weakest phase of Guardiola’s coaching career. However, the Catalan coach emphasized that there is no problem in the dressing room.
– Spirit is good. We are happy when we win and not when we lose. What can be done about it? Should we feel sorry for ourselves? Let’s change this and move on.