Serious crisis
Pep Guardiola: “I’m not good enough”
12/16/2024 – 4:58 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
After the derby defeat against United, Manchester City’s crisis deepens. Coach Guardiola reacts with self-criticism.
Manchester City suffered their next low blow in the derby against city rivals United. Team manager Pep Guardiola’s team lost the duel between two crisis clubs in the Premier League on Sunday after a late double strike by the English football record champions 1:2 (1:0).
Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola reacted to the setback in the derby against Manchester United with fierce self-criticism. “I am the boss, I am the manager and I am not good enough,” said the coach of the troubled English series champions after the 1:2 (1:0) with two late goals.
United players Bruno Fernandes (88th, penalty kick) and Amad Traore (90th) shocked the defending champions. Guardiola stared into space in consternation. Former Leipzig player Josko Gvardiol (36th) scored for City.
Nevertheless, the fans celebrated Guardiola, who has been at the club since 2016, with a choreography before the game. Most recently, the Catalan had become the crisis explainer for the faltering top club. Guardiola’s team had won five of the previous six derbies in the league, while United had won the FA Cup final against their city rivals in the summer.
City remains fifth in the Premier League, but after 16 match days they are already nine points behind leaders Liverpool. The Reds also played one less game.
United, on the other hand, recorded an important win, only their sixth of the current season. The new coach Ruben Amorim achieved his second success over City within 40 days. At the beginning of November, the Portuguese and his former club Sporting Lisbon inflicted a painful 4-1 defeat on Guardiola’s City in the Champions League.
Guardiola is currently experiencing the worst sporting phase in his career as a top coach. For City it was already the eighth defeat in the eleventh game in a row across all competitions, although they only won one game and drew twice.
Due to the defeat in the prestigious city duel, Manchester is in fifth place, nine points behind league leaders Liverpool FC, who still have one game left. “I knew it would be a tough season,” said the Spaniard. “But I didn’t expect it to be as hard as it is now.”