Guardiola on difficulties of breaking Luton down as City go top
Guardiola on difficulties of breaking Luton down as City go top
Etihad Stadium, Manchester UK
Etihad Stadium, Manchester UK
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00:00Evening guys, we've got mics on either side, so you can raise your hands if you've got
00:17something to ask a question and we'll set an embargo towards the end for 10.30 on Sunday
00:20evening.
00:21So where to start please?
00:22James?
00:23Pep, obviously, you know, very strong finish in Luton, tired, but they really made you
00:32work hard for an hour or so, did it feel quite a tough game until that last 25 minutes?
00:38Yeah, really hard.
00:39Yeah, yeah, really.
00:40And the second goal was, I would say not tight because we played really good, we had a lot
00:44of chances in the first half.
00:46We missed something in the finishing, but I think we could create a lot, but how many
00:50times I've seen in world football, a team that's better, better, better, and at the
00:54end don't win the game.
00:57Many times, you know, it's not serious.
00:59After second and third, it was okay, we conceded the third one and that's three, but it's football
01:04that's happened, but in general, the performance, considering Madrid and Madrid between the
01:07games, the guys performed like we are.
01:12So we are close to qualify for the Champions League, the people say, okay, Pep, what do
01:14you say?
01:15No, no, no, you have to qualify for the Champions League, and we defeated Tottenham today, we
01:20are closer, because for the stability, for many reasons, all the clubs know how important
01:24it is.
01:25I would say the biggest target in every season, qualify for the Champions League next season,
01:30we are closer today, and apart of that, yeah, today we'll sleep on top of the league, we'll
01:35see tomorrow, and yeah, six games left, we know what we have to do.
01:39Sam?
01:40Hi, Pep.
01:41Obviously he's scored a couple of good goals in the last two games, Josco Gradiol, but
01:45he's played very well overall too.
01:48How do you think he's played overall this season, his adaptation?
01:52Improved a lot.
01:53Improved a lot.
01:54He arrived, in some period, he was confused, he lost a lot of balls, when he had the ball,
01:58every time he lost the ball, when I make an exceptional thing, so we talked together,
02:01I said, the defender has to make the most easy, simple things, you have to demand the
02:05creativity for Doku, for example, today, for the people up front, but the defender has
02:10to make the simple things.
02:12He got incredible the message, he's then played really, really good, defensively strong, can
02:16play in the middle, more back, and it's difficult to find his left footer, and find the left
02:22footer they don't use much well, the right one, and he's really good with the right,
02:27he uses more comfort with the right than the left.
02:29And yeah, he scored a good goal in Madrid today, again, in the first half, and it's
02:34another threat we have in the final third.
02:35So he received a position, a central position, when the wingers come, two or three players
02:40to make two against one, three against one, against Doku or Jack or wherever, he's free,
02:44and close to the goal, he has an incredible talent, so I encourage him to try again and
02:48again.
02:49When did you have that conversation with him?
02:52One year ago.
02:53A month ago, I don't remember exactly.
02:58Pep, it may only be for 24 hours, but psychologically, you being on top there overnight, I think
03:07it's the first time since November, do you think that can make a difference in the minds
03:10of your opponents?
03:11No, I don't think so.
03:12It's when we will be there in the same game, so I don't consider it this kind of situation.
03:16But I have the feeling that they know that they want to be there, Arsenal and Liverpool,
03:20they know they want to be there, otherwise we're going to drop.
03:23We played away in Crystal Palace, before Madrid, four goals, and played really good, especially
03:27in the second half.
03:30Today five more.
03:31If they know how difficult is Luton, the fact that we have Erling there, they adapt the
03:37man-marking, when normally they use man-marking all the time, and they adapt in a deep position,
03:455-4-1, so deep, it's what Erling is there.
03:48And, yeah, we did really well, so I think we played the game where we should play.
03:56Jamie?
03:57Hiya, Pep.
03:58Ahead of Real on Wednesday, are you delighted with how your team's playing?
04:04You mentioned the goals you're scoring, Erling linking with Kevin today, for example,
04:09are you delighted with the form?
04:12We spoke with the players, how incredible it is to be here again.
04:18Before the game we spoke, guys, we have to admit it, what a privilege.
04:23After we have done the previous season, still fighting for the Premier League, one point
04:27behind, now 21 points left, and when we are going to play against Real Madrid, a chance
04:35to qualify for the semi-final, with all the energy our fans will bring, all the best positive
04:41moods they will bring to us, to be here in the FA Cup next Saturday against Chelsea to
04:47reach the semi-final, the final of the FA Cup, so what a privilege to be here, to imagine
04:53to be no chance for the Premier League or no chance for the other competitions, so try
04:58to extend one more week, and one more week, and one more week, you know, go there, one
05:02more week, and in the Premier League we have one more week, we have a chance, but they
05:06know, we drop points, no chance, they will not do it, if today, I don't know if it's
05:11going to happen tomorrow against us in Liverpool, but knowing today, they want, they will win,
05:17100%.
05:18The only way we can do it is win our games, put pressure, and make them feel that Luton
05:23is difficult, OK, we scored five goals, so this is the only mess you can do, our game,
05:26the six left, and after, if you are on the table, congratulate them, but we have done
05:30our job, it's what we have to do.
05:33Fred?
05:34Pep, you could rest some players, but Stones wasn't there, is he a doubt?
05:39Have some problems, some niggles, he's fine, but he's not injured, but he didn't feel comfortable
05:45and we didn't take risks, and that's all, and Nathan and Kyle want to be on the bench,
05:50OK, go on the bench.
05:52Is Rodri happy to rest a bit?
05:54Absolutely.
05:55He's going to rest on Wednesday as well.
05:58Do you believe me?
06:01Yeah.
06:02As Fred said, you were able to make quite a lot of changes today, are there any of the
06:12players that perhaps haven't played as much that have given you a little bit of thought
06:17before the run-in on Wednesday?
06:20They don't need to prove me anything, I know them quite well, I see them every single season,
06:24every single game, and I rely on them, so I like to give minutes to Sergio because he's
06:30a lovely guy, and look at the impact from Oskar Bov, in a few minutes the impact, he
06:34moved in the right positions and created a lot of chances.
06:38The game from Kevin, the game from Jeremy, the impact for one-against-one, aggressive,
06:43the insectional goal, hard score, always try to improve, create the penalty, create many
06:48things.
06:49All of them, Mateu is a runner, and the dynamic that he has, Kovacic playing a central position
06:55we spoke about before, so you can do it there, it's an experience, so I didn't have any doubts
07:02how he still will run in every department, the last action, the transition, six players
07:06backwards, so the team is alive, and it's difficult next week against Real Madrid, but
07:17in the same time, OK, let's try it, let's go to do it, what we have with our people
07:23together, whatever happens, because the people know that we give everything, everything,
07:27there is no one minute that we don't do what we have to do, to be a humble team, to be
07:32a solidarity team, to try to attack them, we believe we can do it, with all our desire
07:38to do it.
07:39I want the Etihad full, no-one seats empty, I would say it's never empty since many years,
07:47but go there and let them feel that we want to try it again, we want to get to the semi-finals,
07:53this is what we want to feel for our crowd and ourselves for the minute one until the
07:59end.