Guardiola on Foden dropping deeper and City never-say-die spirit
26/10/2024
Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
26/10/2024
Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00Today, Phil Foden dropped deep quite a bit when Salah and Anson were penned in.
00:05Obviously, he's great around the box, he can be decisive around there,
00:08but is he someone you can use in those deeper positions as well,
00:12like in certain games, particularly with Rodri and the other injuries being out?
00:15No, when they defend so deep, it happens,
00:20you know, dropping a little bit to get the ball in front of the half-way
00:23and use his incredible potential to shoot for an ATR box.
00:26We have to use it, so that's for sure.
00:30So I prefer Phil close to Erling because his sense of goal is unique,
00:36but I have to admit that when dropping can shoot,
00:40like for example, the goal against West Ham to win the Premier League last season,
00:44this type of goals on Bernabeu for ATR box,
00:47I think he's really, really, really good player
00:50and we can use it when the opponents defend so, so deep.
00:54Pep, do you still learn new things about your team?
00:58I'm thinking this season, you know, you've had your injury problems,
01:01we can see that from the bench, you know,
01:03the last second goal against Arsenal, the same against Wolves,
01:06a tough day today, which a lot of people wouldn't expect,
01:10but you still find a way,
01:12are you finding a sort of a different spirit in your side in games like this?
01:17Always, when I finish the game,
01:20giving the credit to the opponents,
01:24of course, the result is the first, but that's it.
01:26Okay, we have done more than the opponent to win the game.
01:29We create more chances, we concede less.
01:32Yeah, so, okay, well deserved.
01:35So, and always I think what we have done to deserve to win,
01:39you know, sometimes you win when you don't deserve it,
01:41for example, against Fulham, for example,
01:43maybe we didn't in certain moments, especially in the second half,
01:46but I like to see the team, like most of the times,
01:49we deserve more than the opponents for the way we create and the other one,
01:52and this is the main target from my point of view,
01:55but I'm not surprised when you play Champions League, Premier League,
01:59Champions League and everything,
02:01and so Fulham was always to prepare that game,
02:03that this type of games,
02:04if you don't make the second, the third, always it's tough,
02:07it's difficult, and accept the challenge.
02:10So it could not be different, I would say,
02:13so it's difficult, as I said,
02:16Luke Wolves, how good they can play,
02:20and Luke, now Southampton, is in the bottom of the league,
02:23and my God, if teams are in the bottom of the league,
02:26what do you do with the other ones, you know?
02:28So this is my feeling.
02:30Hi Pep, another assist for Mateus today,
02:34I think a goal and three assists now in two games.
02:36I know you were complimentary of him the other day.
02:38Has he done anything behind the scenes to improve and force his way into the team?
02:42No, his minutes, I gave him minutes that he didn't get maybe in the past.
02:46It's a big difference.
02:48Yeah, one goal and three assists in two games,
02:52and he's backwards, and he helped, you know,
02:55Kovac and Bernardo in that position,
02:58he has incredible pace in the transition,
03:01so it is not easy to find him in transition,
03:03because they defend, in the ATR box, the space is minor,
03:07but they found the right way to do it.
03:12Yeah.
03:13Hi Pep, starting on Wednesday,
03:15you've got this run of four away games before the international,
03:18a lot of travelling in that as well, a lot of long, long journeys.
03:21Your squad's down in numbers, are you going to...
03:25One, does that concern you, this run of games?
03:27And two, is that going to inform your team selection?
03:30You don't have a lot of options,
03:31but are you going to have to think about the travel and the intensity?
03:36We'll talk about that, how to take care of ourselves,
03:38good sleep, drinks, good food,
03:42sleep a lot, training, recovery, who we are, who we are.
03:47So, I would love to have everyone, it's not a position,
03:51we are a few, few people, okay, I'm going to do what I have to do,
03:54I don't know if I'm going to think in the sports,
03:58maybe some players for the academy, I don't know.
04:02So, yeah, we'll see tomorrow, after tomorrow,
04:05fortunately we have four days, not three,
04:07and one of the main, of course, we are going to go there to compete,
04:11but the main target is warm up the sport in Lisboa and Brighton
04:16before international break, this is the main,
04:18we are not going to take a decision,
04:20if the players are fine, we're going to play against the sports,
04:22but if they have doubts, I'm not going to take a risk against the sports,
04:26that's for sure.
04:27Leave it there, please, guys, thank you.
04:28Thank you, good night.