Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reacts to Man CIty's draw against Brentford following a 2-0 lead
14/01/2025
Brentford Stadium, London, UK
14/01/2025
Brentford Stadium, London, UK
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00:00No, it's not about the frustration, it's where he is, so we were close, but the game was,
00:09we had chances, I think we didn't take the right decision when we could run, because
00:16for the way they play, you can run when you play man-marking and you are able to make
00:20a build-up and win the ball, you can run, and after that our decision was not the best
00:26that it could be, but at the end they put a lot of players in the box and 2-0 was there
00:32and between the 2-1 and 2-2 it was really good, we controlled it, we dropped them, we
00:38didn't accelerate the game, we should do it, what we had done before the 2-1, and after
00:44they put a lot of players in the box, the crosses, they are stronger than us in that
00:48department for the absence that we have, and at the end they equalised.
00:52Did you feel as if you had done enough to win the game, because De Bruyne was clearly
00:56very good tonight, filled back to best in terms of scoring twice, and it feels as if
01:03there were real positives as well?
01:06Always there are positive things and negative, but always there are positive, of course we
01:10are happy for many things we have done, but obviously have not been enough, but of course
01:17there are good positive things, and up front the people create a lot, it's the time I've
01:22been here in Brentford since I was promoted in the Premier League, but more chances that
01:26we had, always they had, because they are really good in set-pieces, in long balls,
01:31and the pace they have, they are so quick, but in general the team play a really good
01:38composer, and incredible effort from many players, and playing in different positions,
01:43so they are really good.
01:45Pep, you were talking to Josco at full-time, what did you make of the sort of...
01:49How good he played, he played an incredible game, I was satisfied, we talked in one action,
01:55but it's the same with Ortega, how good he played in the actions with the ball, how good
02:01pass to the early, how happy and satisfied I am, especially with these two players, what
02:08they have done.
02:09What did you make of the defending for the last goal?
02:14They put a lot of players there, and we were not close, because of course it's a tie, we
02:23could not close the cross, because it's there, and after they arrived, Nogger, they are strikers,
02:28Nogger arrived, our whole midfielders, they are not the quality, the skills to defend
02:35this type of balls, because of course we have another type of players right now, and at
02:40the end we could not defend that situation.
02:44Pep, two goals conceded in quite quick succession tonight, and obviously that's happened quite
02:50a lot in this run, two goals late against United, Spurs, and other games too, is there
02:58a particular reason for that, even tonight in isolation, was there anything?
03:04No, I had to think about it, I had to think about it, maybe I had to go control, but
03:10now we have the situation that we have, but also I give credit to the opponents, I think
03:14it's a little bit different this game, like a United game, but yeah, it's true, I had
03:20to think about it.
03:23Phil said you looked laggy in the last 20 to 30 minutes as a team, is it?
03:28Sorry?
03:29Phil Bowden said the team looked laggy in the last 20 to 30 minutes.
03:32Laggy style?
03:33Yeah, that's why I replaced him.
03:40Is that kind of contributing to...
03:42I said it was so demanding, you know, we have a lot of absences that give us that composure
03:48and physicality, you know, Kovacic for Minja, Roddy is not there, and Bernardo Mkhitaryan
03:54Kravalev for Gundo attacking midfielder, so sometimes, yeah, we know that, but with 0-2
04:02we could manage it a little bit better, not better, but I think that's the one too, we
04:08didn't accelerate the game, because Brentford is a team that is so aggressive there, but
04:11when you drop them, they give you a lot of passes and that's what we have done, and we
04:16have the chance from Erling to walk through the post, we have the shoot from Maka, you
04:22know, in the edge, his quality is there, we have those situations, and after that they
04:27put six, seven players in the box, crosses, and sometimes, you know, sometimes they are
04:34better, so they are more players, they are taller, they are stronger in the head, so
04:38you have to understand it.
04:39Just aside from the game, Tony Books, Jesse was announced today, what did he mean?
04:45Well, we wanted to dedicate for him, the club belongs to this type of players, the legends,
04:51it was an honour for me to meet him, on behalf of course all the team, his family, I think
05:00we are going to do the real, you know, thoughts on him, on behalf of the club, and I think
05:08he had an incredible life, his smile, you know, I met him, the way he talks, always
05:16with the biggest smile on his face, so it will be missed a lot, I'm pretty sure Mike
05:21Summers especially, because he was a close friend, and yeah, for his family, the best,
05:27the best for all of us.
05:28Two more guys, Scott and Jack, please, Scott.
05:30Pep has had two games in a row now, where Kal Walker hasn't been involved, do you think
05:35it's likely he's played his last game for the club?
05:37I said what I said, I don't have anything more to say.
05:40And in terms of the three potential champions, Kusunoki?
05:44Nothing, nothing to say.
05:47Jack.
05:49Just going back to the late goals, do you think there might be an element of mental
05:57fatigue with the players, because these sort of things have happened a few times, that
06:02could weigh on the mind a little bit?
06:04Yeah, of course, when we had more margin, but the last minute I think we didn't manage
06:07well the 2-0 to 1, but after 1 we managed well, but sometimes that happens, so imagine
06:13them shooting this action, imagine they shoot and make an extra pass, an extra pass, an
06:20extra pass, maybe they finish the game there, right?
06:23But they have to shoot, and the game will be well managed, but they have to shoot to
06:26score the third, you know?
06:28And Savio having an action to pass to Erling is one against one, so what I miss today,
06:32especially was that we didn't take the right decision in the final third, when the actions
06:38were we could run, because long balls we win, we could run.
06:42And in that moment we didn't take the right decisions, and you know, Mateu is in the first
06:47half, and Erling in 1-0-2, and Savinho 1-0-2-3, that is a situation that will be filled again,
06:54will be more composed, attack more the opponent, attack more the keeper, and in the last moment
06:58make more, so maybe it would have been different.
07:00But in the same time, always they had chances in the first 10 minutes, I would say, but
07:04the strikers are really good, Visa and Bebmo, they are really, really dangerous, and also
07:10I give credit to them, so always Bremford has been a really, really tough opponent here
07:15especially, but at home as well, so because they are an honest team, they are so generous
07:20team, I like the way they play, but today we create a lot, it's the first year, I said
07:27before, so we already come here many, many times, it's the day we create more, more,
07:32more chances that we had, but yeah, of course with 0-2 we had to close it, but to close
07:36it, we have specific players to defend a result in the box, so you have to do it with the
07:44ball and have the ball and create and control there in the final third, and when they arrive
07:50in the fatigue, that of course is normal, if you don't have fatigue against Bremford
07:54in the last 10 minutes or 15 minutes of the game, that is normal, but I don't have anything
07:59to regret, so the players were really, really good and continue, recover and go to the next team.
08:08You were saying about the decision making and when to run when you're in the final third,
08:14is that confidence thing or a technical thing?
08:17No, it's happened, it's happened, you know one day we take a decision and we take it,
08:24and today no, I'm not complaining at all to the players, it's just to make it here,
08:28you make an analysis, I said we have the actions, like normally I happen to run to
08:32action 3 against 3 or 2 against 2 or 4 against 3 in our side and we didn't do it, but it's happened.
08:38So it's really talking and how we can do better, a little bit better and that's all,
08:42so it's not about, tell me this is the reason why we lost, we didn't win, no, no, but like today
08:50the game produced a lot of actions, the final third running with the players, the Savino,
08:56Erling, Kevin, Phil, Mateus, they are incredible pace to do this, we didn't finish the shoot from
09:03the post from Savio and from many actions, other posts from Erling and actions that we had there
09:11to you know, to an extra pass or shoot and maybe you pass his goal, that sometimes happens,
09:16so it's not easy for the players to take decisions all the time properly and in the right moment with
09:21the tempo that they go, the speed that they go and will improve, so the game was well played
09:27and crowd satisfied for the performance, of course we are sad, you know, because we were
09:32close to win, we could not win, but you know that sometimes happens, okay, good night.