PEP GUARDIOLA SLAMS MAN CITY PLAYERS: "WE DIDN'T TRY" AGAINST LEVERKUSEN
Pep Guardiola defends his rotation policy after a heavy defeat, insisting he makes decisions for the team. With City trailing Arsenal, he admits they "cannot lose games."
Pep Guardiola is defending his team selection methods, telling critics that their concerns about his overthinking are unfounded.
After he made ten changes to the Manchester City lineup for their defeat against Bayer Leverkusen, the team's depth became a hot topic.
Guardiola, 54, took responsibility for the loss. Still, he reminded everyone that he often takes risks and puts a lot of thought into his choices.
Do you think thinking is a bad thing? Guardiola asked. I can list times when my thinking worked out well. Then, people call me a genius.
I decide based on what I think is best for the team, but I know I can be wrong. I told the players it could happen, and I support them, but I ask them to give it their best.
Guardiola admitted that City needs louder support from their fans at the Etihad Stadium.
After City lost at home to Bayer Leverkusen, Guardiola made ten changes.
If I were a fan, I wouldn't cheer for my team playing the way we did, he said. Our fans go out of their way to come see us, and we appreciate that.
I know the stadium well since I've been here for years. If you do what you need to do, they'll be there. That's what we need to focus on.
City is seven points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal before their home game against Leeds United on Saturday. Rodri is still out.
The Spanish player has only played for one minute since October due to a hamstring injury.
City can't afford to mess up this weekend after losing to Newcastle United. Guardiola added, We know the competitions are hard. It's not just about one result; it's about how we perform.
Yes, results help performance, but I'm not too upset about Newcastle. Leverkusen, yes, because of my decisions and because we didn't try hard enough, it's that simple.
I know Arsenal is strong and has a lead. We'll start to see how we improve as a team, and we'll see what happens.
We can't afford to lose games, that's true. Arsenal wins games and is solid, like Liverpool and us in the past. They won't drop many points.
THE FERGUSON BLUEPRINT: COULD PEP GUARDIOLA MIMIC SIR ALEX’S LEGENDARY 2013 EXIT?
Shay Given suggests Pep Guardiola could mirror Sir Alex Ferguson by leaving Manchester City if they secure the 2026 title.
People are starting to wonder if Pep Guardiola will bow out in style if he wins the Premier League this season, kind of like Sir Alex Ferguson did with Manchester United during his last year.
On Saturday night, Manchester City beat Leeds and pulled itself just two points behind Arsenal. The pressure’s on. Arsenal still lead, and they can stretch that gap to five points again, but they’ve played one more game than City. It’s a tight race.
City are no strangers to chasing down Arsenal; they’ve done it twice before in the last three seasons. Guardiola’s team has the experience, and honestly, that counts for a lot right now.
Arsenal have a great squad, no doubt about it, but not many of their players have actually won the Premier League. That could make a difference as the pressure builds.
Shay Given, who used to play in goal at the top level, thinks Guardiola might walk away from Manchester City if he lifts another trophy. He sees a bit of Ferguson in Pep winning big, then calling it a day. Given talked about it on Premier League Productions: “Arsenal probably have the deeper squad, two or three players for every position. But Pep’s not giving anything away. When someone asked him what Arteta needs to do to win the league, he just said, ‘I’m not going to tell him.’ He wants that trophy for himself.”
It’s pretty simple now: If either team wins all their remaining games, they win the league. Given says he’d back City. He trusts their experience. “They’ve been here before,” he said. “And I’ve got a feeling Pep might leave if they win the league. He’s rebuilt the team; maybe it’s time for someone else to take over, but he’ll want to go out on a high.”
Guardiola and City haven’t stood still. Over the last year and a half, they’ve kept reshaping their squad planning for life after Pep. Marc Guehi, Tijjani Reijnders, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Antoine Semenyo have all come in. Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias are either at their peak or about to hit it. The city looks ready, whatever happens next.
JUNE 2026 MYSTERY: WILL BERNARDO SILVA STAY AT CITY OR SEEK NEW ADVENTURES?
Bernardo Silva remains the heartbeat of Manchester City's Quadruple chase, but with his contract up in June, his future is unclear.
If Manchester City’s season has a Silva lining this year, Pep Guardiola knows exactly who to thank. And no, it’s not Erling Haaland. It’s not Rodri, even with his Ballon d’Or. Forget Gianluigi Donnarumma or even Antoine Semenyo, who grabbed the winner on Saturday.
Let’s be real: if anyone’s earned Pep’s gratitude, it’s Bernardo Silva. He’s the guy who sometimes gets overshadowed by the bigger stars around him but still manages to shine like a superstar every single time. Through ups and downs, Silva’s been the one Guardiola can always count on.
At 31, Silva is still absolutely vital for City as they chase another treble or maybe even a quadruple. Just look at the win at Elland Road. Without Silva, it doesn’t happen. That’s just the truth.
He might be small, but his heart’s massive. Silva always gives Guardiola exactly what he needs, week in, week out.
Elland Road can be brutal, and Leeds didn’t make it easy for him. They tried to rough him up all game, but he didn’t flinch. That was his 37th appearance of the season for a guy who’s rarely injured and still one of the first names on the team sheet.
Silva showed up at the Etihad from Monaco nearly ten years ago for £43 million. Looking back, that was a bargain. He’s paid City back with seventeen trophies so far and countless moments that matter.
He’s shared the dressing room with some of City’s all-time greats: Kevin De Bruyne, Vincent Kompany, Sergio Aguero, and David Silva. When the original Silva left in 2020 after a decade of brilliance, it felt impossible to replace him. But, honestly, Guardiola already had his answer with Bernardo.
Since then, Silva has become the foundation of City’s recent success, both in England and in Europe. His contract’s up in June. Nobody knows yet if he’ll stay or move on. That’s up to Guardiola and, of course, Silva himself.
If he does decide to leave, nobody could blame him. He’s given everything to City. He owes them nothing.
And when his time in Manchester finally ends, Silva deserves to be right up there with the club’s greatest legends. No question about it.
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