Pep Guardiola 190-min press conference sends hidden messages on why City is shaking
Manchester City take on Brighton in the Premier League looking to stop a three-game losing slump – and Pep Guardiola’s mood on Friday spoke volumes
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 17: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD1 press conference at City of Manchester Stadium on September 17, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola delayed his press conference by 30 minutes on Friday. It was over after just three minutes and 10 seconds. He didn’t need any longer to get his point across loud and clear.
In a series of short and not-so-sweet answers, Guardiola said everything without saying much at all. First question up, will he travel to Abu Dhabi for contract talks next week? ‘No.’
That set the tone for one of Guardiola’s more memorable audiences of the season. It will certainly have been his shortest. He couldn’t get out of there quick enough.
On one hand, why would he want to answer questions about Manchester City’s losing run when he could be doing something to rectify it? He took exception with the ‘three defeats in a row’ because they were in different competitions, although that won’t wash with any football fan.
City have lost their last three games. As he said in another answer about something else, ‘that’s the reality’ – although he has a point in downplaying the significance of the wider picture because only one came in the Premier League and there is every chance they finish the weekend top again.
The headlines came when Guardiola took apart interim England boss Lee Carsley with another one word answer. ‘No’, Grealish isn’t fit for City. He is clearly unhappy with Carsley.
Guardiola insisted he doesn’t need the defeats to learn anything new about his players. “I know them for many years. They prove many times what they’re capable of. Don’t change my opinion, sometimes it happens.”
And that was the end of the press conference, 186 seconds long in the live section and the total session barely topping 10 minutes. Guardiola was unhappy and angry and did well not to say anything out of line. This wasn’t a day to get anything insightful from the manager, but what he did say felt significant.
At the very least, it was a masterclass in diversion and changing the subject.
His frustrations probably mirror the City camp in general. They haven’t been playing badly, but haven’t been playing well either. Guardiola was happy enough with his team at Tottenham, accepted defeat at Bournemouth, and disagreed with Bernardo Silva’s dark place assessment after Sporting.
If Guardiola is anxious at his players getting further injuries over the international break you can understand why. He refers to a situation that he hasn’t experienced before at City and for that reason he is in unchartered territory to get through it.
Maybe the cracks are starting to show, but Guardiola’s eagerness to get out of the press conference theatre also shows there is a united effort to put things right. After Sporting, he said: “The players who want to follow me, they will be there.”
The proof will be seen at Brighton to determine if the players got the latest message. And also next week to see if Carsley got the less-subtle message sent his way.
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