Saturday 14 / December / 2024
Manchester: Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola emphasised the importance of the upcoming Manchester derby and the emotion it holds for the fans as the wounded champions look to bounce back, the team's official website reported.
Manchester City, who lifted the Premier League title four times in a row, stand just a couple of games away from their season falling apart.
The defending champions, whose season has been plagued with injuries, are currently eight-point behind table-toppers Liverpool.
The upcoming derby against their bitter-rival Manchester United on Sunday could lay the foundation for a potential comeback, which could turn the season around for Guardiola's men.
"It's an important football game. It's important emotionally for our fans in the stadium, and it's special, but always in these types of games, I would say that the less emotional you are you will be better," the Spaniard said in a press conference, as quoted by the club's official website.
His counterpart, Ruben Amorim, has struggled since he started his stint at Old Trafford. The 'Theatre of Dreams' has witnessed a couple of nightmares, especially when Nottingham Forest scripted a memorable 3-2 win.
Despite Amorim's initial struggle, Guardiola is confident that his competitor will thrive and said, "He's doing a good job. I'm sure of that. He will do it."
Manchester City recently ended their seven-game winless streak with a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. The Blues followed it up with a draw against Crystal Palace and a defeat against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.
Despite Manchester City's concerning form, Guardiola is confident that his side will regain form and bounce back as the season progresses.
"I think, in our jobs, always we want to do our best, and when it doesn't happen you're more uncomfortable. Not just managers, but especially the people under scrutiny for every step we do as a team. You think more about what can you do. I feel the past few weeks with the situation [the way it] is with the results," he said.
"I'm really pleased with the way we played and have a certain authority in what I've done in my career so that I know when we play well or not. We have to shoot more, yeah, and make less mistakes, yeah, but the game is there. For the rest of the games, we were there. I know the reason why, that's why you move forward, keep working, this is what we have to do," he added.
