Interview with Pep Guardiola: every word of the Manchester City manager’s irate Sky Sports performance

A Pep Guardiola interview for all ages? Few have ever seen the Manchester City boss so animated as he questioned th…

A Pep Guardiola interview for all ages? Few have ever seen the Manchester City boss so animated as he questioned the wishes of his players and fans.

Speak against Sky Sports (opens in new tab)’ Patrick Davison, the Catalan, was thrilled with the situation his side found themselves in as City trailed Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 at half-time after a lackluster first 45. Certainly the champions turned the tide in explosive fashion and won 4–2 — but when asked if he was happy, Guardiola wrinkled his face and declared: “Of course I’m not”.

Here’s every word of it his incredible diatribe (opens in new tab) after Tottenham’s win — before the City boss left the interview, refusing to reveal what he had said at half-time.

Every word of the interview with Pep Guardiola after Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur

Pep Guardiola appeared furious with his City stars, despite a four-goal turnaround at the Etihad last night (Image credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Well, Pep, what did you say at halftime? Because whatever it was, it worked…

You believe that?

It’s a question…

You need to prepare better.

People keep telling me that.

Yes, I can’t deny how lucky we are, but we are a long way from the team we were. Not in terms of game, we play well enough ourselves, but there are many things, in terms of competitiveness, in terms of what we have to do, in many things we are way off. Far away. So with Rico Lewis they got four fouls, but of course it’s not yellow cards because it’s Rico Lewis. You know, we don’t respond. We give the first goal and after the second goal it’s ridiculous but we keep going. And we play short and we play because, ‘our manager told me we should do this and we should do this…’ but nothing comes from the stomach, from the gut. Today we are lucky. But sooner or later, if we don’t change, we’re going to drop points.

So what are the things that are missing? Guts, for one, what you’re talking about…

Passion, fire and will to win and from minute one. The same goes for our spectators, our fans. They’re quiet [for] 45 minutes.

And then they got booed at halftime, some of them.

Oh well, we played well. They were booed because we were losing, but not because we played badly. We played well, we had more chances. Expected goals from Tottenham were zero, from us 0.89. So we were better. They were booed because we were losing. But it’s the same for our team, maybe we’re so comfortable winning four Premier Leagues in five years. That’s why we, you know. After we score a goal, they react, but… that’s not the point.

So do you think from players and spectators maybe four titles in five years, good luck — a lot of success — maybe a little bit of fire has gone out of everything?

Absolutely, otherwise we won’t be conceding the goals we are conceding every game. We give them. We give them. We will then score the goals, yes, congratulations but we will give them. And today we are lucky, but the next day we will not be lucky.

So how do you get that back, that fire, the guts you’re talking about?

I will insist. That is my duty, my job. I want my fans back. I want my fans here. Not my away supporters, my away supporters are the best. But my fans here, for the newbies who support and support every corner and every action. Because we play, we can’t expect — because Tottenham are one of the toughest opponents I’ve ever seen, from Antonio [Conte], how they defend, how well they are organised, how well they build up, how they link with Harry Kane, how Kulusevski, Son, even Bentancur, they make incredible game changes to the other side. The threat they have every moment is unbelievable. So I couldn’t really expect four goals in 30 minutes here. I don’t know, but sometimes you need the game, like we did. But we gave them as gifts.

Royad Mahrez put on a stunning second half to salvage City’s three points (Image credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Do you think the players need to give the spectators more in some ways…

No, no, no, no, listen…

…If you say that the guts are not there, the fire is not there, maybe that will happen…

Understand, we have to do it, but everybody’s like… relaxed. You know? The Premier League is not waiting. We have an opponent like Arsenal who is like… they have the fire.

Do you think they look like a team that has not won the Premier League for a long time and you look like a team that has won the Premier League four out of five?

Two decades!

I know.

That they didn’t win the Premier League and that every player knows they are going to make history. Like we felt when we won the Premier League and broke all records and we won another back-to-back and two back-to-backs. In life, in everything, we have the fire inside, but it is not [there]. We don’t ask anything, I just explain that everything is so comfortable. And opponents do not wait. The opponents are there — and you say to me: ‘Oh Pep, how bad’, no, we are second in the league. So we are not 20 points behind.

Pep stormed out of the interview with Patrick Davison (Image credit: Sky Sports)

Well, you’re not happy, are you? They’re not my questions, are they? Not happy with your players?

Of course I’m not! I don’t recognize my team! My team always had desire and passion in everyone and would run everything.

Of course you also told everyone in the dressing room…

…I don’t have to tell you what I said.

Come on, tell us what you said!

No absolutely not.

Okay thanks.

Thank you.

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