Guardiola won’t sacrifice style despite Barca blunders

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola was defiant he will not change his ways despite a harrowing night for goalkeeper Claudio Bravo on his return to Barcelona as a Lionel Messi hat-trick inspired a 4-0 Barca win on Wednesday.

Bravo was sent-off with City trailing just 1-0 for saving Luis Suarez’s effort when outside his area after gifting the ball to the Uruguayan striker, putting Guardiola’s decision to jettison England number one Joe Hart under more scrutiny.

“Until the last day I am a coach I will try to play from the goalkeeper,” said Guardiola.

“Of course you cannot play all the time, but it was a mistake and it sometimes happens.”

Bravo enjoyed two almost faultless years at Barca before joining City in August, but has endured a shaky start under Guardiola’s firm instructions to build City’s attack from the back.

“He (Bravo) has a lot of experience, he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world for the last 10 years, but he will learn and is the first one in the dressing room to apologise.”

Bravo’s gaffe was just one of many City defensive howlers on the night as Messi took advantage of Fernandinho’s slip to give Barca an early lead.

Messi curled home a second before Ilkay Gundogan’s misplaced pass played in Suarez, who squared for Messi to complete his hat-trick.

The scoreline could have been even more embarrassing for City had substitute goalkeeper Willy Caballero not saved a penalty from Neymar before the Brazilian made amends with a brilliant fourth.

“It is always difficult to play in Barcelona with 11 players and with 10 the game was over,” added Guardiola.

“We created enough chances, we arrive at the byline many times, but with their strikers when they arrive they punish you.”

Guardiola won his first 10 games in charge, but City have now failed to win any of their last four matches and the Catalan lamented the series of error-strewn performances affecting his side.

A 3-3 draw at Celtic was followed by a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur before City missed two penalties in a 1-1 draw with Everton on Saturday.

“Starting in Glasgow, own goals in White Hart Lane (against Tottenham), missing penalties, we give a lot for the opponents,” he added.

Guardiola, who won 14 trophies in four years in charge of Barca, has now lost on both occasions he has returned to the Camp Nou after losing 3-0 in 2015 when with Bayern Munich.

However, Guardiola’s former teammate and Barca boss Luis Enrique agreed Bravo’s dismissal changed the game.

“The sending-off was decisive and conditioned the game a lot,” said Enrique.

“Teams that try to play from the back know those errors can happen and you have to accept it. In the long-run it is more beneficial.”

Messi has now scored two hat-tricks in as many games in this season’s Champions League as the Argentine showed no signs of rust on his first start for a month after a groin injury.

“We have seen the calm that Messi has to finish inside the area as if he was in the school yard,” added Enrique.

“If there is anything you can expect of Messi it is that. It doesn’t matter how many days he has been out or the games he has missed.”

AFP

Guardiola’s father insists he will never return to Barcelona

Pep Guardiola’s father, Valenti, has said there is no chance his son will return to Barcelona and also ruled out the possibility of him taking the Spain job.

Guardiola started his playing career at Camp Nou and won a lot of major titles both as a player and coach, during his two decades with the club.

The Spaniard ended his association with the club in 2012, when he embarked on a one-year sabbatical leave from the game.

Now his father has told Barca fans, not to expect him back in any role at the club.

“Return to Barcelona? To do what, work as a ballboy?” Valenti joked with Cadena Ser on Monday.

“I really don’t see him there either as president or on the bench. His time with Barca has come and gone, I don’t think he would do well in going back.

“At the very least, I think we can rule out him coming back as coach.”

Guardiola, who is now coach of Manchester City, returns to Camp Nou on Wednesday to face his old club. Valenti says he will be supporting the Premier League team.

He also backed his son to do with his new club.

“He does well everywhere,” he added.

“He did great in Germany too, they loved him there, and he has walked into a big club in England.”

There is one job, he however cannot see his son accepting.

“I would say he could take the Catalan national team, but I can’t see him in Spain,” he said.

“I’m not just saying that, I have nothing against anyone. Everyone is free to think what they want.

“I don’t know what he will do, who am I to say what he should do?”

'He thinks he's king, if he wants a war he can have one' - Toure's agent hits back at Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola on Tuesday in a press conference insisted that for Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure to come back to the team, his agent will have to apologize for speaking against the team.

Now Yaya's outspoken agent Dimitri Seluk has fired back at the Man City coach saying he'll say what he likes and that Pep feels like a king because he's been winning games.

Seluk also called on the Spaniard to apologise to goalkeeper Joe Hart and former City boss Manuel Pellegrini for his role in their Etihad exits.

He said:

‘If Guardiola wants a war, then he can have one. I felt that Pep was being vindictive to Yaya. He has reacted to what I have said by punishing Yaya again. Pep doesn’t want players with personality. He only wants players who are scared of him and will do what he says. 

‘The first thing he did when he arrived at City was to pick a fight with Yaya and Joe Hart, two of the club’s biggest players. They have both been big personalities in the dressing room at City and Guardiola doesn’t like that.  

‘What do I need to apologise for? I will apologise to Guardiola if he will apologise to Pellegrini for what he did to him. Colleagues should have respect for each other, especially in England where it is important to act like a gentleman. 

‘He also needs to apologise to Joe Hart. It’s not right to come to England and then get rid of a few English players. Guardiola wins a few games and thinks he is king.’

Yaya Toure must apologise to play for Manchester City again - Guardiola

Yaya Toure will not play for Manchester City again until Pep Guardiola receives an apology for comments made by his agent.

The City boss is unhappy with remarks from Toure's adviser Dimitri Seluk, who said the Ivory Coast midfielder was "humiliating a great player."

"It was so difficult for me to put [Toure] out in the Champions League -- so difficult," Guardiola told a news conference. "I know him, I know he's a good guy, but it was difficult for me as well to put Aleix Garcia out, [they are] the only two players that are out, because the list is the list.

"But the day after his agent spoke -- in that moment -- Yaya is out. Until Mr. Dmitri Seluk comes back in the press conference, or his friends in the media, he has the courage to call me, go to the media and say an apology to Manchester City, the first one, the second one is his teammates and after the trainer.

"When that happens Yaya will be part of the group and he will have the same chance to play all the games. Because I cannot accept as a coach, every manager when his player doesn't play goes to the media and speak and speak and speak. It depends."

Toure has made only one appearance for City this season -- the Champions League playoff second leg against Steaua Bucharest -- and has not featured in the matchday squad for the seven other City fixtures.

The 33-year-old was also left out of Guardiola's Champions League squad -- along with Spanish youngster Aleix Garcia, who has been on the bench for City's last two Premier League games and made his debut in the 4-0 win over Bournemouth at the weekend.

And Guardiola said Toure, who retired from international football on Tuesday, will not come into contention for Wednesday's EFL Cup clash with Swansea City at the Etihad.

"I know how Dmitri Seluk loves Yaya Toure, if he loves me, show me and make [an apology] to Manchester City [for] what he did in the [media]," he said.

"I cannot imagine in my period when I was a football player, my manager going to the media and speaking against Johan Cruyff, about this and about that.

"Maybe it's a new era now, the new period changing, but I'm an old guy. I am old generation, and old generation managers has to make his players his job and trainers his job, and today the managers believe they are more than they are.

"If he has a problem call [director of football] Txiki Begiristain, the club, and they can talk, until he doesn't speak, Yaya is not going to play."

Toure missed three days of training last week with a migraine but this week has rejoined the first-team squad.

But Guardiola will not consider him following the comments from Seluk to the Sunday Mirror in September.

Seluk said: "If City don't win the Champions League then I hope that Pep has got the balls to say that he was wrong to humiliate a great player like Yaya."

Hull City's Mike Phelan crowned August's Manager of the Month

Mike Phelan has beaten Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte to the Premier League Manager of the Month award for August.

Phelan, the caretaker manager at Hull City, won two games out of three to start the season, including an unexpected victory against champions Leicester City and a 2-0 win at Swansea, before narrowly losing a third, 1-0 to United.

The Tigers' feat has been all the more impressive considering they started the campaign with just 13 fit senior players.

"I am honoured," Phelan said of winning the award. "It's an honour you don't expect, being caretaker manager. It's a credit to the football club and to the players for all their endeavours that have given me this achievement.

"It's been a turbulent summer. We had a small amount of players available to us but, to all intents and purposes, they stuck to their task really well and it has got us off to a decent start.

"The players needed some support; we have that now, to some degree. I think that the quality of the players brought into this football will lift the standard and we are hoping we can have a successful season."

Manchester United boss Mourinho, Manchester City manager Guardiola and Chelsea's Conte all made perfect starts at their new clubs winning all three games.

However, at least one of those records will come to an end in the next round of fixtures when City travel to Old Trafford for the Manchester derby on Sept. 10.

Each Premier League captain had a vote for who should win the award, alongside a panel made up of former footballers and managers.

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling was named the Premier League Player of the Month.

Mino Raiola: I don't like Pep Guardiola as a person

Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola has hit out at Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola ahead of Saturday's Manchester derby, saying he "doesn't like him as a person."

Raiola will not be at Old Trafford to watch two of his biggest clients, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, play for Manchester United in their first derby against a City side now coached by Guardiola.

"It's a special derby, it's important in many aspects, but I will not be there," Raiola told Cadena Cope.

Raiola will be interested in what takes place, though, as Ibrahimovic will be crossing paths with his former Barcelona coach Guardiola again.

The striker endured an unhappy spell working with Guardiola during the 2009-10 season and referred to the Catalan as a "spineless coward" in his autobiography.

Ibrahimovic, who left Barca in the summer of 2010 to join AC Milan, accused the coach of misusing his talents, claiming he was like a "Ferrari" and that the coach was "driving it like a Fiat."

Asked about City boss Guardiola, Raiola said: "I don't like Guardiola as a man, I never did and never will. I don't hate him because hate is a strong word and no one deserves that, but I don't like him as a person.

"I also don't like his tactics because I find them boring, but that is down to taste."

Raiola added: "Guardiola would never sit down with me [to negotiate transfers]. He doesn't have the balls to sit down with me."

Raiola, however, did negotiate with Jose Mourinho's United this summer.

Ibrahimovic, 34, arrived at United in July on a free transfer after his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired.

"Zlatan is very famous, I am very proud to be his agent," Raiola said. "He is a perfectionist in his professional and personal life. Players are like children, you love them all differently but they love you the same."

Raiola was also behind the world-record transfer of Pogba from Juventus to former club United.

"The world record fee is just a detail," Raiola, who earned a reported €25 million from that sale, said. "For me it's not important to be the best football agent in the world, that is up to the players to say, but to be the best for my players.

"It's important that my players are happy where they are. The world-record fee is just a detail. What matters is that Pogba is at the club where he wanted to be."

Yaya Toure omission will see Man City fans in Africa support United - agent

Manchester City will lose fans across Africa because of the way Yaya Toure has been treated by Pep Guardiola, according to the Ivory Coast midfielder's agent.

Toure, 33, has since been left out of the squad for the Champions League group stage with UEFA rules forcing Guardiola to drop an overseas player with only 17 of his 18 foreign players eligible.

His adviser, Dimitri Seluk, believes the decision to omit the four-time African Player of the Year winner will not be popular on his home continent.

"They will lose a lot of millions of supporters from Africa because of this decision from Guardiola," Seluk told Sky Sports. "Now they will support Manchester United. A lot of people in Africa say they will never see any more matches of City on TV."

Toure has not featured in the starting lineup or even on the bench for any of City's three Premier League fixtures this season.

His only appearance came in the Champions League playoff second leg against Steaua Bucharest with the tie effectively over following City's 5-0 win in Romania.

Toure, who has been with City for six seasons winning two Premier League titles and three domestic cups, is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad.

He will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a club outside of England in January and Seluk believes that there will be plenty of interest from clubs in Europe and around the world.

"Yaya in January can sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs abroad," he added. "He will have many offers from clubs. China and America of course they want him but we will have a lot of offers from England and Europe.

"He is in very good shape, very good condition, I think he lost seven kilograms.

"Maybe that's not good enough for Guardiola, but then Zlatan Ibrahimovic wasn't good enough for him [at Barcelona]."

Toure is still eligible to play in the Premier League but is not expected to be recalled to the squad for Saturday's clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford despite the absence of suspended striker Sergio Aguero.

Premier League announce four-man shortlist for August’s Manager of the Month award

 

Hull City's caretaker manager Mike Phelan, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and have all been nominated for the first of this season’s Manager of the Month award.

The Tigers had the honour of kicking off the new season as they beat reigning champions Leicester City on the opening day then followed that up a week later with a 2-0 win over Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.

However, their winning run came to an end in heartbreaking fashion just before international break against United as Marcus Rashford netted the winner in injury time.

That result means the Red Devils maintained their perfect start to life under new manager Mourinho, who has also overseen comfortable victories over Bournemouth and Southampton.

Another new arrival to English football is former Juventus and Italy national team manager Antonio Conte. He has made an immediate impact at Stamford Bridge with his side securing hard-fought wins over the Hammers and Watford, before recording an easy 3-0 win over newcomers Burnley last weekend.

Two of the nominees go head-to-head in eight days time as Old Trafford host the first Manchester derby of the season, but will it be Mourinho or Guardiola that wins this award?

Pep Guardiola will make an emotional Champions League return to Barcelona with Man City

It is the third time in four seasons City have faced the Caltalan Club in Europe and means an emotional return to the Nou Camp for Guardiola who led Barca to 14 trophies in his four years in charge, including two Champions League wins In 2009 and 2011.

Under previous boss Manuel Pellegrini, City were drawn with Barca in the last 16 in both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. They lost all four games and had a player sent off in three of the clashes.

But Guardiola will draw on his inside knowledge of the Spanish giants when he seeks revenge for Bayern Munich’s semi-final defeat by Barcelona in 2015.

The draw also means an immediate return to Barca for City’s new goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who yesterday completed his £13.75million move to the Etihad as a replacement for the unwanted Joe Hart.
City’s other Group C opponents will be Borussia Monchengladbach, who they beat twice in the group stage last season, and Scottish champions Celtic.
Sporting director Txiki Begiristain, a former Barcelona player and director, said: “For Bravo, Pep, me and Ferran [Soriano, City’s chief executive] it’s back home again – three times in four seasons! At least we know the way!

“It’s a tough draw but it’s better to face Barcelona in the group stage than in the round of 16 like before. We were in the semi-finals last season and we want to get there again.”
In contrast to City, the three other English clubs – Leicester, Arsenal and Tottenham – were relatively happy with their draws.
The Foxes are in with Porto, Bruges and Copenhagen; the Gunners face Paris Saint-Germain, Basle and Ludogorets while Spurs are up against CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco.

Joe Hart: Man City goalkeeper can leave - Pep Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said goalkeeper Joe Hart can leave the Premier League club if he asks to.

England international Hart, 29, is considering a move after being dropped, with Everton and Sevilla interested.

"I don't want players to stay if they don't want," Guardiola said. "If they want to stay, stay and we will fight together."

The loan move Hart favours, with less than two weeks of the transfer window left, is still the most likely outcome.

That would allow him to assess his options over the course of the season.

Barcelona's Claudio Bravo and Marc-Andre ter Stegen have been linked with moves to Etihad Stadium, while Guardiola selected Argentine goalkeeper Willy Caballero against Sunderland and in City's 5-0 Champions League qualifier victory over Steaua Bucharest on Tuesday.

It is understood Guardiola and Hart, who knows he has no future at the club, have not built up any kind of relationship. The Spaniard does not believe Hart has the time to become the kind of 'sweeper-keeper' he wants to play with.

Guardiola added: "If he stays he will improve. He understands what we want from our goalkeeper.

"I spoke with Joe from the first moment we met in China. I try to be clear with my players and I was clear with him. I have a lot of respect for him.

"Maybe Joe will stay here and be a player who will fight with the other goalkeepers to convince me to play him. That is the way it is - nothing has changed."

Guardiola said he knew Hart's "value" and "talent", but that he had come to City to "play the way I like".

"The first thing I am looking for from the goalkeeper is to save," said the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach.

"After that he has to be able to play with the ball. He has to be help us to create a good build-up. That is why I am here."

The 45-year-old added: "We are not an academy with time. Here we have time - but not too much.

"The big teams don't give me time to create something. People want results immediately."

Hart has made nearly 350 appearances for City in all competitions since joining them from Shrewsbury in 2006.

He was England's most senior player at Euro 2016 behind captain Wayne Rooney with 63 caps, but he had a disappointing campaign with mistakes against Wales and Iceland as Roy Hodgson's side suffered a shock last-16 defeat by minnows Iceland.

Midfielder Yaya Toure is yet to feature in any of Guardiola's match-day squads this season, despite appearing to be injury-free.

Guardiola insists the 33-year-old Ivory Coast international will get a chance when he has proved he is match fit - that is if Toure "wants to stay" at the club.

"Yaya is trying. He loves to play," added Guardiola.

"I have spoken to him about the situation. He is a player with huge quality.

"I have a lot of respect for him. I know when he increases his intensity without the ball he will be part of the group - if he wants to stay."

Champions League play-off ; Iheanaco in – Toure out

Kelechi Iheanacho has been included in Manchester City team for their Champions League play-off with Steaua Bucharest on Tuesday (today).

However, Yaya Toure, was a surprise exclusion for the game.

The 19 years old striker came off the bench in the last ten minutes of City’s 2-1 win over Sunderland, and will be hoping he is given another opportunity by coach Pep Guardiola in the fixture.

Last season, the former Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles star appeared four times in the knockout rounds of the Champions league, logging 71 minutes.

Man City sign Moreno

Teenage Colombian forward Marlos Moreno has joined Manchester City on a five-year contract, the Premier League side announced on Saturday.
The 19-year-old arrives from his formative club Atletico Nacional and will spend the 2016-17 season on loan at Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna.
He is reported to have cost City 4.75 million pounds ($6.2 million, 5.6 million euros).
“City are one of the best clubs in the world. It will be nice to experience being part of such a big club. I want to make the most of it,” Moreno told the City website.
“Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. I think he likes young players very much and he can improve young players tactically and technically.
“It will be great to work with him and to be part of a great team.”
Moreno has been capped seven times by Colombia and helped Atletico Nacional win this year’s Copa Libertadores.
He is new City manager Guardiola’s seventh close-season signing, following Leroy Sane, Ilkay Gundogan, Nolito, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Aaron Mooy.
“Marlos is an excellent prospect who has already broken into his national team,” said City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain.
“He’s a versatile player, still learning, but we believe he has a fantastic future in the game and with City.
“He makes and scores goals and is an intelligent footballer. We’re delighted to have signed him.”
AFP