Man City News: Pep Guardiola accused of copying Man Utd tactic to hunt down Arsenal as Vincent Kompany regret emerge
Here is the most recent news regarding Manchester City for Saturday, the 18th.
Pep Guardiola accused of copying Man Utd tactic to hunt down Arsenal
Graeme Souness has suggested that Pep Guardiola is using a strategy employed by Sir Alex Ferguson in the past to catch up with Arsenal.
According to the Liverpool icon, Guardiola’s management of Kevin De Bruyne resembles the tactics used by the former Manchester United manager.
Guardiola recently criticized De Bruyne’s performance and urged him to improve his form, emphasizing the need to focus on the basics. Guardiola also called for better performances from Haaland, who responded with a five-goal haul against RB Leipzig.
Souness thinks that Guardiola’s approach is a calculated move to push his top players to deliver more and inspire the rest of the squad to improve. He cites Ferguson’s use of similar tactics with Manchester United players like David Beckham and Ryan Giggs as an example.
Souness wrote in the Mail: “De Bruyne has been City’s best player for the last five years. Yet this season he hasn’t played in some important games.
“I was at the one City lost at Spurs in February, for example, and he didn’t start that day. Strange. And now Guardiola has dug him out a little in public. This week he said De Bruyne had to get back to doing the simple things well.
“I have my theories about why this may have happened. It could be part of a deliberate tactic aimed at motivating the whole squad.
“Someone told me that Sir Alex Ferguson used to do this with Ryan Giggs. He would deliberately pick on him and sometimes David Beckham in front of the other Manchester United players.
“It would send the squad a message that nobody – even the two best players at the club – was safe from criticism. It would help to make sure a talented group of footballers kept their feet on the ground.
“So maybe Guardiola is doing that. Maybe he is poking De Bruyne in order to make sure the rest are ready to up their levels ahead of the most important part of a season that has not always felt easy for them. For all I know, De Bruyne may even be in on it.”
Leroy Sane message to Man City ahead of Bayern Munich Champions League quarter final clash
Leroy Sane, a former Manchester City player, has expressed his excitement about returning to the Etihad Stadium with Bayern Munich for the Champions League.
The draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the prestigious European competition took place on Friday, with City and Bayern being drawn fifth and sixth, respectively. Although both teams would have preferred to face easier opponents, this draw provides an opportunity for Sane to reunite with his former club.
Sane, who played 135 matches for City after joining them from Schalke in 2016, departed for Bayern in 2020.
Sane is gearing up for the challenge of facing City for the first time since departing three years ago. He expressed his eagerness for the encounter in a tweet, saying “See you soon Manchester City, looking forward to it.” The first leg of the City vs Bayern match will be held at the Etihad Stadium on either April 11 or 12, while the return fixture will take place in Germany a week later on either April 18 or 19.
Pep Guardiola reveals Vincent Kompany regret ahead of Man City reunion
Ahead of their emotional reunion this weekend, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed his regret that he was unable to play former defender Vincent Kompany more. Kompany, who is considered a legend by many City fans, will return to the Etihad Stadium as the manager of Burnley in the FA Cup.
This will be the first time he has faced his former club since leaving in 2019. The match will also mark Kompany’s first visit to City as a manager, and he will come up against his former boss Guardiola, with whom he spent three seasons during the latter part of his playing career.
Guardiola has spoken highly of Kompany’s legendary status at City ahead of the match, but has also expressed his frustration with the defender’s persistent injury problems prior to his departure from the Etihad Stadium.
“He’s [Kompany] an incredibly important figure here. He’s one of the biggest legends I had,” said Guardiola. “Personally I have one little pity – that sometimes he was sometimes injured for a lot of time when we were together but the important thing was from day one how he helped me.
“I arrived here from another country, I didn’t know the Premier League and he used to make a step forward in the locker room in the bad moments to help the team, and personally to me say the things he believed was best for the club. He was an exceptional captain, a top human being, and I’m really pleased.
“On the other side, I’m concerned because when you start to play a game and the opponent on the touchline is a player that you had, you realise how old you are becoming. That is a little bit frustrating, but it’s nice to see him. He wants to win, we want to win, and we will take it seriously.”
Man City News: Pep Guardiola accused of copying Man Utd tactic to hunt down Arsenal as Vincent Kompany regret emerge
