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Pep Guardiola has tried to downplay Manchester City’s hopes of a historic quadruple, expressing his disagreement with Oleksandr Zinchenko after the left-back said the players have “hungry eyes” when it comes to challenge. The manager said that the prospect of a total cleanup is “a utopia.”
City are already in next month’s Carabao Cup final, will face Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, have a 14-point lead in the Premier League and a 2-0 lead over the Borussia Mönchengladbach heading into the knockout stages of the Champions League on Tuesday. Second leg at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.
Their results have sparked speculation that Guardiola’s side could achieve an unprecedented dominance of trophies available from an English club and when Zinchenko was asked about this he said: “Inside the dressing room or inside the team I can see the hungry eyes. , everyone is so hungry. for titles and that’s what you want.
“This period at the moment I would say is the most important two months in our careers and especially for players like Sergio Agüero and Fernandinho, who have been here for around 10 years each: they deserve it, so let’s give it a try. As Bayern Munich showed last year: they won it all and the other year [2008-09] Barcelona also did it with Pep and I think anything is possible. We have an incredible squad, the best players in the world, definitely, why not? “
However, Guardiola rebuked the Ukrainian. “I am older than Mr. Zinchenko, I have more experience and I do not agree with him,” said the 50-year-old coach. “The only thing he has to worry about is trying to make a good game and keep going. This is the only way. Four titles is a utopia.
“It never happened before and I think it never will. We only think about this one, then the next one at Goodison Park, then the international break. Hopefully the players can return safely because we play for important things when they return and this is the only important thing ”.
Guardiola accepts that there is a requirement that his team win every game: “They have to handle the pressure, to play for this team, in this club, in this organization, they have to know that losing a game is not pleasant. We have to win and win, that’s for sure. I don’t know what will happen at the end of the season. What we have to do, as we have done from day one, is to think about the game that we are going to play against Borussia Mönchengladbach. That’s the only thing that worries me. “
Raheem Sterling was left out of the team of the day for Saturday’s 3-0 win at Fulham, prompting speculation about a rift between the forward and Guardiola and causing Sterling to tweet: “Some crazy rumors on social media today… That’s absolutely FALSE. I hope to have a great week with the team. “
Guardiola said: “I didn’t need to do it, nothing happened. He wasn’t selected, that’s all. Sometimes during the season, for example when we travel to Stamford Bridge [a 3-1 win on 3 January] We had 14 players from the first team and the rest were from the quarry.
“In that position it is easy to make the selection and everyone is happy, involved and committed to doing what we have to do. When you have 20 top-notch players who have been incredibly successful, it will always be unfair to them. [to leave one out] – that is the point. Now I have 20 players, I trust them, I love them, they are the main reason why we are in the position that we are in the Premier League, Champions League, the Carabao Cup final, and the FA quarter-finals. . Bowl. For that game he was not selected, but in another game there were other players ”.
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The coach has recently spoken of selecting those who are playing for the team and not themselves. He was asked if it was a message addressed to his squad. “It’s a philosophy of life,” Guardiola said. “I need arrogance and aggression in their personalities to be better players and to become the best players in the world. We need it.”
City have been 616 minutes since they conceded in the Champions League. “This is very important,” Guardiola said. “What we have done in the past is good, but it does not mean that it will happen tomorrow. Every game is different, let’s try to minimize mistakes, we know how they can punish us. “
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