Guardiola on three wins to win Premier League ahead of Fulham trip (Full Presser)
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on three wins to win Premier League ahead of Fulham trip
CGA, Manchester, UK
CGA, Manchester, UK
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00:00Good afternoon, guys, hope you're doing well.
00:11Same process, I have a microphone on either side,
00:14if you raise your hand, we'll come to as many questions as we can,
00:17we'll set an embargo, part way through for 10.30 this evening.
00:20That was Stuart, please.
00:22Just to start with, I'm just wondering if ahead of this weekend
00:26you have any concerns, injury worries, in the squad?
00:29No, everything is fine.
00:31I think it's 55 games you've played in all competitions
00:35and you seem to have no injuries, unlike a lot of other clubs.
00:39Why is that, what's the secret?
00:41What are you doing differently?
00:43I don't know, I don't know what do the other clubs,
00:46but for many years we have an incredible medical department
00:49with physios, with a lot of work,
00:53but doing the same maybe could be the opposite,
01:00but this is true that we were fortunate last season
01:05to have a few injuries.
01:07Four is weekend only, will you be a Manchester United fan?
01:13I'm a City fan.
01:16To try to beat Fulham, that's all I'm concerned about.
01:19Tonight the under-18s in the Youth Cup final at the Etihad Stadium,
01:23we've seen this season how important the academy is to the first team,
01:26but how important is it for them tonight at that level
01:29to have some silverware?
01:31In this age of course it's important,
01:34but at this age the silverware is not much.
01:39Of course they have to try to win,
01:41but nothing happens.
01:43It's a process to learn, to learn, to learn.
01:47A process to learn, to learn, to learn,
01:50and when you play these finals you always learn.
01:52You play with the pressure, you play to perform well in a final,
01:55like you don't have another option.
01:58But yes, for the academy it's really important,
02:01last year has been unbelievable in many senses.
02:05To the first team and Mateo Kovacic this season,
02:08I just wondered if you could outline your thoughts on his contribution.
02:11Ilkay Gundogan went last summer
02:13and he's become a fan favourite for many of the supporters.
02:16He played really, really well,
02:19because he's not playing in the position for Gundogan,
02:22playing in our position.
02:24But when he played, because we play in a certain way,
02:27he was really good.
02:29The contribution against, for example, Nottingham Forest,
02:31to remember the last games was massively important,
02:35he changed the game.
02:37In that terms he's really, really good.
02:41Hi, Pep.
02:43Obviously Arsenal have been really tough this season,
02:47I know you've had some tough battles with Liverpool in the past,
02:50but has this been as difficult as any you've ever faced?
02:54At the same level as Liverpool last year.
02:57Same level.
02:59Both teams are incredible, have been incredible.
03:05Ideally you would have liked to have been involved in the Champions League this week,
03:09but as things have turned out,
03:11how beneficial has it been to have had these extra few days,
03:15three this week, coming into what is a huge week?
03:18I would have preferred to play in the semi-finals, to be honest,
03:20in the Champions League,
03:22but unfortunately we could not be there.
03:24Congratulations, both teams are in the final,
03:27even the semi-finals,
03:29so Bayern and PSG played really good.
03:35You never know.
03:37We adapt what we have.
03:38We have just three days, we adapt,
03:40and we have long weeks, we adapt.
03:43Hi, Pep.
03:44What do you make of the job that Marco Silva has done at Fulham this season?
03:47Excellent, excellent.
03:49Not just this season, but he was promoted with Fulham,
03:52playing excellent football,
03:54and last season really well,
03:58and his patterns defensively and offensively are really, really good.
04:03I admire him a lot,
04:06not just in Fulham, Watford was really well,
04:09some problems in Everton,
04:11but in Fulham his impact is there.
04:14I don't know if you saw the videos of some Fulham players
04:17flying kites at the training ground,
04:19the phrasings, we're on the beach,
04:21en la playa, perhaps.
04:23Do you feel that might be a bit of a sign to show they're taking it easy,
04:28but actually they're still going to be as strong as ever?
04:31Are you sure?
04:33What, that they were flying kites?
04:34That we're busy?
04:35No, I mean, I think they, from our point of view,
04:38if the players are quite relaxed...
04:40I didn't meet one player, one manager, one team.
04:43When we started to play, they were not focused to win the game,
04:45never have in my life,
04:47and I would not saw it.
04:48They played in front of the fans,
04:50they came to perform well,
04:52and they would do everything to beat us,
04:54like we're going to do everything to beat them.
04:56But about that,
04:58I don't know what I'm talking about, I didn't see anything.
05:01Just focusing on the previous game
05:03and the performance of Erling Haaland,
05:05we saw his reaction at being substituted,
05:07but I suppose for a goalscorer with 203 goals in 210 games
05:11since he left Molde,
05:13were you expecting that sort of reaction from him?
05:15He wants to get as many goals as possible?
05:17He loves to score, to play goals,
05:19like other strikers,
05:21like all the strikers, I would say.
05:23But his contributions since he arrived have been magnificent,
05:26so what can I say, the numbers are here,
05:28but not just the numbers for many things.
05:30And just quickly as well,
05:32do you have any thoughts on Rodri not being named
05:34and being recognised in the Premier League Team of the Year?
05:37It feels like he's been overlooked.
05:40He's been one of the best.
05:41The nominators deserve it,
05:43and the players deserve it too.
05:45The winners of all the trophies will deserve it,
05:48and the nominated, no winners will deserve to win,
05:50so the list is huge.
05:53So, everyone.
05:55The important thing is he knows what we think
05:58about the importance
06:00and how magnificent, extraordinary a player he is.
06:05He's not, he should not be worried at all about that.
06:08So, that's the way it is.
06:10Right.
06:11Pep, on that individual award,
06:14do you think that we from the media
06:16value them more than the players themselves?
06:19Absolutely.
06:23It's for the business.
06:25Even when I was nominated,
06:27no winner, no win, nothing changed.
06:31Before, when I started in the early ages,
06:33there didn't exist these awards,
06:35that is good, the nominations,
06:37and all the nominations are more than well-deserved.
06:39So, all of them, the players really good,
06:41otherwise we would not be here.
06:42And there are a lot, a lot that could be there,
06:44they are not there.
06:45So, it's fair and unfair, it doesn't matter.
06:46What happens, it's fair.
06:47The people vote, it's fine.
06:49So, no concern more than that.
06:51Do you like to receive when you are awarded,
06:55or you don't mind at all?
06:57You have to choose?
06:59No, when you receive an award as the best manager of the month,
07:02or something like that.
07:03It's because we won.
07:04I didn't win, we won.
07:06Normally it happens when you win teams,
07:09win games, win titles.
07:11When that happens, you have an award.
07:13And the award is not me, I didn't play one minute.
07:15So, I represent the club,
07:17I get the award on behalf of all my players,
07:20staff, organisation.
07:22I feel like that.
07:24And finally from me,
07:25when you have pretty much every player available,
07:28how do you pick the selection?
07:29Is it more on the way the opponent play?
07:32Is it more what you feel from the players in the training session?
07:35With the feel, how they train,
07:37how they behave,
07:39the opponent, tactics, many things.
07:43Yeah.
07:44That's not a rule, a specific rule to decide.