Guardiola on exceptional Forest, Ake injury and the pressure of being at a big club (Full Presser)

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on the challenges of facing the exceptional Nottingham Forest, Nathan Ake's injury and the pressure of being at a big club Etihad Training Campus, Manchester, UK

Transcript

00:00Good afternoon, guys, what are you all saying?

00:02Profs, everyone, mics on either side.

00:03We'll set an embargo partway through for 10.30 this evening.

00:05Simon?

00:06Hello, partway afternoon, hope you're well.

00:08It's been seven days, or will be seven days, from match to match,

00:12and I think that's the longest gap that you will have had between games

00:16in this calendar year so far, which says how often you've played, I think,

00:20as much as anything.

00:21So what benefits are there of that?

00:23What have you been able to do maybe with that extra time

00:26that perhaps you wouldn't have done?

00:28If we win, it will be a benefit, if not, it will not be good.

00:32So, yeah, I will have more time to rest, to train more.

00:36Yeah, fine.

00:38And have you had time for extra meetings and things like that at all?

00:43Less meetings than ever, just training.

00:46You do meetings when you cannot train.

00:49When you train, you don't necessarily do meetings.

00:52That's probably nice for the lads, is it, to be out on the pitch and training?

00:56Absolutely.

00:58Nottingham Forest doing especially well at the moment, third in the table,

01:02despite not having won in their last three games as well.

01:06I'm just wondering your thoughts on Nuno and his team and his staff

01:11and the work that they've done to have put them in this position.

01:14Quite simple, you are third in the table after eight, ten fixtures.

01:19Okay.

01:20But when you happen with 11 games left,

01:25still you are third, it's because you have done really, really well.

01:29Otherwise, you cannot be there for many, many times, many months,

01:32doing good things and being third in the table.

01:36Impressive, I would say.

01:38Is there anything particularly that you see that you've found impressive?

01:42Many things.

01:43They defend really well, really compact, aggressive,

01:45and the transitions are really good, the long balls with Woods.

01:49They win eight to ten.

01:52The four up front, they are really good, create many things.

01:55Hudson, Elanga, Gibbs-White, exceptional player, Woods.

01:59Create many things for themselves.

02:03Good keeper, experienced defender.

02:05I'm an exceptional player, full-back, I can play on both sides.

02:11Physical team in the middle, Anderson, top player as well.

02:15That's why you are third.

02:17Otherwise, you cannot be there before the last part of the season.

02:24Pep, you mentioned on Saturday that you thought

02:28that Ake would probably have to have surgery, and he's had that.

02:33Do you know how long he's going to be out?

02:35Will he be back this season?

02:38Ten weeks, 11 weeks, they said to me.

02:41So that is pretty serious.

02:44That is the kind of thing that's happened to you all season.

02:47When the surgery is pretty serious.

02:50When you go to the surgery, it's because something wrong happened.

02:54But the important is done.

02:56He has struggled a lot this season with the problems in his feet.

03:04It happened.

03:06There's been some more pictures of Jack Grealish this week.

03:10Do you feel sorry for him in a way?

03:12Because he's so recognisable, he seems to be someone who attracts attention.

03:18So maybe a picture is painted of him that might not be the reality.

03:22Or is that just something that players have to deal with in this day and age?

03:26He's so famous.

03:28People follow him.

03:31Nothing to comment.

03:33Hi Pep.

03:34How does the pressure feel at this stage of the season

03:37compared to in previous years when obviously you've been fighting for the title?

03:42Pressure is always there.

03:43In the big clubs, the pressure is always there.

03:45You have to press yourself to do your best.

03:48It doesn't matter what you are playing for.

03:51Does it feel different to previous years?

03:55Yeah, we've had a long week.

03:57The previous season in this stage never had long weeks.

03:59So yeah, it's a little bit different.

04:00But except the reality, the reality is trying to finish the top four.

04:04And tomorrow we have an opportunity to stay third in the table

04:09and climb and secure this target.

04:16Pep, on that battle for Europe,

04:17you've spoken there about Nottingham Forest and how well they've done.

04:21How big a threat are they to yourselves and the other teams competing

04:25to try and get into the Champions League?

04:27Yeah, there are many clubs, many teams.

04:30Many teams, many clubs fighting for this target.

04:32Everyone wants to be in the Champions League next season.

04:35For the club, for the prestigious, for sustainability, economically.

04:39So, for many reasons.

04:42On the financial side,

04:43we've spoken about what it would mean for you here obviously

04:46and the importance to the club of getting in the Champions League.

04:49But for other teams too,

04:50it feels like it's the one thing that can be the gateway to other teams

04:54getting that extra revenue,

04:55which means they can then improve their squad to challenge at the top.

04:58How necessary is it to be in the Champions League,

05:01to be challenging at the top?

05:02It will not be the end of the world.

05:04We want to qualify for the Champions League,

05:06but if it doesn't happen,

05:07it's because we have not been good enough

05:09and the other teams deserve it.

05:11So, in the knockout stage, in the Champions League, in the FA Cup,

05:15in the knockout stage, in the Champions League, in the FA Cup,

05:20I would say the uncertainty part of this particular game

05:27always is involved.

05:29It can be decisive,

05:30but in the Premier League, in 38 fixtures,

05:33it's fair enough.

05:35The result is finished.

05:37We are in the position that is not ideal,

05:40but it's not bad enough.

05:42It's in our hands

05:44and we are going to fight for that.

05:46Can I just finish by asking you about the new players that you signed?

05:49Because you spoke about them after the game.

05:51You thanked the board, I think, after the Plymouth game

05:53for them arriving and joining your squad in mid-season.

05:55Obviously, with Nathan being out,

05:57the likes of Mano and John being out,

05:59and the fact you've been out to sign those reinforcements,

06:01I just wondered how, now they've been here six weeks or so,

06:04how they're integrating into the squad,

06:06particularly the defenders, and also your systems.

06:09What are you seeing from them now

06:10that perhaps you weren't seeing six weeks ago?

06:12How are they developing?

06:13How are they working with your group?

06:15The impact on Kostanov was really, really good.

06:18I want to say for the first minute what happened against Chelsea,

06:21but since then it was really, really good.

06:23And Victor played really good as well against Plymouth.

06:31Now some central defenders from the academy are coming to train with us

06:35because with the absence of the three central defenders,

06:38almost until the end of the season,

06:40maybe in the World Cup we'll be ready,

06:41but maybe in the last one or two games,

06:43but when you're talking about eight, ten weeks,

06:46so it's a lot of time.

06:48So, yeah, we are lucky that the club took the decision

06:53to bring someone in the stadium to do it in summer right now,

06:56otherwise we'd be in trouble.

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