Guardiola on Haaland injury, Leicester, fan protests and the top 4 battle (Full Presser)

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on the serious injury to Erling Haaland, fans protests, the battle for top 4 and Champions League qualification as they prepare to face Leicester Etihad Training Campus, Manchester, UK

Transcript

00:00Hello Pep, obviously we received the news last night about Erling Haaland's injury,

00:07I just wondered what your reaction was to it, obviously a huge disappointment

00:11to lose such an important player at such a crucial part of the season.

00:18Sometimes there are years that these kind of things happen,

00:21happen all season, so I would say that could not be different at the end of the season.

00:26But all the injuries that we had this season, so sorry for them and for Erling as well.

00:33We could recover as quickly as possible and come back.

00:38Obviously there are still tests ongoing, still conversations to take place,

00:42but do you have any idea about how much of this season he might still be available for?

00:48No, they told me the doctors between five and seven weeks,

00:53so hopefully at the end of the season and in the World Cup he'll be ready.

00:57Obviously it gives opportunity to other players,

01:00Omar Mahmoud so far has only started one Premier League game

01:04when Erling was injured for the Liverpool game,

01:07he didn't seem to quite play as the proper number nine like Haaland plays,

01:12is he capable of doing that?

01:14We will find a solution for the players that we have,

01:19different skills and qualities, but we will have another one.

01:26Pep Erling, almost since he came to the club, has hardly been injured.

01:31How much will he be missed in terms of the way that you play?

01:37As I say, he's played in virtually every game.

01:40We don't have another player with his skills or his specific qualities, we know that.

01:46But we have to adapt.

01:48Since many years we've played in different ways up front,

01:51it depends on the quality of the players.

01:53We're going to try to find a solution.

01:56You speak a lot about the fans and the fans backing.

02:00The fans are holding a protest tomorrow before the game

02:05because they're not happy with the way that the ticketing has gone

02:10and clearly they don't believe that the club is acting in the right way.

02:14Have you got any sympathy for them?

02:17Have you got anything to say to them?

02:20Of course I have sympathy.

02:23When the fans can express their good moments or bad moments,

02:26their feelings, it's because the team and the club is alive.

02:30So the worst is when you cannot express.

02:32This is a club that the people can express and they will be in touch,

02:35are in touch, were in touch, are in touch, will be in touch,

02:38the fans and the club.

02:40Only I can say that we need them.

02:42Since the minute one, we need them.

02:44We are playing for the next season to be together in the Champions League

02:48and we need them.

02:51The people can think about it, whatever they want,

02:54but I know how tough Leicester is.

02:56I'm impressed with how they played the last two games.

02:59They played really well against Chelsea and Aston Villa.

03:03They played really good in different ways.

03:05They are using new patterns and they did really well.

03:07That's all I'm concerned about and we need them.

03:09We need them desperately to achieve our success

03:15and to win the Champions League again.

03:25The fans, again, if you don't mind,

03:27they're playing to protest tomorrow.

03:29You say there about how much you need them.

03:32Have you got a message specifically to the fans

03:35who want to make their voices heard

03:37by staying outside the ground for the first nine minutes?

03:40No, I know specifically.

03:42I don't know.

03:43But what I said before,

03:46they can express freely what they want

03:50and the club has its ways, its arguments and can express.

03:57I think I prefer that than to be passive.

04:02The club has to be active in many departments

04:05and the decisions being made.

04:07The club has to take it for the benefit of the club.

04:10The club doesn't take it for granted.

04:12The club doesn't take it for,

04:13OK, this issue or whatever is going to happen when they want.

04:19The people listen to both sides

04:22and hopefully the people can be convinced.

04:26Looking at the game tomorrow,

04:30the league table as well,

04:31you're in this battle to finish in the Champions League.

04:34Every game is really important now.

04:37Is this one of the closest battles you've been involved in

04:40in the Premier League

04:41when you consider the number of sides

04:43that are in that race to finish in the top five?

04:46Even going down to last weekend's opponents in Bournemouth,

04:49four points behind you.

04:50There's a lot of teams at this stage of the season

04:52who will believe they can finish in the Champions League.

04:55That's true.

04:57But don't tell me about the toughest battles.

05:00We had in the past much tougher than these ones.

05:04When you have to win 60 or 70 games to win the Premier League,

05:07don't tell me it's not difficult.

05:11It was not a tough one.

05:12That is different because in the past,

05:15except the first season that we were together,

05:17one season Liverpool was extremely strong

05:19and we could not compete with them.

05:20All the time we were there to fight for the Premier League

05:24and this is the first time.

05:27Alongside the first season when I was here,

05:30nine years ago,

05:32we fought to qualify for the Champions League.

05:34We have nine games left,

05:36we know exactly what we have to do,

05:37five at home, four away.

05:39We have to win our home games

05:41and we are going to try.

05:43More often than not, you've come through these challenges

05:45by winning consecutive matches.

05:47Have you seen signs from the players

05:50that they can do that again this season,

05:52finish out by winning consecutive matches?

05:58I would like to say yes, but I don't know.

06:02Because the previous seasons we have done it

06:05and every season we were able to do it

06:07and we have done it,

06:08but this season we have not been consistent

06:09to tell you it's going to happen.

06:11So I don't know.

06:15In terms of Erling's absence,

06:17how much does it change the roles of other players?

06:20For example, how many more need to step into the box now

06:23to cover that void?

06:24Less crosses?

06:25Yeah, definitely.

06:27We need players in other qualities

06:29and we have to bring more players

06:30with a sense of goal close to the box.

06:31That's for sure.

06:32Because, of course, Erling, his numbers again

06:35have been exceptional

06:36and he's our incredible threat for many things,

06:40for the long balls,

06:44for the sense of goal,

06:45but we have to adjust for the other players.

06:49Do you see that in training,

06:50that they can click?

06:51Because you've been playing with him for so long.

06:54No, it's not about the training.

06:55I know the players have the sense of goal

06:56more than the other ones.

06:58Everybody knows there are players

06:59with a sense of goal more than the other players

07:04and you have to try to bring them close to the box.

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