Pep Guardiola needs to end disappointing sequence

After three games without a win, Manchester City find themselves in the awkward position of trying to end a disappointing sequence in Barcelona.

Ever since the draw was made, Pep Guardiola's homecoming has been the standout attraction of the Champions League group stage but City supporters must be wondering which of his sides is going to turn up. The one that opened the season with 10 straight wins or the one more recently held by Celtic and Everton, with a comprehensive beating at Tottenham in between.

The great thing about Barcelona, as Guardiola not only knows better than most but can take part of the credit for helping bring about, is the same team more or less always turn up. You know what you are going to get with Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar. "Barcelona is amazing in the way they play," Guardiola said, "but I love the way they play. They dominate the football and the three players in front are like a machine."

The general idea in bringing the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager to the Etihad was he may be able to educate City into playing the same way. Early signs were promising but now City top the Premier League only on goal difference from Arsenal it is being suggested Guardiola is finding English football tough going.

Detractors

Strange as it may seem for someone with Barcelona’s impeccable 2009 treble on his CV, the City manager has his share of doubters and detractors. He inherited an already wonderful Barça team, it is sometimes argued, and then took over a Bayern side by some distance the strongest in the Bundesliga.

Looked at in those terms, City can be seen to represent more of a challenge. For all their financial might they are not head and shoulders above the rest in England. A tougher overall league appears to be finding Guardiola out.

Except he begs to differ. When it was put to him Barcelona had run out easy winners against Deportivo on the same day City were resorting to using Vincent Kompany as a battering ram against Everton, Guardiola’s annoyance was plain. “I hear a lot of times about the intensity of the Premier League but none of you have been on the field in La Liga to know of the intensity there,” he said. “In Germany too the intensity is amazing. You have to have respect for the other leagues. In Spain over the last few years the teams keep arriving in the finals of the major competitions because they are good players. Maybe the problem here is playing more games.

Guardiola could have a point about playing too many games. England has two cup competitions and no winter break, though eight league games into the season City can hardly plead exhaustion. In all fairness he probably did not know what to say after dropping points against Everton. Had Kevin De Bruyne’s first spot kick been converted, City could have run out 4-0 winners like Barcelona at home to Deportivo. As it was they found themselves behind, thanks to a lesson in finishing strength from Romelu Lukaku, and in those circumstances a second squandered penalty, this time from Sergio Agüero, bordered on the ludicrous.

The bad news for Guardiola is Messi and Suárez scored against Deportivo and, with the former now recovered from a groin strain, Luis Enrique seems to be in a position to select from strength. On the positive side, the same can be said of City. De Bruyne was thought likely to miss this game but has returned from injury and Sergio Agüero ought to be fully rested after playing only half an hour against Everton.

Whether City’s best players can match Barcelona’s best players is the burning question. Guardiola seems as fed up with being asked whether De Bruyne can be as good as Messi as he is with suggestions top teams in Spain and Germany have it easier than their English counterparts.

Barcelona are a top team and, for all their excellent players, City are not quite at their level yet. If perceptions are about to be changed, the Camp Nou is a good place to start and Guardiola a handy manager to have in charge. Guardiola has begun well in England. He has been in the country only a few months and his team are top of the league and unbeaten in Europe. So much for the prologue. The next chapter starts here. Guardian Service