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City boss Pep Guardiola in no mood to sideline surprise tactical changes

Despite courage failing serial winner in the past, manager signals intention to persist with unusual formations

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hopes Ilkay Gündogan, who is out of contract in the summer, signs new terms. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hopes Ilkay Gündogan, who is out of contract in the summer, signs new terms. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Jamie Jackson
Fri Feb 17 2023 - 21:00

Pep Guardiola will not stop making surprising tactical changes if he believes these will help Manchester City but has admitted to shying away from some in case they backfired and “people kill me”.

In Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Arsenal Guardiola fielded Bernardo Silva at left back before moving the Portuguese into a more familiar advanced position on 60 minutes. Afterwards, the manager described his tactics as “horrible”. He was subsequently reminded of this comment. ”I meant in general how I imagined the game, it didn’t work, not because Bernardo played left back,” he said. “If it works I am brave, if it doesn’t work I am overthinking, arrogant. ‘What is Pep believing, changing tactics? Why don’t you play Kevin De Bruyne all the time? Why don’t you play the other ones?’ Because Kevin De Bruyne cannot play all the games. He needs to be fresh here [in the head]. He has to get the message, he can do better.

”I cannot go to sleep or wake up in the morning, have something inside of me visualising what the opponent can do and think, ‘the normal thing is play the starting XI that 89 per cent of the people around the world say is the best.’ In 14 years, starting with the second team [at] Barcelona, I never took a decision like, ‘I am going to show something [to show off].’ I have to feel it in my guts, in my stomach.”

Guardiola will not stop making similar calls but in the past his courage has failed him.

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“I [did refrain] sometimes a few times in my career,” he said. “It’s rare but I do it in important games because if it’s then going wrong, people are going to kill me [so instead] I play the biggest stars. [It’s about] responsibility. I feel, I see many things, I speak to staff, see training, see personal issues of players with problems at home, maybe they are satisfied about a win or sad because they don’t play. This is always part of my decision, why I take the selection.”

Guardiola hopes Ilkay Gündogan, who is out of contract in the summer, signs new terms, the manager referencing as one reason the midfielder’s two goals in last season’s final-game win over Aston Villa that secured the title.

“What Ilkay has done against Aston Villa last season, he can do whatever he wants,” said Guardiola. “The club knows [my opinion of him] and it is a question for the club, him and his agent.”