Guardiola issues warning to Man City fans over future - "Bad moments are coming"

02 December 2023 , 22:30

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Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester City’s fans that they will never have it so good.

‌The City boss has taken it upon himself to be a touchline cheerleader when the Etihad atmosphere has dropped this season and fears that supporters have started to take their team’s excellence for granted after winning the Treble last season and lifting five Premier League titles in six years. Guardiola has now urged the Blues’ faithful to enjoy the ride because it's not going to last forever.

‌“We won a lot and in the future we have to understand in your mind that this is an exception,” said Guardiola. "This is not normal. It’s not normal to win the Treble, not normal to win five Premier Leagues in six years - and they have to understand that.

‌“Continue to enjoy it but bad moments are coming - this season and next one, next one, next one. You have to be there. And I’m pretty sure they will be there because it’s a club that has come from Maine Road, from being in the middle table, not fighting for the title, and they were there all the time.

‌“I was not there but people talk to me who were there all the time. The most important thing - and I know they know it because otherwise it would not be possible what we have done - the players are always there, always.

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Guardiola wants to see more from Man City fans (PA)

‌“Losing 0-2, still we run, still we fight, in the locker room they are saying ‘what do we have to do?’ I don’t have that feeling that people and the spectators know it.”

‌City face Tottenham at home and Guardiola added: “Listen, the fans, first, I’d like them to come. It’s a lot of effort - thank you so much! Second, we want them to enjoy it, have fun, have one hour and 30 minutes in a good moment and that depends on us. When we play good, always they are there.

‌“Just sometimes the situation is not going well. In that moment it’s not because the players don’t want it, because they proved for how many years the consistency is there. And in that moment, we need it (support). You are part of that, you are closer when the situation is not going well. That’s the moment to do it.”

City came from 2-0 down to beat Leipzig 3-2 in the Champions League (Ian Stephen/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)

‌City have a formidable record at the Etihad and on Tuesday night they hit back from 2-0 down to beat RB Leipzig in the Champions League. Tottenham are the next team in town - and it was another spectacular fightback against the Londoners last year that sparked their charge for a third title on the bounce.

‌City won 4-2 after trailing 2-0. But afterwards Guardiola laid into his players for being “happy flowers” and demanded more fight. He has no regrets. Guardiola said: “I will do those things whether they want to hear it or not hear it.

‌“Listen, in my time here, if you can say how many good things I've said to them publicly and privately, it's a thousand times much, much more than the negative things I can say. I was being incredibly honest and felt that so said it. Maybe because we won - if we had lost I might not have said it.

‌“But we won and the people accepted everything and that was my feeling at that moment. It was not copy and paste. It's not okay now in November and December when I say something when the book is already written. No. I felt it and wrote it. We won so we could believe it, but it was not the truth. It could have turned out completely differently.

‌“Not every action you do is going to impact. You believe in the moment. I said it publicly and privately and that's all. We won so it was 'how brilliant was Pep?.’ It might not have worked. It is a manager’s job to say what really really happens, if you don’t like to listen, it’s your problem.”

‌He added: “I have to do it. We put ourselves in front of a mirror every single time. For example, we conceded four goals against Chelsea - two avoidable goals. We have a problem. We have a problem.

‌“You could say it doesn't matter, but if we don't solve it we will lose games. If we want to win games we have to solve it. It was just something that came in the flash interview at that moment after the game. Even if it is not really an English saying, they got it, they understood immediately and that was the point. After the game I will say (where City are). I don’t know where we are right now.”