The manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola suspects that his club could have a slow start during the 2021-2022 Premier League season just like the previous season.
Recall that at the start of the 2020-2021 season, Pep Guardiola and his boys struggled to cope in the Premier League. It was almost looking like they would not make it into the top four until towards the second half of the season when the club started picking up points.
To the dismay of many, despite how injuries ravaged the club’s season, Pep Guardiola was able to manage his squad well enough that they were able to win the Premier League title.
They won the Premier League title last season ahead of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool that had a better start to the 2020-2021 season. Manchester City achieved the feat after growing from their slow start to enjoying a 28-game unbeaten run.
Ahead of Manchester City 2021-2022 Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur later today, the Spanish tactician who has won three Premier League titles argued that the club could suffer the same fate they suffered last season.
In his argument, Pep Guardiola insisted that just like last season’s pre-season, the club had little or no time to prepare for the new season. He said, unlike other seasons where the club have four or five weeks to prepare for a new season, now, they have less than a week to do so.
Guardiola said: “Before, it was four or five weeks for preparation in pre-season. Now Thursday is the first day we were all together. It is completely different.
“It is similar to last season when we played against Wolves without any friendly games having been played. People asked me how the team was and I didn’t know! I hadn’t seen them.
“That is why the mentality and being strong in the head will be important. We know we are still away from our best condition.
“We couldn’t have a pre-season for 75 or 80 percent of the players but the most important thing we did last season was adjusted, adapt, and not complain.
“Day by day, week by week, game by game, we rejoined the players to the team dynamic and put them in the best condition. That’s why we had success last season because we did not cry in the beginning.
“We looked at what we could do to improve the team and when we arrived in some moment we started to win and win and win, and during four months we were unbeatable. That is why we won the Premier League and we arrived at the last stage of all the competitions.
“I think now we are not ready but we will see.”
PEP 💬 Since I arrived in my first season everyone said the Premier League is completely different to the other leagues, it’s more difficult. Everyone can beat everyone and I said ‘yes that’s true’, I felt it.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 14, 2021
Guardiola is expected to unleash his new signing, Jack Grealish against Tottenham Hotspur later today. He paid a British transfer record fee of £100 million to be able to bring him to Manchester City.
On the acquisition of Grealish, Guardiola said: “We could spend £100m on Jack Grealish because we sold [players] for £60m. In the end, we spent £40m. That is the reality the club said to me.
“We have limits for Financial Fair Play. If they are not agreeing they can go to the court, make a statement and we will defend [ourselves].”
Manchester City’s Premier League opener will take place at Tottenham Hotspur stadium today, August 15, 2021, at 16:30.
