When attending the Premier League pre-match press conference, Guardiola talked in detail about the situation of the team's midfielder Rodri and the team's progress. On whether to be patient with Rodri's recovery when Nico Gonzalez is in...
When attending the Premier League pre-match press conference, Guardiola talked in detail about the situation of the team's midfielder Rodri and the team's progress.
On whether to be patient with Rodri's recovery when Nico Gonzalez is in good form
"Yes, we maintain continuity, but please don't get me wrong, I hope, we all hope, that Rodri will return as soon as possible, but we don't want him to need to rest soon after he comes back. This may seem like a small thing. , But we don’t want this. Of course, in the process, Kovacic can’t play now, and he won’t be able to play in the next game, so we originally had three defensive midfielders, but now we have only one. But in any case, Nico is very important, and it will be more difficult for us without him.”
Talking about Rodri’s injury period. "Yes, a lot of help. I just hope Rodri is happy, he always smiles and enjoys the game. It's been a difficult time for him and he is one of the most competitive players I have ever faced in my career. The way he motivates his teammates is great and I hope I hope he can enjoy this process even while recovering from injury. The most difficult period is over. He has experienced three, four, five, six, or even seven months of long injuries. Now he is close to recovery. We have to tell him: 'He will be back soon, not far away, and he will be back to enjoy the game with the team soon.' Even off the court, he always maintains a very positive attitude when he is with us and helps Nico a lot. I think Nico has the best teachers."
Commenting on the work of assistant coaches French and Lijnders
"They have had a huge impact on us. It was a great pleasure working with them, I learned a lot and really made me feel like a better coach. Of course, Lijnders knows the individual characteristics of the Liverpool players very well because they have worked together for a long time and there is no need to go into detail about them. These players are highly rated, but Slott’s coaching methods may be different. You must have seen their performance under Slott, not their state under Klopp.”
Talking about whether Rodri’s injury may affect the entire player. Season
"I'm 100% sure that he will return and continue to play. Maybe it will take some time for him to return to his previous level, but he will definitely return to the game, we just need to make sure the time is right."
How can Rodri be sure that he will return?
"The game against Arsenal is three days after Napoli and four or five days before Manchester United. I keep saying the same thing and you believe me, Rodri can only play one game a week and he can only play 70 to 75% of the time in the Premier League at the moment. The problem is that you play on Sunday, then Tuesday, then Saturday, then Wednesday, and then you have to go The national team plays another kind of competition, it's another situation."
"If you only play one game a week, you will recover very well. The problem is that you have to play a game every three to four days, every three to four days. Now we have to deal with this problem, not only for Rodri, but of course, to pay special attention to Rodri because we know. He has been injured for a long time. When a player is injured for a long time, the historical data shows that in the next year, he will face some small problems. I try to avoid this situation, and we very much want to avoid this situation, not only for Rodri, but also for all players."
"But it happens, the muscle injury and recurrence are. Because you've had a year off, when you get back to the rhythm of one game a week, you recover well, but it's very demanding. As a head coach, when I saw Rodri, the doctors and the physios said, 'Rodri is ready,' he will play, but we have to be careful from now on to make sure there is no regression."
Talk about the improvements we hope to see in the coming weeks
"I think we are learning to play better in different ways, but I still feel that defensively we are not at the ideal level yet and we sometimes concede goals that we shouldn't. Of course, we can't compare with Arsenal, they are too good. I think we are learning to deal with different situations. Types of opponents, whether it's man-to-man, low defense or deep defense, we struggled a little bit in that area at the beginning of the season, but as I said a month ago, I feel like we're improving. "
"I said, from my experience, when it comes to April and May, whether you can win the championship depends on how much you can grow every month starting from September, October. The teams that win the championship are the ones that can continue to improve, and I feel like we are definitely improving, does that mean we won't regress in some games? Yes, it can happen, but if we can be consistent defensively, improve our tactical execution and game reading, the rest is a matter of body language, passion and dedication, then everything will be. Get better."
"We will face the defending Premier League champions Liverpool this Sunday. Arsenal is not the champion yet. The champion is Liverpool. They will come to the Etihad to defend their title. We have experienced such a situation. This is an opportunity to face the defending Premier League champions and test our true level. I am looking forward to it."
