Pep will continue to surprise with tactical surprises. The Manchester City boss says he will not stop surprising the public with unexpected decisions on the pitch.
After the 1-3 win over Arsenal in midweek, Guardiola honestly admits that his tactics for the first half, including using Bernardo Silva as a left-back, were “awful”.
After dropping two points against Nottingham Forest on Saturday (1-1), Guardiola is reminded of those words and asked if Josep is sensible with his tactics this time around. The Catalan’s response is highly emotional.
“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% of the people around the world say is the best.’
“In 14 years, starting with the second team 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.”
Pep will continue to surprise
“[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.”