In the wake of Manchester City's uninspiring draw against local rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford, Pep Guardiola couldn't resist a cheeky jibe at a Sky Sports reporter post-match. The derby ended without much fanfare, with both sides seemingly accepting the stalemate.
During his interview, Guardiola, known for his tactical prowess, was quizzed by Sky Sports' Patrick Davidson on how City might have better penetrated United's defence. Instead of providing a direct insight, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach playfully suggested that Davidson could consider a career change after years of dissecting football tactics together.
"How could you have hurt them more?" pressed Davidson. "The players know this," retorted Guardiola with a hint of mystery.
Trying once more, Davidson asked: "Can you share it with us? The game is gone now..." To this, Guardiola teasingly responded, "You should know, after nine years together."
Davidson humbly admitted: "I don't know enough about football." This elicited an amused smile from Guardiola who then lightly proposed: "You should work in another business then maybe and don't ask about football," before eventually conceding some details. He added: "They [the players] know it. The process. If the ball is on one side, the players have to be in the right position. Today was not enough good."
Guardiola has admitted that his team must be cautious of United's prowess on the break. The seasoned manager pointed out that despite Ruben Amorim's efforts to enhance their playmaking, the Red Devils excel in 'transitional' moments.
"In the last games, we are much better," Guardiola remarked. "The back four was better but it's just the process [wasn't there]. When we lose the ball, they are a strong team; they punish you on the transition and we know that. They are really good on the transition so you have to be alert. Every time we come here or at the Etihad.
"I think Ruben is going to try and make incredible build-up, I know they do the process really well, but maybe mainly they are a transitional or counter-attacking team."
Guardiola also acknowledged the challenges his squad faces when trying to dismantle defensive setups, expressing that on this occasion, his players simply didn't meet the mark.
"We know all the time against 5-4-1, is always difficult," he continued. "They defend narrow here, allowed to outside the jam.
"Since many, many years, I'm playing against 5-4-1, defense in deep. So it's not new and always, we were able to do it all the quality of the players, the talent to do it. But this is an extra that I cannot expect because they can play badly. ".
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