Pep Guardiola says Man City must show ‘spirit’ to get back on top

LONDON – Pep Guardiola has vowed that Manchester City will be back to their best next season after losing their “spirit” during a turbulent campaign that exposed an unexpected lack of hunger in his side.

City, who had won the previous four English Premier League titles, want to salvage a dismal year by winning the FA Cup and qualifying for the Champions League via a top-five finish.

Guardiola’s side face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-finals on April 27 knowing defeat at Wembley would condemn them to finish without a major trophy for the first time since 2016-17.

But the manager is already looking to the future and thinking about how to avoid a repeat of City’s stunning struggles and he believes he has found the solution.

The Spaniard noticed the passion his players celebrated with after Bernardo Silva put them ahead in a crucial 2-1 league win against top-five rivals Aston Villa on April 22.

It was a display of unity that Guardiola did not see earlier in the season, when he felt City took success for granted after winning six of the last seven Premier League titles.

“We learn to do better. To create another bond with the team, to celebrate when we score a goal,” he said.

“When Bernardo scored the first goal on Tuesday, we celebrated. The body language, the passion – we didn’t celebrate the same way when we scored in October. That stupid detail tells a lot.

“We have to recover the spirit we had in the first nine years. This year we didn’t have it.”

Guardiola hopes his quest to reignite his players’ fire will eventually close the gap on champions-elect Liverpool.

“Next season will be better. Everybody learnt the lesson. We will compete better for the Premier League,” he added.

“I’m not saying we will win it, but we will be more who we are. I think the players understand. You have to fight to defend your club. I’m pretty sure we will be back again.”

Meanwhile, City are aiming to reach the FA Cup final for a third successive season after winning the competition in 2023 and losing last season’s showpiece against Manchester United.

They face a tricky test from Nuno Espirito Santo’s team after losing 1-0 at the City Ground in the Premier League in March, a result that maintained Forest’s unexpected push for a first Champions League campaign since 1980-81.

“It would be good to make the final, but we have a serious and tough rival. Nuno has been incredible,” Guardiola said.

This is the seventh successive season that City have reached the FA Cup semi-finals, but they have lifted the trophy only twice in the Guardiola era.

No matter the result at Wembley, Guardiola acknowledged the season has been a failure.

“I said many times the season has not been good, regardless if we reach the final or (qualify for) the Champions League,” he added.

“Too many matches have not been good. The FA Cup win does not give you the certainty to come back to what we were... what will dictate the season is the Premier League.”

Forest are competing in their first FA Cup semi-final since 1991, but with the club also aiming for Champions League qualification, the tie holds no more importance than their other games, Nuno said.

The Tricky Trees have not lifted the FA Cup since 1959, while their most recent trophy win was a League Cup success in 1990 which came during the club’s golden era under Brian Clough.

Nuno has brought the good times back to the City Ground and does not feel the need to change his approach.

“Inside our preparation, this game is not different from any other one,” the Portuguese said.

“So we have retained our normal cycle of preparation and we approach the same, knowing that it’s going to be a tough match but it’s a special occasion, we have to enjoy it.

“But the importance of the game is exactly the same as the previous one and the next one. So the approach is exactly the same.”
AFP, REUTERS