Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged the Abu Dhabi hierarchy to give him the chance to revive his faltering team amid their staggering run of poor results, saying on Friday that he will not “run away” from the challenge.
City lost five games in a row before squandering a three-goal lead from the 75th minute to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The longest winless streak in Guardiola’s coaching career could be extended on Sunday when City play away to Liverpool, who are in first place in the English Premier League and the Champions League.
“It’s not normal in the big clubs to do the results we have done, but what we have to do is accept it,” Guardiola said. “For sure I want to stay here, I want to do it, but the moment I feel I’m not positive for the club, another one will come.
“But, I want the opportunity to try. I don’t want to run away. I want to be there. I want to rebuild the team. I ask for that challenge. I ask for this opportunity to do it. Because I feel it. I know what I want to do. I know what we need. I know what we have to do.”
Guardiola, who has won the Premier League six times in his eight full seasons with City and the club’s first Champions League title, said he is in regular communication with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
“He knows we are going to find a solution,” Guardiola said. “In the circumstances that it doesn’t happen, the club will take the solution, the decision, it has to take."
The Spanish coach said he deserved to be given time to turn things around. “I have it all on my shoulders. I want it,” he said. “Here at the football club you have to win — if you don’t win, you’ll be in trouble. I know that.
“People said, Oh, why is Pep not in trouble? Why is he not sacked?’ What we
have done in the last eight years explains why we have this margin.”
Guardiola played down talk of a “crisis”, but was unsure when the team would start winning again. After Liverpool, City play Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
“We will be back — I know that,” Guardiola said. “I don’t know when.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot though is reading nothing into the champions’ meltdown ahead of the clash at Anfield.
Liverpool will go 11 points clear of City if they beat them on Sunday and the way Slot’s side are playing, few would bet against that happening.
Under Slot, Liverpool have 17 wins from 19 matches in all competitions.
“They are still a very good team and one of the reasons why Pep is the best in the world. He always comes up with solutions,” the Dutchman said on Thursday.
“He will come up with another brilliant idea.”
