Manchester City

Pep Guardiola: 'I never promised success at Manchester City'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 18 March 2017

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola vows not to change his attacking approach to the game and insists that he never promised to bring success to the club.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said that he never promised to bring success to the club amid questions over his managerial style.

The Spaniard was criticised for naming an attacking lineup during the second leg of his side's Champions League last-16 tie with AS Monaco earlier this week, when City ultimately squandered a 5-3 lead to crash out on away goals.

However, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is adamant that he will not alter his approach to the game and is confident that his side will improve with it next season.

"I never came here and said we are going to win one title. I never said I am going to win the treble, I never said I was going to win the double. I never said it. I never said it on my first day in Barcelona. I promise a lot of work. Few guys can beat me in that. I work a lot. I am so proud of that. I never promise titles, never in my life, even when I went to Bayern Munich after they won the treble with Jupp Heynckes. Never. Just work," he told reporters.

"I can only assure [people] they are going to play the way I want. The only power I have is this one. The pleasure is to do the job the way I want. The second half in Monaco showed me when you attack more and play more aggressive, you concede few. That game showed me and I am even more convinced what I want to do. Football managers around the world don't all win titles during the season. That is the normal situation, my career is the exception.

"Of course we want to win titles, everyone wants to win titles, we play for that and we fight for that. When I arrived here I said I wanted to play good, win games and win titles, as much as possible, definitely - but I think all colleagues in the Premier League and around the world at big clubs think the same.

"I am here with big expectations because I won a lot in Barcelona and Bayern Munich but sometimes you don't win. I will try to learn from that and speak to the people close to me about how we can improve and make the team better next season. It is a no-ending job. Always you can do better and better. That's why I am confident we will be better next season."

City will host Champions League rivals Liverpool on Sunday knowing that defeat would leave them in fourth place and 13 points adrift of leaders Chelsea.