Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has blasted Gary Neville’s criticism of Manchester City’s style of play, LCSoccerHub Reports.
Manchester City got off the mark with a winning start in their Champions League round of 16 first leg against FC Copenhagen at the Parken Stadium in Denmark.
Goals from Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and Phil Foden sealed a dramatic 3-1 win over the Danish champions.
When asked whether he watched Manchester City’s UCL win over FC Copenhagen, Gary Neville said City’s style of play has been so boring to watch, and he did not waste time glued to his TV screen to watch the match.
The Manchester United legend added the Manchester City’s 3-1 win over FC Copenhagen was a forgone conclusion. Another Premier League pundit and former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher seems to share in the opinion of Neville saying Manchester City’s matches lacked the competitive edge and momentum of interests from fans.
Reacting to the criticisms, Pep Guardiola swept aside the criticisms insisting, football will never forget his all-conquering Manchester City team.
‘It depends on us and how satisfied we are – that is what belongs to us,’ Guardiola said. ‘If people don’t appreciate it, it doesn’t matter. It’s not a big, big problem.
‘We are still here, the importance is to feel still for ourselves. Not because of the compliments from outside or the regrets from outside.’
What can I say?’ Guardiola added. ‘It’s so fine. Thank you [Neville] for the compliment. Everything is so difficult in football. We are admired, I am pretty sure of that, [by] the people in the world of football who know how difficult it is being six or seven years there in all competitions every week.
‘I am going to tell you something, in the future you will not forget. It looks easy, but it’s not. Remember that sentence: it looks easy but it’s not. The opponents respect us. Sometimes [for] people it is not enough what we are doing, but I know how difficult it is.”
Guardiola will hope to continue on his winning spree with Manchester City as they prepare to take on Chelsea in a Premier League cracker today.
