Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola is relishing the challenge of rebuilding Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has asked Manchester City for the chance to rebuild the team after admitting the success he has brought to the Etihad Stadium is the only reason he has avoided the sack in recent weeks.
City are now six games without a win and having lost five in a row they threw away a three-goal lead against Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday night. On the back of a poor run of form, they face a trip to Liverpool this week and the challenge of winning at Anfield in front of a crowd for the first time since 2003.
Arne Slot's side are top of the league and eight points clear of the Blues, so City need a result on Merseyside on Sunday, but they are in a fragile position and look low on confidence, with their collapse in the final 15 mintues against Feyenoord another body blow.
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City are suffering without Rodri and his absence has been compounded by an injury crisis at the back, but Guardiola is already in charge of an ageing team and he has revealed that part of his reason for signing a two-year contract extension was that he wanted the challenge of the rebuild.
"At this football club you have to win and if you don't win, you will be in trouble," he said. "I know the people say why is Pep not in trouble, why is Pep not sacked? What we have done the last eight years is why I have this margin.
"The people rely on me, the hierarchy, the people. It is not normal in the big clubs to do the results we have but we have to accept it. What's for sure I want to stay. I want to do it. But the moment I feel I am not positive for the club another one will come. It has to be.
"But I want the opportunity. I want the opportunity to try. I don't want to run. I want to be there and rebuild the team in many aspects from now on until the end of the season and next season. I want to continue up there. I asked for that challenge and I asked for this opportunity to do it because I feel it. I know what we want to do, I know what we need and what we have to do, knowing in that moment that we don't have that consistency that we had, obviously, we don't have it right now.
"But which team around the world in 10 years is consistent? Tell me one. It doesn't exist. In NBA, not even in tennis, not even in any sports. Not in golf. In a decade of time, we have been here in a decade. We don't find it. Be as consistent as we have done, you don't find it. I'm sorry, we don't find it.
"It's not nice to live, of course it's not nice, but what do you expect? That everything is red carpet? That everything is nice and easy? It's easy when you are 10, 12 games in a row, everyone is fit and everyone is in their prime and everyone is 26, 27, 28. Everything is going well. That is easy. Now, no. I have to prove myself now.
"It's not an excuse that Rodri is not there. What are we going to do, cry all the time that Rodri is not there or that the four central defenders have not been there for a long time in the last month? I have to find a solution and the way to do it. I'm trying every day."
During times of success at the Etihad, Guardiola has always thanked club officials for giving him the support he needs and he doubled down on that during a difficult spell, revealing he is holding regular conversations with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarek and director of football Txiki Begiristain.
"We talk since nine years here, not every day but after the games all the time and before sometimes," he said. "He [Khaldoon] gave me his opinion, I gave my opinion, Txiki gave his opinion, the players give their opinion and afterwards we try to figure out their and we try to move forward.
"He knows perfectly that we are not here because we are nice, and that we take these results. He knows that we are going to find a solution and for circumstances if that doesn't happen, the club will have to take the solution and the decision they have to take."
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