Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, looks on prior to the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur
Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, looks on prior to the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur
Former Manchester United defender Roy Keane has weighed in on Manchester City's recent struggle for form and insists Pep Guardiola deserves more credit for the consistency his team have displayed over the last few years.
Sunday's Premier League clash against bitter rivals Liverpool represents a huge opportunity for the champions to turn the tide and get back to winning ways. They are currently on a six-game run without a win, having lost five and drawn one in recent weeks.
It's a stark contrast the relentless machine of recent seasons and they look a far cry from the side that won six of the last seven league titles. Keane, who made over 470 appearances for United during his playing days, admits Guardiola looks fatigued, but still deserves immense credit for all the success.
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“You’ve got one of the greatest managers ever and he’s trying to find ways for his team to get back to winning ways," Keane told Sky Sports ahead of City's clash with Liverpool. “You have to lose sometimes, but they’ll be hurting so much.
"You have a a manager there who has won everything in the game and he’s struggling to find a formula to get back to winning ways. He’ll be hurting badly.
“Usually when you watch Pep, he always looks fresh and well. Now, he looks a little bit fatigued. People talk about pressure at the bottom, there is pressure at the top and he’s feeling it.
“The biggest compliment I can give City and Pep, is I thought this crisis would have happened a year or two ago. So the fact it took so long for this to happen, he deserves even more credit because of the standards they’ve set over the last few years."
After Liverpool, City's run of fixtures doesn't get much easier with games against Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Juventus, Manchester United and Aston Villa to come before Christmas. A victory at Anfield will put City back within five points of their rivals, but a defeat means they will trail by 11 heading into the crucial winter period.
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