Ruben Dias was in a spiky mood after City's defeat at Anfield
Ruben Dias has come out fighting and declared Manchester City will show their “warrior” spirit.
City defender Dias was defiant after their defeat at Anfield left Pep Guardiola ’s reigning champions 11 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. But Dias admitted it was unrealistic to expect City to win the title every year but claimed their “legacy” of success was to have an inbuilt dressing room spirit.
Dias, talking to Norwegian TV, was spiky when City were being questioned and how they would react to their latest setback. Dias said: “You know you are speaking to one of the players from a team which has won the most in recent years, so we will have a think about that and be sure we know how to deal with it.
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“These are the ones everyone wants to play, these are the games everyone will remember and these difficult circumstances in the stadium and what we are going through, this is when you will see the warriors you have next to you.”
Dias did admit in another interview that City cannot expect to win every season - and said they have a defiant mentality in the dressing room. He added: “We’re all together – players, staff, we’re all together and looking ahead to Nottingham Forest. Our objective is, as always, to win the next game. The next game is Nottingham Forest, so the objective is to win that game.
Dias and City struggled at Anfield ( Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“It’s part of legacy that difficult moments will come. We have won a lot and of course you can’t win every time. There are always tough moments within a season, there were tough moments last season, there were tough moments two seasons ago as well.
“I don’t know how to rank which has been the toughest, but there has been one constant for us throughout all of these difficult moments and that is to think about the next game – nothing else.
“At the end of the day everyone in the dressing room wants to win, we don’t know anything else. Now we get our mentality in the right place and think about the next game as it comes – nothing else. This is always the exercise [getting the mindset right] – whether it’s now or after having won so much. We have to keep going, we have to keep our mentality because in the end it’s mentality that makes you win.”
Pep Guardiola's side have lost six of their last seven games (
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AFP via Getty Images)
It seems a tall ask and a long shot already especially with an ageing squad which desperately needs rejuvenating and strengthening this summer. There are clear issues with Kyle walker, for example, bravely playing on with a knee injury. But rather than ask to be taken out of the firing line, Walker has played on.
It is less about Walker’s legs going and more about him being way short of full fitness but wanting to do a job for the team. John Stones is missing while the absence of Rodri - their Ballon D’Or winner and lynchpin in midfield - has killed them. But the drop in Phil Foden ’s form is alarming while re-signing Ilkay Gundogan looks a big mistake as he is a shadow of his former self. His age is showing.
Guardiola is committed to rebuilding the team because he has signed a new two-year contract and, if he is already in his second generation, then he will have to put together City mark three. However, whether they will be able to recruit with the 115 charges hanging over them must be an issue in getting the biggest stars.
Kevin De Bruyne has been banished to the bench in recent weeks
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But there must be doubts over Jack Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne. Grealish appears to be on the naughty step for no good reason after becoming embroiled in a club versus country row which is something Guardiola hates even when the players have done little wrong.
De Bruyne has been one of the Premier League’s all time greats but has struggled with injury and, as he nears the end of his contract, if Guardiola no longer trusts him to start big games then surely his days at City are coming to an end. And nothing would spell the end of an era at City as De Bruyne leaving the Etihad. But maybe, in the long term, it would take something like De Bruyne leaving to signal the end of this generation.
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