For the first time in his storied managerial career, Pep Guardiola looks to be cracking under the pressure.
Guardiola’s Manchester City team have failed to win any of their last seven matches in all competitions, and their title hopes appear to be fading.
City have lost four league games in a row , which is one of the longest losing streaks ever by a defending champion.
Guardiola must’ve wanted the ground to swallow him up at Anfield on Sunday as he watched his team slump to yet another defeat.
Of course, the Liverpool fans didn’t give their arch rival a break, and serenaded the manager with chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning.’
Speaking to BBC 606, Guardiola has been discussing these chants, and he says that he was surprised by the disrespect he received from the Anfield crowd after years of close battles.
Pep Guardiola the manager of Manchester City applauds their support after the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City at Anfi...
Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images
Pep Guardiola surprised by Liverpool fans’ chants
Guardiola spoke about the chants he received from Liverpool supporters.
Of course, Liverpool fans chanted at Guardiola in a very tongue-in-cheek way, but the Manchester City boss says he was shocked by this display.
“They want to sack me. I wish they were more kind. They do it at 2-0, why not at 1-0? Why not last season when we won the Premier League? I didn’t expect that from Anfield, honestly,” Guardiola said.
“Maybe at another club like Brighton or something like that, I can understand it. At Anfield I didn’t expect that they would do this kind of thing. Maybe it’s the respect we have. They know we’ve won six Premier Leagues.”
What has Pep Guardiola said about Liverpool fans?
Guardiola is seemingly genuinely hurt by the fact he was treated in this way by Liverpool fans, and, we can see why.
Indeed, while Guardiola has no actual links to Liverpool, he’s always been incredibly respectful of the club and their fans.
Guardiola was always on great terms with Jurgen Klopp.
Guardiola has said Anfield is a special stadium in the past, stating that the atmosphere is usually fantastic.
“I’m very pleased Anfield is full again and we can go there to play a game. It’s nice that the people are back and we can enjoy a fantastic atmosphere there. Hopefully, we can handle it in a good way,” Guardiola said in 2021.
“I’m pretty sure the players would prefer to play with fans at Anfield than without. Everything is more alive, it’s more difficult. I don’t know the reasons why we didn’t win at Anfield over the 18 years. Over my five years, it was because they are an exceptional team. The crowd helps of course, like in Paris it did.
“They were supporting even when we were dominating parts of the game. That happens. Even in Germany when we went to Dortmund – or Barcelona in Madrid – the crowd pushes a lot.”
Guardiola also praised the Anfield crowd back in 2019 too.
“I thought they’d [Barcelona] score a goal at Anfield. And I am sure the players knew that Anfield is Anfield. The motto “This is Anfield” is no marketing spin,” he told Catalonian publication Ara.
“There’s something about it that you will find in no other stadium in the world. They score a goal and over the next five minutes you feel that you’ll receive another four. You feel small and the rival players seem to be all over.”
Guardiola has always felt that Anfield is a special stadium and somewhere he enjoys going, but the chants at the weekend seem to have really got to him.
For the first time in a long time, Guardiola does appear to be letting the pressure get to him.
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