Pep Guardiola shakes hands with Ruben Amorim.
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are in a rough patch. (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
A way out of Manchester City's bleak run of form is required if the reigning Premier League champions want to be playing in Europe next season - but most The Manchester Evening News readers in our comments section say that they back Pep Guardiola to make the difference, as long as makes some tough decisions on loyal servants.
Any defeat in a Manchester derby is tough to take at the best of times, but Manchester United won out despite their own troubles to extend Guardiola's run without a win to 11 games. The manager has pointed to injuries and busy schedule as a factor in his struggles - but has acknowledged that he needs to overcome it by using solutions from outside and inside the club.
A small squad has meant that his loyal, talented but underperforming favourites have nowhere to hide, and there are few options to change things up when a new spark or cover is needed. Guardiola has insisted that he wants to be the man to rebuild the City squad - it was a key motivation behind him signing on until 2027 when even he had expected to leave last year - and there is an acceptance from board level that new players are required, possibly as soon as January's mid-season transfer window.
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City fans agree - and think that Pep should be the one to see it through. Commenter Skps writes: "Pep is good, no doubt on that, every human makes mistakes. His downfall is to keep on trusting players that are not improving, like the recent mistakes which cost us three points. I will say this over and over, we lack creativity in middle of the park. A team cannot only attack using the wingers."
Reader Stand17 says: "Pep is Pep, he will have the team winning again, and soon. Two players minimum needed in the January transfer window, and James McAtee regretfully needs to be transferred. The lad is not playing football and he should be here preferably or elsewhere."
Lazerblue reckons that some of the club's veteran players have not been replaced in good time: "Our sale and recruitment team need to have a serious recap on what they have done in the last 18 months. Just look at how many decent young players were sold to other EPL teams and are showing their worth at other clubs.
"Considering we won the fourth title in a row - our management needed to have had a thorough end of season review of every player in the squad and 'sentimentality' should never have been part of the equation."
There are signs of discontent about Guardiola himself, however, as Mancityboy writes: "There won't be a solution until Pep leaves. He's been brilliant but his system has been twigged by other clubs and he doesn't seem capable of adapting."
Have your say! Which players have been at Manchester City for too long? Which of the youngsters that have been sold in recent times would have a place in the current squad? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.