Speaking on City's stunning form this season and massive revival of their long-lost form, Guardiola said: "Energy, energy, energy. The energy we lost last season, everyone started to train better and compete better [when we were in America]. Energy. That’s the first action, after we can talk about the back four, the wingers [but first] it has to be energy. When we went out to Al-Hilal it wasn’t the fact we didn’t win the Club World Cup - it was the fact we were so good there. It wasn’t holidays. I was annoyed because we were good there.
"Good in the training, the players in Boca Raton, in front of the beach, everyone was happy, we made a lot of dinners, a lot of talks on what was going to happen this season. And we wanted to extend to live there. But after that I spoke with Pep (Lijnders), James (French), Manel (Estiarte), Hugo (Viana), Txiki (Begiristain), and something changed. It doesn’t mean we’re going to win but to recognise a team who can do eight wins in a row and compete in the way we do it. Can we improve? Absolutely, but this mindset is better."
On City losing against Spurs and Brighton early in the season, the Spaniard said: "Still, we were in that time not knowing a little bit the players in the best way to suit to play. Managers aren’t magicians, when we do something and everything is clear. I didn’t expect Nico O’Reilly to make the performance like he has. Sometimes you have to realise yourself as well and change a little bit, because we have new players, and the opponents face us in different ways.
“That’s why sometimes you need time and winning helps to advance this process to use the time to be a better team. The results helped, and the methodology, Pep Lijnders and James French and Kolo Toure, and new players. I want to help them."
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