Pep Guardiola's joke after Manchester City's win over Bournemouth didn't quite land, and he now has to ensure he doesn't take the mick
Comments
Sport
Nico O'Reilly and Pep Guardiola after their side's victory in the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City
Nico O'Reilly and Pep Guardiola are all smiles after the FA Cup win at Bournemouth
"It was a joke." So said Pep Guardiola at the end of several answers he had made in his press conference after Bournemouth declaring that Nico O'Reilly was going to start in the FA Cup semi-final.
The Manchester City manager had tried his best to deliver the line with his best comedic timing, but it hadn't quite landed. In a world where quotes are quickly written down into black and white, it threatened to become a story that he hadn't meant.
Article continues below
Even after Guardiola's clarification, there came further reiteration that he had of course been joking. However much praise O'Reilly deserves for getting City to Wembley, if the Blues boss has decided his team against Forest a month in advance he certainly isn't going to be announcing it publicly.
And that's fair enough, but Guardiola also has to show that some of his other words on Sunday afternoon don't turn out to be as hollow. He spoke candidly about the regret he has had at not giving his young players more minutes.
"I learn from my period in Barcelona and here where there are a lot of academy players that they have one incredible attribute: they are not scared," he said.
"They adapt so quick. Always when I see [James] McAtee or Nico or Rico [Lewis] I always think why I didn't allow them in this bad season to play minutes? Always I will regret a bit myself because there are players who deserved more minutes because when they played the impact was really good.
"But sometimes seeing the tough moments it puts a lot of pressure on them. Maybe it's wrong, because the young players know the environment and the style and that's why it's easy."
Everybody wants a manager who can admit their own mistakes, but they also want one who acts on what he says. And if O'Reilly hasn't earned the chance to start in a month's time, he has surely earned the opportunity to be in the starting XI in a few days against Leicester.
The Foxes are a considerably worse team than Bournemouth and City also have home advantage. It is a game where they shouldn't need their strongest XI to progress, and picking O'Reilly would show that anyone in the squad can keep the shirt if they play well enough.
It could be a reminder to others that their place in the team is not a given, or it could simply allow Josko Gvardiol - City's best player this season and one of their most used - to get a much needed rest ahead of the Manchester derby on Sunday. Either way, starting O'Reilly would be a way for Guardiola to ensure there is no confusion over where anyone stands on the 20-year-old's position in the squad.
--
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
Article continues below
*And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.*