On Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League, Pep Guardiola got a taste of what could be waiting for him in December when Ruben Amorim would have settled into his role as Manchester United manager.
His Portuguese counterpart, who managed Sporting CP for the game, thrashed Guardiola’s Manchester City 4-1 with a dominant performance that shocked many onlookers.
City had gone into the match as overwhelming favourites but Sporting under Amorim were not expected to be slouches. The outcome proved that the reigning Premier League champions are beatable but Guardiola has promised that this is just a blip for his ambitions this season.
“It is a tough challenge, but I am here. It will be a tough season – we knew that from the start. But this is what it is. I like it, I love it, I want to face it and lift my players and try it,” Pep declared.
“Life is like this. Maybe in the past six Premier Leagues in seven years and four in a row is an exception. Sometimes you lose.
“Today we were really good – Bournemouth, no, they deserve it. We played really bad against Bournemouth and played really good today.
“I know how we behave today, how good we were, and how a young central defender [Jahmai Simpson-Pusey], what an exceptional game he played.
“When you lose 4-1 what can I say? My team I like it, we were close to making it 0-3.
“The stadium was calm but in one action we lose simple things with quality players and things that normally don’t happen. When you are so close to going 0-2 and then 1-3, it’s difficult for the players, I understand it.
“I have to try and find an explanation. Sometimes it is just football.
“We have to accept it. Life is that, sport is that. Everyone has to be better and better and better and we will find it
“We are alive in all competitions, and we will continue.
“We are coming back to Manchester to prepare the game against Brighton. I am not giving up. Maybe people are waiting but I am not giving up.”
Bernardo Silva is also on the same page with his boss.
“We just need to look at ourselves individually and collectively and see what we can do better, because we need to turn things around,” he said.
“We have one more game before the international break which will definitely be good for us. At the moment with the injuries that we have and the psychological part as well. It will be good to have that rest, but before that we have a big game again.
“A very tough game, Brighton away is never easy. Three points would help massively to keep us in the race or in a good position to then come back and still be close to the top.
“We’ll look at ourselves and try to do better next Saturday.”
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