• Pep Guardiola reacted to Manchester City's defeat at home against Liverpool.
• The average age of the Raw City team was only 25 years and 68 days.
• Boss envisions a bright future even though the 2024/25 season has gone awry.
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| Pep with a loss at ethihad |
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola says his squad lost appropriately in Sunday’s disappointing loss to Liverpool, forecasting a "promising future" for the youthful team.
With an average age of 25 years and 68 days, it was the youngest lineup that Guardiola has selected for a Premier League match. The last time it was that young, City triumphed over Watford in 2020, a completely different challenge compared to confronting a Liverpool side racing toward the title.
Kevin De Bruyne, Nathan Ake, and Ederson increased the average age at the Etihad Stadium, yet Savinho, Rico Lewis, and Abdukodir Khusanov are all merely 20 years old, while Josko Gvardiol, Nico Gonzalez, and Jeremy Doku are 23 or younger.
Under the circumstances, with City controlling possession and attempting shots – including a goal by Omar Marsmoush ruled out for offside, Guardiola was satisfied with much of the performance.
"If you are going to lose, it should be the way we lost today." "I observed numerous aspects indicating that this club has a promising future with our current players," the City manager stated to Sky Sports.
"Apart from Kevin de Bruyne and possibly Nathan Ake, the rest of the players are incredibly young." No matter what the club chooses for the future, there is a promising outlook for this club in the coming years.
"Everyone is aware that there will be a role for the veteran players next season, but we need to prepare for the next phase." There exists a question regarding time. Despite the number of absences we had, we performed well. They disrupt the lines and may also disrupt behind you. They pose a real threat, but we take them there, and what we lack in the final third is the talent to dribble or shoot at the right time. From that point, we prepare for what lies ahead.
"We are a great distance away." We will observe in the future. What we accomplished in past seasons was beneficial, but we are now distant from that. We engaged with our personalities, which turned out quite well.
It might already be too late for De Bruyne. The Belgian midfielder, already a true City legend, will be turning 34 in the summer and is diminishing his impact on the field.
De Bruyne was ignored in the Champions League playoff second leg against Real Madrid earlier this week and was the first player Guardiola chose to substitute after his return to the lineup for this match. His contract expires in the summer, and an enticing golden farewell opportunity is beckoning.
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