Pep Guardiola has warned his Manchester City players that they must retain the correct attitude in training after being dropped or they will have "big problems".
The manager said there was currently no issue around this but was clear that anyone left out must take it professionally.
“The guys who don’t play deserve to play – it’s always like this,” Guardiola said. “When they are training in a bad way, they are out of the selection. But this doesn’t happen when they train good, and that’s good for us.
“It will be tough. I will be unfair. When they are not selected they are not happy – after the game they are not happy. But they have to come back happy for the training session. They have to be happy; no other solution. If they are professional, they know what it is. If they have bad faces, bad moods or want to show how disappointed they are, they will have big problems because they are not going to play … They have to know: the next game is here and they have to convince me.”
City travel to Wembley to face Tottenham in Monday night’s game and before the weekend’s fixtures lead Liverpool on goal difference with two points separating the top five teams. Guardiola believes it is a five-horse title race. “I don’t have doubt about that,” he said.
Of Mauricio Pochettino’s side, who are fifth, he said: “For the last five or six years they are always there [near the top]. They cannot invest in players because of their incredible stadium they build – it’s a lot of money. It’s a top side. It’s my first defeat [in his opening season] and I know how strong they are. Last season we did well in both games [winning both] but they’ve got a good manager and good players.”
Clinical edge
Guardiola called for his Manchester City side to be even more clinical after thrashing Burnley 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
The Premier League champions eased to victory with goals from Sergio Agüero, Bernardo Silva, Fernandinho, Riyad Mahrez and Leroy Sané but, with only one coming in the first half, Guardiola felt there was room for improvement.
The City boss said: “We had 24 shots – 10 on target. So, we are the best side in Europe in shots but we have to increase our ‘on target’.
“In the first half it was just 1-0, and we created enough chances to score more goals. In the second half we made a good performance.
“All the players make a good performance, especially John [Stones], playing in a position that is not natural for him. Fernandinho made an extraordinary performance.”
Guardiola also praised record signing Mahrez, who produced the perfect response to his costly late penalty miss in the goalless draw at Liverpool a fortnight ago.
He said: “He played so good at Anfield – that is why I decided to play him again. He is a talented player and a guy who likes to play with the ball. In the box he is dangerous because he can go to the byline or score with his left or his right.”
Walker not in running
Guardiola confirmed right-back Kyle Walker missed the game as a precaution after returning from international duty with a groin problem.
City centre-back Aymeric Laporte has dismissed concerns about the Wembley pitch ahead of tonight's clash.
The Premier League encounter takes place the day after an NFL match between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Philadelphia Eagles is played on the same surface.
There have been fears that that game could leave the ground in a poor state – one hardly conducive to the free-flowing attacking football favoured by City and Spurs – but Laporte is not concerned.
The City defender said: “I don’t think it will affect us. We will concentrate on ourselves and that is the most important thing. The pitch is the same for both teams. It will be a difficult match for us. All the matches in the Premier League and the Champions League are difficult.” – Guardian
