Pep Guardiola: I wouldn’t have cheered for Manchester City against Bayer Leverkusen | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted he would not ‘cheer’ his side’s performance against Bayer Leverkusen if he was in the stands of the Etihad Stadium.

City put in a lacklustre display and fell short of the bare minimum in terms of standards when goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Patrik Schick either side of half-time inflicted a damaging 2-0 defeat on the Blues at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola’s men have thereby made it harder for themselves to ensure qualification for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 ahead of a crunch group-phase away test against Real Madrid in the second half of December – having been torn apart by the Spanish giants in the Round of 16 stage of last season’s edition of the competition.

After making 10 changes to his side against Leverkusen – in the backdrop of a narrow defeat in the Premier League to Newcastle last week – Guardiola received huge criticism for his team selection and assumed responsibility for his side’s toothlessness against the German visitors.

Speaking in a press conference ahead of Saturday’s visit of Leeds United, Guardiola insisted that despite the poor performance shown against Bayer Leverkusen in midweek, his positive thoughts on the quality of his players remains unchanged.

“My opinion on (Manchester City’s players) and the standard of them is top. Nothing changed from my thoughts of them as players, they’re good players. I just learn I make a mistake,” Guardiola said.

“(We need) good actions and do simple things, attack, score goals. Defensively, be aggressive enough to win duels and be present. Our fans make an effort to come see us and we’re grateful.

“In this stadium for many years, if we do what we have to do they’re there. We have to do what we try; we have to control ourselves and play better. I learnt that years ago when I was a player for Barcelona we had to do it ourselves, that is not what it is about. We have to do better.”

Guardiola has sung the praises of Manchester City’s away fans over the years but has at time questioned a lack of effort from the audience at home and a seemingly subdued atmosphere on the club’s own turf at times.

However, the Catalan admitted that he did not deem Tuesday’s performance against Leverkusen worthy of inspiring a positive reaction from Manchester City fans in attendance of what was comfortably one of the Blues’ worst-ever displays under Guardiola.

On the subject of players encouraging more noise and atmosphere from supporters in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Guardiola said: “(If) I would be a fan (inside the Etihad Stadium), I would not cheer my team playing the way we played.”

Omar Marmoush raised eyebrows against Leverkusen when he was trying to rally the fans to get behind a much-changed Manchester City starting XI, with City notably lacking in quality in both boxes and deservedly losing to the visitors on the night.

City return to Premier League duties against Leeds United this weekend and nothing less than three points will do for the Blues, who saw Arsenal capitalise on the Blues’ setback in Tyneside by extending their lead at the top of the table to six points after putting Tottenham to the sword in the north London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.