Guardiola: We must accept it and move on | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola says he and his players must accept the 2-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen and move on.

The boss was keen to give a number of players who haven’t had much game time recently the opportunity to impress against the Bundesliga side, with 10 players coming in compared with the starting XI that took on Newcastle at the weekend.

Asked why he believed things didn’t go our way, Pep said: “Too many changes. What I said, always I believe the long seasons, games every two or three days, everyone has to be involved.

CHRISTMAS, TOGETHER

“Maybe it was too much. Seeing the results. I think they played looking to not make mistakes and not to do what you have to do.

“If you are thinking to avoid not punishing the team, you are not free or relaxed not just with the ball, but without it.

“We were close, but not aggressive enough. They are a really good team. Congratulate Leverkusen, of course. It is what it is.

“I take responsibility. I see them and I like everyone to be involved. When you are 3, 4, 5 or 6 games not playing it’s tough. But maybe it was too much.”

Guardiola added that his desire to keep everyone involved might have backfired  somewhat on this occasion against a very good, organised Bayer Leverkusen side.

“They tried to do it - it’s never one player,” he said.

“When you are in a big team you have to show up. The players who came from the bench were the same. We slipped over 10 times, every shot was blocked, they are a fantastic team with fantastic players.

“It’s maybe the players that play regularly lately, maybe we would have been confident for the new players coming up.

“Sometimes I am too nice and involve everyone. When you have the international break, you have 4 or 5 games and now it’s  3 or 4 days until March - hopefully if you are not knocked out of the FA Cup or Carabao Cup.

“No human being can sustain it. I thought okay, we are at home, a good position in the Champions League, let’s give it a try.

“When you have 22 players just play 11. The others don’t play quite often and when you play regularly you feel more comfortable.

“And maybe you play to not do something wrong for the team because you want to help them, but you don’t do what you have to do, you have to be free.

“We talked about it before. Break lines, make movements., do what you have to do. But mistakes are mistakes and in football you have to do it, not just with but without the ball.

“We have weapons on the bench, but honestly it didn’t work, and we have to accept it.

“Now we don’t talk much. We clear our heads and go onto Leeds.”