Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola has dismissed Ilkay Gundogan’s claim that the players are over-complicating their passing after slumping to a seventh defeat in 10 games at Juventus.
Gundogan also said City are short on confidence and the opposition doesn’t need to do much to get to them.
Guardiola believes his Man City side are still the best despite falling to a seventh defeat in 10 games.
The Spaniard admitted he is questioning himself after Manchester City’s latest defeat left them in danger of missing out on the Champions League knockout stages.
City slumped to their seventh loss in 10 games in all competitions as they were beaten 2-0 at Juventus.
Second-half goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie at the Allianz Stadium left Guardiola’s side languishing in 22nd place in the standings.
With just two games of the league phase remaining, a place in the top eight and automatic last16 qualification looks beyond City and they face a battle just to stay in the top 24 and claim a play-off spot.
Guardiola said: “Of course, I question myself but I’m stable in good moments and bad moments. I try to find a way to do it. I’m incredibly honest. If we play good, I’ll say we played good and today, I thought we played good.
“Our game will save us. We can do it. We conceded few chances compared to the Nottingham Forest game that we won. We’re making the right tempo.
“We missed the last pass, did not arrive in the six-yard box at the right time or have the composure at the right moment. But I love my team. This is life, it happens. Sometimes you have a bad period but I’m going to insist until we’re there.”
City now face a crunch trip to Paris Saint-Germain, who are also at risk of failing to qualify next month before closing with a home game against Club Brugge.
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Guardiola accepts the top 24 is now the only aim. He said: “It’s the target. We need one point or three points. We go to Paris to try to do it and the last game at home.”
Veteran midfielder, Ilkay Gundogan said after the game he felt City were suffering from a loss of confidence, but Guardiola dismissed his player’s comments.
“I am not agreeing with Ilkay,” he said. “Of course, it is tough but, except one or two games in this period, we’ve played good.”
City now face a further test of their resolve as they host rivals Manchester United in a derby on Sunday.
Gundogan told TNT Sports: “It (confidence) is a big part of it. That’s a mental issue as well. You can see that sometimes we miss the ball or lose a duel and you see that we drop immediately and lose the rhythm.
“They ([the opponents) don’t even need to do much, but it has such a big effect on us right now. They are able to break our rhythm with the smallest thing. Even more you have to do the simple things as good as possible and create and fluidity, then it’s work hard again.
“This is how you get confidence back – do the small and simple things, but in crucial moments at the moment we are always doing the wrong things.”
