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Sky Sports Premier League Podcast

City beat sorry West Ham; Pep reacts to CL ban

19 Feb 2020

Transcription

Chapter 1: What were the highlights of Manchester City's performance against West Ham?

7.186 - 33.036 Unknown

After a difficult few days, this was as routine as it gets for City.

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33.076 - 36.72 Patrick Davison

Kevin De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte now with Patrick Davison.

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38.928 - 41.532 David Jones

guys well played. Kevin, what did we make of that City performance?

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42.934 - 54.992 Kevin De Bruyne

It was okay. I think we saw and we felt also that it's been three weeks without football and you felt a little bit of rustiness, but I think overall we played a good game and I think we deserved to win.

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55.012 - 57.375 David Jones

Amrit, you got through about an hour. How did you feel?

57.98 - 69.22 Aymeric Laporte

Yeah, I feel okay. I think it was a tough game as well because they ran a lot, but I'm happy with the result and with my performance and the teammates as well.

69.6 - 76.933 David Jones

Kevin, I think this is actually an easier question for you than for Amaric. Why does he seemingly make such a difference to you defensively?

77.622 - 93.724 Kevin De Bruyne

Well, I think first of all with the ball, he's very confident and he gives us options and I think defensively you know what he's doing. He's been doing this for years and he slid in two years ago without any trouble and he helped us get two titles and win a lot of championships.

94.865 - 110.967 Kevin De Bruyne

He's doing really well and I know when you're injured that long it takes time and when he came back against Sheffield he had a good performance but obviously we had a little bit of a setback. I think the way he performed today is going to give us confidence and confidence himself also, because it's a hard time when you're injured that long.

Chapter 2: How did Aymeric Laporte's return impact Manchester City's defense?

340.012 - 343.137 Micah Richards

It would have been close. I just feel Liverpool...

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343.117 - 366.103 Micah Richards

right now a better team but you can see the difference that he makes he's got an authority about him as a calmness when he receives the ball we read situations he's quick and not just that it just throws everything out because you have to play Fernandinho as a centre-back and he's a very good midfield player well that's an interesting one so if they all stay fit presuming they do and they and they are pushing into the deeper stages of the Champions League this season how would he

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366.083 - 390.741 Jamie Redknapp

how will he work that do you think would it be fernandinho and laporte or would fernandinho go back into midfield instead of rodri i just think fernandinho is a little bit more mobile than rodri i think he does a good job rodri but i think fernandinho does a better job in that midfield um ottomendi looks a lot more calm when he's with laporte and he's a center off yes you know fernandinho for as well as he's done

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390.721 - 397.55 Jamie Redknapp

You know, he's a centre midfielder at the end of the day and Otamendi, you know, for his form up and down, I would still play him along with Laporte at the back.

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397.57 - 415.632 Micah Richards

It's like if you took Virgil van Dijk out Liverpool side for a sustained period and you then said a different partnership, you know, Gomez wouldn't look quite as composed as what he does next to Virgil van Dijk. Some people are just leaders. They just look so calm and composed and that's exactly what he does to this team and that's why they've missed him so much.

415.612 - 430.718 Micah Richards

Would it have made a massive difference? Yeah, but would it have been enough? No, because I think too many players from City's point of view this year haven't been at that level that they were the last years. And that's just as it is. They've been so good these last two seasons and it's hard to maintain those standards.

430.738 - 440.455 Patrick Davison

They'd be delighted to have another hour in his legs this evening. But let's talk about the performance of the man of the match tonight, Kevin De Bruyne. Caps, I suppose, with the goal.

440.975 - 448.025 Jamie Redknapp

Well, he's just, he's incredible. He keeps raising the bar. You said off air, Jamie, he's a modern-day Scalzi.

448.186 - 448.406 Micah Richards

Yeah.

Chapter 3: What challenges did Manchester City face in the recent Champions League ban?

634.535 - 644.203 Micah Richards

And if he were to say, like, I want to go, but he is the guy that sets the standards here. And we said it, he's a modern day, he's the skulls, he's the person that you want to come and watch play football with.

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644.183 - 673.37 Patrick Davison

Interesting. Might come back to that conversation. We're going to hear from Pep Guardiola in just a few minutes time as well. He did tell us before the game tonight we can ask him anything after the game, so we'll give it a go. Do stay with us. Pep Guardiola coming in next. Well, this was a most welcome return to form for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola.

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673.39 - 678.574 Patrick Davison

And here is that interview we promised you before the break, the Manchester City manager with Patrick Davison.

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680.957 - 684.26 David Jones

Pep, after perhaps not the easiest build-up, what about that performance from your players?

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684.72 - 696.752 Pep Guardiola

Really good. So we conceded chances, we scored two goals, we created many. The team we defended was also super strong in there, but yeah, we played good.

697.572 - 704.703 David Jones

What about... Amaric Laporte's impact tonight, his qualities make such a difference to your team. What is it about him?

704.723 - 727.487 Pep Guardiola

Well, it's a long time he didn't play, so four or five months playing the last game against Sheffield and after it was a break and he needed rhythm, but he has special quality, experience, could build up, have all the qualities to play with us in the last season. With him, with Bini and Nico and John, we were a very good team.

727.808 - 733.496 Pep Guardiola

So we miss him a lot and hopefully he's back and can play until the end of the season regularly.

734.237 - 738.322 David Jones

Still looking for a bit more confidence, a bit more ruthlessness in front of goal?

Chapter 4: What was Pep Guardiola's reaction to the Champions League situation?

949.293 - 953.058 Jamie Redknapp

He's been to Bayern Munich. And now he's at a top club in Manchester City.

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953.078 - 953.959 Patrick Davison

And they've been short spells, though.

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953.979 - 972.881 Jamie Redknapp

They've been three years there. Three years there. Yeah, but where can he go? I've heard talks of Juventus. Do you want to go to Serie A? No disrespect to Serie A. It's a great league. But this is the best league in the world. Most entertaining. Everyone loves it. He's loved by the fans. The players love him. He's building something here. He's got a great young squad here.

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973.282 - 974.363 Jamie Redknapp

Why would he want to leave?

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976.503 - 983.112 Patrick Davison

Maybe there was a thought that this is a rebuilding job that he didn't have the appetite for. That's been some of the speculation.

983.132 - 986.377 Jamie Redknapp

No, I think he's got the appetite to stay here.

987.518 - 988.399 Patrick Davison

Well, he's told us he has.

988.62 - 997.652 Jamie Redknapp

Yeah, well, yeah, I think, you know, the news that's coming out afterwards, it's brilliant for City fans and they can start building again. It's great. Great news.

997.793 - 1008.911 Micah Richards

And I also think, Mike, and I agree with you, it's no surprise. I think there's something special about that guy. He's an honourable man. He loves his football. He obviously loves his football club. And that is the best news.

Chapter 5: How did the players feel about the recent events surrounding the club?

1008.931 - 1016.584 Micah Richards

I said the most important player is obviously to keep... The player they have to keep is Kevin De Bruyne. But to keep the manager, that is such big news for the club.

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1016.564 - 1021.093 Patrick Davison

But do you think that will be an easier thing to do because the manager has come out and said he's staying?

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1021.674 - 1040.654 Jamie Redknapp

Yeah, it'd be easy to, you know, if these players here, you want to play for the best manager in the world, arguably Klopp and Pep are the best in the world now. So it's great news. It's great news for everyone involved in the club. And hopefully they can move forward. Obviously, they've still got this... hanging over their head. You know, let's keep it real. It's not going away.

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1041.115 - 1049.813 Micah Richards

And it's going to be tricky, Micah, as well, because in terms of trying to buy players in the summer, people that want to play in the Champions League, it just makes it a bit more difficult to attract the players.

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1050.134 - 1055.886 Patrick Davison

But people will still come here because you know... It depends how long that appeal process goes on, doesn't it, Jamie? I suppose the hope for everyone in it doesn't...

1055.866 - 1075.748 Micah Richards

No, that's the last thing the club want. And I think that listening to Pep there, he's very confident about this. Because if Man City are to get in trouble for this, there'll be other clubs as well. I mean, who knows what this could open a can of worms. And I'm really surprised we've even taken it to this extent, UEFA. And they won't be the only club that have got themselves in this situation.

1075.728 - 1076.85 Micah Richards

Could this work the other way, Micah?

1076.91 - 1084.3 Patrick Davison

Could this moment for Manchester City act as inspiration for them as they chase this elusive first European crown?

1084.621 - 1105.11 Jamie Redknapp

Well, I said before the game that City would be up for it. One thing about City and City fans, they never give up. They fight to the end. And that news that's been happening off the field was only going to give them inspiration. And they showed that tonight. It'd be nice if City go and win the Champions League. What happens then? It's another story. But, yeah...

Chapter 6: What does Kevin De Bruyne's performance say about his current form?

1156.575 - 1164.89 David Jones

Is the quandary from a manager coming here that if you try to be more attacking and go at them, you leave yourselves open at the back and you're not as solid as you were tonight?

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1165.411 - 1183.856 David Moyes

There's nothing that would give me more pleasure to come and play them in an open game and have a go, but obviously that's why they're at the top of the league, or were at the top of the league, and that's why they're they're advancing the Champions League because they're a really good team and everybody knows that. So, look, we tried, we came with a plan to try and make it difficult for them.

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1184.558 - 1188.123 David Moyes

I think we've done that to an extent, but we didn't do enough ourselves when we got the ball.

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1188.764 - 1199.02 David Jones

Is this the blueprint moving forward, especially when you look at your fixture, some really tough games, starting with Liverpool-Anfield, does this sort of tight, compact performance have to be the way you do it?

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1199.995 - 1215.179 David Moyes

No, I don't think it does and I hope it doesn't because I want to be able to play. I want to be able to get forward and play good stuff. I think we showed really good organisational qualities tonight. I thought we were disciplined in our roles. Everybody knew what they had to do. But again, against these teams you have to be.

1215.72 - 1223.531 David Moyes

So there will be games coming up in the future which we'll have a chance to play differently. But obviously we're in a period of a couple of really difficult games.

1224.071 - 1232.021 David Jones

So with the organisation you showed tonight, plus the quality you had on the pitch and on the bench, confident you've got enough to get out of what's obviously a difficult situation?

1232.682 - 1251.386 David Moyes

Yeah, I think these games were always going to be difficult for us. But I think getting a good structure, especially defensively, because if you don't concede any goals, then you're always going to pick up some form of points. But we have to try and take that, improve our football. We've got some good games coming up at home tonight, before the end of the season.

1251.687 - 1266.064 David Moyes

But at the moment, we're at Man City tonight, which has been a loss, and then we go to Anfield next. So we're going to have to make sure that we're well organised, well disciplined, and see how it goes. Thanks, David. Hard luck tonight. Thank you.

Chapter 7: What are the implications of the Champions League ban for Manchester City?

1392.971 - 1409.755 Jamie Redknapp

I've had Liverpool come to Villa and get beat 6-0. And when you get beat them scores, it feels like there's no way back. From a 2-0, you can say, all right, we lost to a better team. We move on. Who's the next fixture? Where can we improve in the last game?

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1409.785 - 1423.144 Micah Richards

Yeah, one way they can improve is certainly set pieces. I think Aston Villa are the only team that's conceded more from set pieces. They're a big side. And I think if you'd have said to David Moyes before the game, that's the one way you're going to get beat, you'd have been so disappointed to lose a goal from that. And that's something they've got to tighten up.

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1424.285 - 1433.278 Micah Richards

I think the experience, the Nobles, the Declan Rice's players, we'll see West Ham OK. But they've got to win some games at home and they've got to find some form very quickly.

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1433.258 - 1445.445 Patrick Davison

Jamie, thank you very much. Micah, thank you as well. Go and join the celebrations. I'm not talking about the fact that City have beaten West Ham by two goals to nil. You've heard it from Pep Guardiola. He is staying at City. Bye from us.

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