Thierry Henry issued an impassioned defence of his former boss Pep Guardiola on Monday Night Football, but admitted the Manchester City manager can be « questioned » for the first time amid their poor form.
Henry queried why Guardiola had allowed free-scoring players like Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez and Cole Palmer to leave the Etihad without being replaced, and asked where goals would come from when Erling Haaland is not firing on all cylinders.
City are on a run of eight defeats from their last 12 games following the 2-1 loss in Sunday’s Manchester derby, which left them nine points off the top of the Premier League table, having played a game more than leaders Liverpool.
Though they have struggled defensively in the absence of Rodri, Guardiola’s side have also recorded comfortably their lowest goals-per-game tally of any season since his arrival.
« We all know, it’s the first time and we’re allowed to say it, that we can challenge his decisions in the way of letting Cole Palmer go, Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez, » Henry said.
« Ilkay Gundogan came back and it’s not the same Gundogan who scored 17 goals a season.
« You’re missing those goals. Erling Haaland is scoring the same goals, a few less than in his first season but he’s doing what he does usually.
« I’ve seen him miss sitters in every season but where are the goals of Mahrez, Alvarez or Kevin De Bruyne, Gundogan – where are those goals? »
Henry said he did not expect Guardiola to quit, only weeks after signing a new two-year deal to take him through to June 2027, but defended the manager who he worked under at Barcelona in his first job for the level of consistency he has achieved since then.
Pep Guardiola says he’s ‘not good enough’ after Man City lost for the fifth time in the league this season.
« One thing I will say about this team, it’s the first time it’s happening like this to him in his career. Let’s not kill the guy or this team because of what’s happening, » he said.
« You can never say never [that he could quit] – but Pep is not that type of coach. He is really, really hard, and mean and intense when you win, because he wants to keep you there.
« And he’s more nice when he’s down. You can see when the team didn’t play well, he will come out and say ‘I love my team, they played really well tonight’.
« And sometimes he will come on the pitch and have a go at his team when they won 3-0, you can see him arguing that someone who missed a pass.
« I like that. You change when you’re at the top, you try to change so you can stay there. Once you are here, you’re trying to be the nice guy now. »
Carra: This is the first Pep rebuild that feels like one
Sergio Aguero scored 78 Premier League goals across Pep Guardiola’s first four seasons at Man City
Jamie Carragher added that City’s problems only highlighted the level of rebuild required when their team evolution had appeared more seamless in previous years, despite having to replace club legends like Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Vincent Kompany across Guardiola’s time at the club.
He said: « It’s the first time it feels like a rebuild, even though there has been but they’ve been so successful they haven’t missed the players you’re talking about.
« This is something every club has gone through. You look at Jurgen Klopp a couple of years ago, Man Utd under Sir Alex Ferguson where you look at it and think it’s going to take them a couple of years to get back to what they were.
« Because Pep is that good, you’ve never felt like it was a rebuild even though it was.
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