Pep Guardiola takes responsibility for Manchester City’s dip but his players are also at fault | OneFootball

One of the bigger surprises of this season has been the form of Manchester City. As it stands they sit sixth in the Premier League table and are 14 points behind league leaders Liverpool. Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League campaign has also been poor and they face a battle to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament. Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League fixture against West Ham Pep Guardiola has taken responsibility for Manchester City’s dip. But in truth City’s dip this season falls on Pep Guardiola’s players and injuries as much as it does the City manager.

Speaking ahead of his team’s Premier League clash with West Ham Pep Guardiola said the blame lies with him for Manchester City’s stuttering season. He explained: “The first call is for myself first. I’m unbelievably honest with myself. I know the reason we arrive and the main reason, it’s me. It’s not the players. The players naturally will drop a little bit, it’s normal. It even happened last season as well. With this consistency, I should’ve found something different, and it didn’t happen, which is why we’re in this position. My blame.”

Pep Guardiola’s statement doesn’t tell the full story of Manchester City’s season so far.

In football, the buck stops with the manager. They are the fall guy for bad results and receive all the plaudits in the good times. That is part and parcel of the game. Pep Guardiola is no exception to this rule. But while Guardiola’s assessment of his performance during City’s recent run of two wins in their last fourteen games is admirable it doesn’t tell the full story of City’s season to date.

What Pep Guardiola couldn’t have planned for is the injury crisis his team has suffered from. At times, it has been never-ending, and it has affected who Guardiola has been able to call upon this season. Rodri’s ACL injury has had a devastating effect on City’s season. Kevin De Bruyne has missed a large of this season. Those are just two of the countless amount of injury issues Manchester City have faced this season. With his options limited at selection, it has forced Guardiola’s hand at times this season. That is one factor that has contributed to City’s dip this season.

Another factor has been that age and, at times, poor performances have plagued Manchester City this season. Perhaps the age of City’s squad could’ve been addressed last summer. But it wasn’t. This, coupled with the injury situation City has faced, has had a detrimental effect on City’s 24/25 campaign. Then, when you factor in the decline of Kyle Walker, Erling Haaland’s missed chances, Ilkay Gundogan’s lack of pace, Phil Foden’s loss of form and more, you start to see why Manchester City have fallen this season.

Not everything that has gone wrong for Manchester City this season lies solely at the feet of Pep Guardiola. There has been a perfect storm of factors that have seen City drop from their usual high standards this season. But all is not lost. If they can follow up their win over Leicester City with a win over West Ham at the Etihad today perhaps Pep Guardiola’s side will start to turn the corner. There is still plenty to play for Pep Guardiola and his team. If they can have a strong second half of the season it may erase the doubts that have crept in over the first half of this season.