Embargoed Press Conference: Pep Guardiola targets 1000 Manchester City passes per match | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stood firm on his tactical philosophy despite perceptions that he is reshaping his strategy for the new season.

The Catalan coach is embarking on the club’s final outing before the first international break of the brand new season, and is hoping to end the first portion of the campaign with a win after a difficult result last time out.

Having won their season opener convincingly on the road at Wolves via a 0-4 scoreline at Molineux, Manchester City’s homecoming ended in disappointment as Tottenham caused plenty of problems and recorded a 0-2 win at the Etihad Stadium.

It was a contest that highlighted the flaws in City’s game despite the encouraging start and their transfer business in multiple positions, with James Trafford struggling with his distribution and the defensive high-line allowing Spurs to run in-behind freely.

The weekend’s clash against Fabian Hurzeler’s side will be no easy task either, with Manchester City having faced various problems in previous fixtures on the south coast, falling to defeat last time out at the Amex.

Here is every word taken out of the embargoed section from the Manchester City manager at the City Football Academy’s media centre from Friday afternoon!

On what gives him the belief/confidence about Manchester City this season: “The way we are training, the way we are competing and we have to improve there, but the things that have, I would say, given signs that when I see things in the games that we have played, since the United States of America and since with all the mistakes we can do and especially in the training sessions, many things that I said I like.

“After, like we won six Premier Leagues in the last eight years, when we started I never know we were going to win the Premier League. But I see things that I like even against Spurs. I see many things that I like to do. We have to do things much, much better, but it’s completely normal in this stage of the season.”

On whether he gets the smell that this current Manchester City team can become a ‘great’ team: “No, it’s too much. We are going to be defeated when you compare with the Centurions or four titles, four domestic trophies and trebles and four Premier Leagues in a row. So, we are going to lose.

“Before the Centurions or these titles in this period, I didn’t know; in that moment, we had moments like it was down. It’s never linear, or everything is the same. But there are things that I like. Maybe in two months, I’ll say how wrong I was! Maybe…

“But what I see since when we travelled to the States, in the [FIFA Club] World Cup and what happened, there are things that I said I like. There are a few things I recognise when you make a good season, and that doesn’t mean you win titles, when you make a good season, it’s for the principles. And that’s why, I’m confident that we’ll be fine.”

On the timescale of when Manchester City will see the consistency: “You will see through the results. When you will be able to win four, five, six games in a row, winning or competing well or being stable in many departments, concede few, create much more, when we have game by game – concede few, create more, concede few, create more and more – and after that, I’ll say the consistency is back.”

On whether he agrees that there has been a change in Manchester City’s style this season: “Yeah, after winning 18 titles I will change my plan, yeah I’m pretty sure. After winning four Premier League games in a row, I’m going to change the way I believe the football my teams are going to play.

“Never, EVER will I change my beliefs in the way we’re going to play. But if you regain [possession] up the pitch, I want to attack quick. When the opponent is making high pressing, man to man, and we break the first pressing, I want to attack quick.

“But after that, I LOVE to pass the ball a thousand million boring, boring passes. I LOVE IT. I love my teams having the ball, and play and play. But there are moments that you have to attack quick, yeah. But we have done [it] since day one when we regained the ball and Leroy [Sane] and Raheem [Sterling] run like machines, we attacked SO quick.

“Because the way you’re going to attack, I’m going to tell you a secret; tell me the way my opponent is going to defend [against] me. And after I’m going to decide the way we’re going to attack. And when the team defends like Al-Hilal, 11 players in the 18-yard box, we have just one concern; allow the transitions and we didn’t allow, that’s why we lose.

“But with a team that presses high, high, high like Tottenham, you will not be allowed for the transitions because they play high pressing. So it depends on what they do, and you have to react. In that, we have done it in 10 years, with 18 titles.”

On whether there has been a tactical change across Europe in the way some teams are playing: “In the last years, not today, the people are more physical, strong, more brave, everyone press the keepers, and everyone presses the central defenders, the managers are incredibly well prepared and they know exactly what the opponents want to do.

“And it’s just read better what they do, what they know, how to break these kind of situations. But what I said before, it’s a process, the beginning of the season. And we talked in these days, the long days, when we will face, because we will face this, what do you have to do.

“Apply it well or not, the pass is wrong, or the long pass is wrong, and breaking the lines is wrong – it happens! But understand as a group, when the opponents do this, what do we have to do. That is the most important thing.

(So the philosophy stays the same, the philosophy of your life?) “We won a lot, you know that? A lot. And why would you change? I change when it’s the players. When I have, for example, Bernardo [Silva] as a winger, or Leroy Sane as a winger, it’s different.

“Bernardo has to get the ball to the feet, and Leroy you give the ball in behind – we have it incredible. Of course I adapt to the quality, but the principles? Maybe I decide, instead of passing 500 times the ball, 1,000 [times] this season. This is my target.”

On the inconsistencies in the early stages of the season and the transfer window still being open: “It is what it is. I think the managers and the players maybe want it, but maybe the CEOs and the owners they don’t want it because they want to make the deals a little bit longer.

“It’s not about that; we didn’t lose against Spurs in that position, or in previous seasons always we lose the first games… Listen, we didn’t win against Spurs and it was because of the transfer window.

“Ah, for the fact that it will be clear, for the mood, for the vibe, for the players and uncertainties for some of them, it could be better. But on Monday, it will happen or maybe the transfer window in Turkey or Saudi [Arabia] it’s a little bit longer.

“As much of that, I’m focused on the players I have, to treat them like we treat them, I cannot ever, ever have a complaint about how the club takes care of them, never ever. And train the team, these three weeks, the three games have been the pre-season, and we talked about in the training how you have to do, and yeah, try to win the games.”

On whether it disrupts things: “It is what it is. I’m going to change? No, there’s no concern. I have to adapt.”