Chapter 326
Guardiola took a deep breath and slowly said: "First of all, I want to apologize to the fans for today's defeat."
"This result is obviously not what we want. Regarding Li Lei's substitution, I must admit that this may be a wrong decision."
All reporters were surprised by Guardiola's answer.
You know, Guardiola rarely admits his decision-making mistakes in public.
Guardiola continued: "Li Lei performed well in the first half, and his presence caused great trouble to the opponent's defense."
"I replaced him at the time, on the one hand because he consumed a lot of physical energy in the first half, and on the other hand I wanted to adjust the tactics and give the opponent something different."
"But obviously, this decision did not achieve the expected effect."
Another reporter then asked: "So, how much do you think Li Lei's absence will affect the direction of the second half of the game?"
Guardiola thought for a while and said: "It's hard to say."
"Football games are full of variables, and any detail may affect the direction of the game."
"But it is undeniable that Li Lei's presence does bring a lot of flexibility and creativity to our offense."
"His departure has affected our offensive rhythm to a certain extent."
A Chinese reporter asked the question: "Mr. Guardiola, how do you evaluate Li Lei's performance today? Now? What impact will this game have on his growth?"
Guardiola's expression softened a little, and he said: "Li Lei's performance today was very good, and he once again demonstrated his talent and potential. "
"Although we failed to win the game, Li Lei's performance was undoubtedly a highlight. "
"This game is very important for his growth. It made him realize that in the top league, every decision may affect the direction of the game. "
"I believe that through such a game, Li Lei will become more mature and comprehensive. "
Finally, Guardiola concluded: "Today's defeat is a lesson for us. "
"We need to sum up experience, learn lessons, and prepare for the next game. "
"I have confidence in the team, and I believe we can come out of this defeat and become stronger. "
After the press conference, Guardiola left the venue, leaving behind reporters from all over the world who were still not satisfied.
Manchester City players slowly walked into the locker room, all with sullen faces, disappointment and frustration written on everyone's face.
Li Lei sat quietly in his seat, covering his face with his hands, as if thinking about something.
De Bruyne said nothing, just kept drinking water. He replayed the scene of the game over and over in his mind, trying to find the reason for the mistake.
Aguero, sitting in the corner, looked lonely. As the team's top scorer, he was dissatisfied with his performance.
He had the opportunity to equalize the score, but he failed to seize the opportunity.
Kompany, as the captain of the team, was trying to boost morale at this time.
He walked to each player, patted their shoulders, and cheered them up.
"Boys, although we lost the game today, it does not mean that we are a weak team."
"On the contrary, it tells us that we still have a lot to improve."
"Let's work together and show our true strength in the next game!"
Faced with the captain's encouragement, Li Lei gave a positive response. After all, he performed well before being replaced.
"Captain, I will continue to work hard. I believe that with everyone's joint efforts, we will definitely achieve better results!"
De Bruyne and Aguero also came over. They formed a circle with Li Lei and Kompany and put their hands together.
"Come on, Manchester City! We will never give up!" They shouted in unison.
In the locker room, the atmosphere began to become positive.
After Manchester City lost to Tottenham, Gao Yi faced the live camera with a frustrated look.
As a loyal fan of Manchester City, he was very disappointed with the team's performance.
"Today's game is really unacceptable."
"Manchester City's performance is simply a disaster, with loopholes in defense, no rules in offense, and chaos in the midfield."
"To be honest, I don't know if this is the Manchester City I know."
On the barrage, the fans' anger has reached its peak.
"Gao Yi is right, this is not Manchester City at all! This is a group of liars wearing Manchester City jerseys!"
"Guardiola is out! His tactics are outdated and not suitable for Manchester City now!"
"Manchester City is going to follow the old path of Liverpool, a group of old guys with an average age of 30+, and they are still expected to win the championship.Army?"
"The biggest failure was to replace Li Shen. The first half and the second half were two completely different teams."
Gao Yi looked at these angry comments and felt bitter.
The fans' anger was justified. Manchester City's performance was indeed unacceptable.
"I understand everyone's feelings. As a Manchester City fan, I also feel very angry and disappointed. "
"But I still want to say that we can't deny the entire team because of a defeat."
"Manchester City is still Manchester City, Guardiola is still Guardiola, they just encountered some problems and need time to adjust."
But the anger on the comments did not seem to subside because of Gao Yi's words.
"Adjustment? How many times have they adjusted? Manchester City has achieved nothing this season, so what's the point of adjustment?"
"It sounds good, but you know Manchester City is finished. This team has reached the end."
"They should pay attention to Li Lei, otherwise the next game will repeat the old path of previous years and end up with nothing. "
"Yes, they bought Li Shen to let him score goals and let him lead Manchester City to win the championship! "
"Gao Yi, don't defend Manchester City anymore. They played badly, that's all. There's nothing to say. "
Faced with such fierce criticism, Gao Yi sighed, but as a loyal fan, he still had hope for this team.
The day after Manchester City lost to Tottenham, the British media commented on the game.
The Guardian:
"This is a shocking game. Manchester City, the team known as the 'Dream Team', actually lost to Tottenham at home. "
"This is not just a defeat, but a heavy punch in the face of Guardiola and his players. "
"From the beginning of the game, Manchester City seemed extremely nervous and uneasy. "
"They made frequent passing errors and had many defensive loopholes, while Tottenham performed exceptionally well. "
"Son Heung-min and Kane's goals completely disrupted Manchester City's rhythm. "
"This defeat will undoubtedly leave a clear mark in Manchester City's history. "
"It tells us that no team is invincible. Even a giant like Manchester City can fail. "
"Guardiola needs to find the root of the problem as soon as possible and solve it. "
"Otherwise, Manchester City's championship dream may be shattered. "
