Managers are not magicians – Guardiola on Man City revival

Boss Pep Guardiola believes the «fog» has lifted at Manchester City but insists he has not found a magic spell to reinvigorate the side.

Rayan Cherki’s late goal earned a gritty 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, which briefly took them back to the Premier League summit.

Arsenal regained the lead following their own 2-1 victory over Brighton but City are now just two points behind.

They finished third last season, 13 points behind champions Liverpool, having won the previous four titles.

One win in 13 games in all competitions, including five straight defeats between October and November, derailed their season and they also went out of the Champions League to Real Madrid in the knockout play-offs – their earliest exit for 12 years.

Guardiola said: «Managers are not magicians, decide what we do, click your fingers and everything is clear.

«Sometimes you need time. Last season, how many times did you see me here judging and criticising the club?

«I could, I have big numbers in my career as a manager. How many [times]? Never, ever. It’s not about you or you or you, it was something… something was in the fog in Manchester, surrounding our training centre. We missed something.»

Guardiola – who takes his side to Sunderland on New Year’s Day – held several talks with his squad during the Club World Cup in America in the summer and believes the breakthrough came there.

He said: «When we went out to Al Hilal, it wasn’t the fact we didn’t win but that we were so good there. It was then holidays so I said: «OK, go on holidays» but I was annoyed because we were good there, good with the guys training, good with the competition.

«The place we were in, Boca Raton in front of the beach, everyone was happy. We made a lot of dinners, a lot of talks, [about] what we have to do next season. What we have to do. We wanted to extend it, just to live that.

«After talking with Pep [Lijnders] and James [French], Manel [Estiarte], Hugo [Viana], Txiki [Begiristain], we turned around and said something changed. Something [you can feel].

«Energy, energy, energy. We lost it last season. We started to train better, compete better.

«It doesn’t mean you are going to win but that you are able to recognise the team. Now it is eight victories in a row. It is not easy but compete in a way we do. We have to improve, absolutely, but this mindset is better.»