Pep Guardiola: I am not good enough to fix Man City problems

Pep Guardiola took full responsibility for Manchester City’s dismal run of performances and remarkably claimed he is ‘not good enough’ to find the solution.

Those comments came in the wake of another bruising afternoon for the Premier League champions, who allowed an 88th-minute lead to slip in the Manchester derby. Two late goals from Manchester United duo Bruno Fernandes and Amad saw the game turned on its head as City once again slipped up.

It extends their terrible run of form, with the Blues now losing eight of the last 11 in all competitions, by far the worst sequence of results under Guardiola. The Catalan is evidently feeling the strain but didn’t deflect any of blame when speaking after the derby debacle.

“I’m the boss, I’m the manager, I have to find solutions but I don’t find solutions,” he told reporters. “This is a big club and when you lose eight of (11) something is wrong. You can say the schedule is tough or the injuries to players, but no.

“I’m the manager and I’m not good enough, simple as that. I have to find a way to talk to them, to train them in the way we need to play, to press the way we need to press. I’m not good enough. I’m not doing well. That is the truth.

“I’m responsible. It would be easy for me to say we lost because of this action or this player or this situation but football is a team. I want it desperately. I’m here to try and I will try again and again but that is the reality.

“I promise you I tried,” he added. “I think managers all round the world when they have big problems work more and think more and talk more to try and get the guys to know that we are still so good. I knew it would be a tough season at the beginning - I said even when we were winning - but I didn't expect it would be so hard like it is right now.”

The loss leaves City nine points off leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand. Guardiola’s beleaguered side head to the West Midlands next for a clash against an Aston Villa team who are also struggling for form at present.