Pep Guardiola on the Manchester United players that pose most threat to Manchester City in the derby

The City manager gave his thoughts on what Rangnick has brought to the Premier League.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Pep Guardiola has labelled Ralf Rangnick the ‘father of gegenpress’ ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby.

The pair will lock horns for the first time in their careers this weekend when Manchester City take on Manchester United, and while they’re yet to pit their wits against each other, Guardiola’s admiration for the German is clear to see.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The City manager explained in Friday’s pre-match press conference that Rangnick’s influence has been seen in the Premier League long before he began as interim manager in December.

“I would say the idea from Ralf Rangnick, the tendency is already in the Premier League. So many teams want to play in this way,” Guardiola explained to reporters.

Pep Guardiola clearly admires Ralf Rangnick’s coaching style. Credit: Getty.Pep Guardiola clearly admires Ralf Rangnick’s coaching style. Credit: Getty.
Pep Guardiola clearly admires Ralf Rangnick’s coaching style. Credit: Getty.

“Ralf Rangnick is like the father of the gegenpress or these transitions. We see that with Liverpool, Southampton and with Jesse Marsch now in Leeds, a little bit with Chelsea and Thomas Tuchel, although Thomas Tuchel plays a little bit wider with wing-backs.

“But it is the tendency. Most of the clubs who are already here in England are playing this way, and important ones. Five or six teams are playing in this way.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The work he has done in Germany is exceptional,” Guardiola added. “In Leipzig he created a proper school. From Austria and New York all the teams play the same way. I think he came here to try and instill it and you see some patterns of how he wants to do it.”

Guardiola thinks Rangnick’s influence has spread across the division. Credit: Getty.Guardiola thinks Rangnick’s influence has spread across the division. Credit: Getty.
Guardiola thinks Rangnick’s influence has spread across the division. Credit: Getty.

United have threats up front

It was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who was last in charge when the sides met in November, and the 2-0 defeat City inflicted on their neighbours that day played a big role in the Norwegian being replaced a few weeks later.

Despite the differences between the sides in the table, Guardiola opined United still have real quality in their ranks and he is fully aware of the threat they will pose at the Etihad.

The City boss also explained United are a very different proposition to the team they so convincingly dispatched earlier in the campaign.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I think Ole last season made an incredible campaign and they competed to the end, but we were exceptional and that is why [we finished top], and they made an incredible job,” said Guardiola.

“With United, you see the players up front and in the middle with players like Paul Pogba, [Nemanja] Matic and the energy with Fred and the speed they have in the sides. The central defenders [Raphael] Varane, [Harry] Maguire and [Victor] Lindelof, of course they have experience.

“So all of them and the bench they have - I see this. I don’t see a 19-point lead, or whatever we have. I don’t see points and I don’t care. I know we can win or lose and we work on the way we have to beat them today.

“We are good at reading the situations in every moment and this is what we are going to do, knowing it is a different manager from last season and you start to realise what they want to do.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“They are more aggressive up front and there are moments they press so intense and moments they drop. When the ball is in the side they have deep runners and they have quality to do this. The people up front are the best alongside maybe Liverpool and with Chelsea. We know it and we have to control it.”