Guardiola insists ageing squad is not behind City's alarming drop in form
The Guardian|November 26, 2024
Pep Guardiola has denied that a key factor in Manchester City's run of five consecutive defeats is that nine of his squad are aged 30 or older, with the manager pointing to how the same players were Premier League champions last season.
Jamie Jackson
Guardiola insists ageing squad is not behind City's alarming drop in form

The 4-0 defeat by Tottenham on Saturday was their second loss in the sequence to Ange Postecoglou's team, the others against Brighton, Sporting and Bournemouth. This is City's poorest run under Guardiola and the worst of his coaching career.

Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Ederson, Stefan Ortega, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gündogan, Kyle Walker and Scott Carson are all 30 or over. Gündogan apart, all were at City when, in May, they won the title for a fourth time in succession.

"It depends on the performance," Guardiola said when asked, before City host Feyenoord in the Champions League tomorrow, whether advancing years were the prime reason for his team's alarming drop in form. "There are players who are 30 and more than 30 who perform incredibly well. There are players who are 23 who perform not good. I don't see the age. All teams have players with certain ages.

This story is from the November 26, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 26, 2024 edition of The Guardian.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE GUARDIANView All
Final cut: London's Smithfield meat market to close for good after rejection of relocation plans
The Guardian

Final cut: London's Smithfield meat market to close for good after rejection of relocation plans

London's historic Smithfield meat market is to close for good, after the City of London Corporation voted to pull out of plans to relocate it and Billingsgate fish market to Dagenham, to the east of the city.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 27, 2024
Phantom gnome snatcher of 1977 says sorry after he is found at last
The Guardian

Phantom gnome snatcher of 1977 says sorry after he is found at last

The closest residents in the sleepy seaside town of Formby got to violent crime in 1977 was, the BBC solemnly reported, by watching Kojak.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 27, 2024
Woman who kept her child in drawer for three years is jailed
The Guardian

Woman who kept her child in drawer for three years is jailed

The mother of a three-year-old girl who was kept in a drawer and had never seen daylight or another human face has been jailed for more than seven years.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 27, 2024
The Guardian

Green targets blamed as Vauxhall plant closes

Vauxhall's owner said yesterday it would close its van factory at Luton, with 1,100 jobs at risk of being cut or moved despite the government preparing to relax rules on electric cars.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 27, 2024
Biden hails 'historic' ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
The Guardian

Biden hails 'historic' ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah

Netanyahu cabinet backs peace agreement despite opposition from far right

time-read
3 mins  |
November 27, 2024
The Guardian

Irregular bedtime raises heart attack risk - study

Failing to stick to a regular time for going to bed and waking up increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart failure by 26%, even for those who get a full night's sleep, the most comprehensive study of its kind suggests.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 27, 2024
Debt, IT woes and no chief executive What returning Asda boss has in store
The Guardian

Debt, IT woes and no chief executive What returning Asda boss has in store

Allan Leighton faces a back-to-thefuture challenge as he once again takes charge at struggling Asda.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 26, 2024
Sweeney's RFU salary rises to £1.1m amid job cuts and losses
The Guardian

Sweeney's RFU salary rises to £1.1m amid job cuts and losses

The Rugby Football Union chief executive, Bill Sweeney, was paid £1.1m for the 2023-24 financial year despite record losses and swingeing job cuts at the governing body.

time-read
1 min  |
November 26, 2024
'Probably more out than in' Salah leans towards exit with Liverpool yet to offer new deal
The Guardian

'Probably more out than in' Salah leans towards exit with Liverpool yet to offer new deal

Mohamed Salah says he is disappointed Liverpool have not offered him a new contract and feels \"probably more out than in\" in terms of staying beyond the end of the season.

time-read
1 min  |
November 26, 2024
Reds' contract dance with Salah was always likely to be complex
The Guardian

Reds' contract dance with Salah was always likely to be complex

Revamp after Jürgen Klopp's exit did not help and time is short for Liverpool to make their talisman feel wanted

time-read
4 mins  |
November 26, 2024