- Nabeel
"I am not the best manager in the world..." – Pep Guardiola pre Spurs Press Conference
Pep Guardiola faced the media ahead of Tottenham's visit to the Etihad tomorrow for the 17:30 (GMT) kick-off. The boss discussed Jack Grealish's availability, Wednesday's failed landing at Manchester airport from Portugal, and Antonio Conte and Spurs.
Pep on squad fitness:
"We are going to train in two hours. I haven't yet spoken to the doctors. Hopefully, with the wind, we don't have players flying in the sky. We will see."
Pep on Jack Grealish's shin injury:
"I'm not a doctor! The shin seems much less than he had last season in Birmingham but I don't know, I didn't talk to the doctor. We will see, but I think he will not be [ready] for tomorrow but hopefully the next weeks."
Pep on Wednesday's failed landing at Manchester airport:
"When I saw the video it was more scary than we felt. It was bumpy, it was a moment we were going down and the engine started to roll on and we go up. [We say] 'Oh something happened'. We had a pilot who did incredibly well to talk to us, was so calm, we tried again and then landed in Liverpool. The pilot was magnificent because we felt anxious but thanks to the way he talk to us, everyone was calm."
Nice welcome at Liverpool?
"Always in Liverpool, they are so kind to us [laughs]. They have a better airport than us!"
Pep on Antonio Conte calling him the best manager in the world:
"Thank you so much, I am not [the best]. I appreciate it."
Pep on Conte:
"I would say I don't have words. I learn a lot watching his teams, the movement, the club relies on him 100% and his ideas. He showed in Juventus and changed many things, at Milano, at Chelsea. If the club relies on him 100% they will have success. In my first season, it was tough in terms of results. Every manager needs time, needs investment, needs many things to be there for a long time and be successful. Having success in England is more difficult than any other part of the world. I think he can talk about this, I can talk about this because I have been in different countries. I have incredible respect because when I watch his teams, I feel like I learn something new and can improve."
Pep on Spurs' form:
"This is the problem [the fact they've lost three in a row in the Premier League] they'll be ready for tomorrow. To lose four times in a row is not easy. We suffer every time with Son, Kane, Moura – they have a lot of quality. The patterns they do, what I saw yesterday and today. Managers who arrive in the middle of the season is not easy to make changes and with games every 3 days. In football, we don't have time. This club gave me time - that's why I'll always be grateful. But managers need time to get ideas across and get players to follow what they feel."
Written by: @NA1907_
Some quotes as quoted by Manchester Evening News and Manchester City.
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