‘I have the feeling we are close’ – Pep Guardiola accepts blame for Manchester City’s Champions League failures

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admits he still feels responsible for their Champions League quarter-final exit last season

Only two months have passed since City’s shock defeat to Lyon in Lisbon, and the experience of that night still rankles as they prepare to start again in Wednesday’s Group C fixture at home to Porto.

A VAR controversy, a shocking miss from Raheem Sterling and a clanger from Ederson all played a role in the 2-1 defeat to Lyon, though fingers were also Pep Guardiola’s tactical changes.

“It was a tough moment,” Guardiola said. 

“I felt so responsible for how the club felt, all the players, I was not able to drive them and I still right now feel so responsible.

“But watching the games we have to accept the reality that we were not good enough. We did not play bad, we played some real good moments but we sometimes made mistakes and in this competition you cannot do it.

“The reality is, every player and manager, not just here, has to dream with high expectations. We did not perform at the level you have to perform to get through. We have to accept it with humility.

“When we accept this, it’s the best way to improve and to accept the new challenge. We will start from zero again knowing we have to improve.”

Since Guardiola was appointed in 2016, City have failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals, reaching that stage three times.

“I have the feeling we are close,” he said. “Every season when I analyse when we go out, I have the feeling we are close.

“At the same time, we make mistakes that make you feel we don’t deserve to go through. I don’t think it is mental. It is about desire and avoiding mistakes. There are little gaps and we have to solve it. When you don’t solve it, it’s because you don’t deserve it.”

“Now is a new opportunity and I believe more in the wish and desire that we had. In this competition you have do to things a little diffferently to how we have done but when you review [previous Champions League] games, I always felt we were not far away. None of them were that better than us but we have to solve the little gaps and when you don’t solve it it is because you don’t deserve it. It is the best way to improve.” 

However, Pep Guardiola does go on to say he’s ready to do it all over again – starting tomorrow: “I’m so responsible, I don’t blame one player. They are mature enough to know what they have to do to go through. We have to be better in some departments but the players know it five minutes after playing the game.” 

“We are not going to qualify for the final tomorrow. It is the first step of many to get as far as possible in this competition and we want to do really well in the Premier League to get here again next season.”