‘When I don’t like what I see, I will’ – Pep Guardiola’s response to Man City substitution decision in Leipzig draw

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hit back at recent criticism surrounding his decision not to use a single substitute in his side’s 1-1 draw with RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

Guardiola, one of the strongest advocates for more substitutions in English football, declined to turn to his bench at all in Leipzig, despite boasting a full 11-man reserve outfit and searching for a winner for the final 20 minutes of the game.

Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden were the big-name attackers on Guardiola’s bench but neither got a look-in, and after the game, the boss defended his decisions.

“I have the opportunity as a rule to make five substitutions,” he began. “But I am the manager and I apply it and I take it if I want.

“So that doesn’t mean that because I have five substitutions I have to do five substitutions. And I am a so good manager to decide what I have to do or not.”

Guardiola’s tactical choices have been heavily scrutinised in the past, and after opting to make no changes on Wednesday despite the underwhelming second half performance, the Catalan’s selection choices were subject to questioning on Friday afternoon.

Discussing his decision making ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth, the City manager said: “I don’t know if making substitutions is about tactics, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, whatever telephone numbers.

“I’m not concerned, Kevin was not there, Aymeric [Laporte], John [Stones].

“In the second-half [vs Leipzig], I wanted to make a change; maybe Phil [Foden] or Julian [Alvarez] near Erling [Haaland].

“After we conceded, we were good. When the situation is going well, I don’t like to change around normally. When I don’t like what I see, I will.”