“No more than that” – Pep Guardiola provides full reasoning behind Kevin De Bruyne substitution against Liverpool

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Published on 2024-03-10 22:51:40

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola recently addressed questions regarding his decision to substitute Kevin De Bruyne during the second half of the match against Liverpool.

De Bruyne had assisted in City’s opening goal in the first half, but as Liverpool started to put pressure on City’s defense in the second half, Guardiola decided to make changes to regain control of the game.

In an effort to improve possession and increase their chances of scoring, Guardiola brought on Mateo Kovacic and Jeremy Doku for De Bruyne and Julian Alvarez.

Despite De Bruyne’s initial disappointment, Guardiola explained his tactical reasoning in a post-match press conference. He emphasized the importance of De Bruyne to the team and praised his contributions in the first half of the game.

“Now he’s happy. No problem at all. I like it; if he’s upset, it’s good,” said Guardiola. “I make a decision because I know what we were missing and we missed keeping the ball, and we could not miss with him, Bernie (Bernardo Silva), and John (Stones), and the other one.

“We could not have it. And after we did it better. But listen, Kevin is… What can I say for Kevin? We need him and he’s really, really important. It’s not about him; it’s a difficult place to come to play and he tried, and in the first-half was incredible involved in all the transitions, the shots, the corner, the deliveries and many things.”

Guardiola continued, “We know it, but the moment I had in the second-half after the goal we conceded, or we gave them in that moment, the game was not in our hands. And I wanted to make something like we can keep the game back to us a little bit, and this is the idea. No more than that.”

Despite De Bruyne’s frustration, Guardiola assured that he remains a key player for Manchester City in future matches. The team is set to face Newcastle United in the FA Cup quarter-final before taking on Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium later in March.

As Guardiola explained his decision and De Bruyne’s role in the team, it is evident that the Belgian playmaker will continue to be a crucial part of Manchester City’s quest for success in the upcoming matches.

Guardiola’s tactical decisions are aimed at maximizing the team’s performance and achieving positive results on the field.

Read Original article on City Xtra