Rodri reveals what Pep Guardiola told Man City after derby defeat | OneFootball

Manchester City midfielder Rodri says Pep Guardiola did not tear into his players after Saturday’s defeat to Manchester United.

City were beaten 2-1 at home by their local rivals – a result which leaves them 14 points behind Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title.

But though their title defence is looking bleaker by the week, Rodri says Guardiola tried to lift the squad’s spirits in the dressing room after the match.

“The manager always takes the good points,” the Spanish midfielder told the Manchester Evening News.

“He tried to lift our heads up. It is a tough moment for the team, but we have to keep fighting.

“We have other cups, other goals which are interesting and very good, so we need to keep fighting and of course recover people because we have lots of problems with injuries – it’s been tough at the beginning of the season.”

City have now lost four games already in the Premier League this season and summer signing Rodri believes the players, not the manager, are to blame for their predicament.

“We knew what they were going to do, many times we have known what teams would do but we haven’t fixed these things,” he said.

“We shouldn’t let them turn, we need to be more aggressive – it’s our fault.”

The reigning champions came from behind to ultimately pip Liverpool to the title last season but Rodri admits that the current gap between the two sides is probably insurmountable.

“It’s too much, I don’t know,” he said.

“I would tell the supporters to stay behind us because we have other things this year, other cups. It’s difficult but we have to fight until the end.

“The fans are amazing but have to keep supporting us because they are important.

“We don’t want to talk about that (the gap), or look at the table. We have lots of other good things this year, other cups, and we still have the Premier League, of course.

“We have to keep fighting until the end. Of course, they (Liverpool) are very strong. Now it is difficult but we have to keep trying.

“We will give everything in the Premier League but things are not going as we want. We have had lots of injuries since the start of the season, we have had many rigorous decisions of course in matches, and it’s always difficult.

“The Premier League is like this – physically and mentally we have to get the team back because we are a bit down now.”