{"id":535773,"date":"2026-03-14T11:21:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T11:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/535773\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T11:21:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T11:21:22","slug":"pep-guardiola-fires-back-at-critics-who-massacred-him-for-his-man-city-team-selection-in-crushing-champions-league-defeat-by-real-madrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/535773\/","title":{"rendered":"Pep Guardiola fires back at critics who ‘massacred’ him for his Man City team selection in crushing Champions League defeat by Real Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"

By JACK GAUGHAN<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 18:30 EDT, 13 March 2026 | Updated: 04:34 EDT, 14 March 2026 <\/p>\n

Pep Guardiola<\/a> declared he has been \u2018massacred\u2019 as the Manchester City<\/a> boss launched an impassioned defence of his team selection in their Champions League<\/a> defeat by Real Madrid<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Catalan gave a marathon four-minute, 25-second answer addressing Wednesday night\u2019s 3-0 defeat at the Bernabeu, where he revealed to being aware of social media criticism of the line-up chosen to beat Newcastle United<\/a> in the FA Cup<\/a> at St James\u2019 Park last weekend.<\/p>\n

Guardiola took heat for abandoning the narrow midfield that has been deployed in recent weeks for two traditional wingers in Jeremy Doku and Savinho, while Nico O\u2019Reilly reverted to left back.<\/p>\n

\u2018How many times do I hear, \u201cPep is a genius\u201d for the team selection?\u2019 he said. \u2018Genius if you win. What happened in Newcastle? Did you read the comments before the game, (about) my team selection, on the social media?<\/p>\n

\u2018How is Rodri<\/a> not playing, how is Bernardo (Silva) not playing, how you don’t play this player, how do you leave Erling at home? We won 3-1. After that, \u201coh, Pep, how brilliant you have been\u201d.\u2019<\/p>\n

Guardiola then mimicked critics firing guns when criticising his decision-making in the Champions League, even raking over the controversial selection of Ilkay Gundogan<\/a> when Chelsea<\/a> beat them in the 2021 final.<\/p>\n

\"Guardiola <\/p>\n

Guardiola claimed every time City lose he gets heavily criticised for his decision-making – and praised when it goes right even when before games there is concern about his team choice<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s 17 years I\u2019ve been managing in that competition, and every time I lose, boom, my God. Pew, pew, pew,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018I have been massacred. Listen, I played a final of the Champions League without Fernandinho and Rodri as holding midfielder against Chelsea. Do you think that\u2019s normal? No, honestly. Gundogan played in that moment. I was destroyed.<\/p>\n

\u2018I knew how Rodri was playing and Fernandinho was playing, it was not the Rodri that we met after, and in the other positions there are a lot of times many decisions coming for many, many, many reasons, for how you handle the pressure and the other ones. I can explain that but is it going to convince you for the next time?\u2019<\/p>\n

Guardiola also implored Man City\u2019s attackers to improve their movement inside the box amid Erling Haaland\u2019s patchy goalscoring form.<\/p>\n

Haaland has netted just twice from open play in his last 17 matches and struggled to make an impact at the Bernabeu.<\/p>\n

City had ripped Real apart in the opening exchanges before Federico Valverde\u2019s first goal but a number of dangerous crosses from Doku were not finished off.<\/p>\n

Guardiola believes his players have lost an intuition in the final third and wants it corrected when City \u2013 seven points behind Arsenal – go to West Ham on Saturday night needing a win.<\/p>\n

\u2018They have to move better,\u2019 Guardiola said. \u2018The players in the box have to make a movement before the pass, to smell where the ball will go.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s guts and nose, that is the question for them \u2013 that is all. You make a movement, beat your man before the ball (is played) and you will score. Make a movement. We insist.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a question to improve, improve, improve and maybe next time will be better.\u2019<\/p>\n

Although still favourite to win another Premier League golden boot, Haaland\u2019s form will be a concern for City. The 25-year-old was rested for Newcastle but has constantly said that he cannot use fatigue as an excuse for dipped performances.<\/p>\n

Guardiola added: \u2018I want a threat, I want to have people arriving to the goal, I want people to make (grunts) when we arrive with the wingers.<\/p>\n

\u2018Erling is the No 1 in the world in that position. Of course he needs goals. The team need it and he needs it. We have to find him more.\u2019<\/p>\n

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