Guardiola: "I'll go home to Spain before I change my style"
Pep Guardiola took the blame for his Manchester City side's 4-0 defeat to Barcelona but said he'll never change his style. "I've won 21 titles in seven seasons playing that way."
Pep Guardiola has said he would rather quit and go home to Spain before changing his style of play following Manchester City's 4-0 loss to Barcelona at Camp Nou on Wednesday.
Guardiola made the decision to keep the club's top scorer Sergio Aguero on the bench and then saw Claudio Bravo, the goalkeeper he signed to replace Joe Hart, sent off for handling outside his box.
After an impressive start to the season that saw the Catalan coach win his first ten games in charge, Guardiola has now failed to win any of his last four games for only the third time in his coaching career, bringing his methods into question for the first time at Manchester City.
"I'm responsible for what happened"
"I'm responsible for what happened on Wednesday. When you lose 4-0, welcome to the critics. Move on," said Guardiola in a press conference on Friday.
"But I'm not going to change. I'll go home before I change. I won 21 titles in seven seasons. That's three a season playing in that way. Sorry guys."
When asked if he ever thinks about adapting his style, Guardiola replied: "You would like that? I think about that but the solution is not better than what I believe.
"But if you believe I am going to win 4-0 at the Camp Nou. No, I am good but not that. If it is not going well in the future, I will go. But the way we want to play, the academy will play, is the way I think is good.
"At Everton, one of my friends Ronald Koeman said he never faced a team playing football like Manchester City. That is the best compliment I can receive. The best title."
Pep defends Bravo
Guardiola also defended Claudio Bravo, who come into criticism for the mistake which led to his sending off against Barcelona and ultimately cost City the game.
"I know from the beginning when Claudio is going to make a mistake, he will be on the front page. Every defender midfielder, striker missing a penalty makes mistakes but Claudio has to fight against that.
"Sometimes you have to put a long ball. I don't know if this time you have to put a long ball. The decision was not wrong in that moment but the action he did not pass good and that can happen.
"It is a pity because in that moment the game was open. It is a good lesson for us."