Pep Guardiola admitted he did not anticipate Manchester City’s alarming collapse in form after they conceded twice late on to lose 2-1 to Manchester United on Sunday.
City have now managed just one win in their last 11 matches across all competitions, suffering eight defeats in the process.
Following an unprecedented four consecutive Premier League titles, City’s defence of their crown appears all but over before Christmas. Guardiola’s side trail league leaders Liverpool by nine points, with the Reds holding a game in hand. City currently sit fifth, outside the Champions League places.
“I cannot defend myself. I’m the boss, I’m the manager. I need to find a solution, but I haven’t found one,” admitted Guardiola.
“This is a big club. When you lose eight out of 11 matches, something is seriously wrong. What can I say? Is it the schedule, the injuries? No.
“I’m the boss, I’m the manager, and I’m not good enough. It’s as simple as that.”
The latest loss, against their local rivals, was particularly damaging. City were on course for a much-needed victory thanks to Josko Gvardiol’s first-half header.
However, the match took a disastrous turn in the closing stages. Matheus Nunes’ misplaced pass allowed Amad Diallo to break through, and Nunes then fouled the United winger in his attempt to recover. Bruno Fernandes calmly converted the resulting penalty in the 88th minute.
Minutes later, Diallo latched onto a long ball over the top to score the winner, completing a stunning comeback for United and leaving City in crisis.
“I’m here in the press conference because of what we’ve achieved in the past,” Guardiola remarked.
“I knew it would be a tough season. I said it many times, even when we were winning. But I didn’t expect it to be this hard, like it is now.”
City midfielder Bernardo Silva was even harsher in his assessment, likening his team’s late errors to those of a youth side.
“At this level, one or two games might be unlucky, but this isn’t about luck,” said the Portugal international.
“When you make these stupid decisions with three or four minutes to go, you deserve to pay for them. Today, in the last minute, we played like an under-15s team.”