Pep Guardiola expressed sympathy towards Erik ten Hag and Manchester United ahead of the upcoming Manchester derby.
With the Premier League title race heating up, this weekend’s showdown carries even more significance as City trails just one point behind Liverpool at the top of the table.
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United travel to the Etihad Stadium following a 2-1 loss at home to Fulham in the Premier League last week. However, Ten Hag’s squad rebounded midweek with a crucial 1-0 victory against Forest in the FA Cup.
Despite advancing to the FA Cup quarter-finals, United’s performance at the City Ground wasn’t particularly impressive.
There are reports suggesting that new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is exploring potential managerial alternatives for next season.
Prior to the match, Guardiola commented on the situation at Manchester United and surprisingly expressed sympathy for Ten Hag, acknowledging the intense scrutiny in modern football.
“I would say at big clubs you have to win and win. Not just United. You have to. But it’s not easy for United to continue with the incredible success with Sir Alex,” Guardiola admitted.
“That is not easy. I can understand it. Before in England, big clubs had more patience, but today everyone has a lot of pressure.”
Pep also provided an injury update on City’s winger, Jack Grealish, who suffered a new injury in the recent match against Luton.
Grealish, selected to start by Guardiola, had to be substituted off due to the injury, with Jeremy Doku taking his place.
Grealish was visibly distraught, needing support and consolation from both staff and players on the bench.
Speaking on Grealish’s injury, Guardiola said: “He will not be fit for this weekend. When he will come back, I don’t know. We have alternatives. Setbacks in life are always there, it is how you overcome them.
