Jamie Carragher has criticized Pep Guardiola, claiming the Manchester City manager is facing a “massive crisis” and lacks solutions to the team’s current struggles. City’s 2-0 defeat to Juventus on Wednesday night in the Champions League has left them languishing in 22nd place in the table, intensifying the pressure on Guardiola.
The loss marks a troubling trend for the reigning Premier League champions, who have managed just one win in their last 10 matches across all competitions. This alarming form comes shortly after Guardiola signed a new contract with the club, raising questions about his decision to commit during such a challenging period.
Carragher, speaking on CBS Sports, didn’t hold back in his assessment:”You can’t believe what you’re seeing! I mean, this is a massive crisis. This was a crisis two or three weeks ago.”
As City struggle to find form, the focus remains on Guardiola to turn things around and prevent this slump from derailing their campaign.
Jamie Carragher claimed that Man City are in a ‘massive crisis’ after just one win in 10 games
Pep Guardiola’s side suffered yet another loss during their visit to Juventus on Wednesday
Manchester City suffered their seventh loss in ten games on Wednesday night, falling 2-0 to Juventus in the Champions League. The defeat leaves City precariously close to elimination, with just one point separating them from the drop zone in the group stage standings. This marks an unprecedented challenge for Pep Guardiola, who is widely regarded as one of football’s most successful managers.
Jamie Carragher, analyzing the situation, emphasized Guardiola’s lack of experience in handling such a prolonged slump:”The greatest and most successful manager, possibly of all-time… he’s got no answers right now! He’s tried different systems, players in different positions. He’s never gone through this before, so he has nothing to fall back on.”
Carragher also noted that rival coaches might be observing Guardiola’s struggles with a sense of validation:”I think there’s a lot of coaches around the world looking at Pep with a wry smile and thinking: ‘Finally! Pep Guardiola is going through something that we’ve all been through at some stage in our career!'”
City’s position in the competition remains precarious. The top 24 teams will progress, with the top eight skipping the playoffs. However, City, who lifted the Champions League trophy in 2022-23, are now just a point clear of Paris Saint-Germain, who occupy the first elimination spot. Their next match is a crucial away fixture against PSG, followed by a final group-stage clash at home to Club Brugge in January.
Guardiola acknowledged the stakes after the Juventus loss, saying:”It’s the target. We need one point, three points. Go to Paris to try to do it and then the last game at home.”
With mounting pressure and little sign of a turnaround, the coming weeks will be critical for Guardiola and his team.
Manchester City endured another defeat, this time against Juventus, extending their dismal run to seven losses in their last ten games across all competitions. Despite efforts from star players like Erling Haaland, the Premier League champions couldn’t avoid falling further into trouble in the Champions League group stage.
Pep Guardiola reflected on the current situation, attributing part of the team’s struggles to their match against Feyenoord:”This is the situation because of the game against Feyenoord. Feyenoord, when it was 3-0 with 15 minutes left, created the problems. When we turn this around, we will not forget this period. We will appreciate more what we have done and what we will do in the future.”
Guardiola maintained a composed perspective, emphasizing the importance of resilience:”I question myself in the good and bad moments. The dressing room is stable. You have to stand up. What can we do? Feel sorry for ourselves? It’s life, it happens.”
City’s Champions League hopes hang in the balance as they prepare for a pivotal away match against Paris Saint-Germain, followed by their final group-stage fixture at home against Club Brugge. For Guardiola and his team, the road ahead offers little margin for error.