Pep Guardiola is overseeing a disastrous run of form at Manchester City, who have won just one of their last 12 matches in all competitions
Pep Guardiola has admitted failure to qualify for the Champions League would cause financial issues for Manchester City as he battles with the club’s worst run in 21 years.
But the City boss is more concerned at the dangers of the club disappearing from regular Champions League qualification – as happened with the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool in recent years.
His side faces Everton at the Etihad with one win in 12 league and cup games – their worst run since Kevin Keegan compiled 14 without a win at the start of 2004. City are currently in Europe’s top competition for a 14th straight season – the best such run in English football and one that pre-dates Guardiola’s arrival.
Every year, the City boss jokes that qualifying for the Champions League is his first target, and the one that give his owners their biggest smile, which makes the current predicament all the more alarming. Guardiola said: “Financial is an issue, of course it is, but it’s not just that.
“When I said before, people laughed. It’s presumptuous, us winning the Premier League. They said, ah qualifying for the Champions League is not a big success. I know it is, because it happens with clubs in this country. They were dominant for many years and, after, they were many, many years not qualifying for the Champions League.
“The one team that has been in the Champions League for the past 11 or 12 years has been Man City. Now we’re at risk, of course we are, definitely.”
City currently sit seventh in a table that has newcomers like Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest competing for a top-four finish. Guardiola said: “You have to get points and win games otherwise we won’t qualify for the Champions League and if we don’t qualify it is because we don’t deserve it.
“Because we were not prepared, because we had a lot of problems and didn’t solve those problems and find a way to win games. There are of lot of contenders to be there. For every club it is so important and if we are not winning games, we will be out.”
Guardiola is still battling through an injury crisis that has keeper Ederson a doubt for the visit of Everton and the City boss revealed he is being offered the full support of chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, as he did during his difficult first season in charge.
He said: “Every week we talk. I feel incredibly supported. We behaved like in the first season maybe but it was completely different. We both know it, when there’s a moment something wrong happens then we are going to take decisions. I feel incredibly supported from him.
“Of course from Txiki (Begiristain) and Ferran (Soriano) but especially Khaldoon in that terms. We say, okay the situation is what is and what we have to do to improve the team and come on, let’s go to the next one and it’s always been positive.”
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