Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has revealed why he believes his team have struggled to keep up with the league leaders Liverpool this season. The Cityzen’s find themselves 11 points behind Jurgen Klopp’s side and whilst it’s too early to give up hope everybody around the club recognises it’s a long way back. So why has the clubs form stuttered of late?
Can City go on to European glory this season?
Yes
No
Walker told Four-Four-Two: “The opposition are probably working us out a bit. Or the opposition are getting better. We are still the same squad. We have changed very little. We are still adapting a professional mentality around the place.
“We have to take our hats off to Liverpool. They have been fantastic and credit where it is due. They deserve to be top, but it is not over until it is over.
“We have the ability in the dressing room to go and catch anyone on our day. We have to take it game by game and keep chalking them off, getting three points, and moving on to the next one.”
TIF Tactics – Is it as simple as City’s opponents having worked them out?
City have multiple problems and they are far more complex than their opponents simply having worked them out. However, we don’t expect Walker to air the team’s dirty laundry in public. The loss of Aymeric Laporte has played a huge part and has subsequently forced Guardiola into moving Fernandinho out of the defensive midfield position in order to cover for Stones and Otamendi who as a pair are currently out of favour.
Sergio Aguero is likely to be out for a few weeks longer and Bernardo Silva has struggled to replicate the form he displayed last season – all adding to Guardiola’s troubles. The club are currently sailing through troubled waters but their Champions League hopes are still very much alive and they remain in with a shout of winning both domestic trophies. The title may be getting away from the Champions but they are by no means at crisis point. The bad press they are currently receiving is overblown and is a consequence of their own very high standards.