Gary Neville insists some Manchester City players look bored, while Roy Keane said this City side don’t look like title winners after the dour 0-0 draw in the Manchester derby.
City registered just two shots on goal, but claimed a sixth straight clean sheet in the stalemate at Old Trafford, a point welcomed by manager Pep Guardiola.
But with City lacking the firepower they have shown in previous seasons – they hit 102, 95 and 106 goals in the last three Premier League campaigns respectively – Sky Sports pundits Keane and Neville were critical of their approach of late.
Neville: City look bored
4:58Gary Neville on Sky Sports:
“I’m really surprised at City, they look like a team that’s bored a little bit. And they have no other option but to win the league, that’s it, they have to win the league. It just wasn’t Man City, it’s not Pep Guardiola, it’s not those players, in and out of possession. I thought it was a really poor, poor game.
“I was really surprised at City’s tactics in the first half. United have struggled in every first half, have a poor record at Old Trafford, had a disastrous midweek: go for the throat! Go for them in the early parts of the game.
“I was really surprised. We’re sat here discussing and maybe even criticising the greatest manager of all time potentially, but he shouldn’t be above criticism. I’m sure there will be City fans at home thinking: ‘That’s not what we do under Pep Guardiola, that’s not how we play.’ I think City let them off the hook.
“That’s a shadow, an absolute shadow, of the team that won the league two years ago.
“It’s the body language. They look like all the juice has been squeezed out of the orange. You look at De Bruyne and he’s looking around the pitch as if to say: ‘You’re not as good as the ones I used to play with.’
“There was no intent there, whether on the pitch or from the managers to win the match. That was really poor, and we shouldn’t accept that. We can say both teams played in midweek, both teams are tired, there’s no fans, but we’ve put a lot of emphasis on the speed, thrill, risk to win in the Premier League.
“There’s nothing in that game that tells me any of those things existed today.”
Keane: There’s not a title in this City team
2:16Roy Keane on Sky Sports:
“I never felt City had that desire or intensity to go and win this game of football. We talk about Man Utd sitting in and making it difficult, Man City are faced with that every week! It’s their job to break them down. There has to be an element of gamble to win a game of football.
“There’s not a title in this team. I don’t see it. You look at the players up front, and the striker, a vital role for City when you play one up front. Aguero, every time he comes back from an injury he seems to be carrying weight or picking up more knocks, and Jesus is not going to fire you to a league title.
“For all the talent they have, I still think they’re behind Chelsea, Liverpool, and Spurs.
“You’ve got to gamble a little bit. You’ve got to try and win a game of football. You don’t settle for draws, I’m listening to John Stones talking about a clean sheet and blah blah blah. You’ve got to go and win football matches!
“I’m scratching my head. City, as we expected, loads of possession, but predictable. Sideways and backwards.
“People say there’s a long way to go in the season, but when the game is there for you. I never felt Man City were going to score many goals. Go and find a way to win the game of football.
“At the end of the game, the staff and players are hugging, smiling, chatting with each other. Just get down the tunnel, I don’t get it! Everyone wants to be pals with each other, and be popular!
“You’re playing for these clubs, particularly Man Utd, to win football matches! Not to be mates with everybody!”
Richards: City missing spark, but it’s early
2:51Micah Richards on Sky Sports:
“City are just missing that little spark. They’ve become a bit more of a possession-based team. it wasn’t City at their best today.
“They’re playing within themselves. The system changed a little bit today, they had Fernandinho and Rodri in there, I prefer it with just one, with just Fernandinho in there. It is frustrating, but they’ve gone home with a point. I don’t want to be too critical of the way City played; they’ve had a lot of games.
“The levels were set so high, and they’ve not been able to reach those levels. But I want to take the positives. Six clean sheets is a positive. After everyone wrote John Stones off, he’s put in a good performance tonight.
“They need to be doing more offensively, but defensively they’ve looked better.
“We’re not even at Christmas yet. That table can turn on its head in a matter of days. Just because City had a draw in this game, to say they’re not title winners.”
Pep: It’s a good point
3:02Man City manager Pep Guardiola on Sky Sports:
“We didn’t lose, last season we lost. We created enough chances, and considering the opponent, it’s a good point.
“The important thing is we didn’t concede, we were so solid. The last five minutes, I think everyone was thinking: OK, we don’t want to lose.
“We didn’t concede counter attacks, that’s important. If we struggle to score goals, we have to be solid in the defensive department. We have to be a little bit sharper up front, but we will improve next time.”
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