And Manchester City’s fans must accept hard-nosed decisions like the side-lining of goalkeeper Hart if the club are to make progress in the Champions League, manager Guardiola has warned.
Advertisement
The City star’s spectacular fall from grace gathered pace on Friday as manager Pep Guardiola confirmed the status quo among his goalkeeping corps if, as is becoming increasingly likely, Hart and City fail to find a transfer away from the Etihad before the end of the month.
Joe Hart has however remained humble, saying he understands Guardiola’s need to implement his philosophy at the club and calling for patience as he and the Spaniard work through things.
Guardiola has made no secret of the fact he does not intend to include the England worldwide in his first team plans – a revelation that has caused a great deal of unrest among City fans.
The keeper, who has 106 caps for Chile and won the Copa America in 2015 and 2016, became City’s 11th signing of the transfer window.
Guardiola has said he can move if he wishes but Everton, the club most strongly linked with him, have said they have no interest.
Reflecting on his first impressions of England, Guardiola said: “Congratulations to the Premier League because it is well organised with traditional stadiums”.
“(City) is a place I love to be but situations occur in football but we are men, we get on with it. For Willy, Angus and Joe, if they stay we will find the best solution for them and for us. “They are going to be in rotation, part of that”, he said. “The situation is not easy right now”.
Sunderland are among a number of teams who have enquired about Hart but any move would rely on the player wanting to move and City helping to pay a significant portion of his £130,000-a-week wages.
Slaven Bilic thinks West Ham are capable of upsetting Manchester City on Sunday, in the same way they did last season. “It’s enough, we have 30 players, it’s enough”.
That has spared the goalkeeper a debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford following the worldwide break on September 10 – but he will soon be reunited with Barca after City were drawn against the Spaniards in the Champions League.
“I can not deny it’s something special for me to return to Barcelona – I grew up there, to play there at 13 to become a footballer”.
Guardiola snared goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in a protracted deal from former club Barcelona earlier this week and he says the Chilean is his final addition.
Advertisement
“They will check our level, our current level”. In the second half they put us under pressure, scored, but missed chances.
