City boss Pep Guardiola and Hart were seen in an animated conversation after training yesterday, just as Barcelona keeper Claudio Bravo was en route to Manchester to complete his £17m transfer.
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The Argentina global took his tally to six goals from City’s first three games after scoring twice in the 4-1 victory over Stoke City as they maintained their flawless start to the season.
Bravo arrived in Manchester on Tuesday afternoon to complete his move to City, although Guardiola remained coy on the deal. “I have an excellent relationship with Joe, him with me”. I’ve said many times he’s our player.
Claudio Bravo has flown into Manchester to finalise the personal terms of his new deal at Pep Guardiola’s City, reports suggest. It’s not done. It’s 90 minutes with a big advantage, but I said to the players, “Sorry guys, we aren’t in the Champions League already”.
“Overall there were elements of our game I was pleased with, but other elements we need to improve on because they are the ones that cost us the game”.
“In the Sunderland game and the last two games he did it and we can’t forget you need more training sessions”.
Explaining the importance of a ball-playing keeper, a role for which he thinks Hart is not suited, Guardiola said: “The reason why it’s important is that every time we made a good build up, we create a chance or two chances”.
“You have to have doubts about that, but before I meet up with Joe I don’t know where he lies in that process at the moment”.
“They have a lot of quality and that’s why we can show it here, at one of the toughest games in the Premier League with the wind, the slow pitch”.
Joe Hart risks placing his career in limbo by staying at Manchester City as a back-up goalkeeper, despite knowing that doing so will threaten his status as England’s No1.
The ruthless decisions to drop Hart and another club linchpin, Yaya Toure, has detracted a little from City’s winning start to the season. And after we have to try to play as good as possible, to achieve the result, to win the games. “We are delighted about that”, said Guardiola.
City lead 5-0 from the first leg of their play-off and Guardiola is expected to rotate his squad for the return fixture at the Etihad Stadium. I know some managers prefer to play on the counter-attack. It’s hard for me to leave players who deserve to play out.
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“He has a chance to play”.
