Guardiola Unimpressed by Manchester City's 'Boring' FA Cup Victory Over Salford
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed dissatisfaction with his team's performance, labelling their 2-0 FA Cup win against Salford City as "boring." The match, held at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, saw City advance to the fifth round of the competition, but Guardiola was far from pleased with the display.
Flat Performance Despite Victory
City secured their place in the next round with goals coming from an early own goal by Salford's Alfie Dorrington and a late strike from Marc Guehi, marking his first goal for the club. However, Guardiola highlighted issues with the team's tactical execution.
"We didn't read the spaces where they were," Guardiola said. "With the spaces in attack, it depends on how they defend it, and we didn't read it. That is the reason why the game was boring. The only good news is we go through. That's all."
Rotation and Rest Ahead
In preparation for the match, Guardiola made nine changes to the lineup, taking the opportunity to rotate his squad. With a full week of rest before resuming their Premier League title challenge, the manager plans to give his players a few days off. He refused to attribute the lacklustre performance to fatigue, emphasising professional responsibility.
"It would be nice for me to say mentally we're exhausted, we're tired, it has been a tough two or three weeks for many reasons," Guardiola noted. "But it's our job. The calendar says to play every few days. We just didn't read where the spaces were, and everything was flat and slow and not good."
Positive Notes and Salford's Resilience
One bright spot for City was the return of England defender John Stones, who played his first match in over two months after recovering from a thigh injury. Guardiola commented on his comeback, stating, "He's back. He still needs time, he's not the John Stones that we knew, but his body language was really good in terms of the press and aggression. It's important that he played 65 minutes."
On the other side, Salford City, who suffered an 8-0 defeat to City in last season's FA Cup, showed significant improvement. Manager Karl Robinson praised his team's resilient performance, viewing it as a benchmark for future progress.
"I said before the game this football club has improved every year," Robinson said. "We've put an awful lot of effort in behind the scenes, and we felt we were coming here today with a much stronger squad, as a better club. I think the players showed that, and it's about us using this. Last year we couldn't use it, but we can use this as a benchmark to move forward. I hate losing, but you have to accept it. I think the way we've lost today is testament to the players."
As City look ahead to their Premier League campaign, Guardiola's critique underscores the high standards expected at the club, even in victory.
