Guardiola only wants to coach, afraid to face Haaland as an opponent

Before the 8th round of the Premier League, Man City’s manager Pep Guardiola spoke about his cherished player Erling Haaland, who is performing exceptionally well at the moment.

During the press conference before the match against Everton in the 8th round of the Premier League, Guardiola was asked how to 'shut down' Haaland right now. According to Pep, to contain a striker who has scored 21 goals in just 12 games for both club and country this season, teams have no choice but to adopt a highly defensive formation.

Guardiola made the entire room laugh with his suggestion on how to stop Haaland: "How do you stop him? Maybe by using a four-man defense or even more. I had the honor of facing Haaland when he played for Dortmund. Hopefully, I won't have to face him again in my life. He is a world-class player. In football, there are about 4 to 6 outstanding players who make a difference, and he is one of them. I am truly happy and proud to have Haaland on my team."

Haaland’s impressive form is helping Man City gradually revive this season. However, Pep believes that Haaland alone is not enough, and the players must continue to work hard to secure their spots in the club’s lineup.

He added: "That’s the point, they have to compete with each other. A great team works like that. If you think ‘Okay, I’ve done enough’ or make excuses, you won’t improve. If you score three goals, you will definitely play. But once you start making excuses, you won’t get better. One of the reasons for Man City’s success is that we never complain. It’s wonderful to see players competing with one another."

When asked about the return of veteran defender John Stones after impressive performances with the England national team, Pep admitted he was pleased but not surprised: "I’m very happy to see him back. There is no doubt about his ability. I’m glad to see him playing for England. The club will decide what’s best for Stones, and we will assess his performance before extending his contract. When Stones is fit, he will be in the starting lineup. However, he hasn’t yet found consistency in matches, so we will wait and see."

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