Thierry Henry, after Manchester derby defeat, says City’s failures mean now is the time to question Pep Guardiola | football news

Thierry Henry made an impassioned defense of his former boss Pep Guardiola Monday night footballbut he admitted that the Manchester City manager may be “questioned” for the first time amid his poor run of form.

Henry questioned why Guardiola had allowed free-scoring players like Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez and Cole Palmer to leave the Etihad without being replaced, and questioned where the goals would come from when Erling Haaland is not firing on all cylinders.

City are on a run of eight defeats in their last 12 games following Sunday’s 2-1 defeat in the Manchester derby, which left them nine points off the top of the Premier League table, having played one game more than the leader Liverpool.

Although they have struggled defensively in Rodri’s absence, Guardiola’s side have also comfortably recorded their lowest number of goals per game of any season since his arrival.

“We all know, it’s the first time and we’re allowed to say it, that we can challenge their decisions in the way of letting go of Cole Palmer, Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez,” Henry said.

“Ilkay Gundogan is back and he’s not the same Gundogan who scored 17 goals a season.

“You’re missing those goals. Erling Haaland is scoring the same goals, a few less than in his first season, but he’s doing what he usually does.

“I’ve seen him miss wingers all season, but where are the goals of Mahrez, Alvarez or Kevin De Bruyne, Gundogan, where are those goals?”

Henry said he did not expect Guardiola to leave, just weeks after signing a new two-year contract that will take him until June 2027, but defended the manager he worked for in his first job at Barcelona for the level of consistency it has achieved. since then

“One thing I will say about this team, it’s the first time this has happened to him in his career. We don’t kill the guy or this team for what he’s going through,” he said.

“You can never say never (that he might quit), but Pep is not that type of coach. He is very tough, and mean and intense when you win, because he wants to keep you there.

“And he’s nicer when he’s down. You see when the team hasn’t played well, he’ll come out and say ‘I love my team, they played really well tonight.’

“And sometimes he will go on the pitch and do a try with his team when they won 3-0, you can see him arguing that someone who has missed a pass.

“I like that. You change when you’re at the top, you try to change so you can stay there. Once you’re here, you’re trying to be the nice guy now.”

Carra: This is the first reconstruction of Pep that feels like one

Jamie Carragher added that City’s problems only highlighted the level of rebuilding required when his side’s progress had appeared smoother in previous years, despite having to replace club legends Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Vincent Kompany during Guardiola’s time at the club.

He said: “It’s the first time it feels like a rebuild, although there have been but they’ve been so successful they haven’t missed the players you’re talking about.

“That’s something every club has been through. You look at Jurgen Klopp a couple of years ago, Man Utd under Sir Alex Ferguson where you look at it and think it’s going to take them a couple of years to get back to what they were. .

“Because Pep is so good, you never felt like it was a rebuild even if it was.