City’s Champions League Hopes Hang in the Balance Amid Poor Run of Form
Manchester City’s 2-0 loss to Juventus in the UEFA Champions League marked a troubling continuation of their recent struggles, with the team now enduring seven defeats in their last ten matches. Goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie deepened City’s woes, leaving them 22nd in the competition standings with just eight points and a daunting trip to Paris Saint-Germain ahead.
Ferdinand Highlights Confidence Crisis
TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand expressed surprise at Manchester City’s steep decline under Pep Guardiola. Speaking on the post-match analysis, the former Manchester United defender said, “We haven’t seen a Pep Guardiola side ever be this bad. He’s got to find a way of galvanising this team.”
Ferdinand noted that even the most celebrated teams can lose confidence, impacting their performances. “It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, anyone can lose confidence,” he said. “City fans will be disappointed, and Pep and his players will want to improve this. You’re going to find out a lot about the players now. It’s a nice ride when it’s going well, but who’s going to help get you back to normality when it’s not?”
Loss of Fear Factor
Former City defender Joleon Lescott suggested the team no longer instills the “fear factor” that once gave them an edge over opponents. He explained, “Teams are being very efficient on the attack. City are losing the fear factor, and that’s a big thing. When Rio was at United, you went to Old Trafford and there was fear. If that fear goes, it gives confidence to the opposition.”
A Rapid Fall from Dominance
Ferdinand reflected on how City’s dominance has waned surprisingly quickly. “We’ve never seen dominance go so quickly,” he said.
“Dominant teams like United or Arsenal didn’t lose the fear factor immediately like this. Juventus, three months ago, wouldn’t approach the game on the front foot like they did today.”
Sentimentality in Squad Decisions?
ESPN’s Julien Laurens also weighed in, arguing that City’s struggles could be linked to keeping players beyond their prime. “They’ve been too sentimental with the squad,” he said. “Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker should not still be here, and even De Bruyne raises questions. In the past, they would have moved players on and reinvested in younger, fitter profiles.”
City’s upcoming Champions League clash with PSG will be critical as they aim to secure a spot in the play-offs. With Club Brugge awaiting in their final group stage match, Guardiola faces mounting pressure to rally his team and recapture their former dominance.
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