‘We were not ready. We were not here’

‘We were not ready. We were not here’: Pep fumes at Man City’s display in shock 2-0 defeat by Southampton – and insists they ‘do not have a CHANCE’ against United without big improvements

Pep Guardiola said Manchester City do not have a chance in Saturday’s clash with Manchester United if they replicate the shoddy performance that saw them dumped out of the Carabao Cup at Southampton tonight.

City failed to register a shot on target for the first time in a match since April 2018 (against Liverpool) and Southampton deservedly advanced to set up a semi-final clash with Newcastle.

Guardiola said his team were nowhere near their best and were second best against the Premier League’s bottom club. ‘The best team won,’ he said. ‘They were better. We didn’t play well. We had a bad start and we didn’t perform good.

‘Today was not even close to what we are. We were not prepared to play in this competition to get to the semi-finals. We were not ready.

‘You have to be prepared for every single game when you play for Manchester City and today we were not.

‘If we perform this way (in the Manchester derby) we do not have a chance. I have the feeling today the line-up doesn’t matter, the performance happens. We were not here.’

It is a second straight win for under-pressure Southampton boss Nathan Jones, who had been subjected to boos and chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ by Saints fans just seven days ago.

‘I’ve had people calling me out, people saying I’m this and that, non-league managers saying I’m not good enough,’ he said, referring to a dig from Havant and Waterlooville boss Paul Doswell. ‘So this is a reward for recent weeks.

‘I’ve worked very hard over my 33-year career in football and have earned the right to be here. I am good enough. It has been tough but this is what I’m paid for.

‘This is one of the best sides in the world with the best manager in the world. We showed we can be a very good Premier League side.

‘I want to build a free-flowing, fluid and attacking style. It can’t happen overnight. Pep has created one of the best teams of all time. It didn’t take four weeks. I am not David Blaine!

‘Within 10 minutes of the Brighton game (a loss), I was inept. Everyone needs time, no manager in the world has a magic wand.

‘I am really pleased with the performance. I thought we were excellent. We were aggressive, organised and went after the game. We scored two good goals and could have scored more, we were hardly defending for our life.

‘I am really proud – of my players, myself and my coaching staff. I hope tonight goes a way to justifying why we’re here.’

So will the Welshman celebrate the win when he is home?

‘I’ll be up until 3am watching Everton (ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting),’ he joked. ‘I might have one glass of wine and then reality bites. At least I won’t get any abuse!’