City conceded three to Celtic and two to Tottenham as their 10-game winning start to the season came to a shuddering halt before the international break.
It sparked suggestions that Guardiola’s play-from-the-back style is too risky and allows opponents to bully them into mistakes if they have the energy and organisation to press City high up the pitch.
Fantasy Premier League Tips: Ins and outs ahead of Gameweek 8
Fri, October 14, 2016Express Sport takes a look at which Fantasy Premier League players have been dropped and selected the most so far ahead of Gameweek 8
Express Sport takes a look at which Fantasy Premier League players have been dropped and selected the most so far ahead of Gameweek 8
But Guardiola reckons his team – who face Everton at the Etihad on Saturday – can cope with the pressure.
“To be here, you have to be tough,” he said. “If you are not mentally tough, you cannot be here. That’s not in doubt. Even in our defeat at Tottenham, I know they wanted to do it. Sometimes the opponent is better, you shake hands, move on and improve. When you lose the only thing to do is improve.
“We’ve had 10 days off, watching our games in Glasgow or Tottenham, what didn’t work, what problems the opponents created, so we can understand what we have to do when they do that again.
“But 80 per cent of the players were with their national teams and didn’t have a rest. Every season is tougher. There are more games and more intensity, it is more demanding and there is more pressure on the players.
“The media don’t accept one game where the players don’t play well. It’s like this for 11 months, That’s why we have to be careful and not work too much between the games, because the players cannot sustain that rhythm.”