Savinho better in “everything” than Jack Grealish and Manchester City fans are ‘always right’ – Every Word of Pep Guardiola’s West Ham review press conference | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has insisted that Savinho is currently “better in everything” than Jack Grealish, as the latter continues to recover from a recent injury problem.

The Brazil international provided yet another two assists for Manchester City as his performances go from strength to strength whilst operating on the left of the club’s attacking unit.

That output against West Ham as part of Saturday afternoon’s 4-1 win at the Etihad Stadium followed a goal and an assist on the road at the King Power Stadium prior to the turn of the year in a crucial three points.

Those performances, whilst leaving a huge impression on Manchester City fans, has left many wondering what the future could hold for the likes of Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku, who may struggle to get back into the side as a result.

That was among the talking points put to Pep Guardiola speaking during his post-match press conference after the latest win for the reigning Premier League champions, alongside a whole host of other wide-ranging answers.

Following Manchester City’s first win of the new calendar year and the second-half of Pep Guardiola’s post-match debrief, here is every single word from the Etihad Stadium head coach’s press conference!

On a message to the Manchester City fans amid Kevin De Bruyne’s own criticism of the Etihad Stadium atmosphere after West Ham’s goal

“City fans saw, like maybe you didn’t see, that they played really good, and they want that! And you have to try to deliver it to them! The fans know that they (the players) were struggling now, but it’s OK. Life is not perfect. Life is not everything during the next 20 years, the next century, City is going to win the Premier League. Sometimes it happens!

“Accept the reality, struggling, support us, and be behind us, and try to do it, and we want to do it, but sometimes it happens. But it’s normal that it happens that reaction. It’s normal! Why? Because they saw something unique, that this country never saw before, I’m sorry, in terms of titles, not in football because Liverpools and Chelseas and Uniteds of course, and Arsenal and everyone has this period that was brilliant.

“But they saw that, and they see, ‘Oh that is not maybe the same’, yeah it’s not, yeah, but we will do it! We will be back again! I want to fight, I want to try to deliver to make us be proud. So at the end, of course, if they help us it will be easier, that’s for sure.

“If they help us, the distance to come back to where we were will be shorter, because they are human beings, they want to try to do it because I know they want to do it. My players, I know them perfectly, almost all of them, they want to do it, in their head they want to try and do it! And that is enough, but it’s done.

“And always the fans are right; they come here, to be delivered something that is like, ‘I want to see something that I enjoy’. In some moments we do it, in some moments we are, ‘Oh god’, create chances and do it. But not in the way we were, but the players know it, because the players were there.

“I go there and after 4-1 say, ‘Oh guys you are fantastic’, and after they’ll say, ‘Pep, what are you saying?! We were there, we know that when we were in our best, don’t lie to us!’ And if you cannot improve, get forward, you will not accept your reality, me as a manager and the players.

“If the players believe what they have done in the past is enough to let the cards be played, if they believe they are wrong. With me, they are wrong! Completely! But I see every day in the training sessions, the kilometres they play, the way they play, and as much as that, they deserve.

“With the problems that we have, still we have a lot of absences, but step by step today Nathan (Ake) – I want to say thank you publicly because he’s playing in bad conditions in the last two, three games, especially against Everton and Leicester, and he made an effort because he was not full, full recovered and with Nathan we are better.

“So stable emotionally, this anxiety as I said he is so stable there and with that and hopefully Ruben (Dias) and John (Stones) and the players coming back step by step and we can find the right moment.”

On the importance of Savinho for a player like Jack Grealish in reminding him what he has to do and the level he has to get to

“It’s easy; as much as he looks himself, and will see the contention, they have to compete with themselves and now Savinho is in better shape and everything than Jack (Grealish), and that’s why I play Savinho. I wanted Jack for the Treble, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I want it!

“But I try to be honest with myself for that, and what happened with Savinho delivering into the box is higher than maybe the other wingers in that position. And they have to fight! You can say, ‘OK now it’s unfair’, OK if you decide to think about that, it’s fine.

“They have to prove, ‘OK, I’m going to fight with Savinho to deserve to play in that position’, and every single day, and every single week, and every single month. And that’s it, because I fought a lot for him, I fought a lot to be here to, ‘Come on! Do it again! Do it again!’

“And I know he can do it, because I saw him, I saw him! It’s not that I’d never seen one player, Jack, or any other one, no I saw him! I saw your level! And I want that! Every single training session, every single game.

“And Savinho, there is someone in this room that thinks Savinho doesn’t deserve, right now, to play? No. Deserved. So that’s why he plays, because he produced. The goal the other day (against Leicester), against Everton was brilliant, and Leicester made the first goal and today made a goal, and two unbelievable assists, the second goal from the beginning that is top!

“So that’s why he played. I would love to play football, I was a brilliant football player, you don’t remember that, but I was a football player and I would like to play. I can’t! I don’t perform well, I cannot.”

On what he is not seeing from Jack Grealish at the moment

“He was injured again, he was injured! Two weeks ago he was injured, and injured, and he needs rhythm and playing, playing and training, and games to have the minutes. I don’t have any doubts about the quality of Jack (Grealish), or any of the players, they would not be here!

“But they have to right now, today, at 3PM, you have to be our best. It’s not about what they have done or what they will do, it’s 3PM! The one hour 30 minutes, or one hour 45 minutes that we are going to play, the responsibility belongs to the players, not to me.

“The way they train before, and when I prepare the training, now here is my responsibility. But on the pitch, it belongs to them. The goal is from Erling (Haaland), we won for Savinho, we won for how good we defended the transitions, the good from Erling – we won from that, not from me!

“How boring would it be for all the players if every success was from the manager? The manager… The manager is I’m here, talking because I have to come here for the contract. But it belongs to the players, absolutely. The one hour 30 minutes, 45 is for them, it’s zero responsibility for me!

“I can suggest but it’s them. Ah, before, here, and before and after is my responsibility and they have to take it, and they have to deliver, every single game. It’s what they have done!”