Manchester City are in dire straits and Pep Guardiola has no answers for it, he says Sky Sports Famous Jamie Carragher.
City fell to their seventh defeat in 10 games as they were beaten 2-0 at Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday night, leaving them in danger of not qualifying for the knockout stages.
That's as many defeats as the Premier League champions – for four consecutive years – had suffered in their previous 105 games under Guardiola, who has an unprecedented run of results after signing a two-year contract extension.
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Asked what Guardiola must be thinking after the defeat in Turin, the Sky Sports pundit went on to say CBS: “'Why did I sign that contract'. That's what he thinks.
“You can't believe what you're seeing. This is a big crisis. This was a crisis two or three weeks ago. Probably the best manager and the most successful manager ever, and He doesn't have answers for it right now.
“He tried different things, different systems, maybe players in different positions, and a manager as good as he really is, struggling and finding it difficult.
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“He's never been through this before, so he has no experience with this situation. He has nothing to fall back on and look back on because he's been so successful in the past It's a real eye opener.
“Maybe a lot of coaches around the world are looking at Pep with a right smile. Not enjoying what he's going through, but just thinking, 'finally, Pep Guardiola is going through something that we've all been through at some point in our careers'.”
Pep questions himself after another defeat
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Guardiola believes his Man City side are still the best despite their terrible form
Guardiola admitted that he is questioning himself after the last defeat at Manchester City.
“Of course I question myself but I am stable in good times and bad times. I try to find a way to do it. I am very honest. If we play well (I say) We played well and today I thought we played well,” he said.
“Our game will save us. We can do it. We conceded very few chances compared to the Nottingham Forest game which we won. We are making the tempo right.
“We missed the last pass, we didn't get to the six-yard box (at the right time) or the tension was at the right time.
“But I love my team. This is life, it happens. Sometimes you have a bad time but I'm going to try until we're there.”
City now face an urgent trip to Paris Saint-Germain, who are also in danger of failure, next month before a home game against Club Brugge.
Guardiola accepts that finishing in the top 24 in the Champions League table is now the only goal.
He said: “It is the target. We need one point or three points. We will go to Paris to try and do it and the last game at home.”
Gundogan and Pep at odds over City's problems
Veteran midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said after the Juventus game that he felt City were suffering from a loss of confidence, but Guardiola dismissed his player's comments.
“I don't agree with Ilkay,” he said. “Obviously it's difficult but, apart from a couple of games in this period, we've been good.
City now face another test of their resolve as they host rivals Manchester United in a derby on Sunday.
Gundogan said TNT Sports: “It (confidence) is a big part of it. That's a mental issue as well.
“You can see that sometimes we miss the ball or lose a duel and you can see that we immediately collapse and lose the rhythm. They (the opposition) don't even have to do much, but it affects us so much right. now.
“Even more you have to do the simple things as well as possible and create and flow, then it's hard work again. This is how you get confidence back – do the small and simple things, (but) in critical moments right now we are always doing the wrong things.”
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