Blinded by the sudden darkness, the struggling champions lost their way in the last four seasons of the Premier League. It is unrecognizable. Although always after periods of success and higher ascent comes the inevitable fall, no one felt this time what was coming, a cluster of injuries and setbacks that, suddenly and unexpectedly expected, was placed in the group of Pep Guardiola inside a long tunnel that he didn’t know how to get out of.
The defeat against Brighton, the fourth in a row, has plunged the ‘skyblues’ into a situation of unexpected confusion, and it is difficult to assimilate for a team that is used to winning. He has a hard time handling it, and even his shield against problems, his ambitious goalscorer Haalanddecisive in their success, will be able to guide the rest of the team to find a way out. The crisis began with the injury of its two leaders, Rodri and DeBruynebeginning of confusion for a squad whose references and identities are too marked. Now he doesn’t offer signs of emotional reaction, he doesn’t exert as much physical pressure as he used to, and he doesn’t have the many resources he once displayed in his undisputed hegemony.
The city is no longer seen with the authority from which it arose, nor does it feel, at this moment, a determined response to reassert itself. His mistakes, along with those made by Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, United, and Tottenham, allowed Liverpool to climb the standings, and that’s why a dejected Guardiola was seen reminding his players of the big task that they are now ahead of them: “I want the whole team to fight,” he said, “and that we will not lose the title by giving it away. “I don’t like the feeling that we are not there, in terms of effort.”
What will the inner atmosphere look like, of clear relaxation and greater harmony after winning so many titles, that your captain, Kyle Walkeralso had to send a message to react. Under the effects of the disappointment of the bad game on the English south coast, Walker immediately asked the squad for more courage and a better attitude. “It’s easy to play cigars during good times,” he descriptively said to demand “character” from his companions, due to the necessity and obligation that “This is the time for all of us to show the foundation of the City. Because we built the these last eight years and it will help us get through this moment.”
Liverpool’s five point gap is not an insurmountable deficit that cannot be reduced. They have done this before. But this is the worst streak for the ‘skyblue’ club, in a dark year, also involved in internal problems, with Guardiola’s continuation in the air and the club seriously threatened with sanctions, which poses a risk to its future. The national team matches and the disconnection days, which all the teams will attack, can be useful, but we are facing a very atypical English league. The parity in the central zone, in the fight for places in Europe, will make the Premier League difficult for everyone this year.
Guardiola must immediately solve his team’s emotional problem, which is usually motivation. It’s not the same as before because the coach remembered, nothing lasts forever.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
