James Maddison opens up on post-match chat with Pep Guardiola
‘He was asking why I didn’t play like the last 15 minutes for the whole game’: James Maddison opens up on his chat with Pep Guardiola after Man City’s win at Leicester… but Spaniard admits it is his team’s responsibility to break down defensive opponents
- Manchester City picked up a 1-0 win away at Leicester on Saturday afternoon
- James Maddison was spotted chatting with Pep Guardiola as they left the pitch
- The Foxes star revealed Guardiola asked why he only finished the game strongly
- But he told the City boss it was difficult against ‘a top manager with a top team’
Pep Guardiola cheekily quizzed James Maddison about Leicester’s tactics in Manchester City’s 1-0 win at The King Power on Saturday but said afterwards it was his team’s responsibility to break down opponents who want to defend.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers switched to a back-five to try and restrict the champions and only pushed forward towards the end when they were behind.
Maddison, the Foxes chief creative playmaker, was approached by Guardiola afterwards with the midfielder revealing: ’He was asking why I didn’t play like the last 15 minutes for the whole game.
Pep Guardiola and James Maddison were seen chatting after Man City’s win at Leicester
‘He realises it’s not as easy as that. He is a top manager with a top team so it’s always going to be tough.’
Clarifying his comments, Guardiola said he believed teams had the right to set up against Manchester City how they wanted.
‘I respect Brendan a lot. We text each other and have a good relationship,’ said Guardiola. ’The way teams decide to play, I never judge. It is our duty to break them down – we have to adapt.
’Leicester can play with four at the back or as they did today with five at the back and no spaces.
Kevin de Bruyne’s superb long-range free-kick earned City the victory on Saturday afternoon
As both teams left the pitch, Guardiola was spotted deep in conversation with Maddison
The Leicester star revealed in his post-match interview that he asked him why he didn’t play the whole game as strongly as he finished it
’We spoke about having to be patient with very little space. There was nowhere to go. And we know they have done this to us before and beaten us in transition. In the end, Kevin wins it with a set piece.
‘Other than that Leicester defended incredibly well and the save Ederson made from Tielemans was very important because we know Tielemans has this incredible shooting talent.’
Rodgers said he would set up cautiously against Manchester City again and didn’t regret waiting until deep in the second half to chase a goal.
‘It was about managing the game, not taking the handbrake off,’ he insisted. ’They are the best team in the world. You give them space and they punish you.
‘You’ve seen them do that to better teams than us. You have to use logic to restrict then and when it was time to change, we did that.’
But Guardiola clarified his comments and said it is not his business how other teams set up
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