Manchester City’s Struggles: Gündoğan Points to Missing ‘Behaviours’
In a candid reflection on Manchester City’s current season, İlkay Gündoğan has opened up about the challenges facing the team. The midfielder has suggested that the club’s struggles this season can be attributed to a lack of the “behaviours” that previously propelled them to four consecutive Premier League titles.
Having been champions in six of the last seven years, Manchester City finds itself in an unfamiliar position. This season, they are battling to secure a top-five finish to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. It’s a stark contrast to their usual dominance, and Gündoğan has some thoughts on why this might be happening.
While injuries to key players like Rodri have certainly played a role, Gündoğan believes there’s more to the story. He hints that the squad has sometimes lacked the “determination and desire” that characterized their previous campaigns.
“I feel like in a lot of games from our side maybe we gave sometimes a bit too much importance to tactics and didn’t really pay attention much on behaviour; behaviours of ourselves,” Gündoğan told ESPN. “Having that determination, that desire, aggressivity. Like simple things that are part of the game, but maybe sometimes you just think too much about positioning yourself or whatever. You might forget the other things that are kind of normal or that should be normal at least.”
Rebuilding the Season
City’s season took a nosedive during a miserable run of form in November and December, which saw them drop out of the title race. However, there is a glimmer of hope as they have remained unbeaten in their last four games across all competitions. With seven games left, Pep Guardiola’s side is focused on securing a top-five finish, which would be enough to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Their next challenge is a game against Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Gündoğan is optimistic about the run-in, especially after what he sees as a potential turning point with their hard-fought FA Cup win at Bournemouth at the end of March.
“Honestly in the last few games I see a certain change, especially that uncomfortable, very uncomfortable game against Bournemouth in the FA Cup,” he said. “The way they play — aggressive, physically strong — and the way we behave there away at their place, especially after also conceding the first one, I think it was just unbelievable.”
The Importance of Teamwork
For Gündoğan, the togetherness shown to come from a goal down to win 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium was just as impressive as any moment of individual brilliance. He believes that teamwork and mentality are often overlooked in favor of individual achievements.
- “Maybe people don’t give much credit to that because people tend, especially in our society and also in football society right now, they tend to credit more a beautiful goal, a beautiful assist or beautiful actions by a single player,” he said.
- “They don’t credit anymore so much working for the team, having the right mentality and to be there, fighting for each other, staying close to each other and doing everything together.”
- “So sometimes you maybe drift tend to drift apart a bit from these things. But honestly I have to say that since the international break now in March, since we came back together, I see an improvement also in that area.”
As Manchester City gears up for the final stretch of the season, Gündoğan’s insights offer a glimpse into the internal dynamics of a team striving to reclaim its former glory. The focus now is on harnessing that collective spirit and determination to secure a spot in the Champions League and, perhaps, lay the groundwork for future success.
Originally Written by: Rob Dawson
