Ben Guest
Pep Guardiola has said that his Manchester City will not be ready to win the Champions League until their fans start pushing them towards it.
Manchester City are comfortably the most dominant side in the Premier League at the moment, currently sitting at the top of the table on goal difference having romped to the title with a record 100 points last time out.
However, despite their domestic domination, the Citizens are yet to make a significant impact on the European front, with the furthest they have progressed being to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2015/16.
City’s wealthy owners have brought in Pep Guardiola in order to try and deliver European glory, although the two-time Champions League winner doesn’t get the feeling that the City faithful are pushing his side with the required vigour.
“It’s one important thing to win this kind of title, you have to be pushed,” Guardiola told his pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday night’s clash against Shakhtar Donetsk.
“Not just by the manager, by everyone surrounding Manchester City.”
City’s fans have often vented their frustrations at UEFA, frequently booing the famous Champions League anthem due to their perceived victimisation by the European governing body and their financial fair play rules.
Guardiola added: “And still we don’t have that feeling, the feeling that the fans are pushing that we have to win the Champions League.
“We are going to put in all effort to win this competition, but from what I saw last season we are not ready, that’s what I feel.
“That doesn’t mean we are not going to try.”