Guardiola Taken Aback By

By Max Wise

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has been left surprised by comments from his Manchester United counterpart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer about the champions’ approach play in games.

Prior to the Manchester derby on Wednesday, Solskjaer warned his players in his press conference that Man City would resort to consistent fouling in order to get hold of the game.

"We've got to be ready for the press, for their pressing because they've got quality on the ball," Solskjaer told reporters at a news conference.

"We've got to defend well. When we win it, we've got to be ready for their aggression, they will snap at your ankles and heels and kick you.

"They are not going to allow us easy counter attacking. There will be fouls, absolutely no doubt about it, because when you watch them games they commit so many players forward.

"They will be stopping us as high as they can, I think."

Guardiola has however issued a quick rebuttal to the views expressed by Solskjaer insisting that he has never set up his side to be overly physical to the opposition.

"Receive a lot of fouls? So we are going to make fouls to them? Did he say that?" Guardiola said to reporters.

"With 75 per cent the average, or 65 or 70 per cent of the ball, how you do that? I don't have any comments about that.

"I never prepare a game in my 10 seasons as a manager thinking about this kind of thing. Never. And my players can talk better than me about that.

"I'm concerned many, many other things about the game to have to play to beat them than this kind of thing.

"So I don't know. Tomorrow in the press conference after the game you can ask him again about that. So I don't know."

"I don't like it. I don't like it," the City manager said when asked again about the Norwegian's comments.

"My team, our team is not built to think and create for that, not at all. I know exactly what I say to my players from the day one, from the last day.

Many Manchester United fans are caught between two undesirable propositions ahead of Wednesday’s game; losing to their ‘noisy neighbours’ who will have the bragging rights or winning to enhance bitterest rivals, Liverpool’s chances of winning a first league title in 29 years.