Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has reacted to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s pre-derby warning to his Manchester United players that they should be ready to be kicked at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The Spaniard believes the United manager’s accusation is intended to influence the referee Andre Marriner.
Solskjær’s belief is that City will press hard at Old Trafford and foul United high up the pitch because there is less chance of them being booked for misdemeanours in those areas.
“There will be fouls. They will snap at your ankles and heels and kick you,” the United boss said.
“It’s up to us to play through that press, be ready enough, play one- and two-touch, don’t give them time. It’s not my decision, it’s the referee’s responsibility to do that.”
Guardiola was unimpressed. “I don’t like it. No. My team is not built to think and create for that, not at all,” he said and added he thought the United manager intended to put pressure on the referee, Andre Marriner. “That’s the reason why,” he claimed, though he said such a ploy will not work. “No, I don’t think so, because we don’t do that.”
Asked if Marriner may interpret incidents differently because of Solskjær’s view, Guardiola laughed it off, reports the Guardian.
“Really? I don’t know,” he said, before pointing out how talking about referees can lead to disciplinary action. “I don’t want to be suspended. I won’t be in trouble.”
Guardiola also pointed to his approach during his career. “I know exactly what I said to my players from day one to the last day, so when a player wants to attack, we have to be honest and of course there is contact, there are fouls,” he said.
“But when it happens and you arrive late – that is why there are referees, to make yellow cards or red cards or whatever they decide.
“But never have I prepared a game to do this. We want to do our game – sometimes it’s not possible. With an average of 65% or 70% with the ball, how do you do that [make many fouls]? I’m concerned about many other things about the game – about how to beat them more than this. Maybe in the press conference after the game you can ask him again about that.”