Pep Guardiola accepts full responsibility for Manchester City failings after European exit

The Spaniard said it would be up to his bosses as to whether they were happy with him or not

Pep Guardiola reacts during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 football match between Monaco and Manchester City at the Stade Louis II in Monaco (Getty)

Pep Guardiola has admitted full responsibility for Manchester City’s drop in form which has seen them knocked out of the Champions League at the hands of Monaco this week.

City took a two-goal advantage to France but lost 3-1 after Guardiola’s decision to go attacking against the Ligue 1 leaders backfired.

Guardiola was furious with how his players carried themselves during the game immediately after the final whistle but has since calmed and opted to say that the defeat and subsequent exit, was down to decisions made by him.

“I am fully responsible for the performances,” he said. “If you ask me about the first half, I am not so happy. About the second half, I am so happy.

“Of course I am responsible but in the end the decision to bring me here, to live that experience and the people deciding to carry on here, doesn’t depend on me. It depends on the people in charge.

“Sometimes you make a question with easy answers – I am the manager and I am responsible for absolutely everything that happens.

“I tried to convince the players to play in the first half in a different way and I was not able.

“So I am not going to say ‘why did you not follow my instructions’. I am responsible.”

When it was announced, nearly 12 months ago, that Guardiola was to replace Manuel Pellegrini as City’s manager, it was widely thought that he was the final piece in the club’s quest for world domination.

Guardiola was furious with his players after their Champions League exit in Monaco (Getty)

However, a mid-season slump in form saw them drop out of the title race and Wednesday’s defeat saw them fall out of Europe too, meaning the FA Cup is City’s only chance of silverware this season.

And Guardiola rejected suggestions that him not mopping up titles already is a failure and insisted he never thought it would be as easy as people claimed and it is up to the owners to decide if they are satisfied with his decisions or not.

“People believe Pep is sitting here so now they are going to win the title. Easy. You are wrong,” he added.

“I never said we are going to win one title, I never said I was going to win the treble, I never said I was going to win the double. I never said that.

“I never said that in my first day at Barcelona, sitting there. I promised a lot of work. Few guys can beat me at that. I work. I am so proud of that. But I never promise titles, never in my life.

“The boss, the chairman, the Sporting Director, they are going to decide what’s the best for the club. It depends, of course, my job and it depends on winning titles or not and if we’re not winning titles they judge me about the results. If it’s not good they are going to say bye-bye.”