Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said teams have changed tactics because they are no longer intimidated by his side and that is making the Champions League campaign more difficult.
City are down in 25th place in the Champions League table, two points off the playoff spots, and Guardiola has noticed an increase in opposing teams adopting a man-marking approach.
“Everyone came to the Etihad and stayed back,” he told a press conference on Friday.
“The first team I saw man-marking was Neil Warnock at Cardiff. Now everybody does it. Everybody comes here, it doesn’t matter, man-to-man.
“They just jump on (City’s goalkeepers) Ederson or Stefan (Ortega). You have to adapt, you have to be better with the ball, otherwise you will not qualify for the Champions League.”
The Spaniard said while his side may have been outplayed by Paris St Germain in a 4-2 defeat on Wednesday, their problems were more about effective use of the ball than physicality.
“Speed is important, but against PSG we ran more than they did,” he said. “Our problem is with the ball. That is what we have been lacking this season.
“When you have the ball and you don’t pass it properly to your partner, everything is so difficult.” He stressed the importance of passing accuracy and said there was room for improvement despite the influx of new talent.
City signed Egypt forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday after bringing in 19-year-old Brazilian defender Vitor Reis and Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov.
City’s recent poor form has seen them win one game in 13, and Guardiola believes Champions League qualification would be as significant an achievement as winning a trophy, especially with injuries to key players like Rodri and a depleted defence.
City are fifth in the Premier League, 12 points adrift of leaders Liverpool, as they prepare to host fourth-placed Chelsea on Saturday trailing the Londoners by two points.
Despite their struggles, Guardiola remains focused on making tactical adjustments to restore their competitive edge and a return to the Champions League via a place in the top four.
