"Guardiola killed the game, now we've got robots" - Manchester United legend Patrice Evra launches rant against Manchester City boss
Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has once again targeted Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, accusing the Spanish manager of killing football. Evra had previously stated that he is happy not to have been managed by Guardiola.
Patrice Evra, who played for a plethora of clubs during his playing days, called time on his football career in 2019. Since then, the Frenchman has expressed that he is not a fan of Pep Guardiola’s style of football.
During a podcast episode with former teammate Rio Ferdinand, Evra criticized Guardiola’s football philosophy. He said:
‘’I think Guardiola is one of the best managers. But Guardiola, he killed the game. And when I say that, people will say because it’s United and City. No! Because now we’ve got robots. Academy, everyone wants to play like Guardiola. The goalkeeper has to be a number 10. A defender center back need to tackle, put his head, like, those kind of things. But now everyone wants to play amazingly."
"This tiki-taka only Guardiola can do it. Why everyone is copying Guardiola. We have no creativity; we have no genius anymore. You will never see a player like Ronaldinho anymore, or Hazard or whatever. Because when he’s going to be young, you know those coaches what they’re going to tell him, if you don’t pass the ball, I’ll put you on the bench. All football comes from the street."
While Patrice Evra was still plying his trade at Manchester United, he faced Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side multiple times in the Champions League.
When Pep Guardiola hit back at Patrice Evra
Back in 2022, Pep Guardiola took a shot at Patrice Evra, Dimitar Berbatov and Clarence Seedorf. Evra had claimed that the Spanish boss' Manchester City side lacked character, which the other two agreed with, after they were eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League.
After Real Madrid pulled off a dramatic comeback at the Santiago Bernabeu in the semi-finals of the 2021-22 Champions League, Patrice Evra said City lacked leaders because Guardiola can't train people with personality. The manager responded (via Sky Sports).
"It's the same character and personality that we lost in Madrid in the last two or three minutes. Former players like Berbatov, Clarence Seedorf and Patrice Evra and these types of people were there, and I played against them. I didn't see this kind of personality when I destroyed them, we destroyed them, in the Champions League final against United.’’
"It's the same character and personality. You cannot have personality because we conceded two goals in one minute when we have two chances to score? And after the last four games, we score 22 goals, and we have an incredible personality."
While Pep Guardiola was still at Barcelona, he played against Manchester United in the 2009 and 2011 UCL finals and won both encounters.