Pep still has the drive but players must take City from 'dark' place

IN the summer, Pep Guardiola spelled out what it would take for him to sign a new contract at City.

- JOE BRAY

"I want to be sure it's the right decision, not just for me but for club, the right decision for the players," he said in New York in July.

"If they run like they already ran for eight years, no matter the competition, the tournament and this is what I have to see and that's all.

"When I said I would love to stay (it's) because I would love to stay. So that's why, I want to deny my feelings, I want to see my players." It is almost a weekly occurrence that Guardiola is asked about his contract, to the point where he has stopped answering in press conferences. Even on the questions about his motivation to continue and his international management plans, he can see the headlines coming.

So when he does offer hints about his mindset it feels significant - even if those clues need putting in a wider context before drawing conclusions.

City have just lost three in a row for the first time in forever. Even last season when they lost every game of Rodri's three-game suspension, they beat Leipzig in the middle.