The Manchester City boss wants there to be competition between team-mates in his squad and says no player, even one in good form, is guaranteed a spot in the team.
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“Every player has competition with his team-mates,” he said at his pre-match press conference ahead of City’s game against Palace.
“Even the manager. If we’re not playing good I have competition. To get the best out of ourselves, we have to feel our seat is not safe.”
Guardiola was speaking in response to questions about the battle for the right-back berth between Kyle Walker, who has made the role his own in recent seasons, and Joao Cancelo, who has been one of City’s most impressive performers in the current campaign.
But the manager refutes claims this is the first time Walker has faced serious competition and says all his players know they can’t rest on their laurels.
“Kyle had competition with Danilo who played Madrid and Juventus,” added Guardiola.
“Always he had competition but I felt he was more necessary than the other ones.
“The players know what we have done in the past does not count. It counts now, today.
“The players I feel we have for specific games, for many reasons they have what it takes to play the games.”
Watch the manager’s entire pre-match press conference in the video above.
