Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City coach, expressed his disappointment with Ruben Dias and Mateo Kovacic’s performances against Wolves, highlighting their struggles during the match. According to Guardiola, both players displayed similar weaknesses, impacting City’s play negatively. He mentioned that their ball control and attacking efforts were not up to par, especially when faced with a strong defensive strategy from the Wolves.
Eamon Dunphy, on the other hand, praised Ruben Dias, calling him “magnificent” and commending his consistent performance since the previous season. Similarly, Kovacic had been an excellent addition to Manchester City’s midfield, fitting seamlessly into Guardiola’s setup.
However, Guardiola’s focus remained on the deficiencies he observed during the match. He noted that Dias and Kovacic were careless with the ball, hindering City’s attacking capabilities. Guardiola acknowledged the challenge posed by Wolves’ defensive prowess, which required Kovacic and Dias to penetrate the opponent’s defense. Unfortunately, they struggled to fulfill this role effectively.
In particular, Guardiola expressed disappointment in Kovacic’s performance, labeling him the worst player on the pitch that day. He emphasized Kovacic’s difficulty in adapting to the defensive midfielder role, usually held by Rodri. The Croatian international faced challenges in distributing accurate passes, often attempting to find Haaland behind Wolves’ defense, resulting in loss of possession and control for City.
Defensively, both Kovacic and Nathan Ake had a tough time containing the Wolves’ attacks and preventing smooth transitions. Guardiola emphasized that while Ruben Dias may not have had his best performance, Kovacic’s struggles were more pronounced, indicating that the Croatian was ill-suited for the No. 6 position.
