Expert: Pep Guardiola fears ‘discipline’ problem at Man City after ‘incredible’ confession
Pep Guardiola is desperate to avoid a “loss of discipline” in the Man City camp because of mental fatigue in the closing stages of the season.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
City are fighting for the Premier League and Champions League titles with a little over a month to go in 2021-22.
Per The Athletic last Sunday (17 April), Guardiola, 51, admitted that the “incredibly mentally demanding” fixture schedule was taking its toll.
And Dinnery insists that the all-time great manager will have measures in place to offset mental fatigue in the City ranks.
“Context is key,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“This season we have been coming off the back of a shorter pre-season and a Euros.
“For Man City, every game is a cup final. You have to raise your game every match if you want to stay at the top.
“You can end up mentally fatigued. It isn’t something that happens overnight but it does become evident.
“Lots of these players may have played 70-plus games already, including internationals. That begins to take its toll around this time of the season.
“Mental fatigue and stress can have a huge bearing. To mitigate that, you have to shut out those external voices.
“Every game is billed as the season-defining game. You have to try and cut yourself off from that.
“These players are training day in, day out. It’s important to avoid repetition and keep sessions fresh wherever possible.
“You can’t allow things to get mundane because we’re talking about small percentages at the highest level.
“Mental fatigue leads to loss of discipline and loss of concentration. It’s all about how the mind interacts with the body.
“So, you need to look after yourself in the right way. All of these things can influence player performance.”
City beat Brighton 3-0 on Wednesday (30 April) to retake top spot in the Premier League with six games to go.
Guardiola’s side host Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final tie next Tuesday (26 April).
In other news, pundit suggests Man City could be on brink of signing next Sergio Aguero after Sky update