Wayne Rooney baffled by ‘really odd’ Pep Guardiola decision at Man City
Man City manager Pep Guardiola has left Man United legend Wayne Rooney baffled by a “strange” decision at the Etihad.
The Sky Blues faced off against Real Madrid in their first knockout round game of the Champions League on Tuesday (11 February).
Despite leading until the 86th minute of the game, City were the creators of their own downfall, as they let slip a 2-1 lead, and went on to lose 3-2 to the Spanish giants.
Ederson was criticised heavily by Man City fans on social media after the game, as two costly errors from the Brazilian gave Madrid a lead in the tie.
Man City will now head to the Estadio Bernabeu needing a win to give them a chance to progress to the next round of Europe’s most prestigious competition.
However, former England captain, Rooney, believed that the decision to allow Kyle Walker to join AC Milan on loan during the January transfer was a factor after City’s collapse against the Spanish champions.
Speaking after the game on TNT Sports, Rooney said: “I think you see the importance of Kyle Walker over the last, you know, seven or eight years for Manchester City.
“I think it’s so strange to see Kyle Walker being allowed to go out on loan to AC Milan.”
Clarence Seedorf then added: “Such a great point. He was the saviour many times.”
Rooney continued: “Akanji’s obviously not a right-back. Rico Lewis is a young player still playing in different positions so, at this point of the season where Manchester City are struggling, Kyle Walker’s the captain of the football club. To allow him to go on loan, for me, is really odd.”
Man City lose control of game after Jack Grealish injury and let Real Madrid take advantage
Football Insider Verdict
One of the major moments of the night, was Man City’s loss of Jack Grealish to an injury against Real Madrid.
The £100million man has had an up-and-down career in Manchester. Having begun brightly, the former Villa winger has faded into the background at City, featuring infrequently.
However, Grealish has responded well to his boss Guardiola asking to see more from him, and a delightful assist for Kevin de Bruyne against Leyton Orient showed what the England international has in his locker.
Grealish was heavily involved in the set-up for Erling Haaland’s opener, and look incredibly dangerous for City, before going down with an injury and being forced off.
You can often feel when there is a shift in energy during a football match, and Grealish being replaced clearly invigorated the Real Madrid players, as they began to assert their control over the match.
The lack of aggressive attacking runs Grealish makes for City, when compared to his time at Villa, is often held against the England international, but against the Spanish champions he showed his true talent, controlling the tempo of a football match.
It is a skill that Guardiola craves from his players, and why City were willing to spend so much on Grealish, and something he has not done enough in his time at Manchester.
That same talent can be seen in Adam Wharton, who Man City now want to sign from Crystal Palace, Mick Brown told Football Insider exclusively.
The Sky Blues will now face an anxious wait to find out if their tricky winger will be fit again for the return leg in Spain on 19 February.
Kyle Walker was a calming presence in defence for Man City
Say what you will about Walker, but there is no doubting that, in spite of his obvious decline, his experience for the Citizens was invaluable in the big moments.
Whilst Walker is no longer at the top of his game, he could often be seen marshalling his defenders and that experience, or lack thereof, was on display last night.
Lewis’ hesitancy allowed Vinicius Junior to steal a march on the young fullback to set up Jude Bellingham’s match winner.
On second viewing, it was a moment that may would have not amounted to a goal had Walker been in that position instead, although given his recent form some fans may beg to differ.