Hitting back at Jose Mourinho and a Jack Grealish tactical ‘mistake’? Every word from part two of Pep Guardiola’s Crystal Palace preview

Pep Guardiola has hit back at Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese coach made reference to Manchester City’s alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules this week.

Comments from the Fenerbahce manager came after Pep Guardiola highlighted that the difference between the pair was that he had won six Premier League titles as Manchester City manager, and that Mourinho had won three during his time in England.

Mourinho did not take the information well, and stated this week, “He [Pep Guardiola] won six trophies and I won three, but I won fairly and cleanly. If I lost, I want to congratulate my opponent because he was better than me. I don’t want to win by dealing with 150 lawsuits.”

Aside from the light-hearted verbal battle between the two managerial icons, Pep Guardiola also commented on Jack Grealish’s role in midfield for City, and whether that could be a long-term solution for the England international.

In part two of his media conference on Friday afternoon, the 53-year-old also discussed Ederson’s position as number one choice goalkeeper, and the impact and legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger in global football.

Following the conclusion of part two of Pep Guardiola’s preview press conference ahead of the clash against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon, here is every single word from the Manchester City manager!

On Jack Grealish in the central role and whether he always thought he was a winger

“Yeah, he has the attributes to play there. Maybe it was my mistake to play him as a winger. But in Aston Villa with Dean (Smith) he started from, I would say, the left position, the winger position, and after going more inside. Here it’s a more fixed position, more in the places. But he can adapt perfectly in both positions.”

On whether Jack Grealish sustained a knock against Nottingham Forest

“No. All the players, we are struggling for the fitness conditions right now, for the injured players and the players who are fit. So that’s why I said; it depends how they are going to feel in the next games.”

On whether moving Jack Grealish centrally has given him a confidence boost and a spring in his step

“I don’t know. It just was a game, just one. We have to see in the future for many, many things. The confidence comes from himself. After many years, I’m not here to give confidence. Confidence has to be there.”

On if Jack Grealish’s mood around the training ground seems better

“All of them have big personalities, not just Jack. They have proved it for many, many years. So no doubts about that. But I know he likes to play in his position, we have a lot of needs right now, and of course with and without the ball, the impact of the game was really, really good.”

On Jose Mourinho’s comments

“It was a joke. It was a joke. But he’s another one in the huge list that wants the team being in, I don’t know, in the League One or the Conference. But I would say to Jose the same; we are innocent until it’s proven guilty. And after that, we will see what happens. But it is what it is.

“It was completely a joke. I think both, with our teams, him with Chelsea, myself with Man City, we can sit at the table with Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, right? For the many, many titles we won. And I’m pretty sure, sooner or later, he will congratulate us.”

On it being the second press conference in a row that a joke from a manager has been put to Pep Guardiola

“No, no I spoke on my joke. The joke of Arne Slot is his business, not my business. I’m talking about what I said. If I’ve offended him, I’m so sorry. But it was a joke. The fact is he has three, I have six. These are the facts. But the intention was completely fine.

“But I’ll say the same; it’s another one of the huge list in this country and all around the world that wants us there in the bottom. I’ll say: It’s OK, it’s fine. What I said many times; wait for the sentence, and everyone, especially in democracy, innocent until guilt is proven, right?

“So we wait, and after we’ll see.”

Jose Mourinho mentioned in next question

“No, listen. Enough. Don’t ask me that. I answered quite well. I answered the question about Jose, so no more. (What I was going to say is…) Don’t try it.”

On whether he envisaged being this good when he arrived at Manchester City

“No, no. I remember many people said, ‘Yeah he wins because he’s in Barcelona with Leo Messi and the other ones. He has to prove in England’. OK. We did it.”

On whether he has had many conversations with Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger whilst at Manchester City

“Now, yeah. With Sir Alex, few. Now it’s not after a long period, but in the first years a lot. We were at charity events together, and good. And Arsene, since he retired, he has been incredible. Well, Arsene is a gentleman from many, many years.

“And he came last time here, we made a big chat, now he’s in the role at FIFA, and it’s important that these figures are in the world of football, being there.

“And of course, both of them had incredible success at (Manchester) United and Arsenal, and Jose (Mourinho) in Chelsea, and I would say ourselves here at City, and in terms of titles, all four are I think the best we have done in I don’t know how many years.”

On what Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have said to him over the years

“No, no, no, listen when we’re sitting with them, we don’t talk about how good we were, or how many titles we have won, and these kinds of stuff. It’s ridiculous.

“We talk about life, how is the experience, they asked me how is it in England, how is the experience in how many years at (Manchester) United and Arsenal, and how was the impact of changing from Highbury to the Emirates.

“Normal people in world football talk about not the results, not how many trophies we win or we lose. At the end, the nice for the experience of a manager is what you live.

“When you lift the trophies it’s nice, you have another number, but what is nice is what you live; good moments, bad moments, giving you experience, giving you relations with your players, with your staff, backroom staff. Now we are here.”

On inconsistencies in defensive selection

“I would say in the past, maybe I should sit and I should reflect, but maybe in the past I rotated a lot. I’m not saying the back-four was the same, but now this season it’s because we don’t have it.

“We lost the two holding midfielders for long, and after central defenders for a long time, we didn’t have it. And now, apparently we come back and now we come back again with the problems. I have four defenders for tomorrow, no more than that.

“And with the schedule ahead of us, it’s what we have to handle, but it’s an incredible bruise and an incredible challenge to do it. We break that bad run, because it’s not easy when you don’t win for a long time, and now we have to try to continue with the players, the spirit, the good spirit that we show, and we’ll see what happens.”

On what Ederson needs to do to start for Manchester City again

“He needs the manager to select him. This is what he needs. It’s simple. Tomorrow when we see the line-up and I say, ‘Ederson – my first keeper. Today you play’  – this is what he needs. No more than that.”