Pep: I have the feeling we will do very good things this season

Pep Guardiola says he is confident Manchester City can go on to achieve ‘very good things’ this season in spite of a recent dip in results.

City return to Champions League action on Tuesday night when we play host to Dutch giants Feyenoord at the Etihad, kick-off 20.00pm (UK).

Guardiola’s side will go into the game on a back of a tough run of five straight losses in all competitions – the first time that has happened in the Catalan’s success-laden eight and half years in charge at City.

But addressing the media at Monday’s pre-match press conference, the Blues boss passionately insisted that he was supremely confident about his squad’s prospects of both quickly arresting the downturn and enjoying a successful campaign.

“I have the feeling that this season we will do very good things,” Guardiola declared.

“I don’t give up and I have the feeling we will be there.

“I think we deserve some patience when we lose games.

“You are defending a legacy and that is difficult to handle.

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“What I want is commitment from players to still do what we have to do.

“Look at where we've come from. It's so difficult to defend the success we have had, that's why I'm so relaxed.

“That is why I want the commitment, the commitment, the commitment and the commitment.

“Just being ourselves isn't enough, we have to show commitment every day.

“We need to win one game. I want the players to perform well, in certain departments we need more focus. It will pass.

“It's going to rain tomorrow, life goes on.”

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The boss also alluded to how his vast experience in the game – both as a player and a manager – were helping him to both analyse and deal with the recent run of results.

And he stressed the focus was all about seeking to overcome the immediate challenge of Feyenoord and how the best way to achieve that was by delivering a solid performance.

“I learn from these situations, be calm. Sometimes I shout, but the next morning with a coffee, I'm saying why am I shouting, stay calm,” Pep added.

“It is quite normal after a game. What happens in the past makes an influence in our lives in the right moment.

“At the beginning of the season, we were first, we're still second [in the Premier League].

“It's not about the results, right now, it is about the performance, which at the start of the season was really, really good, except the Bournemouth game.

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“You can handle one or two players [being out], but not four or five in key positions. Maybe not five in a row, but it should happen.

“Tell me one team in the world that does not drop. I could never blame one player here.

“There's a lot of minimal factors that are the reason. If it was one reason I would take it, but it's not as simple.

“Right now, the most important thing is not tactics, it is to win a game on desire.

“You look at December and at the end of the season, whether you need to change things and be more solid, but these guys will do very, very good things.

“Prepare for the next game, try to beat them, which is Feyenoord. I don't know any other thing to say.”