Pep Guardiola has ordered a Christmas Day weigh in for his Manchester City stars – warning anyone that comes back heavy that they won’t travel to face Nottingham Forest.
Guardiola is relentless and that has served him well en route to masterminding six Premier League title wins.
He is not for changing now and having cancelled his players’ request to have Sunday off after their 3-0 win over West Ham – Guardiola said no as he claimed they did not play well enough – he is also mandating a weigh in on the 25th to see the damage of festive feasting during three days off.
‘The moment they arrive after three days I want to see how they come back,’ Guardiola, who flew to Barcelona to be with his 94-year-old dad on Sunday, said.
To check they have not been eating too much?
‘They can eat, but I want to control them,’ he explained.
Pep Guardiola has ordered a Christmas Day weigh in for his Manchester City stars – warning anyone that comes back heavy that they won’t travel to face Nottingham Forest
‘I have to make a selection for the 27th against Nottingham Forest. Imagine one player and now he’s perfect but he will arrive with three kilos more?
‘He will [stay] in Manchester. He will not travel to Nottingham Forest. 10/10, that’s for sure.’
City temporarily went top of the league on Saturday before Arsenal wrestled back control with a narrow win away to Everton.
Guardiola is acutely aware how fine the margins are and that is why he is so fixated on the conditioning of his players over a busy festive period.
Asked how the players looked on Friday during part one of hitting the scales, he said: ‘Everything [was] perfect, fit.
‘You see how they run today? The problem is not running… Did you see all of them? Phil and Erling today? Oh, I love it. Last season didn’t have that.
‘One of the attributes of my team was since I started in Barcelona B team until now is that we run like an animal. But it’s not enough. we have to play better.’
Premier LeagueManchester City
