PEP GUARDIOLA may have spent millions since taking over at Manchester City – but he could still only name six substitutes for the trip to Burnley.
And his decision to leave a space vacant on the bench has not gone down too well on social media.
Admittedly the Spanish boss has some injury problems, notably with the likes of John Stones, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus missing out.
But the chance of giving a youngster ‘the moment of his life’ with a place on the bench is what footie fans believes Guardiola should have done.
Sam Long wrote on Twitter that it was “an absolute disgrace” that Guardiola only named six subs, while Ben Field points out that the club have “spent millions on their youth academy”.
Ryan Lee was another to point out the “abundance of youth” talent at the club that have been overlooked.
Just laughing that Guardiola can only put 6 subs on the bench today coz he’s got no one else
the man who’s spent more on his defence than many countries spend on their national defence. Often wonder how these ‘big’ managers would get on with our budget!
— Denise Saadvandi (@DeniseOTBC) February 3, 2018
Tom Parkes was similarly fuming, writing on Twitter that only naming six subs was “the most pretentious thing I’ve seen in football”.
Other fans said the decision was “pathetic” while some warned that it is a sign of things to come for youth players at the club.
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Speaking about his decision, Guardiola said: “We don’t have any more players, that is thee reason why.
“We have one goalkeeper and five players. We could take one from second team but they played a game yesterday.”
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So much for Man City’s academy. They only name six subs today! Great work Guardiola in helping local talent
— Nik Wheeler (@nikbedlam) February 3, 2018
Discussing the controversial move ahead of the Premier League clash at Burnley, Sky Sports pundit and former Manchester United star was scathing of Guardiola.
He said: “I think it’s a joke, I absolutely think it’s a joke.
“If you’re a youth team manager at Manchester City, ring him up and ask which kid deserves that boost. Who has been playing well this season and who has worked hard?
“Forget the second team. Even if they played yesterday, bring one and put them on the bench. Bring a kid to travel with the team, help the kit man and put him on the bench to have the experience of being in a Premier League game. Give someone a boost at the club.
“If you’re the Academy or reserve team manager at Manchester City you must think ‘I’m wasting my time’. Forget the fact they’ve spent however much money, six players on the bench… to me it’s like a protest.
“I’m not sure why he’s peddling this theme. He’s an absolutely incredible manager and the work he has done with this team is unbelievable and the team performance is absolutely outstanding.
“Things like that let you down. He doesn’t need to do things like that.”
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