Pep Guardiola takes the blame for Man City selection mistakes

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about the issues they encountered against Leverkusen in their 2-0 defeat

Pep Guardiola said that he was 'too nice' to his Manchester City players wanting them all to be involved after 10 changes to his starting XI against Leverkusen resulted in one of the weakest performances of the season. There were even some boos at the Etihad after a limp 2-0 Champions League defeat that weakens their hopes of a top-eight finish ahead of their trip to Real Madrid.

City will head to the Spanish capital in a few weeks and before then have three Premier League games in which the aim has to be not to lose further ground to current leaders Arsenal. Any more setbacks will push City further onto the back foot, although part of their problems against Leverkusen was that the XI who started were not confident enough to play the game they had been told to play.

"Too many changes," lamented Guardiola afterwards. "I always had the belief of the long season and everyone had to be involved but maybe it was too much. Seeing the result, they played not to make mistakes instead of doing what we had to do. When you are not thinking to punish the team you are not relaxed - with or without the ball - and they are a really good team.

"It is what it is. I take responsibility but I saw them and I like everyone to be involved, when you are a football player and don't play for five, six, seven games it's tough but maybe it was too much. They tried to do it but when you are in a big team you have to show off. Everyone - the guys who came from the bench were the same.

"Every shot was blocked, they slipped 10 times. Maybe with the players who played regularly lately, maybe would have had confidence. It's a good question. Always I like to be too nice and involve everyone because I have the feeling after the international break there are games every three or four days, hopefully, if you are not out of the FA Cup or Carabao and there is no human being who can sustain that.

"We are at home, in a good position in the Champions League, let's try and we have weapons on the bench in the second half. It didn't work and we have to accept it. Now it's Leeds and we have still three [Champions League] games and we will see what happens."