Guardiola worried about Man city chasing four trophies

Pep Guardiola has admitted
that he is concerned about whether his
Manchester City squad can cope with challenging
for four trophies.
After Sunday's game at Crystal Palace, City will
have played nine games in December and their
schedule doesn't get much relief in January, with
another seven games in 31 days.
City have already reached the semifinals of the
Carabao Cup but would face at least five games
to reach the FA Cup final, while the two-legged
Champions League restarts in the middle of
February with six games before the final in Kiev.
The squad has been boosted by John Stones'
return to training after a hamstring injury but
Benjamin Mendy and Phil Foden are still some
way from returning and Guardiola is wary of
resources being stretched too far.
"I am worried about that. We have to handle four
competitions and I don't know if we able to do
that," the Catalan coach told a news conference.
"With this schedule we have to be careful. I am
worried because we cannot play every four days.
We have to live now and then the FA Cup, the
Carabao Cup -- because Bristol City... something
[special] is going on there.
"But they cannot play, every three days 90
minutes, 90 minutes, 90 minutes. They need
[mental] refreshing to arrive in the last part of the
season quite well. I've never lived this situation
before -- three competitions I have handled many
times but four never."
Meanwhile, Guardiola says England coaches are
always welcome to speak him for advice but
insists they must decide on their own style of
play.
Guardiola's tactics were criticised last season
when City failed to maintain a title challenge, with
some pundits claiming his philosophy would not
be successful in England.
That opinion has changed with his side on a
record-breaking streak of 18 successive victories,
but Guardiola says it's not necessarily the right
option for the national team.
"Of course, [I would help]," he said. "The only
thing I can say it and then after that they have to
do what they believe. Don't follow me because I
have success now -- that would be a big
mistake.
"I was a young manger and for me it was a gift
to speak with managers who opened their doors
to explain what they believe about their
profession about the locker room about the
tactics about whatever.
"Of course I am ready to speak to them. They
don't know it but I am going to learn off them as
well!"