Ilkay Gundogan has come to the limelight several times for his unfiltered thoughts on the team’s performance, especially after defeats. As the former captain of a treble-winning side under Pep Guardiola, the German international is well-versed with a champion mentality and the high degree of self-criticism that comes with it.
The former Manchester City star started and played the full ninety minutes during the team’s recent draw with Athletic Club and was understandably far from satisfied with the result. After all, it was a golden chance for the Blaugranas to re-enter the title race and close the gap with Real Madrid.
Speaking to La Liga TV after the game at San Mames, Gundogan once again did not hold back in criticising the team for the glaring flaws and the poor performance on the night. He began, however, by dealing with the two key injuries Barcelona sustained on the night with Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.
“It’s very disappointing for us of course, because obviously not only did we lose two points against Bilbao, we also lost two of our best players. Two players play a crucial role for us and are very important to the team.”
“They bring quality to the field that other players do not bring. We lost them early at the beginning of the season,” he added.
Despite the two big losses, Gundogan insisted that the men in garnet and blue had to warrior on as they did not have any room for excuses.
“But there is also no excuse. We are Barcelona and we have a responsibility to win matches. No matter who is playing or who is on the field, this is the responsibility here.”
Looking back towards the lacklustre 90 minutes his team put up in the Basque country, the German midfield maestro said,
“I’m not really happy. I think we started the game well in the first few minutes. We were very good. We moved the ball well. Maybe we didn’t create a clear chance, but I feel we started confidently.”
“Then, as time passed in the match, we became more passive,…
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/ilkay-gundogan-unhappy-with-barcelonas-goalless-draw-vs-athletic-club-show-a-little-more-character/
Author : Adithya Eshwarla
Publish date : 2024-03-04 14:33:43
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.