by Kyle Walker has launched a lengthy defense of himself and the criticism he has faced as he prepares to lift a second trophy in the space of five months as Manchester City’s stand-in captain.
Walker, who almost left City for Bayern Munich in the summer, promised that they could live with the “heat” of expectations and that the pressure and scrutiny on him had always been intense – and never more so given the recent run of results. of the City.
“I’m always going to have problems,” the 33-year-old said. “If I’m not doing something well, they’re always going to scrutinize me. That’s how my entire career has been, but it gives me the fire to keep going. I have received a lot of criticism from the fans because I am captain and everything is my fault. We are a team. We are in a team game. I have said constantly throughout my career that if I wanted to play a solo sport, I would play tennis or golf.”
Since Kevin De Bruyne’s injury in August, Walker took over the captaincy of the Belgian (himself newly appointed after the departure of Ilkay Gundogan) and delivered a moving pre-match speech on the pitch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.
That was in the meeting prior to City’s Club World Cup semi-final victory over Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds, which propels Walker and his teammates to Friday’s final against Brazil’s Fluminense. Walker captained the European champions to victory in the UEFA Super Cup final in August and, although De Bruyne has returned to training with the first team, Pep Guardiola said he will not be involved this week.
Walker, in his seventh season at the club, remains the Premier League’s best right-back and has also captained England, capped 81 times. He made it clear that the ruthless nature of maintaining City’s dominance takes its toll.
“I feel like being one of the more experienced players and the captain, I will have to take on that burden. It’s something I’m going to have to carry on my shoulders. I told the guys in the meeting that we are here because of what we have achieved. Nobody is going to roll out the red carpet for us. We have to go and earn the right. Other teams are thinking they can come play against us and… you know what? All credit to them.
“Liverpool, Tottenham and [Crystal] Palace games: we are always defending. I’m not the one defending, but we’re not finishing games like we used to. We are always defending on a knife’s edge. But listen, we defenders have to deal with that pressure. “Sometimes we have to hold on to the games and save the day.”
How did that criticism come to you? Mostly radio phone calls she hears in his car, she said, and a few select highlights sent to her by his parents. Walker’s rise as one of Europe’s best players has also been accompanied by what seemed like a rather chaotic private life, and he has often said it has been difficult to deal with the consequences.
“They are sending it to me [criticism]. It’s natural. I have a mom and dad who care about me and when their son gets hit… I feel like football is fickle. [Fans have] short memories I remember coming home in the car. jeremy [Doku] He’s come in, he’s been on fire and all of a sudden he says, ‘Jack Grealish should be out.’ Now Jack scores and says “Keep it in the club.” It’s what he is. That gives me motivation. “Keep hitting me and I’ll keep coming back.”
In a discussion about City’s current situation (they have taken seven points from their last six Premier League games and dropped to fourth place), Walker said it was harder to win the Premier League than the Champions League. He also said that in order to compare to the great Manchester United teams of the 1990s and 2000s and the Liverpool dynasty that preceded them in the 1970s and 1980s, this generation of City had to win more for longer.
With the possibility of winning five trophies in a single year, hadn’t City already earned a place among the great teams in the recent history of English football? “It sounds easy if you say it like that, but to go and do it like Manchester United and Ryan Giggs, who has won 13 titles… it’s like flipping a coin,” Walker said. “I have been involved in the Premier League since I was 19 years old. Now I’m 33. I can assure you that it is much more difficult to win a Premier League than a Champions League.”
“In the Champions League you need a bit of luck to break through, like we did in the final. We played a good game but yes [Romelu] Lukaku puts that in the net, are we here now or not? In the Premier League there are 38 games. And I can tell you it’s hard work. We are very proud to do what we have done, but for me, and we have won five in six years, to be recognized as one of the best clubs in the world we have to do it for a little more. [longer].”
Another Premier League title this season would mark the fourth consecutive title for English football. It has never been done in this era or in the Football League. The epic legal battle with the Premier League unfolds in the background and casts a shadow.
“I don’t think they’ll look at us any differently for a couple of years,” Walker said. “Go and achieve what Liverpool and Manchester United did… they did it year after year for a number of years. Being considered the best club in the world is obviously a great achievement, but the boys know that we are just starting to build this club. “The club has won Premier Leagues in the past, but to do it in the dominant way we have done here before has not been done.”
“Maybe this is what we need: come back to reality and start over”
Walker said the departures of Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez had had an effect: “good experienced Premier League players who know the game inside and out, they know how the manager wants to work.” De Bruyne’s absence also played a role. “Who doesn’t want Kevin De Bruyne on the field? Everybody does it,” Walker said. “Because he brings goals, he brings assists.”
Looking at the second half of the Premier League season, he said City’s players were feeling confident.
“We are right there. I’m sure. The boys feel confident. Maybe this is what we need from such a high level: come back to reality and start over. Hopefully it will be a starting point where we go on a good run, as it looks like we are going to do over the Christmas period, and score points.”
As for the prospect of being ten points behind Arsenal when they return, Walker said he was not worried about that. “No. We have been in that position where we were ten points ahead. [ahead of] Liverpool… and suddenly they are on your heels. What will be will be. We can’t do anything about the Premier League while we are here. [in Saudi] … now we are in the final, we are going to win it. And then think about the Premier League when we get back.”
