Paulo Fonseca wary of Manchester City threat

Posted Tuesday, October 23, 2018 by PA

Shakhtar Donetsk coach Paulo Fonseca has warned there are no weak links in the Manchester City side.

The Ukrainian champions host Pep Guardiola’s men in the Champions League for the second time in 10 months on Tuesday.

Shakhtar beat City in their adoptive home of Kharkiv last December but, with that game being a dead rubber for the Premier League outfit, the circumstances could be different this time.

Fonseca said: “They are even better, they have some new players and are stronger now while we are a different team.

“We will need to pay attention to all the players in the City team. They are very strong players and any of them can give us problems.

“We know it is going to be difficult and we will probably have to suffer a bit without the ball, but we will try to find ways to play our game and attack.

“We have younger players (than last year) and for them it is a big chance to play in such a great competition. We are totally thinking about our game and how we will play.

“Our principles remain the same, no matter who we play against. It doesn’t matter who we are playing against – Manchester City or any other team.”

Shakhtar are without two of their most influential players in midfielders Taison and Marlos but Fonseca will not modify his approach.

The Portuguese, whose success with Shakhtar has seen him linked with West Ham and Everton in the past year, said: “We are not going to change anything, although they are probably the most important players in our team.

“I’ll stick to the same pattern I have at Shakhtar since the beginning.”

City boss Guardiola has again claimed his side do not have the feel of Champions League winners and has urged supporters to propel the club forward.

The City boss has often cited the club’s lack of history at elite European level as one of the reasons why they are still to make a big breakthrough on that stage.

A perceived indifference of City fans towards the competition – which turns to antipathy when it comes to its organisers UEFA – has also been an issue for Guardiola, who twice guided Barcelona to Champions League glory.

These matters were raised again as Guardiola spoke at a press conference to preview his side’s Group F encounter.

Guardiola said: “We’ll put more efforts into winning this competition. I saw last season and this that in many circumstances we are still not ready to win it. That’s what I feel.

“That doesn’t mean we are not going to try, but to win this competition it’s not enough just to have desire, or wanting to win. You have to have many circumstances, have experience and still we don’t have enough in some moments.

“That’s not enough that the manager wants to win it, it’s not just the players. You have to have the desire – the club, chairman, owner, the fans, everyone has to push to be closer, to achieve the next stages. When it happens, everyone will feel it.”