http://www.espnfc.com/club/manchester-c ... pellegrini
Just the quotes below:
"Just ask my girlfriend about it," he says. "She's mad with me, because I just watch football all the time. It's not just about practicing: watching the best players in their position, you improve as well, by another thing every single game."
"I ... I ... it's been a long, long time since I watched Marseille with that much pleasure," he marvels. "Seriously! I understand why everyone in Marseille was dying for Bielsa to stay, I now understand why he's the idol of Pep Guardiola because the style of play, it's just like ... total football.
"They might have some weaknesses in defence, or tactically, because they press one versus one ... everywhere! But the attacking style of play is just ... amazing."
"The game against PSG away from home, the game against PSG at home ... and the game against Lyon at home, when they scored the goal, then had some issues and drew."
"I just think they were really unlucky, they should have been in the Champions League spots. They needed to keep Bielsa and sign a couple more players, because Andre Ayew and Andre-Pierre Gignac were really important for them, and then they can do something this year. But the only thing ... it's really hard to compete with Paris, with the money they have."
"If you look at Barcelona, and the way they press high, or Bayern Munich, the way they press high ... that's what makes them the best teams, because when they lose the ball, in the first three seconds, that's when they get the ball back, really, really high.
"But then we have a different style of play. Juventus, it's gonna be like Italian defensive rigour but it's nice to watch, because football isn't just about technique and flow. Real Madrid, they are the best counter-attacking team in the world. Paris, I like the way they play ... there are different styles. If you really love football, you love all these different styles of play."
"We play with two playmakers in a 4-4-2, whether I play right or left it's the same role, a lot of freedom. [Pellegrini] doesn't ask me to be a winger, to dribble out wide and cross the ball. I drift inside with David, to open up space for the full-backs to get in behind.
"It's a bit different at Arsenal because [at Man City] we have two strikers, so my role on the team is to pass the ball to the strikers. At Arsenal, it was 4-3-3, so when you play out wide you're a striker, so you go in behind more. Here, the strikers go in behind, so you're the one who has to organise the game and be the playmaker.
"As an offensive player, they ask me to create chances. You have to be precise in the last third, and that's one of my qualities. I try to be precise with my passes but take some risks as well."
"All my younger years I was a No. 10, in the national team I used to play No. 10, and Marseille I used to play No. 10. I like to play off the striker, I like to have a lot of freedom, I can go everywhere.
"I remember that [Everton] game well because it was a good game for me, one of the rare moments last year! It was a season to forget. Let's be honest, a season without silverware is difficult, especially as we won the double [league and Capital One Cup] the year before. On a personal note, being injured four times during the season is a lot.
"But it's a season that made me stronger personally, and I realised certain things, like what I need to do to be fully fit all the time. I hope this season I'm going to bring something to the team. I'm a proud player, and I didn't want to waste one year of my career."
"I think it's become a more technical league than it used to be. When I first arrived, I was shocked with the intensity and the physical aspect of the game. Now we have a lot more Hispanic players, the game is evolving, and I think it's for the best. I really like the league, I still think we have the best league in the world."
"For a time, it wasn't that hard. Now everyone has a service from the club, with videos, to look at every single team, the way they play, the organisation -- stuff like that.
"Before you play a team like Crystal Palace, you know you're going to suffer because they'll play a 4-5-1, they'll wait for you, they'll park the bus. And with other teams as well, it's become more and more and more difficult to find the 'key' to beat the team, and that's really interesting for the league, so it's more difficult [for City to break down opponents]."
"I've been into football since I was 5 years old ... what I know best is football, so I don't want to reinvent myself into something else. I want to try to give back what football has given me, so maybe I'll go into coaching, and pass my badges.
"[At City] I have the perfect example, Patrick Vieira. He's someone who wasn't really like that but now he's really into it, and when I talk to him about it, he's really enjoying it."
