🧠 Gündoğan: Man City’s Struggles Are About Mentality, Not Just Tactics
MANCHESTER, England — As Manchester City fight to keep their Champions League hopes alive in the final stretch of the 2024 season, one of their former leaders has offered a sobering diagnosis: it’s not just about tactics — it’s about behaviour.
İlkay Gündoğan, who captained the club during its recent era of dominance, told ESPN that City’s current dip has less to do with formations or injuries, and more to do with losing key team traits like intensity, hunger, and collective sacrifice.
“In a lot of games, maybe we gave too much importance to tactics and didn’t really pay attention to behaviour — the determination, the desire, the aggressiveness,” Gündoğan said. “Simple things that should be normal.”
⚽ From Tactical Brilliance to Mental Drift
City’s season has seen:
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Injury disruptions to key players like Rodri
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A drop to 5th in the Premier League
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A fight for Champions League qualification, not the title
But Gündoğan insists the real issue is mentality — not just availability or strategy.
“You forget the basics — fighting, pushing, doing the dirty work. That’s what we were built on,” he added.
💪 Turning Point: Bournemouth Win Showed the Way
Gündoğan pointed to City’s 2–1 FA Cup win at Bournemouth in March as a rare moment of clarity:
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“Uncomfortable game”
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Trailed early, but came back through grit and togetherness
“That was unbelievable,” he said. “Not because we played beautiful football, but because of how we behaved.”
🔥 The Value of the Unseen
Gündoğan believes the modern game undervalues effort in favor of flair:
“People love beautiful goals or assists. But they don’t always credit the guy who runs 60 yards to block a shot.”
His comments highlight a broader issue in elite football: intangibles like leadership, sacrifice, and resilience often go unmeasured — until they’re gone.
🔁 Signs of Revival Post-International Break
Since the March window, City have:
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Gone unbeaten in four matches
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Shown signs of mental reset, according to Gündoğan
“I’ve seen improvement — not just tactically, but mentally.”
With Crystal Palace up next at the Etihad, City are entering a make-or-break run-in with everything to prove.
📈 What It Means for City’s Season Finish
City’s challenge:
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Recapture their core identity
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Finish strong to secure top-four
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Rebuild mentally ahead of next season
Guardiola’s tactics may remain elite, but Gündoğan’s message is clear: without the behaviours that fueled their rise, the system alone won’t be enough.
“You win with brilliance — but you sustain with grit.”
