Pep Guardiola has said he never sends out his players with instructions to foul after Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho accused his side of “tactical fouls.”
“When we have the ball, we kick each other? I think that doesn’t happen in football,” the City boss told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s game at Tottenham Hotspur. “I don’t know statistically but I don’t think so.
“I never, never, never, never sent a message to my players. You can ask the players, these players and the old players if my message on the pitch was to make fouls. I don’t use this kind of message.”
“Right now I’d rate Walker as one of the best definitely,” Guardiola said. “He is so strong defensively. I’d like to help him to solve not just the problems through his physically but also through his thinking.
“When you are so strong physically, you solve all the problems that way. When you get to a certain age, 28, 29, 30, after that you need to think more about what is going to happen. I always encourage him to think and after, do it.
“Of course against [United’s Marcus] Rashford and [Anthony] Martial they are so fast and he was able to control them — few players in the world can control them like he did. That’s why he’s so, so important for us.”
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