MY ACCOUNT
Pep Guardiola admitted it took him a while to work out Joao Cancelo as the Manchester City boss spoke of the “sensitive” full-back who has become a key component of his side.
Cancelo joined from Juventus in 2019, with the Portugal international initially struggling to establish himself in City’s side.
Guardiola said there had been “mistakes” on his own part, and a lack of understanding from Cancelo about how City were looking for him to perform.
Both bridges were crossed long ago, and this week saw Cancelo and City agree to extend the player’s contract by two years until 2027, with Guardiola saying such deals were “so important” for the team’s future.
Cancelo has developed into one of the world’s leading full-backs under Guardiola, currently deployed on the left but equally comfortable on the right, yet disagreements between player and coach stymied his start to life at the club.
“Everybody knows how important Joao is with us and what he has done in the last two seasons, especially this season,” Guardiola said.
“We have struggled together in the first part when he arrived. We were not agreeing on many things, in part [because] of my mistakes. Now I’m so delighted he’s fully happy here and can play in this club for the next years.
“He can play in many positions, and he can play every day. His physicality is impressive and of course the skillset he has, and he’s beloved in the locker room because he’s so funny.
“The club has to especially work for tomorrow, for the next months and the next years, and the decisions the club has made [regarding contracts] is because the club is working for the future and has to do this.”
Where manager Guardiola and Cancelo once struggled to understand each other, now they are singing from the same hymn sheet.
“We know each other much better, and every player must be treated in a different way,” said Guardiola, speaking in a news conference ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Fulham.
“I needed more time to know him, how sensitive he is. He’s an incredible person, has a big heart, so sensitive.
“Finally, I think now I understand him a little bit more. Especially because he’s an important player for us. When he arrived, we have an instructor to understand the way we want to play, and he struggled a little bit to understand what we want to do.
“That was the reason why. There were not arguments. Every player’s a world, and you have to understand them as much as possible. Sometimes you need time to understand each other.”
Guardiola described Cancelo’s enthusiasm as that of “an amateur player”, pointing to his desire to play all the time.
“Like Phil Foden, it’s the most important thing in his life,” Guardiola said.
Cancelo directly contributed to eight goals for City last season (five assists, three goals), but he is stepping up his contribution this term.
He already has eight assists and three goals in 2021-22, also helping City keep 12 clean sheets across the 30 matches he has featured in.
Cancelo has created 87 chances in the Premier League since making his debut, which ranks him eighth in terms of defenders, with Trent Alexander-Arnold (211) leading the way.
Midfield prospect James McAtee, 19, was another City player to sign a new contract this week, and Guardiola thinks the youngster could have a role to play in the closing months of the season.
“Maybe we will need him. In the future we will see,” Guardiola said. “It is important he’s fully committed to the club. He arrived when he was a little, little boy, and he’s a Man City supporter, and he loves to be here.
“We’re more than delighted with the confidence he and his family have in the club and [that] he could extend his contract to stay here with us.”
