Rúben Dias rips into Southampton’s adverse techniques however Guardiola doesn’t agree

Rúben Dias tore into Southampton for what he felt had been anti-football techniques, laying naked his frustration after Manchester City had been held to a 0-0 draw right here. Southampton had simply two photographs – each off beam – and 28% of the ball as they flooring out a outcome that suggests City are nonetheless now not confident of a top-five end and Champions League qualification.

Dias raged about Southampton’s use of the darkish arts, together with time-wasting, even though his supervisor, Pep Guardiola, had no court cases, announcing it used to be merely as much as City to have the opportunity via. “It’s frustrating,” Dias mentioned. “In a moment like this every point matters. And it is frustrating to play against a team like this.

“They don’t even try anything, they just sit and they don’t even want to win the game. They just want to be there. It is no good for the show and no good for themselves. It is no good for anyone but it is what it is.”

Dias referenced the time-wasting of the Southampton goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale. “I saw a completely different team the last time we played them [in the 1-0 home win in October]. I don’t know how many times players went on the floor to try and waste time and waste time and waste time. It kills the rhythm of the game.

“We always have to do better but it is not easy to get into a team that behaves this way. We must be better and be more dynamic and quicker. We need to be better.”

Guardiola used to be phlegmatic, disagreeing with Dias. “No, no, no. Absolutely not … they can do whatever they want,” he mentioned of Southampton. For a few years right here we confronted groups in several approaches and so they made up our minds [how] they’ve to play. It’s on us to wreck them.

“Many times teams have played five in the back or six and the striker has gone on our holding midfielder and there’s no space … it’s difficult. You have to break it and we had the chances. We did not concede one shot on target and they didn’t do much but we have to accept the way they play. It belongs to Simon [Rusk, the Southampton interim manager] and his assistant coaches. I don’t agree with Rúben. We have to accept it.”

Rusk, who took caretaker price for the second one time this season after the sacking of Ivan Juric on 7 April, may well be happy with the draw for a number of causes. It took Southampton to 12 issues, that means the ground membership have moved transparent of Derby’s Premier League file low tally for a season of 11, set in 2007-08.

“We did want to frustrate City,” Rusk mentioned. “It’s a back-handed compliment [from Dias]. If we go toe-to-toe with City we lose. We’ve got a fifth of their budget. We have to find our way and that’s OK.”