Guardiola labels City display ‘boring’ despite FA Cup progress

• Manchester City advanced to the FA Cup fifth round with a routine 2-0 win over Salford City at the Etihad Stadium
• Pep Guardiola criticised his side’s performance, describing the game as flat and uninspiring despite the victory
• John Stones returned from injury, providing one of the few positives on an otherwise subdued afternoon

Pep Guardiola admitted he was unimpressed with Manchester City’s display after their comfortable but uninspiring 2-0 FA Cup fourth round victory over Salford City, branding the performance “boring” despite safe passage into the next stage.

City benefited from an early own goal by Alfie Dorrington before Marc Guéhi sealed the result late on with his first goal for the club. The outcome was never in serious doubt, but Guardiola made clear that progress alone was not enough to satisfy him.

Asked if he was pleased, the City manager replied bluntly: “No. We didn’t read the spaces where they were. With the spaces in attack, it depends on how they defend it and we didn’t read it. That is the reason why the game was boring. The only good news is we go through. That’s all.”

Guardiola rotated heavily, making nine changes to his starting lineup, but resisted any suggestion that fatigue contributed to the lacklustre showing.

“It would be nice for me to say mentally we’re exhausted, we’re tired, it has been a tough two or three weeks,” he said. “But it’s our job. The calendar says to play every few days. We just didn’t read where the spaces were and everything was flat and slow and not good.”

One encouraging moment came with the return of John Stones, who made his first appearance in more than two months after recovering from a thigh injury.

“He’s back. He still needs time, he’s not the John Stones that we knew but his body language was really good in terms of the press and aggression,” Guardiola said. “It’s important that he played 65 minutes.”

Salford, who suffered an 8-0 defeat to City in last season’s competition, emerged with credit for a disciplined and resilient display. Their manager Karl Robinson praised his players for their application and development.

“I said before the game this football club has improved every year,” Robinson said. “We’ve put an awful lot of effort in behind the scenes and we felt we were coming here today with a much stronger squad. I think the players showed that. I hate losing but you have to accept it, and the way we’ve lost today is testament to the players.”

City now turn their attention back to the Premier League title race, with Guardiola planning to give his squad a brief rest before their next domestic challenge.