Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has admitted his side are conceding too many goals after suffering a third consecutive Premier League defeat, but insists there is no reason to panic.
City were punished for a poor first-half performance in the 3-1 loss to Nottingham Forest, falling two goals behind before attempting to mount a comeback after the break.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Maresca admitted City had failed to match their opponents physically during a disappointing first half.
“It’s quite clear – first half we didn’t match intensity or win duels or second balls,” he said.
“First thing required in these games is intensity. We tried to react at 2-0 but it’s too late. We scored one, probably could have scored more but in transition we concede one more.”
Asked why his players had struggled to compete in the opening stages, the Italian admitted he was unsure.
“I need to analyse that. Today’s game is probably the first that we lack intensity in the first 45 minutes,” he explained.
“Second half better. Never happened before – we need to understand the reason why and try not to let them happen again.”
Man City boss insists there is ‘no panic’ despite losing streak
Despite City’s recent struggles, Maresca believes his side must maintain perspective after a run of seven consecutive wins was followed by three straight defeats.
The former Chelsea boss plans to use the international break to examine what has gone wrong and address the problems affecting his team.
“[We need to] Use the international break to understand why and try to avoid in the future,” he said.
“Always concerned [about defeats] but we need balance – seven wins in a row not happened then three in a row. Need the balance.”
Maresca finished with a clear message about the mood within the City camp.
“No panic. We need to understand but no panic.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: 101greatgoals.com
