Pep Guardiola is confident that his Manchester City side can both quickly turn their fortunes around and enjoy a successful season in spite of their recent dip in form.
The Citizens are reeling after a run of five consecutive defeats in all competitions, an unprecedented run of poor form under their Catalan coach, who watched his team suffer a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the top flight last weekend.
Man City are enduring the worst run of form for the English champions in over 50 years and their defeat against Spurs leaves them sitting eight points behind leaders Liverpool, whom they lock horns with at Anfield on Sunday.
Before that, the Citizens will endeavour to return to winning ways on Tuesday night when they play host to Dutch outfit Feyenoord in the Champions League.
Guardiola called for "patience" at his pre-match press conference on Monday when discussing Man City's poor form, and he passionately insisted that his players can still go on to achieve "very good things" this term.
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Guardiola: "You are defending a legacy and that is difficult to handle"
Asked what needs to change if City are to turn their fortunes around, Guardiola said: "We must prepare for the next game and try to beat Feyenoord. I don't know any other way. It's the same as winning seven games in a row? What should I change? Impossible.
"The players have played a lot of minutes, we have players who are injured. It's unusual. When we were winning, I thought, this too shall pass. Now, I think the same - nothing is eternal.
"In this moment, we must stay true to our principles, change less more than ever. We create a lot of chances. We're not winning the duels. We have to run backwards because our first centre-backs are not there. Rodri is not there.
"We normally play four central defenders, but we have injuries, we had to play [Ilkay] Gundogan - our best attacking midfielder - as a defensive midfielder because of injuries. We created enough chances (against Spurs). What do we have to do? Insist. If not Tuesday, next Sunday. If not, the next game. We keep trying."
"I have the feeling that this season we will do very good things," Guardiola declared. "I don't give up and I have the feeling we will be there.
"I think we deserve some patience when we lose games. You are defending a legacy and that is difficult to handle.
"What I want is commitment from players to still do what we have to do. Look at where we've come from. It's so difficult to defend the success we have had, that's why I'm so relaxed.
"That is why I want the commitment, the commitment, the commitment and the commitment. Just being ourselves isn't enough, we have to show commitment every day.
"We need to win one game. I want the players to perform well, in certain departments we need more focus. It will pass. It's going to rain tomorrow, life goes on."
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Guardiola: 'It's not about the results, it is about the performance'
Guardiola has stressed that his focus is overcoming the immediate challenge of Feyenoord and delivering a solid performance, while he has also expressed how his experience as a player and manager is helping him to analyse his team's recent run of poor results.
"I learn from these situations, be calm. Sometimes I shout, but the next morning with a coffee, I'm saying why am I shouting, stay calm," Guardiola added. "It is quite normal after a game. What happens in the past makes an influence in our lives in the right moment.
"At the beginning of the season, we were first, we're still second [in the Premier League]. It's not about the results, right now, it is about the performance, which at the start of the season was really, really good, except the Bournemouth game.
"You can handle one or two players [being out], but not four or five in key positions. Maybe not five in a row, but it should happen. Tell me one team in the world that does not drop. I could never blame one player here.
"There's a lot of minimal factors that are the reason. If it was one reason I would take it, but it's not as simple. Right now, the most important thing is not tactics, it is to win a game on desire.
"You look at December and at the end of the season, whether you need to change things and be more solid, but these guys will do very, very good things."
Man City have previously faced Feyenoord twice in their history, winning two group-stage matches in the 2017-18 Champions League by an aggregate score of 5-0, including a narrow 1-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.
After losing 4-1 at Sporting Lisbon in their last Champions League matches, the Citizens currently sit 10th in the 36-team table and could climb back into the top eight - the automatic last-16 qualification spots - if they beat Feyenoord, who are down in 21st place.
Oliver Thomas
