Pep Guardiola was braced for an inquest when he addressed the media on Tuesday, but there was one name the Manchester City coach clearly was not expecting to hear amid the chorus of critics taking aim at his approach.
City lost 4-2 away to champions Leicester City on Saturday, having gone down 3-1 at home to title rivals Chelsea in their previous Premier League outing.
Guardiola's insistence on a possession-based approach and high defensive line have come in for severe criticism, as the 2013-14 title-winners find themselves six points off top spot in the table.
The performances of goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and defender John Stones in particular have been the subject of considerable scrutiny.
And, while Guardiola issued a staunch defence of the merits of his methods, the ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was in no mood to indulge the journalist who cited critical comments made by former Nottingham Forest and Liverpool striker Stan Collymore.
Not sure Pep is too interested in the opinion of December 13, 2016
Guardiola will hope an improved showing at home to Watford on Wednesday serves to prevent him from being quizzed on the opinions of other retired journeymen as he seeks to steer City back into title contention.
