Enzo Maresca, Manchester City's head coach, delivered multiple messages ahead of the meeting with Ipswich Town in the seventh round of the Premier League, touching on a historic start, the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Erling Haaland's future and the controversial case surrounding the club. The Italian insisted the outside noise has not dented his squad. If anything, he reckons it has pulled players and fans closer together. His focus is simple: collect wins.
Beat Ipswich, Maresca pointed out, and City would have seven straight victories and 21 points on the board.
Records only mean something, he said, if they turn into silverware by the end of the season. He stressed how carefully the staff must manage minutes, for club and country alike.
The congested fixture list makes rotation necessary, he added, and it hands the coaching staff a chance to learn more about the players through training and matches.
Maresca was happy with how his team responded to a brutal run that took in Anfield and then Paris Saint-Germain.
Solidarity between club, fans and players got them through it, he said. The Ipswich game, in points terms, matters just as much as the big nights.
On the noise around the club, Maresca said winning is the best answer, citing the victory at Anfield and a determination to keep the run going.
External pressure, in his view, has only tightened the bond between club, fans and squad. He recalled Ruben Dias's comments about how some people do not want to see Manchester City winning.
Maresca speaks about the defeat to Saint-Germain
Lessons came out of the Paris Saint-Germain defeat, Maresca felt. City wasted chances before the first goal went in: an opening for Rayan Cherki, a free kick taken by Enzo, a corner that ended with a shot smacking the crossbar.
Conceding the first and second in quick succession scrambled his players' positioning and knocked the balance out of the side. He praised the second-half display, though, and felt they deserved more.
Facing one of the best teams in Europe, he confirmed, is a chance to learn and develop, for him as much as the players.
He also liked seeing the players huddle together on the pitch during the game, a sign they wanted to build team spirit after the difficult moments.
"I prefer winning 1-0": Maresca criticises conceding goals
Defensively, City have to get better. Maresca said he would take a 1-0 clean sheet over a 5-3 every time.
Goals show the team can create, he explained, but that does not excuse the defensive lapses handing opponents the net.
Midfield requirements came up next. Some matches demand more strength and ferocity, he pointed out, though that does not automatically mean fielding three players with defensive duties. Each game dictates the plan.
Bouaddi drew praise too. An outstanding player, Maresca stressed, does not just perform well himself but lifts those around him.
Will Haaland get a rest soon?
Maresca revealed the staff are weighing up a rest period for Erling Haaland, given the fixture congestion and the volume of international and domestic commitments.
It is not just about the Norwegian. A whole group of players feature constantly for Manchester City and their countries, he explained, and resting them at the right moment is essential.
The Italian also backed the Manchester City board without reservation, pointing out that he sees no need to seek opinions from outside the club to understand the case surrounding it.
Everyone has the right to express their opinions, he said, whether he agrees with them or not. He would rather wait for the final outcome before passing judgement.
Conversations with club officials have given him clarity on the situation, he added, and his confidence in the board was one of the reasons he joined.
Maresca reveals details of his meeting with Guardiola
Maresca spoke about his meeting with Pep Guardiola after the Paris Saint-Germain match. They discussed the game and both halves.
The Spaniard was happy to be at the stadium and positive about what he saw, Maresca pointed out, and his appearance pleased the fans, because the stadium will always be his home.
Did Guardiola speak to the players afterwards? Maresca said no.
Maresca defends Fernandez
Maresca praised Fernandez's character, describing him as a polite, professional man with a big heart. His image in some eyes, the coach pointed out, may not match the real personality.
He knows the family, he confirmed: father, mother, wife, children. A wonderful person, in his words.
On the incident in which Fernandez pushed the referee, Maresca explained that the player did not do it deliberately. What happened was spontaneous, and it looked somewhat amusing.
Maresca praises Foden and warns about Ipswich
Phil Foden is training well and the indicators on his level are positive, Maresca confirmed, despite a difficult spell since the international break and his sending off against Manchester United.
Foden is available against Ipswich, he explained, but the staff will settle on the starting line-up with the fixture pile-up in mind.
Maresca closed with a warning about the difficulty of the fixture. Ipswich have had a full week to prepare. City played 48 hours earlier.
Three more points would stretch the gap to second place to six, he confirmed, and the message was to keep winning and stop worrying about outside pressure.