Sean Dyche said Pep Guardiola “must have been watching videos” after the Manchester City boss accused Yerry Mina of “unnecessary” behaviour.
Guardiola exchanged words with Mina on the Goodison Park pitch after the final whistle of the league leader’s 3-0 win over Everton. It followed a match in which both Mina and Erling Haaland were warned about their antics within 90 seconds of the start.
Guardiola argued Mina was too good to resort to such actions but refused to elaborate on what he meant. Dyche later questioned Guardiola’s views, particularly how his rival manager could have spotted a pattern of behaviour from a player who has played so few games this season.
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Guardiola walked onto the pitch on the final whistle and approached Mina before other players became involved. Asked what happened, he said of the Colombia international: “It is unnecessary what he does. With everyone, it is unnecessary what he does every single game. I told him so. I said you’re a good enough player to avoid doing these sort of things... He knows what he does, ask him.”
Guardiola said his complaint was not about Mina’s physical or mental exploits, simply adding: “There are things that are unnecessary to do but he does them all the time with Erling (Haaland), with Aymer (Laporte) with Jack (Grealish) with everyone, it’s unnecessary.”
Both Mina and Haaland were warned by the referee, seemingly over their conduct, in the early stages of the match while Mina was later involved in a squabble with Laporte. Asked if he believed Mina had crossed a line, Guardiola responded: “Ask him. Invite him to a press conference and ask him.”
Dyche cut a bemused figure in response to questions over the issue. He said no-one from Man City had raised any complaint with him, Mina had not told him of any problem and that he had not seen the incident after the final whistle. He said: “I was in the dressing room so I have no clue, I’ve no idea of that - certainly nothing was said from any of their bench to me.”
When he was told Guardiola appeared to be criticising a pattern of behaviour by the centre back, Dyche joked: “If he did it all the time he has done well to see them, I haven’t seen him on the pitch for weeks so I don’t know when he was doing it. He must have been watching videos or something. I haven’t seen him in that long so I wouldn’t know where he had seen it from.”
Dyche was appointed Blues boss in late January and Mina only played for the first time since his arrival at Brighton and Hove Albion last week. Asked whether he had any issue with Guardiola approaching one of his players, Dyche said: “Every manager has their own way of operating, I am certainly not going to be questioning Pep Guardiola. I wouldn’t expect managers to question me. They do, but I choose not to. I wouldn’t question any manager, they can all do their business how they wish to do it. I only want to do it the best I can for Everton Football Club.”
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