Manchester City took on Sheffield United in the Premier League without manager Pep Guardiola as assistant Juanma Lillo took charge.
An enforced stoppage 20 minutes into the game saw Paul Heckingbottom call over seven of his Sheffield United players to the dugouts for an impromptu tactical chat at Bramall Lane. The Manchester City technical area was completely empty.
Lillo also stated that City aren't the 'mechanical' unit that people make them out to be, able to play at the top level regardless of personnel or system. Lillo's point was that someone needed to make that machine work, and make changes when needed. Lillo was never that person, and in the first half at Bramall Lane, he wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Maybe Guardiola touched base at half-time and offered some feedback to Lillo as well as his players, because the energy on and off the pitch was much more intense after the break. As City's play became more urgent, Lillo was standing pitchside like Guardiola would, urging his side on and applauding near-misses.
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