Kyle Walker says he is ready to take the brickbats that have accompanied Manchester City’s stuttering domestic form, questioning the “short memories” of people who have thrown intense criticism at the European champions.
City are enjoying a breather from Premier League duty at the Club World Cup in Jeddah, where they beat Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 on Tuesday to set up a final with Fluminense. Walker provided a brilliant assist for their second goal, scored by Mateo Kovacic and it was a welcome glimmer of light after a run of one win in six top‑flight games. City’s defence has come under heavy scrutiny and, while not impervious to harsh appraisals, Walker intends to use them as motivation.
“I’m always going to get heat,” he said. “If I’m not doing something right I’m always going to get criticised. That’s been my whole career but it gives me the fire to keep going. You do see it and I’ve had a lot of criticism from the fans about me being captain and that it’s all my fault.
“We’re a team, we’re in a team game. If I wanted to play a solo sport I’d go and play tennis or golf. I feel being one of the most experienced players and the captain, I’m going to have to take that burden.”
Walker, who gathered his teammates in a huddle before kick-off against Urawa and reminded them of what they had achieved to reach that point, revealed the strength of criticism affects his family.
“I’m getting sent it, it’s natural,” he said. “I’ve got a mum and dad that care about me and when their son is getting hammered.
“I just feel in football it’s fickle, [people have] short memories. I remember going home in the car: Jérémy [Doku] has come in, been on fire, and all of a sudden it’s ‘Jack Grealish should be out’. Now Jack scores and it’s ‘keep him in the club’. It is what it is. That gives me motivation. Keep hammering me and I will just keep coming back.”
Pointing to recent home draws against Liverpool, Tottenham and Crystal Palace, when City dropped points late on, Walker suggested their backline has been unaccustomed to closing out tight games.
“Other teams are thinking that they can come and play against us and you know what, full credit to them,” he said.
“The Liverpool, Tottenham and Palace games, we’re always defending. That’s not me sticking up for the defence but we’re not killing games off like we used to, where we go and get three or four. We’re always defending on a knife-edge. Us as defenders need to deal with that pressure. Sometimes we have to hang in games and save the day.”
A win against Fluminense on Friday, which looks perfectly within City’s grasp, would underline that they have been almost untouchable for more than half a decade. Five league titles in six years and a Champions League trophy tell that story, as would a record-breaking fifth trophy of this calendar year. But Walker has sky-high standards and believes more is needed if City are to be regarded as a globally dominant force.
“To go and achieve what Liverpool and Manchester United did, they did it year in, year out for a number of years. So to be considered the best club in the world is a great achievement but the lads know we’re just starting the building blocks for this club.
“I’m 33 now and I can assure you it’s a lot harder to win a Premier League than the Champions League. In the Champions League, you need a bit of luck to swing your way, like it did in the final for us. In the Premier League it’s a 38-game slog. To do what we’ve done we take great pride, but to be recognised as one of the top clubs in the world we have to do it for a little bit longer.”
Echoing the sentiment of several City players, Walker framed the win against Urawa as a reset. “Maybe this is what we need from such a high and snap right back down to reality, and we go again,” he said. “Hopefully that’s a starting block where we go on a good run.”
