Players have to take responsibility - Gundogan

Last week, I wrote a piece about what is going on at Manchester City. They were just my opinions. So what's the take of a player - and who better to ask than Ilkay Gundogan?

"When things are going like this there is always talk and always things that come out - people try to look for reasons," he told BBC Radio Manchester.

"As players, we have to take responsibility. We have to look at ourselves individually and collectively."

Manchester City have not been at the levels we associate with them, the form tells us that and there is probably a multitude of reasons behind it.

And they have been here before. There have been numerous times when they have been a long way off the leaders in their four-in-a-row title grip. Gundogan acknowledged that all the chat around City has happened before.

"We have to stay calm. Take that frustration, that anger and produce it into work and dedication for your job and change things," he said. "This competition is tough. The majority of teams got better. Not just the first five, six, seven, eight teams - everyone now can play really good football and punish you."

The Blues now have two weeks off for the international break - although for many of their players there will be no time off. In a stretched and not fully fit side, the next fortnight could be worrying for fans.

"We have to stay fit during the international break - maybe that's the most important for our players right now," Gundogan said. "Get back in the best possible shape and attack fully. That's something we've done in the past.

"We need to put a big effort to turn things around the way we want them to."

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