Pep Guardiola U-turn in Man City press conference speaks volumes as he finds four regulars for the future

There was something on Pep Guardiola's face as he spoke to the media on Saturday evening: a smile.

It was all doom and gloom heading into Manchester City's dismantling of Newcastle. Guardiola, for the first time, offered a comprehensive breakdown of all City's failings this season. Age, tempo, mistakes, injuries. The lot.

Having spent so long this season defending his players and insisting they can still turn things around, he changed the conversation to accept that the time for saving the season has gone and City are now 'playing for their future'.

If his players were listening, they responded to his message against Newcastle. Fast forward 24 hours from Guardiola's pessimistic message, and his next chat with reporters was completely the opposite.

He loved Omar Marmoush's performance, explaining how the movement of the Egyptian unlocked something different in City's play. "He's young, he comes here to make his career," said Guardiola.

And that movement Guardiola mentioned offered Ederson an outlet to go long to devastating effect. As the players emerged from the dressing room at half-time, Ederson and Marmoush held a conversation in the tunnel, plotting a way to get the goalkeeper a second assist of the game.

Marmoush's hat-trick understandably and deservedly gets the headlines but Guardiola was keen to talk up the contributions of two more January signings for their role vs Newcastle - and their promise of being part of City's future.

Nico Gonzalez was City's 'mini Rodri', Guardiola said, and can be a transformative midfielder for years to come. Guardiola revealed his long-term admiration for the 23-year-old from his days in La Masia, Barcelona's famed academy, and City's failed attempts to get him to swap Catalonia for