Man City captains issue rallying cry to struggling squad - but they are part of the problem

There was a moment at Brighton when Joao Pedro had outpaced Kyle Walker and got a shot away in a dangerous position. Luckily for Manchester City he dragged it wide - but Pep Guardiola knew they wouldn't get away with it again.

Before the restart, a technical issue with the assistant referee's microphone gave Guardiola a chance to issue instructions to his squad, and he beckoned Walker over for a chat.

The captain and manager argued for a good minute or two on the touchline, trying to get the other to see their point of view. Guardiola walked away, and then stormed back when he remembered something else he wanted to say. Shortly after, Pedro equalised.

ALSO READ: Pep Guardiola unsure if Man City can turn things around amid Liverpool Europa League comparison

ALSO READ: Man City set for Club World Cup boost as draw beckons and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich watch on

It was an incident that summed up the evening at Brighton. The hosts sent plenty of warnings and City didn't heed them despite Guardiola's concerns. The issues behind their four-game losing streak are plenty, most stemming back to the fact that Guardiola has barely any players.

Half a dozen are injured, two more were on the bench and unable to come on, while the manager namechecked Walker and Kevin De Bruyne as players either far from fit or far from their best. Put Ilkay Gundogan in that category, too - he's struggled since returning this summer and was first to be replaced at the Amex.

In an ideal world, Walker wouldn't have played and Gundogan would have been on the bench. In the absence of fitness or form, though, Guardiola is counting on the pair for leadership.

At full time the former and current captain issued a rallying cry to the squad to step up. “This is the time where I want to see the players and real characters come through,” Walker said.

"It’s been tough, but we’ve been fortunate over the past eight years to have a lot of success here. You have to show character. You have to stick your wellies on and get through the mud.

“It’s football and with the players and manager we have, with the club the fans, it will pass. We need to weather the storm and make sure after the international break we come back fit and ready to go for an important part of the season.”

Inspirational stuff, and Gundogan had a similar message having been reappointed as one of the captaincy group on his recent return.

"It’s important that we are honest with ourselves and what we can do better," the German said. "We know that and we need to know that we need to get back on track – there’s a responsibility to play for Man City. The expectations are high and that’s normal. It’s something we’ve dealt with in the past and we need to deal with in the future.

"Collectively we have to do better. It’s still very early in the season and we need to be confident that we can play a role in all the competitions until the end. The experience definitely helps and it’s what you make out of it – you can’t rely on the past and what you’ve done before. You have to do the right things.”

Both Walker and Gundogan spoke of City's achievements in the past eight seasons as a reason for the increased expectation, both inside and outside the dressing room. They are the leaders who Guardiola trusts to drive standards, so it's right that they front up after another defeat.

But as they call for collective improvement, they also need to look at themselves. Obvious fitness issues aside, neither have been very good this season - Walker rushed himself back to be with the team but has looked a shadow of himself this season and is starting to be beaten for pace every time he plays.

Gundogan would have been rotated far more in normal circumstances, however his performances are still way shy of the treble-winning driving force he was when he left the Etihad 18-months ago. They both have enough respect and credit in the bank from teammates to have their voices heard.

This is not to single out either player as the sole reason for City's slump. If everyone was fit they would be given the time and rotation needed to get up to sharpness. That isn't possible and their performances are suffering as a result.

But the best thing they can both do is lead by example on the pitch as well as off it. City's chances of turning this form around depends on their senior players driving the standards they speak of in their performances.