Antoine Semenyo banned from using dangerous tool by Man City boss Pep Guardiola | Football | Sport
Antoine Semenyo on In The Mixer (Image: ALL OUT FOOTBALL)
Pep Guardiola instantly made Antoine Semenyo feel comfortable with pleasant aromas and soothing music when they initially met at Manchester City – but the winger has not yet had a sniff to utilise his long throw.
Guardiola, 55, has the standing of being a disciplinarian. And while Semenyo has witnessed that aspect of the legendary manager as well, he was surprised to discover his new gaffer was such a welcoming host.
Speaking to In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet, Semenyo described his first encounter inside the Catalan’s chambers: “He was just so energetic. Went into his office, he’s got soft music playing in the background, smells so nice in his office.
“He was just like, ‘We’re happy to have you here. Continue your fine form here and hopefully [we’ll] compete for the league’.”
Nevertheless, Semenyo nearly embarrassed himself in front of his new colleagues when one of Pep’s anxious tendencies caught him unaware.
“He is generally relaxed, to be fair,” he added. “It’s when you get into the meetings, that’s where he’s serious.
“I remember the first [team] meeting I had and he was just pacing in front of the meeting room. [I was] thinking, ‘Is this normal?’ Looking back, no-one’s laughing or anything, so I’m on my own here. But he’s just so passionate.”
EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Semenyo has begun his spell at the Etihad in blistering fashion with eight goals and three assists in 19 outings. Though not all of his finest qualities are being utilised effectively. The 26-year-old was frequently utilised for long-throw responsibilities at Bournemouth to great impact. However, he has been prohibited from launching the ball into the box under Guardiola.
Title challengers Arsenal have established themselves as the Premier League’s set-piece specialists this term with long throws and corners wreaking havoc. But it’s not a tactic he anticipates Guardiola will permit any time soon.
Pep Guardiola brought Antoine Semenyo to Man City in January (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Semenyo said: “Yeah, I have got a long throw. I don’t know where, how [I got it]. Maybe it’s because I’m so strong…
“It was Andoni [Iraola] who saw it and was like, ‘Phwoar, we’ve got to use it. We’ve got to use it’. I don’t think Pep wants to see long throws, I’ll be honest.
“Some of the boys will be like, ‘You gonna take a long throw?’ And I’m like, ‘I dunno’. Because obviously Pep wants to keep it on the floor…”
Semenyo has departing Bournemouth manager Iraola to credit for a significant portion of his progression over recent campaigns. And he highlighted one parallel between Iraola and new manager Guardiola, which contradicts suggestions that Pep drills the flair out of particular stars, like Jack Grealish or Phil Foden.
When questioned about the most significant influence Iraola had on his game, Semenyo said: “Just playing more free. A lot of our training sessions were chaos and you kind of got to do what you want as a person.
“I was just freestyling, doing different things and [Andoni] was like, ‘You should do it in a game’. And I’m like, ‘You want me to do rainbow flicks and stuff in a game?’ He said, ‘Yeah, if you want to. Just play free, just be yourself’.”
“From that day, I’ve always just been free. And I still stick to what he said today with the Man City team. Just being free and enjoying myself.”
ANTOINE SEMENYO EPISODE ON YOUTUBE: Subscribe now to be the first to watch the latest episodes of In The Mixer and other original shows, brought to you by Sky Bet. Watch All Out Football’s episode with Antoine Semenyo here
