Pep Guardiola has said he is not concerned by Kyle Walker’s use of social media after the Manchester City full-back was forced to delete a tweet mocking title rivals Liverpool.
Walker posted the tweet in question after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Leicester City at Anfield on Wednesday night, which prevented Jurgen Klopp’s side from moving seven points clear at the top of the table.
City’s defeat to Newcastle United the previous evening had given the leaders a chance to extend their advantage but Leicester defender Harry Maguire cancelled out Sadio Mané’s opening goal.
Walker posted a photograph of Maguire talking to his partner Fern Hawins with the caption: “So basically they thought they were gonna go 7 points ahead...”
The full-back deleted the post shortly after its initial publication following a backlash from Liverpool supporters but Guardiola shrugged off concerns about his players using social media on Friday.
“I don’t control [it]. I’m not concerned about social media, the players tweeting or social media, Instagram. I cannot control it,” he said.
When asked whether Walker’s tweet may motivate Liverpool’s players to beat City down the stretch, Guardiola said: “I don’t think so.
“The motivation is to win games, the motivation of the opponents won’t be about one tweet or another. The opponents do something and nothing happens. Motivation is [about] our game, that’s what we have to do.”
Despite claiming not too pay attention to his players' social media, Guardiola has previously suggested that left-back Benjamin Mendy should curb his online presence.
In August, after the opening weekend victory at Arsenal, the City manager said: “Mendy has a lot of things to improve and hopefully we can convince him to forget a little bit the social media and improve a few things.”
Walker was previously forced to remove a tweet which celebrated City's derby 3-1 victory over Manchester United in November.
“Our opponent was red / We heard the away fans boo / We’re twelve points ahead / And just like violets, Manchester is blue,” he wrote.
