Pep Guardiola fumes at Manchester City players' overindulgence with Champions League loss no surprise

Pep Guardiola may have seen this coming - his players didn't.

While Manchester City's manager has been critical of the defending Premier League champions' start to the season, it is not a view universally shared by his squad and that will be his greatest cause for concern.

Guardiola was so incensed by the performance in Saturday's routine 3-0 win against Fulham that he ordered his players to sit through videos of their mistakes the following day.

It's not taken City's stars long to get used to the Catalan's ultra-demanding ways or his attention to detail. But the idea that a resounding home win, making it 13 points from a possible 15 at the start of their title defence, was evidence of some sort of malaise is a tough sell.

Yet, brooding in the executive seats as his team capitulated against Lyon on Wednesday night, Guardiola's fears were realised.

He is fiercely defensive of his players in public and reverse psychology is not one of his tactical tools - just ask Sergio Aguero.

His criticisms are constructive and, when publicised, done so with purpose. When he revealed he was angry after Fulham, it was because he genuinely was.

Having been pushed to the brink by City's wastefulness in his first season in charge - missed chances no longer consume him after building a team that could still score 143 goals in all competitions last season.

What has concerned him in just seven games this term is an overindulgence from certain players.

He has been infuriated by what he perceives to be his side's growing tendency to over-elaborate - an unnecessary extra touch or holding onto the ball for a split-second too long. The trappings of success maybe - and the confidence that breeds.

Guardiola is a manager who embraces individuality - encourages risk-taking. But that is done within the strict framework of his philosophy to remain humble.

City were so spectacular last season because everyone knew their job. There was always a man on the overlap - always an option out wide, a cut-back in the box. Delay the pass by even a fraction of a second and a chance can be lost.

Such is Guardiola's forensic dissection of the action from the touchline that he cannot control himself when a player neglects his duties. He's seen it too often for his liking already this season, which prompted his decision to come down so hard on his team on Saturday.

We've seen it before.

He dropped an 'F-bomb' when it was suggested he could pull off a clean sweep after five straight league wins in his first weeks in the job. He claimed City were nowhere near title contenders - and so that proved as they finished 15 points adrift of champions Chelsea.

No mind games on that occasion. Nor was there any psychological warfare when trying to whip Aguero into shape.

He inherited a player predecessor Manuel Pellegrini claimed could challenge Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for Ballon d'Or honours. Guardiola insisted he wanted more. More work-rate, more of a team ethic.

He dropped him - sparking fears within the club the Argentine would be driven away. Last season Aguero became City's all-time record goal-scorer.

So when Guardiola demands improvement from a side that swept all before them last term - he is deadly serious. Which is why he will have been heartened by the dressing room reaction to the 2-1 defeat to Lyon.

Mikel Arteta, who deputised for the suspended Guardiola on the night, didn't mince his words behind closed doors - but he was not alone.

Fernandinho - one of the chief culprits for defeat - revealed: "(It was) not just him, but from the players as well. That is the best way to build a very good team.

"Of course, we are a good team, we won the Premier League last year, but to compete in Europe against nice teams, good players, quality players, you have to something extra.

"Of course we want to improve, it doesn't matter how and we are going to work through the week to the following game.

"It is hard to explain (what went wrong). We didn't start well. When we woke up, it was so late, we conceded two goals and in that competition, we cannot win like this. We paid for that. We hope next time it won't happen."