Are we witnessing the break up of the old guard ?

[Bill]

Yeah sorry about that Bill. Hopefully won't take another 7500 posts till the next one.

ha ha .
you know what I meant bugger.

 

[MarsLlama]

Hart seems to be gone. I can't imagine he'll put up with being second choice, even for one season.
Nasri- it doesn't look good, even if Pep said he has no complaints yesterday.
Touré will leave next summer most likely, unless he has a stormer this year.
Zabaleta ditto, his contract expires next summer.
Kompany is going into a make-or-break season, if he doesn't beat his injuries this year he probably never will.
Silva- no reason he can't stay for a few more years to be honest, doesn't seem to cause any problems.

If Kolarov ever becomes our longest-serving current player it will be amazing.

 

[waspish]

When Kompany is fit will stones go to left sided centre back position? Personally I think Stones is Pep main player he wanted and wont be dropped unless injured.

 

[Alex - City Matters]

Yesterday's decision to select Willy ahead of Joe Hart was a pretty big call and one that seemed to upset most blues. I think it was an important and powerful move, add that to Vinny seemingly no longer being captain and it is Guardiola clearly demonstrating who's in charge.

This is pure speculation on my part but has Guardiola come in seen the squad dynamics and realised he had to do something to break up the City old guard clique?

Yesterday's team was telling, Yaya not picked, Hart dropped, Nasri seemingly being put up for sale, Vinny training but not being considered fully fit, Zabaleta at some point rumoured to be moving on, subbed after 20 minutes in the St Johnstone friendly, and not picked yesterday. These are all City greats, all the strong characters in the squad. Had they become too powerful and controlling of the dressing room ? Has Guardiola decided that he needs to reassert power.

Pellegrini seemed to let the dressing room dominate him which was stifling the youth, having a possible negative effect on the likes of Sterling (look at him yesterday) Delph and others. The only old guard players picked yesterday were Aguero, Silva, Kolarov, Clichy, Fernandinho - I would suggest the quieter and less domineering characters, those more willing to conform and keep their heads down.

All these players are hero's in my eyes and I hope they still have a future at the club but had their popularity with the fans (with the exception recently of Yaya) led their egos to spiral out of control and were they too controlling of the dynamics of the dressing room. Look at Guardiola telling the squad to decide on the captain - was that Guardiola's way of freeing up the opinion of the dressing room, making it more democratic? How many times would Hart come out and be the voice of the dressing room, almost speaking like the manager. With hindsight, it was wrong, very wrong.

Look at the positive change it already appears to have had. The team huddle yesterday after the second goal was brilliant to see. The players sticking around to applaud the fans.

The above is pure speculation on my part, but something is going on, and to be honest it is brilliant that we have a manager prepared to make the big decisions and not be cowed by strong characters in the dressing room or the unpopularity of the fans. In Pep we trust.

Superb post, and equally refreshing to see.

The signs were there yesterday, as other posters have quite rightly pointed out. Rome wasn't built in a day, give the man time and he will work wonders. In Pep we trust.

 

[deano ou812]

For years the playing staff have held all of the aces. For some, they lack the maturity and professionalism to act responsibly in such circumstances and, quite frankly, have taken the piss for far too long.

Those days are over.

The only question for me is whether, after years of being allowed to get away with it, they can adjust their mindset and behaviours and accept that they will be coached, they will be instructed, they will have to listen, and they will be expected to react accordingly in terms of their actions. This is a non-negotiable part of their playing contract and for some they look like they are shitting themselves at the prospect of working in this way.

Refreshing.

Top post,and for some they have become not so much complacent but sort set in their way,it will be a complete shock to the system now with pep in charge for some..

 

[BlumerMooner]

Yesterday's decision to select Willy ahead of Joe Hart was a pretty big call and one that seemed to upset most blues. I think it was an important and powerful move, add that to Vinny seemingly no longer being captain and it is Guardiola clearly demonstrating who's in charge.

This is pure speculation on my part but has Guardiola come in seen the squad dynamics and realised he had to do something to break up the City old guard clique?

Yesterday's team was telling, Yaya not picked, Hart dropped, Nasri seemingly being put up for sale, Vinny training but not being considered fully fit, Zabaleta at some point rumoured to be moving on, subbed after 20 minutes in the St Johnstone friendly, and not picked yesterday. These are all City greats, all the strong characters in the squad. Had they become too powerful and controlling of the dressing room ? Has Guardiola decided that he needs to reassert power.

Pellegrini seemed to let the dressing room dominate him which was stifling the youth, having a possible negative effect on the likes of Sterling (look at him yesterday) Delph and others. The only old guard players picked yesterday were Aguero, Silva, Kolarov, Clichy, Fernandinho - I would suggest the quieter and less domineering characters, those more willing to conform and keep their heads down.

All these players are hero's in my eyes and I hope they still have a future at the club but had their popularity with the fans (with the exception recently of Yaya) led their egos to spiral out of control and were they too controlling of the dynamics of the dressing room. Look at Guardiola telling the squad to decide on the captain - was that Guardiola's way of freeing up the opinion of the dressing room, making it more democratic? How many times would Hart come out and be the voice of the dressing room, almost speaking like the manager. With hindsight, it was wrong, very wrong.

Look at the positive change it already appears to have had. The team huddle yesterday after the second goal was brilliant to see. The players sticking around to applaud the fans.

The above is pure speculation on my part, but something is going on, and to be honest it is brilliant that we have a manager prepared to make the big decisions and not be cowed by strong characters in the dressing room or the unpopularity of the fans. In Pep we trust.

I thought the same in terms of Guadiola making a statement who is boss.

Only things I would question;
I would say Kolarov is not quiet as your post suggests.
Guadiola letting them pick captain also seems to contradict him being the boss, he should make that decision. I appreciate you can argue that he is empowering the players etc.
I also don't believe there is anything in it with Zabba as Guadiola has said he wants him to stay.

I personally think he is just trying to shake things up to get the best out of the squad and get people who were comfortable fighting again. And showing he's boss

Btw who was captain yesterday?

 

[domalino]

When Kompany is fit will stones go to left sided centre back position? Personally I think Stones is Pep main player he wanted and wont be dropped unless injured.

Stones is going to be first choice I would Imagine, his quality on the ball is obviously going to be integral and none of the other centre backs can do that.

He seemed to thrive on the responsibility as well.

 

[chesterguy]

I thought the same in terms of Guadiola making a statement who is boss.

Only things I would question;
I would say Kolarov is not quiet as your post suggests.
Guadiola letting them pick captain also seems to contradict him being the boss, he should make that decision. I appreciate you can argue that he is empowering the players etc.
I also don't believe there is anything in it with Zabba as Guadiola has said he wants him to stay.

I personally think he is just trying to shake things up to get the best out of the squad and get people who were comfortable fighting again. And showing he's boss

Btw who was captain yesterday?

Silva was captain and Pep said in his after game press conference that it was his decision and his alone

 

[domalino]

I thought the same in terms of Guadiola making a statement who is boss.

Only things I would question;
I would say Kolarov is not quiet as your post suggests.
Guadiola letting them pick captain also seems to contradict him being the boss, he should make that decision. I appreciate you can argue that he is empowering the players etc.
I also don't believe there is anything in it with Zabba as Guadiola has said he wants him to stay.

I personally think he is just trying to shake things up to get the best out of the squad and get people who were comfortable fighting again. And showing he's boss

Btw who was captain yesterday?

Guardiola was pretty clear with his reasoning for why the players pick the captain. The captain has to be their leader, and someone they want to follow, not someone Pep picks to lead them because he likes him.

Silva was captain, however Guardiola said that he was captain because he was the longest serving player in the team - which suggests the players decided that in the absence of Vinny, the most senior player will be captain.

 

[Brendan110_0]

The team selection to me had "playing important CL game on Tuesday" look about it.......even down to the early subs.