Don't agree on four. The dippers coach attack and bent refereeing did us then. Last two seasons I agree though. I went to Tottenham and we were flat. Leaving KDB on the bench was just daft.hes got it wrong 4 times mate when on the verge of being in a semi final in Europe, its not just tonite.
Anyway the end of season review in Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Mansour should be interesting.
It will sound dramatic but it will take me a while to forgive him for the lineup yesterday. I was in shock when I saw it, 5 defenders and 2 back Midfielders against Lyon. What was he thinking?
Bang on the money. It’s like he knew he wanted to play safe but had no idea how to do it.As if the team selection and formation weren't bad enough, his post match explanations were shocking. If we were so afraid of their pace and our lack of pace through the centre why pick that defence playing the high line? Why play your two fastest defenders as wing backs - and therefore further up the field when we're being countered? If pace was the biggest fear why not play Mendy and Cancelo as wing backs and play Walker in the back 3? Why play Garcia and Fernandinho in the back 3 of a high line when they both turn slower than milk?
If pace was the biggest fear why didn't we defend from the front and stop counters before they've even started as we did v Madrid? Why did our two hardest working players not get a single minute?
This shit has happened time and time again this season and just when you think we've finally nailed it v Madrid he picks a team and formation like that. It's absolutely inexcusable.
The entire thing was built around not letting Lyon destroy us on the counter. I think the idea was to play slow, keep it tight for 30 minutes, and then start to dominate things physically after when they'd be a bit too tired to both press as effectively and break at pace. The players were instructed not to press too much, to try and lure them out to play a bit.Would be interesting what his tactical plan was.
Our build-up was completely fuxxed as it had to be brought out by Laporte and Fern but we weren't able to reach our creative elements KDB and Gundo being too far up the pitch and easily covered.
How in hell did Pep want to create using that system?
Maybe he thought Laporte, Rodri or Walker could play through the channels but last night all of them were poor in confident passing.
In the end we funnily conceded 3 - when the plan was strengthening our defence to keep a clean sheet, scoring at least 1 somehow.
Pep and some players dramatically crumbled under the big pressure, again. Not a good thing looking ahead. It will hunt us for a long time.
Pep and his team will have to face that point and develop a professional solution or it will happen time and again.
That's why is so frustrating.. I think he is the best coach in the world, but time to time he does something like this.. Taking all the confident and momentum off the boys.. So so frustrating. As I said, time for a football break.I would still take a 90% great in everything over than 100% negative with little or no invention and creativity and have all the passion of Simeone. Part of its down to the players (who aren't streets behind the current Champions) currently at our disposal.
That's why is so frustrating.. I think he is the best coach in the world, but time to time he does something like this.. Taking all the confident and momentum off the boys.. So so frustrating. As I said, time for a football break.
good right up to the point he tried to play the offside trap in their half.I think his 'solution' was that Garcia was basically an old school sweeper, who was supposed to cover Laporte & Fern then step forward & pass the ball through. Which he did, until he didn't.
The desire from Pep isn’t there anymore this is why he said his 4th year in Barca was a mistake, his intense management style burns his desire and the teams desire out after around 3 seasons and that’s his shelf life. There is no doubting how great the football has been we have played under him but if he was to walk away tomorrow his time here would be deemed a failure unfortunately. Yes he’s won 2 league titles in amazing fashion but he’s been given the funds to achieve that as a minimum and obviously the domestic cups are a nice bonus too but the main thing he was brought in for was the Champs league and he has failed worse than I could ever of imagined.
The scary thought is that every single City fan looked at that team when it come out last night and knew we was in trouble from the get go every single city fan but pep? Do you think Bayern Munich would have changed their style and whole formation that they haven’t played all season to ‘adapt’ to Lyon? Would they fuck they’d play their way and say deal with this and make them change their set up to deal with Bayern. Lyon was already mentally 1 up when they will have seen he changed our full way of playing before a ball was kicked.
Pep has his loyal fan club and rightly so (I’ve never really been in it) just can’t warm to him as a person more than the football side he’s dug the fans out a few times in his time here about attendances etc but when his time is done here I understand why the majority will be devastated but there will be a manager out there better suited to us we just need to make sure we get it right!
In a weird way for me it’ll be refreshing when he leaves as for example I want to be signing a centre half because he can defend first and foremost then play well with his feet not the other way round. Peps system for 2/3 years is the best in world football but after that it’s a spent force. He’ll do next season and leave but I’m not expecting anything from it we look shot and uninspired.
You got a like from me but I thought Cancelo played as well as anyone of our players
Don't agree on four. The dippers coach attack and bent refereeing did us then. Last two seasons I agree though. I went to Tottenham and we were flat. Leaving KDB on the bench was just daft.
He just had 100 days off!His body language last night was a bit of a concern. You can look too much into things, but he reminded me a bit of how he looked in his last season at Barcelona. Sometimes a mans biggest strength can also be his biggest weakness, and Guardiola's intensity, and perfectionist idiosyncrasy has given him great success as a manager, but also as you highlighted, and he's admitted, has given him a short shelf life. After the domestic treble season, giving him a contract extension was an easy decision, but looking back at this season, and what he said in his 4th year at Barcelona, he and the club now have a bit of a dilemma. How long can he go on for? He's been a manager for 12 years now, one being a sabbatical. There's a risk he could become a bit like Mourinho if he stays too long here. Next season is a very important one for him.