Pep Guardiola - 2024/25

[decmancity]

Stats are a wonderful thing, aren't they? Thing is, they're only valid after the event. We've also had more shots on target than any other club so on that basis we should have scored more goals. According to the stats.

What event, the past 30 games this year?

You can get away with shit finishing if you can defend, we can't.

 

[RayCTID]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but no, it's not a mistake unless you knew you were going to get key injuries at the start of the season, that's what he said and that's what I said weeks ago.

As you have noted - sadly something most don't seen to understand - its that it's incredibly difficult to find players to come in and replace those who have won you everything for the past few seasons. Why wouldn't you stick with those players? There are no guarantees that anybody coming in is going to work, and very few hit the ground running so we might have been looking at even more dropped points.

Again it is bringing the correct targets who can really fit in with his style and not fritter away money which we had been doing at various stages of his tenure. And more importantly there is nothing we can actually do if the players don't want to sign for us.

 

[mccity]

I disagree with the game management comments. At 2-1, we were dominant and looked far more likely to get a goal than they were. The players just dropped the ball the first time they had to defend deep

 

[Big Yaya Wilko 12]

subs killed us.

Don’t understand the ghost of Ilkay Gundogan coming into a physical game.

Same with James. Needed to shore up that midfield. Not add two number 8s.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Awful from Pep once again. Continues to stick with the same approach that's seen us make mediocre sides look like free flowing world beaters, a tempo to pur attack that makes it as easy as possible for the opposition to defend against us whilst simultaneously setting us up to be as easy as possible for the opposition to walk through straight at our backline with as little as 2 simple passes. It's all on Pep.

Then there is the abysmal game management, not going for the third that was there for the taking and instead choosing to trust the players who have repeatedly shown a vulnerability to a complete capitulation not to capitulate is as bad as it gets.

The most damning thing tonight was the best football we played was when Brentford forced us to play their game. Thre only real times we looked threatening was on the break with pace and quick forward passing, The complete opposite to what Pep is saying he wants.

That's not a good sign.

New signings aren't going to change anything if he continues this woeful system.

 

[Damanino]

we certainly looked better at quick counters than when we are up against a block with Akanji/Ake passing between each other deep in opposite half.

or the second goal came from Savinho pressing their player and nick the ball then his shot came back nicely for Foden to finish. we had momentum, space, speed and element of surprise in that attack, something we dont have when we are trying to walk it in vs a block of 10 defenders while our least creative players (CBs) passing it around trying to pass the ball out wide only to receive it back.

but also worth looking back some goals we scored in the false 9 season and our movement/energy in attacks. teams did sit back that season too, we didnt even have a proper striker, but there was pressing, movement, quick passing to draw them out, good movement into the box, Gundo especially but others too, nothing like this version served up this year with lethargic movements, no energy etc.
pressing from Sterling, Jesus of course, Bernardo wasnt burnt out, Gundo, KDB had energy, Mahrez delivered too.

 

[TonyM]

I wanted Pep to bring on Doku for KDB when we were 1 up and there was loads of space.

I'd have also brought on Grealish for Foden or Savinho.

I'd not have brought off Kovacic.

But who knows if that would have worked.

I'm happy that we looked fresher than weeks ago buy I'm pretty disappointed with Pep's abilities this season. I thought he'd have been much better when the times got tough. But it's not the end of the world. We still go on.

 

[King Jay]

I seem to rememeber him constantly talking about the necessity of 5 subs, he was just trolling us in the end, it's just incredible how despite the injuries, tiredness and lack of fitness he still can't make more than two subs a game unless we're 3 or 4 up, just stop with the nonsense and use your bench already, and I mean 5 subs every damn game.

Thank you. He will cry that the squad is too small and too many injuries but will never use any subs. Should’ve brought in Doku for Savinho or KDB for a quick counter yet he didn’t.

 

[Alvin-blue-qhd]

Last season's success gave Pep a delusion that we can win the game by "patience": "passing the ball 2 million times" and some miraculous shots made by Foden or Alvarez, Haaland, Rodri... and Bang! We win!

At the beginning of this season's misery, Pep still believed that if we lost, it was because we didn't do what we did last season, which means we gave the ball away too easily. We'd rather made some "safe pass" than attack more stright forward at the risk of giving out the ball.

After everything we've experienced over the past two months, I think Pep has already realized the simple fact that the "old mode" just doesn't work anymore. In this match, seems like we played more directly and were no longer overly obsessed with possession. The club is also bringing in new defensive players. We must ensure the team is capable of handling the risks of losing possession that come with attacking play.

 

[Ajm1985]

Stats are a wonderful thing, aren't they? Thing is, they're only valid after the event. We've also had more shots on target than any other club so on that basis we should have scored more goals. According to the stats.

Both things can be (and are) true - we should score more and we are god awful at stopping crosses/stopping shots from crosses. The former doesn’t affect the latter.

 

[Paul1970]

We are all talking as though we are shocked and surprised at what peps subs would be I mean we’ve seen his all season so now I don’t even get angry and the only reason Walker didn’t cone in was because he does not want to play anymore for us. Forget top 4 it’s not happening .

 

[Mancini’s Pastilles]

Forget top 4 it’s not happening .

Yeah but just think of all the fun away trips in europa League

 

[Paul1970]

Awful from Pep once again. Continues to stick with the same approach that's seen us make mediocre sides look like free flowing world beaters, a tempo to pur attack that makes it as easy as possible for the opposition to defend against us whilst simultaneously setting us up to be as easy as possible for the opposition to walk through straight at our backline with as little as 2 simple passes. It's all on Pep.

Then there is the abysmal game management, not going for the third that was there for the taking and instead choosing to trust the players who have repeatedly shown a vulnerability to a complete capitulation not to capitulate is as bad as it gets.

The most damning thing tonight was the best football we played was when Brentford forced us to play their game. Thre only real times we looked threatening was on the break with pace and quick forward passing, The complete opposite to what Pep is saying he wants.

That's not a good sign.

New signings aren't going to change anything if he continues this woeful system.

Correct . Pep needs to to adapt as his style of football has come to an end and he needs to change even though it’s been great to watch and brought us untold success .

 

[Craig]

I disagree with the game management comments. At 2-1, we were dominant and looked far more likely to get a goal than they were. The players just dropped the ball the first time they had to defend deep

Agreed.We conceded so some people start playing sub bingo. We actually did much better keeping the ball towards the end and should’ve bagged the 3rd to kill the game. We were always going to have to defend a few balls into the box in the last 10 not. Just once again the defence was not up to it.

 

[urban genie]

The subs weren't a problem, concentrating in the final minutes has been an issue all season

the players that switched off were on the field at the start

 

[sh249]

The subs were a bit strange but no great factor in us losing. Just simple errors when we were called on to do a bit of basic defending of crosses.

 

[Blue Maverick]

When we went 2 up they came at us, our legs had gone in midfield, Kovacic didn’t have his best game and to replace with Gundogan was criminal. I’m afraid his number 2 needs fucking off because he’s adding nothing, he should be calling Pep in this but seems to pally, Christ he can’t even speak English, just watch the new documentary it’s embarrassing watching him do the team talk, no fucker bar the Spanish players understand what he’s saying, it’s just gibberish!

 

[bellsouth]

Substitutes is just another area where we are off this season. At one point last night Liverpool are losing and we are winning. Both sides make subs - the rest is history

 

[decmancity]

When we went 2 up they came at us, our legs had gone in midfield, Kovacic didn’t have his best game and to replace with Gundogan was criminal. I’m afraid his number 2 needs fucking off because he’s adding nothing, he should be calling Pep in this but seems to pally, Christ he can’t even speak English, just watch the new documentary it’s embarrassing watching him do the team talk, no fucker bar the Spanish players understand what he’s saying, it’s just gibberish!

Lillo can say whatever he wants. It's peps job on the line, he will make the final decision.

As for the English part. Unless Foden and Grealish now speak Spanish. That's complete shit.

He might not feel confident enough to address an entire dressing room but his English is plenty good enough.

 

[MCFCFanTX]

Grealish and Doku were needed in the final 10 mins. Both win fouls which would've helped with game management. Jack also keeps the ball very well.