Pep Guardiola - 2024/25

[Blu1]

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.

100% & if they did come on we won that game 0-2

 

[B\connellblue]

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 .

I'm not sure it's been that great to watch for quite a while. To be honest the constant passing and slow build up has got a little boring. Even allowing for how it ended last night it was a better watch and far more entertaining than a lot of the fare of late.

 

[Blue Maverick]

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.

You watched the documentary it says he doesn’t speak English, they have an interpreter for him! Your second sentence makes no sense, does Akanji, Ake, Haaland, Walker etc speak Spanish? I doubt it, look at the film they are all just sat looking bemused. As for not confident, he’s the assistant manager he should be getting lessons like Mancini did it’s his fucking job.

 

[Father Paul]

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 .

I would only give Pep a 4 for last night. Yet again he gets the subs wrong. The style of football debate is also worth having. If it is true what you say then it makes fuck all difference if we strengthen next season. If we are tactically deficient we won't be sat at the top table competing for the big trophies.

 

[Gabriel]

We’re delaying making an attacking substitution when we have a corner, when we know full well we have numerous players incapable of running back to our box should we lose possession.

The length of time it takes to get a substitute on the park is almost as inexplicable as the length of time some players are allowed to remain on the park.

 

[SWP's back]

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 .

Forrest won’t last the distance and five places will get CL this year in all likelihood anyway.

 

[Gigant]

Nothing bad if we miss UCL stop, than we can put more focus on the league

 

[Brewster's millions]

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

It’s been a problem for a long time now, certainly since last season, as shown by the results like Tottenham and Palace at home where we should have comfortably wrapped up the three points.

We rarely had to play at full whack for the full 90 minutes when we were at our best, but last season it was noticeable how we would be effectively playing for time, holding the ball in the corner and so on, with 10 to 15 minutes still to play.

The problem has certainly got worse this season but I would say it’s been a feature for a good while now and it needs to be addressed.

 

[SamBlue]

Nothing bad if we miss UCL stop, than we can put more focus on the league

Tell this to our owners, money, adverts, sponsorships.....

 

[decmancity]

You watched the documentary it says he doesn’t speak English, they have an interpreter for him! Your second sentence makes no sense, does Akanji, Ake, Haaland, Walker etc speak Spanish? I doubt it, look at the film they are all just sat looking bemused. As for not confident, he’s the assistant manager he should be getting lessons like Mancini did it’s his fucking job.

So all the videos of Lillo walking around and chatting with Grealish and Foden and doing coaching with them. He's got a little interpreter in his ear telling him what jack is saying back to him?

Funny how when Lillo left there was a thread on this forum asking if that's why we had turned to shit.

No issue with his apparent lack of English when we romped to record breaking seasons in the last few years I guess?

 

[Blue2112]

Pep's a bit of a an enigma, sometimes I think he really gets us and at other times I feel he's about as distant to us as the rags are to their next league title.

He is undoubtedly City’s greatest and most successful manager although maybe not my most personal favourite. He has some excellent attributes as well as some rigid characteristics in his personality. He has idea's and can see patterns of play long before the norm but also appears stubborn to the point of it being detrimental at times. He can appear funny, likeable and charming but I feel he is far more abrasive and has little time for things outside of football in his daily routine. I'm not sure if his door is always open so to speak.

By and large I've stopped watching some of his interviews and press conferences. It's plainly obvious he doesn't want to do them, yet it's something he is contactually obliged to do often appearing niggly and short with his answers or sometimes rambling incoherently.

I'm not sure he has a plan B which most manager's get crucified for. Buying his way out of trouble could well be levelled at him. When his system works it's unstoppable and when it doesn't then we see the breakdown of the past few months. He does strange things like dropping players when they get MOTM, pulling Haaland off after 5 goals when he could have had the first double hat-trick in the CL. Personally I felt he didn't want Messi to be overshadowed by that. His call for 5 subs and then never appearing that interested in using them. Calling out certain players publicly but never ever others. Something other players he has managed have called him out for.

He's a genius of the modern game but that does not mean he cannot be questioned. I don't accept it's ok to take a year off, i'm fairly certain he doesn't too. Yes we all expected a drop off and we would all be accepting of that but in no other proffession can you let your standards drop for 12 months and not be questioned. Football moves quickly and the old adage of you are only as good as your last game is the standard set. Once they retire they can all sit back and wallow in the adulation this team will no doubt receive but then and only then will they become legends of the modern Premier League. Until that time his and the players legacy need to remain intact and performances and results need an upturn immediately.

I think his style of football has contributed to the lack of atmosphere at some games. Not all and it's not the sole reason of which there are many others but its a factor. It's not easy watching tippy tappy football rotating for the sake of it whilst sat in the freezing cold. For instance I can't remember the last single crunching tackle we put in. You know the type that get you off your arse screaming "Come on City get into the Bastards" it's just not the modern City. We need an injection of that and to show our opponents we can mix it with the best. The derby was chronic, not one hard tackle that I can remember.

We all love him and are fully behind him it's just sometimes I'm left scratching my head...in the style of Pep maybe!

I have my own feeling that he is on the spectrum but then I also think most of us are. A discussion for another time.

 

[meeesh]

Pep's a bit of a an enigma, sometimes I think he really gets us and at other times I feel he's about as distant to us as the rags are to their next league title.

He is undoubtedly City’s greatest and most successful manager although maybe not my most personal favourite. He has some excellent attributes as well as some stubborn characteristics in his personality. He has idea's and can see patterns of play long before the norm but also appears stubborn to the point of it being detrimental at times. He can appear funny, likeable and charming but I feel he is far more abrasive and has little time for things outside of football in his daily routine. I'm not sure his door is always open so to speak.

By and large I've stopped watching some of his interviews and press conferences. It's plainly obvious he doesn't want to do them, yet it's something he is contactually obliged to do often appearing niggly and short with his answers or sometimes rambling incoherently.

I'm not sure he has a plan B which most manager's get crucified for. Buying his way out of trouble could well be levelled at him. When his system works it's unstoppable and when it doesn't then we see the breakdown of the past few months. He does strange things like dropping players when they get MOTM, pulling Haaland off after 5 goals when he could have become the first double hat-trick in the CL, personally I feel he didn't want Messi to be overshadowed by that. His call for 5 subs and then never appearing that interested in using them. Calling out certain players publicly but never ever others. Something other players he has managed have called him out for.

He's a genius of the modern game but that does not mean he cannot be questioned. I don't accept it's ok to take a year off, i'm fairly certain he doesn't. Yes we all expect a drop off and we would all be accepting of that bit in no other proffession can you let your standards drop for 12 months and not be questioned. Football moves quickly and the old aaldage of you are only as good as your last game is the standard set. Once they retire they can sit back and wallow in the adulation this team will no dount receive but then and only then will they become legends of the modern Premier League. Until that time his and the players legacy need to remain intact and performances and results need an upturn immediately.

I think his style of football has contributed to the lack of atmosphere at some games, not all and it's not the sole reason of which there are many. It's not easy watching tippy tappy sat in the freezing cold. For instance I can't remember the last single crunching tackle we put in. You know the type that get you off your arse screaming "Come on City get into the Bastards" it's just not the modern City. We need an injection of that and to show our opponents we can mix it with the best.

I have my own feeling that he is on the spectrum but then I also think most of us are. A discussion for another time.

Building up as much credit as he has with us will last a lifetime, I’m sure you’d agree, but I’m also in full acknowledgment of everything you’ve posted there, I’ve put snippets of that in this thread here and there but never in a full hit narrative like you have taken the time to.

People say he plays the shitty media now as he knows what they are like, fair enough, but surely he understands that us, the fans, would like to listen to any bit of info, whether it be injury news or any other gossip that fans are keen to know, but it’s nothing but short shrift answers spoken with discontent in his voice, not someone you’d like to have a pint with, truth is in all the years he’s been here he’s never got us, well I tell a lie, he loves the away following, not the 50k plus who pay for a season ticket and go week in week out albeit from our own seats as we can’t get a ticket for an away as it’s full of Barcelona and any others who can get hold of one.

He threw derby after derby as he showed them too much respect in the early days, every City manager has always recognised how important it is to beat them cunts but not Pep, he’d sooner sit there and say how much history them and the dippers have had, so yes I agree with you I ain’t tuning into anymore conferences as it’s depressing as much as the football we are witnessing this season.

Do I want him to go after saying all that, no, but would I be arsed if it’s not going to change through stubbornness then no I wouldn’t neither.

 

[Blue2112]

Building up as much credit as he has with us will last a lifetime, I’m sure you’d agree, but I’m also in full acknowledgment of everything you’ve posted there, I’ve put snippets of that in this thread here and there but never in a full hit narrative like you have taken the time to.

People say he plays the shitty media now as he knows what they are like, fair enough, but surely he understands that us, the fans, would like to listen to any bit of info, whether it be injury news or any other gossip that fans are keen to know, but it’s nothing but short shrift answers spoken with discontent in his voice, not someone you’d like to have a pint with, truth is in all the years he’s been here he’s never got us, well I tell a lie, he loves the away following, not the 50k plus who pay for a season ticket and go week in week out albeit from our own seats as we can’t get a ticket for an away as it’s full of Barcelona and any others who can get hold of one.

He threw derby after derby as he showed them too much respect in the early days, every City manager has always recognised how important it is to beat them cunts but not Pep, he’d sooner sit there and say how much history them and the dippers have had, so yes I agree with you I ain’t tuning into anymore conferences as it’s depressing as much as the football we are witnessing this season.

Do I want him to go after saying all that, no, but would I be arsed if it’s not going to change through stubbornness then no I wouldn’t neither.

I said the same thing this morning to a friend about the derbys. Sick of hearing down the years of how great the rags were when they actually weren't and we loat games they had no right to win at times. Just say nothing, no need to praise or criticise. Same with every team we play really he says how great they are. I do understand why he says it but its not always necessary.

I also echo your own sentiments, do I want him to go, no of course not but i'm also more prepared for that eventuality when it happens.

In Pep we trust!

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

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 .

Sporting,
Brighton,
Feyenoord,
United,
Brentford

5 games our late game management has been horrible this season!

Btw that bad game management and dropping 2 points last night could be huge in our top 4 quest as this is our upcoming PL fixture

Ipswich
Chelsea
Arsenal
Newcastle
Liverpool
Tottenham
Nottingham Forest
Brighton

Basically our experienced players are making too many mistakes and top 4 is going to be really hard unless we can actually get some midfielders with legs in!

 

[sir baconface]

As Brentford came on and chased the game, it was crying out for Doku to take them on the counter with Savinho.

All about opinions. Some think he should have bolstered the late attacking momentum; others that he should have consolidated with a holding player and a defender. Some would argue about who was taken off.

Not sure ANYONE* would have thought it a good wheeze to first bring on a geriatric, and then McAtee at the 87 minute mark.

Except one man, and of course he knows best. But we do have the consolation of knowing it is what it is.

 

[sir baconface]

He fucking loves him like he's his son.

And TBF, Gundo has tried his very best to be supportive to Pep in his hour of need. So that’s commendable up to a point. However at some stage, and hopefully before CL qualification is at serious risk, someone needs to acknowledge the realities.

 

[oldius]

A principled genius who has changed the game.
He won't change those principles.
We stand or fall on them, and my god we have stood tall.

He has been whacked over the head by our small squad (his choice), and an injury list not experienced by him in his career. Injury, illness, babies, failed relationships, oncoming divorce, the list goes on.
The shortened summer contributed significantly because our players are all internationals. We have also reached so many milestones, and set so many records, that a drop-off was inevitable. Nobody is infallible. He and the team deserve the chance to return to success - we are not far away.

 

[sir baconface]

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.

Taking this logic further, should we stick with the current squad for another couple of years?

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

Taking this logic further, should we stick with the current squad for another couple of years?

That thought is so provocative, I can't even form words.

 

[kaz7]

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.

Not like you to bang on about the subs , again. You dont just throw on five subs ffs