Mourinho altered his approach very little , Pep has morphed several times.So was Mourinho for a time. Brian Clough failed at the end, possibly due to health reasons. Pep has made a huge number of mistakes this season, and the lack of commitment from the players in the 2nd half at Forest was alarming. The list of question marks against Pep grows bigger with every passing week. To his credit Khusanov is a huge success but then I could ask why is Marmoush on the bench? The creative midfielders are invisible such that the only inroads that City make against opposing sides are down the wings, and they are easily contained (Liverpool, Forest).
We look a very disjointed side.
That MKII team was my favourite team too. There were definitely flaws, but I also think the dismantling of that philosophy for something almost the polar opposite was Pep overreacting to the losses to Liverpool and Spurs in the CL. The profligacy of Jesus and Sterling didn't do that team justice. The wingers could fly because, as you suggest, teams didn't sit as deep, which they have down to a tee by now, but also because City had Fernandinho, Silva and prime KDB in midfield, and Kun Aguero up front. The only central player I can think of that City have since recruited with that creative defence-unlocking stardust is, Echeverri, though of course he's still to prove me right. Bernardo, Foden, Grealish, Alvarez, Gundogan, etc are all good ball carriers that fulfill important functions for the team, but before this season, as lieutenants, they have been able to rely on the generals for directing strategies to cross the gain line. No Rodri, prime KDB, Silva, Fernandinho, where's the creativity in the centre of the pitch?!I think the last few seasons we have been quite boring to watch for neutrals. It is very much keep the ball and avoid transitions at all costs. This can lead to a lot of sideways passing whilst city try and lure opposing players out of position.
Contrast to how we played when pep first came in with wide wingers and d silva de bruyne in the 8s. We were so great to watch but we had major flaws which where exposed by better sides particularly in Europe.
I think it is fair to say pep has got a lot more pragmatic as he has got older and also due to his experience in England. It started with the Bernardo and grealish winger during the treble winning season which undoubtedly worked. We won tight games due to moments of brilliance from individual players back then. Now the team isn’t quite as good or players have aged we are struggling.
If I’m honest I haven’t particularly enjoyed the football the last few years it has felt very slow and ponderous but I would counter that with teams do sit in against us so it is hard to entertain.
5 players on the operating table throughout this season has hampered us massively.Mourinho altered his approach very little , Pep has morphed several times.
The vast majority of Pep's 'failings' this season have been due to having the Ballon Dor winner out all season, a central defense that has been hammered by injuries , a right back that stopped playing football and a midfield that aged .
Whereas Pep does bear some responsibility for some of those things they are not managerial failings that cannot be rectified or are particularly liable to recur.
I think City bought Khusanov and Ries with the future in mind. Marmoush was intended to make an impact this season. I know that Marmoush may not have changed the game at Forest but we have to try and integrate him into the side because I feel that Foden and Silva are unlikely to click into form. They need to play in a functioning City side. We need to be brave at the moment. I'd be looking at Echeverri in training and wondering if he is ready for 30 minutes off the bench. Pep's use of young players is mixed. He has used Khusanov with great effect but why hasn't O'Reilly played more often when City's physicality is off the scale?He has just turned 26 and is partly for this season as attacking cover and partly for the future. When we bought Mahrez at a similar age it took a season to integrate him into the team.
From what I have seen of Marmoush his attributes are best suited to when a team presses us high or goes man to man leaving space to move into and less suited to playing against a tight defensive block. Just because we lost does not mean that Marmoush was the answer.
I said that I 'do' agree with 'some' of his comments, or at least the sentiment to an extent, namely;You DON'T think Pep is City's greatest manager?
(That's me being facetious, by the way.)
You must in some way agree with Capello's comments about Pep if you've taken the time to start a thread about it. Pep isn't perfect all the time, but that doesn't mean he should come under criticism for his style of how he wants his teams to play, especially when there is a track record of proven success. Capello wishes he could have had as a successful managerial career as Guardiola, and i'm supposed to listen to his critique?
We've played like we did yesterday for quite a long time tbh.Watching us this past 9 years has been pretty amazing. Yesterday's game has no bearing on that.
And, if you want to respond, why not do so with your own opinion on the subject matter rather than just to criticiseIf you want to be critical of Pep, do not hide behind someone else's argument.
If you want to make an argument, do not introduce philosophical comments such as 'modern human nature' unless that is your subject. Consider using 'I', instead of 'Personally, I ...'.
True. The defence has been cut to pieces. But that was not the problem at Forest. Our forward play is awful. We're reliant on Haaland.5 players on the operating table throughout this season has hampered us massively.
Because I have had not made my mind up on Pep. And if I did, I would argue the point on my own terms and not use a stalking horse to make the point.And, if you want to respond, why not do so with your own opinion on the subject matter rather than just to criticise
This point is often missed, even by blues. The tactics have evolved over time and it is reasonable to argue that the PL has developed a defence to where they are now. A new direction is needed and the worry is whether Pep is too stubborn to find one. He has spoken both in favour of further development and against it.That way of playing wasn't the same during them 7 years. We would play, with pace, with purpose and directly in them earlier years. That evolved to even more heavily possession based and pulling the opposition all over. Tactics and formation changed. He needs to evolve and change again for future success and I am sure he will.
I genuinely don't have a clue what you're on about. I shared an article and said that I agree with some of the points. I didnt use the article to somehow get my own views across by proxy. If I had major issues with the manager I'd just come out with it. A forum is supposed to be a place for open debate, even if people don't always agree on what is being said. The fact that people are given pelters just because something goes against what many others may think is ridiculous.Because I have had not made my mind up on Pep. And if I did, I would argue the point on my own terms and not use a stalking horse to make the point.
Funnily enough, I felt his thinking was logical:That's because we lost. If we had won it would have been a masterstroke by a genius! I do agree that I wasn't happy with the team though.
We've won four league titles in the past 57 months.We've played like we did yesterday for quite a long time tbh.
Don’t give a rats arse. They’re both useless pricksDon't think southgate will agree with you on the boring bit ;)
Yep, I was thinking along similar lines. It's better than the low of before Christmas, but still a good way off where we want to be. Unfortunately, especially the longer City go without scoring, you feel this team has at least one lapse per game in it.I don't think anyone could really accuse City of 'not fighting' yesterday ..... we were really unfortunate with a number of efforts at goal, Haaland, Nico, Kovacic, all put decent effots in on goal, and there were others ..... Khusanov played as well as anyone in the Forest defensive back line ..... overall we generally competed well enough, although we should, without doubt, have done better at defending their winner.... Forest played really well, but if that game had of ended in a draw, as it looked to doing with only ten minutes to go, they couldn't have complained.