Pep Guardiola - 2024/25

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Pep has been fundamental to our success since he's been here but he looks burned out. I think he needs to walk away after CWC and concentrate on rebuilding his marriage. He deserves a well earned rest. If he stays he's only here for one or two more seasons but I think we need a manager who can take us forward for the next 5 to 10 years. I think Araola and Frank would be ideal because they both ambitious and like their teams to play good football, and both know the Premiership.

 

[Blue warrior]

This season to has been a cluster fuck, for me it’s a few things coming together that have accelerated a decline.

Pep definitely had an off season he’s always been an over thinker problems in his personal life perhaps mental fatigue have affected his decision making.

Squad quality has definitely declined so forward planning not been great.

Injuries have been a shocker across the team.

I love pep but do wonder if a fresh pair of eyes ideas are needed. Personally think it’s going to be a good while, for us to be as dominant as previous years if that can even be a thing with how competitive the league has become.

 

[Rammy Blue]

I do wonder what’s going on with Pep when you look at his use of the winter signings. Attempting to show too much loyalty to the players we know are leaving and underperforming is strange. Khusa not in squad, Nico getting splinters, Marmoush on bench for 80 odd minutes. Yesterday’s selection was unforgivable, but to then be so stubborn as to only make one sub before 70 mins was perplexing.

 

[BillyShears]

I do wonder what’s going on with Pep when you look at his use of the winter signings. Attempting to show too much loyalty to the players we know are leaving and underperforming is strange. Khusa not in squad, Nico getting splinters, Marmoush on bench for 80 odd minutes. Yesterday’s selection was unforgivable, but to then be so stubborn as to only make one sub before 70 mins was perplexing.

I don't think it's that complicated. He's wildly loyal to the team that won 4 titles on the bounce for him. He has said a few times this season that he knows people want him to change the players, but he can't do that. I also think there's an element of players playing for their futures. The new players are obviously going to be around next season, the question is which of the older players will be. These games should be giving the DoF plenty of info about who to keep and who to sell.

 

[Mcfc1.9.8.0]

Definitely a poor day for Pep yesterday, absolutely no dressing that up. But the context is also VERY important. I'll say again, a year ago he'd just won his 4th title on the bounce. The fact that he was probably too loyal to the treble winning team is why he ends up with that achievement, but also why this season has been the way it is and why next season will also potentially be one of transition. The team needs rebuilding because we've squeezed every ounce of quality from it's core.

There's a lot of people in this thread who either don't know football or just have some absolutely weird dislike for Guardiola. Every time City lose a game of football, those people are in here chatting absolute shit of the highest order.

The problem is yesterday wasn’t the first time this season we have been totally shite.
By playing players out of form and we could give him the benefit of doubt due to injuries

Over the last few weeks he’s picked a side that’s picked up decent wins and started to get us out of a hole and get us in a good position to get a CL spot

But for some mad reason he decided to go back and play those out of form players and drop the players who were playing well

 

[BillyShears]

The problem is yesterday wasn’t the first time this season we have been totally shite.

I know. I've watched every minute of every game this season.

 

[Rammy Blue]

I don't think it's that complicated. He's wildly loyal to the team that won 4 titles on the bounce for him. He has said a few times this season that he knows people want him to change the players, but he can't do that. I also think there's an element of players playing for their futures. The new players are obviously going to be around next season, the question is which of the older players will be. These games should be giving the DoF plenty of info about who to keep and who to sell.

Sorry mate but zero logic to players like Kev and Bernie playing the full 90, I know Bernie has had a couple of decent games recently but Kev stunk it out yesterday and should have been hauled off. Phil and McAtee starting yesterday was fucking mental, on which planet does Omar not start that game or at least get on early?

 

[kippaxchris]

I think there's a weird cross section of young kids who only know winning and therefore carry a lot more entitlement and a bunch of miserable old cunts who just don't like Pep (probably because he's too successful and it makes them insecure).

Probably because he's too successful and it makes them insecure? The only probability here is thats probably the weirdest thing that has ever been said on this forum.

 

[BillyShears]

Sorry mate but zero logic to players like Kev and Bernie playing the full 90, I know Bernie has had a couple of decent games recently but Kev stunk it out yesterday and should have been hauled off. Phil and McAtee starting yesterday was fucking mental, on which planet does Omar not start that game or at least get on early?

If KDB and Bernardo are both leaving this summer do you think he should stop picking them? Phil was our only decent player yesterday in a creative sense. McAtee I agree on and the subs I agree on.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I think there's a weird cross section of young kids who only know winning and therefore carry a lot more entitlement and a bunch of miserable old cunts who just don't like Pep (probably because he's too successful and it makes them insecure).

I think some just say it as they see it.
Did you enjoy the performance?
When the team was announced did you think it was the right lineup to beat Saints who were always going to adopt a low block?
As the game unfolded did you think Pep got his subs right?
Is pep getting the best out of the players available to him?

I think the perspective of those questions are the meat of the criticism. I really find it hard to believe that there are many City fans that actively don't like Pep. He is a class act that has won us more than we could ever imagine. We are in the here and now though and based on performance and results this season, its going to generate a significant amount of debate just because the standards previously have been stratospheric.

 

[BillyShears]

I think some just say it as they see it.
Did you enjoy the performance?
When the team was announced did you think it was the right lineup to beat Saints who were always going to adopt a low block?
As the game unfolded did you think Pep got his subs right?
Is pep getting the best out of the players available to him?

I think the perspective of those questions are the meat of the criticism. I really find it hard to believe that there are many City fans that actively don't like Pep. He is a class act that has won us more than we could ever imagine. We are in the here and now though and based on performance and results this season, its going to generate a significant amount of debate just because the standards previously have been stratospheric.

The problem is that hindsight is always 20/20. The number of times a line up drops and people have a hissy fit only for us to go on and comfortably win far outweighs the number of times that we lose. This season has been a massive outlier and yet people seem incapable of giving any context to the criticisms which follow Pep around.

When you talk about perspective, I think it needs to be much wider than just "oh I don't agree with that team selection therefore Guardiola is past it" or "if he'd brought on Marmoush we'd have won". Pep knows more about football than any of us, and so it follows that whilst criticism is normal in a season like this one, it needs to come with a bit of balance.

 

[Brewster's millions]

I think there's a weird cross section of young kids who only know winning and therefore carry a lot more entitlement and a bunch of miserable old cunts who just don't like Pep (probably because he's too successful and it makes them insecure).

Got to laugh at this.

I suppose that being unnecessarily derogatory towards people, just because you have a different opinion to them, definitely isn’t a sign of insecurity?

Somewhat ironic.

 

[Rammy Blue]

If KDB and Bernardo are both leaving this summer do you think he should stop picking them? Phil was our only decent player yesterday in a creative sense. McAtee I agree on and the subs I agree on.

Not necessarily stop picking them but at least get them off if it’s not happening for them. Kev’s deliveries yesterday were abysmal. When we don’t use all the subs until end why wouldn’t you at least bring on Nico or Grealish for one or both of Kev and Bernie?

Anyway it’s round and round in circles, I just find a lot of Pep’s decision making very peculiar.

 

[Mcfc1.9.8.0]

I know. I've watched every minute of every game this season.

I was more trying to make the point that he seemed to find a team and tactic for the first time was working but he changed it for no reason to revert back to the system and players that hasn’t been working all season

 

[BillyShears]

I was more trying to make the point that he seemed to find a team and tactic for the first time was working but he changed it for no reason to revert back to the system and players that hasn’t been working all season

Suspect he wanted minutes in Foden and Haaland's legs before the cup final. Lewis/McAtee were very odd selections IMO. But I also think the overall performance level from the players was pathetic. That team, whatever the tactic, should've beaten Southampton comfortably. The fact they didn't is absolutely on the players on the pitch.

 

[oldius]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
There is nobody here that would think that the team that played yesterday would not beat Southampton.
I don't imagine that anyone would think that if we had 25 shots on goal, to one, that we would not win the game.
This happens. It wasn't working at half-time, so it was changed.
What is, IMO, much more ridiculous, is the response on here to ANY dropped points. We have no divine right to win any game, absolutely none.

We are now, seemingly, in a situation where almost any potential new signing is condemned before they arrive - too young, another project, or not proven, the players that are with us need ditching, and if any other club is in for new players, we have no chance. We have always been a bit fatalistic, but this is embarrassing. We are in the top three and the FA Cup final after what has been, for us, a really tough season plagued with injury and illness.

 

[Paul1970]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
There is nobody here that would think that the team that played yesterday would not beat Southampton.
I don't imagine that anyone would think that if we had 25 shots on goal, to one, that we would not win the game.
This happens. It wasn't working at half-time, so it was changed.
What is, IMO, much more ridiculous, is the response on here to ANY dropped points. We have no divine right to win any game, absolutely none.

We are now, seemingly, in a situation where almost any potential new signing is condemned before they arrive - too young, another project, or not proven, the players that are with us need ditching, and if any other club is in for new players, we have no chance. We have always been a bit fatalistic, but this is embarrassing. We are in the top three and the FA Cup final after what has been, for us, a really tough season plagued with injury and illness.

A lot of injuries yes but also alot of bad recruiting and bad team selections aswell . Nico i Reilly got his chance a month too late and pep is still picking on sentiment even now . We have made a mess of this season .

 

[Gabriel]

Suspect he wanted minutes in Foden and Haaland's legs before the cup final. Lewis/McAtee were very odd selections IMO. But I also think the overall performance level from the players was pathetic. That team, whatever the tactic, should've beaten Southampton comfortably. The fact they didn't is absolutely on the players on the pitch.

Nine of that same starting eleven laboured to a 1-0 win against Southampton in October. That they thus laboured to a 0-0 draw yesterday was not entirely unexpected.

 

[oldius]

A lot of injuries yes but also alot of bad recruiting and bad team selections aswell . Nico i Reilly got his chance a month too late and pep is still picking on sentiment even now . We have made a mess of this season .

I agree with parts of this, but not that we have made a mess. There is no team in world football that would cope with the extended losses of quality like Rodri, Stones, KDB, Dias, Akanji, Ake, Bobby, Foden, Doku, Grealish and Haaland.

We also have to factor in that achieving what has never been achieved will be hard to come back from. Maintaining such desire on the back of that is improbable.

 

[TonyBookEnd]

Without question Pep changed the game. At Barcelona, he was light-years ahead—positional play, false nines, high coordinated pressing. His teams dominated through movement and control, no one had the answers. He developed further at Bayern, inverting full backs and countering transitions and again adapted to and dominated the Premier league.

Inevitably, time has caught up. Coaches studied him, imitated him, and figured out how to hit him—especially on the counter. Some big defeats followed. So Pep adapted, and his solution has been more control, more possession, fewer transitions. Minimise chaos, limit risk.

The result is fewer mistakes, but no less trophies… but also more structure, less spontaneity. It’s now lurking into turgid and overthought. But he's always evolving, always learning, always trying to stay one step ahead. It's just that gap which was so wide is now diminishing.

Just finished reading "Eleven Rings" a book about Basketball coach Phil Jackson, the parallels are clear. Jackson introduced the triangle offense to build unity and trust, not just wins. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant—generational talents—initially felt it limited their creativity. But over time, the players learnt to trust and rely on the system and even developed it themselves and with it built dynasties.

Jackson was a great believer in Zen and Native American philosophy to teach selflessness and clarity in high-pressure moments. Pep, in his own way, chases the same thing through control, structure, and positional discipline.

And just like Jackson’s Lakers in the early 2000s, when injuries hit or new players unfamiliar with the system are introduced, things can fall apart. The alphas males and egos take over. Timing breaks down. Trust in the structure wavers. The system only works when everyone buys in—and has the rhythm to execute it. Without that, even great teams and great players can look average.

So I think what I'm trying to say is that this seasons remarkable drop off is a collective failure and is a function of numerous and complex things. Pep is largely to blame for a lot of these failings. Whilst, key injuries and poor signings have severely limited his options, he's been too loyal, too trusting in his system. With hindsight he'd have probably changed things last summer.

I think it's an oversimplification to say that if he'd have picked X and Y would have happened, we would be winning more or playing better. Pep is a great innovator and adaptor and he's built enough credit to attempt to put it right. He might not be able to do it but nobody knows that, even him, but he believes in his system (sometimes blindly) and will carry on with it despite our protestations because he believes its the right way of doing things.