Guardiola said he felt he owed other players a chance to be in the squad instead

bluetonium said:
Akanji isn't going to offer a realistic option outside, like Nunes, and he isn't going to come inside and, like you say, move it forward, like Lewis. It's not his skillset and that cross into the stand just showcased it. But if he gets it in the right back position it is inevitably always going to go square to Savinho, then back, or sideways to Dias or a dropping midfielder. Against 11 defenders, it didn't work out.

Clearly he played as Pep thought one fullback roaming was enough, and Akanji has the pace to deal with Eze. But when it became very apparent that palace were not being very adventurous, and our creativity was a problem, then it should have changed. My preference would have been Nunes as he will go to he byline and he will get a cross to Haaland. Yes he'd be exposed on the break and it may have ended up two nil, but it's a cup final and we needed a goal.

The opposition know that if Akanji or Dias gets the ball, then it certainly isn't going to be a progressive pass and it will be moved sideways. Far too often the ball was to where Savinho is, not where he wanted to be, who had to cut back inside. It's not Akanji's fault that he can't see a through ball or move it quickly, it's not his game, but I think we could have taken more of a chance by bringing either him or Dias off for a more forward thinking player with at least ten to go.
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Agree entirely. To be fair to Akanji he’s still playing his way into full match fitness but Palace must have breathed a sigh of relief every time we played the ball to the right hand side. It didn’t help that Savinho was also largely ineffective. I think, on the whole, Nunes has done a reasonable job as a makeshift right back unfortunately his fuck ups have been costly hence the stick he receives. Kovacic was a big miss and oh for a fully fit John Stones.
 
Boo or Boo-urns said:
If Pep had an English speaking coach as his No. 2, he wouldn't have to be so close or get sentimental with the players.

Instead, Lilo speaks in a foreign tongue, needing an interpreter (or player) to communicate with the team, if he does at all. (I've only seen him on the bench gibbering non stop in Peps earhole)
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Don't blame the monkey, blame the organ grinder.
 
Lavinda Past said:
He lost the plot ages ago.

His 'system' has burned players out, it doesn't work any more, he has failed to find / develop effective replacements for ageing favourites, and he has no plan B.

He pulls inane faces, gabbles, and makes shit excuses up whenever questioned.

He definitely should have left after winning the CL in my opinion.
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Walker and KDB didn't get burned out by tactics. They got old. We sold Alvarez thinking Bobb would do the job, he broke his leg, and then Rodri got injured for the season.

When Pep came the team was dysfunctional and we had to rebuild. We are doing that again.
 
blue44 said:
Echeverri not given 1 minute of football in all competitions since january but throws him on when we're desperate for a goal with 14 minutes left.
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The kid did ok, but there’s a long list of questionable decisions going back a year or more. Its a big concern. Too much loyalty to the old guard for sure? Can Pep turn things around, we’ve got to hope so but far from guaranteed!!
 
blue44 said:
Echeverri not given 1 minute of football in all competitions since january but throws him on when we're desperate for a goal with 14 minutes left.
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We've been chasing points and been under pressure since January. We don't have the luxury to give players a few minutes with the Cup Final in mind.
 
Seems to me that a lot is being read into Pep's use of the word "owe", considering his English is often slightly off.

I'm pretty certain that he's used similar phrasing in the past, to argue that he's chosen the best players to win a game. When I hear 'owe' from him, I don't assume he is being sentimental, but that he's picking those he thinks deserves to play on merit (and he's often used "deserve" incorrectly, to talk about players who he thinks try hard, and would love to play, but that he thinks aren't the best for the team at that moment).
 
Prophet of Doom said:
Completely agree. His decision to give Echeverri his debut in a cup final when he hasn’t played a competitive game for 2 months is his sticking David James up front moment.

The players must be thinking he’s lost the plot this year. Pep is so inconsistent with his choices every week - the players must be thinking he’s lost it.
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Yep, people saying Grealish isn't fit, which I don't agree with. He started him in a semi last month, but if that is the case then aim your blame at Pep, why have an unfit player on the bench of a cup final? Why give someone their debut that could have got minutes the week before. The list is endless in mad decisions the man has made this season and he does owe the fans something as another poster has asked. You cannot have two finals in a row like that, against lesser opposition on both occasions. The amount of money on FA Cup finals and semis I have personally spent for him to rock up and not be that arsed about is frightening.
 
Marvin. said:
Walker and KDB didn't get burned out by tactics. They got old. We sold Alvarez thinking Bobb would do the job, he broke his leg, and then Rodri got injured for the season.

When Pep came the team was dysfunctional and we had to rebuild. We are doing that again.
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When Pep came, we were actually in a better position than we are now.

Any 'disfunctionality' at the time was caused by Pellegrini being told that he was going six months before the end of the season, and Txiki/Marwood getting everything ready for Pep to take over.

Given the choice, I'd take Pellegrini's 2015/16 squad over Pep's 2024/25 squad any day of the week and twice on a Sunday.

Our current squad is a shit state compared to that left by Manuel Pellegrini.
 
bluenova said:
Seems to me that a lot is being read into Pep's use of the word "owe", considering his English is often slightly off.

I'm pretty certain that he's used similar phrasing in the past, to argue that he's chosen the best players to win a game. When I hear 'owe' from him, I don't assume he is being sentimental, but that he's picking those he thinks deserves to play on merit (and he's often used "deserve" incorrectly, to talk about players who he thinks try hard, and would love to play, but that he thinks aren't the best for the team at that moment).
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He has consistently picked players based on what they have brought to us before, rather than this season which isn't putting the team first.
 
Marvin. said:
Walker and KDB didn't get burned out by tactics. They got old. We sold Alvarez thinking Bobb would do the job, he broke his leg, and then Rodri got injured for the season.

When Pep came the team was dysfunctional and we had to rebuild. We are doing that again.
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When Pep came we had Kompany, Silva, KDB, Aguero, Fernandinho to name but a few. He doesn't have that spine or quality as a starting point this time around.

This narrative about Bobb needs to stop and fast. Alvarez was sold after the injury ffs
 
bluenova said:
Seems to me that a lot is being read into Pep's use of the word "owe", considering his English is often slightly off.

I'm pretty certain that he's used similar phrasing in the past, to argue that he's chosen the best players to win a game. When I hear 'owe' from him, I don't assume he is being sentimental, but that he's picking those he thinks deserves to play on merit (and he's often used "deserve" incorrectly, to talk about players who he thinks try hard, and would love to play, but that he thinks aren't the best for the team at that moment).
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Pep speaks perfect English when it suits him. He turns into Manuel from Fawlty Towers when things aren't going well or if he's put on the spot.

I can't believe that mugs still fall for that old schtick. He's a bluffer.
 
bennyboy said:
I would have had Lewis in the squad before Jack on his semi final performance.
Was Kovacic on the bench.
Iconic but sadly he has not backed it up since.
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And has a manager that doesn't play him for any substantial amount of games to build any sort of form up, whilst persisting with shite players who haven't performed all year
 
Marvin. said:
We've been chasing points and been under pressure since January. We don't have the luxury to give players a few minutes with the Cup Final in mind.
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I didn't know all that,thanks for telling me, maybe a few minutes in the plymouth home tie or leyton away tie fac cup,nah,throw him on at wembley with 14 to go.
 
All the chatter around players and manager and the obligatory “we need to do better” confirms we have issues. No surprise really.

Players only talk when things are not going right.

Time the players moved on as this season is not acceptable and we don’t want it to become a norm.
 
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