Pep Guardiola - 2025/26

How can you rewatch that first goal and sit there saying that Stones & Dias made no mistakes all game?
Not sure the tragedy of the 2nd goal was entirely Trafford's fault either. Experiened CB's should be more aware of the exit routes from a high press, passing the ball across the six yard line like yesterday was a bit of a cop out. Eddie probaly would have put his foot on the ball and nutmegged the advancing player. However, Trafford was never going to do that and lost his mind unfortunately.
 
I don't doubt his ability, I doubt his desire. He just seems very 'meh' these days.

The passion is dwindling, he doesn't look like he has the same fire. He's tasked with rebuilding a brand new team of young hopefuls to lead them to success and he just doesn't appear to have the same desire as when he first joined us, which is understandable.

He's done this twice, we're asking him to do it a third time and repeat those successes, building on what he did before, but how do you top four-in-a-row and the Treble?
 
Not like we have a big guy up front we could possibly kick it to though is there!
Thing is you got to have a good idea where the ball is going and have men positioned to fight for the second ball. Plus we won't get back to the top just hoofing the ball forward all the time. One things for sure however and thats the fact, we would have been in a much better position at half time, if Trafford had booted the ball down the field for the second goal.
 
Thing is you got to have a good idea where the ball is going and have men positioned to fight for the second ball. Plus we won't get back to the top just hoofing the ball forward all the time. One things for sure however and thats the fact, we would have been in a much better position at half time, if Trafford had booted the ball down the field for the second goal.
It’s not all the time it’s when required, teams know we won’t do it so can press us like Spurs, they’d have to think twice about it if we did, why the fuck not everyone does it to us and successfully these days.
 
Picked a line up more than capable?

4 of the line up had played 1 game each for us.

We have no idea if they will make it at City.

Plus Nico who we do not yet know if he is good enough.

Disastrous starting 11!
Nico was one of the only players that played well yesterday. He did what was expected of him and unfortunately was asked to do more than he’s capable of by Trafford
 
36 matches still to go in the Prem, but...must admit, I thought our latest Prem title 2024 would've been the perfect time for him to leave on a high note.

It's not just about winning, it's about how we go about it. We've been spoiled in the past but it's blatantly obvious that we're nowhere near those levels.

Our beautiful football has turned uglier over the last year or two, and the player standards have dropped significantly.

Yes, it sounds 'entitled', but, with the money involved and supposedly improved 'fan experience' touted by the club, I honestly think we should reasonably expect to see momentum being maintained in the playing squad.

Pep's football is stuck in the past and looks stale and dated. Thomas Frank out-thought him yesterday, and it will almost certainly happen again with similar, forward thinking coaches.

We've been standing still since we won the CL in squad terms. Last year was poor (by our standards) and, looking at our current squad, this season isn't likely to get much better.

Is it 'entitled' to expect year on year squad improvement?
Is it unreasonable to expect one of the richest clubs on the planet to constantly refresh rather than hang onto ageing stars / coaching staff for too long?

The hierarchy at City have had it easy with Pep in charge. It's starting to look like they don't know what to do next.
 
How can you rewatch that first goal and sit there saying that Stones & Dias made no mistakes all game?
Shit like that happens all the time...

What Dias did wrong, he lost header while pressing winger. I wouldn't say lost, he couldn't block that ball after winger touched it. So what we ask Dias, win every ball all the time ? Do we have same standards for all the other players ? Nope

Stones slipped, that was his mistake but even if he hadn't slipped, Richarlison was closer to that ball and would have crossed it anyway...

As for the Rico he was closer to the box than Johnson and therefore any high quality fullback should win that sprint duel and block the cross, especially when having advantage, there weren't on the same line, but Rico failed to react and started to run when he saw Johnson was ahead of him, before that jogging and spectating :D

I remember Khusanov sprinting 1vs1 against Vinicius and winning it. Walker doing it all the time, that sprint duel vs Vinicius, when Vinicius had advantage but Walker managed to track back and win the ball..
 
I don't doubt his ability, I doubt his desire. He just seems very 'meh' these days.

The passion is dwindling, he doesn't look like he has the same fire. He's tasked with rebuilding a brand new team of young hopefuls to lead them to success and he just doesn't appear to have the same desire as when he first joined us, which is understandable.

He's done this twice, we're asking him to do it a third time and repeat those successes, building on what he did before, but how do you top four-in-a-row and the Treble?
Its a valid point. Centurions. Domestic Quadruple. Treble. 4 in a row. Unprecedented success. It's hard to keep motivated. I've said for 18 months I want pep to fix what's broke, and he still might, but it seems less likely now than ever before.
 
I don't doubt his ability, I doubt his desire. He just seems very 'meh' these days.

The passion is dwindling, he doesn't look like he has the same fire. He's tasked with rebuilding a brand new team of young hopefuls to lead them to success and he just doesn't appear to have the same desire as when he first joined us, which is understandable.

He's done this twice, we're asking him to do it a third time and repeat those successes, building on what he did before, but how do you top four-in-a-row and the Treble?

do you know him personally to know his passion is dwindling?
 
It's undeniable Pep has been a genius of a manager and has taken us to places we most likely will never see again. He has an incredible footballing brain often seeing things way before others and I cannot think of another single footballing person who has changed or influenced the game not just in England where he was told it wouldn't work but on a global scale. I mean just think of that, a single person changing the game globally from grass-roots level to the very highest levels of international football. It's a crazy notion but it is the reality of what he has done. It's an incredible achievement and a legacy as big as all of his titles.

Has anybody ever considered how his dogged determination and belief in his own system despite criticism may be down to neurodiverse traits whereby he sees patterns of play way ahead of almost everybody else. I have discussed this plausibility with a close friend who specialises in neurodiversity that he is possibly on the spectrum, maybe knowingly or unkowingly but obvipusly without knowing him personally I must stress there is absolutley nothing to substantiate this other than our own conversations.

It may explain some of his rigid thinking.
 
It’s not all the time it’s when required, teams know we won’t do it so can press us like Spurs, they’d have to think twice about it if we did, why the fuck not everyone does it to us and successfully these days.
Our problem is ironically that the master of the short pass is also the master of the long pass. Simply put Ederson is the man for both jobs but the passage of time and his lacklustre atempts at stopping shots means that sooner, very soon perhaps, or later we have to move on.
 
It's undeniable Pep has been a genius of a manager and has taken us to places we most likely will never see again. He has an incredible footballing brain often seeing things way before others and I cannot think of another single footballing person who has changed or influenced the game not just in England where he was told it wouldn't work but on a global scale. I mean just think of that, a single person changing the game globally from grass-roots level to the very highest levels of international football. It's a crazy notion but it is the reality of what he has done. It's an incredible achievement and a legacy as big as all of his titles.

Has anybody ever considered how his dogged determination and belief in his own system despite criticism may be down to neurodiverse traits whereby he sees patterns of play way ahead of almost everybody else. I have discussed this plausibility with a close friend who specialises in neurodiversity that he is possibly on the spectrum, maybe knowingly or unkowingly but obvipusly without knowing him personally I must stress there is absolutley nothing to substantiate this other than our own conversations.

It may explain some of his rigid thinking.
I’d put put it down to stubbornness if he could see so far ahead surely after watching Spurs V PSG he’d know how spurs were going to play
 

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