Pep Guardiola - 2025/26

He has brought the Premier league standards to another level.

Teams now have vastly improved and their tactics have changed. I fear Peps tactics and formations are now well and truly outdated.

The premier league is all about pace, power and athleticism now.

Look at Spurs first goal yesterday. 7 passes from a goalkick and it's in the back of our net.

We now take at least 30 passes to get to the opponents box and watch Doku run it out of play!!!
Did you see our third goal against Wolves? We can do this type of thing. Doku has had a very poor start to the season.
 
A shocking stat for Pep "lovers":

Between our losses vs Liverpool in February and Spurs in August we won 39 pts from 15 games, which means 2,6 ppg and 98 pts over 38 games.

Pep is finished.
You seem to be out protecting Pep today. We done well towards the end of last season Cup Final excepted. But the mid-season slump had us all very worried. Now there are many possible reasons for that slump and the debate has been long and hard. I do not intend to re run it here today. Saturday's display was worrying on a number of fronts but it does not define the season. The manager deserves the chance to put things back on track and get us top of the league again.Will he be able to do it? Perhaps.
 
You seem to be out protecting Pep today. We done well towards the end of last season Cup Final excepted. But the mid-season slump had us all very worried. Now there are many possible reasons for that slump and the debate has been long and hard. I do not intend to re run it here today. Saturday's display was worrying on a number of fronts but it does not define the season. The manager deserves the chance to put things back on track and get us top of the league again.Will he be able to do it? Perhaps.

I'm not protecting Pep mate. I want to know what's really happening as much as you. But I give Pep the benefit of the doubt.

The slump was down to injuries (mostly) and aging players. After the January transfer window Pep managed to get us in good form, at least he made us highly efficient, which was his task at the time.

Why do some think that the transition from the 4 in a row winners to another title-winning team should be easy or quick? It may take 1-2 years. It took Ferguson 3 years to build their last strong team, 06-09. They failed to win the title for 3 years before that. Patience and trust.
 
I'm not protecting Pep mate. I want to know what's really happening as much as you. But I give Pep the benefit of the doubt.

The slump was down to injuries (mostly) and aging players. After the January transfer window Pep managed to get us in good form, at least he made us highly efficient, which was his task at the time.

Why do some think that the transition from the 4 in a row winners to another title-winning team should be easy or quick? It may take 1-2 years. It took Ferguson 3 years to build their last strong team, 06-09. They failed to win the title for 3 years before that. Patience and trust.
It took Arsenal 22 years and counting and Liverpool 30 years. There's always another side to the story.
 
It took Arsenal 22 years and counting and Liverpool 30 years. There's always another side to the story.

True, changing one of the most successful managers because some expect the title every season and have inflated expectations might lead us there.

There's no chance of Pep doing a Wenger. If he doesn't win the title this or next season, I think he will leave.
 
True, changing one of the most successful managers because some expect the title every season and have inflated expectations might lead us there.

There's no chance of Pep doing a Wenger. If he doesn't win the title this or next season, I think he will leave.
Aye, i tend to think the same.

I was so frustrated after wolves for about an hour.

To be absolutely clear, my frustration isn't with losing, but the way we played and again, thats not the quality or the mistakes etc. but stylistically I find us such hard work and that is my major problem with pep and has been for 18 months. I don't expect to win, but I am bloody hoping to be at least mildly entertained!
 
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Did you see our third goal against Wolves? We can do this type of thing. Doku has had a very poor start to the season.
We could have played against Wolves mate. We can't use a game against relegation fodder as a yardstick.

Our first real test of the season and we folded royally.

Not just this season. Someone posted we've got 6 wins against the top 6 clubs over the last 3 seasons (or something like that).
That's a poor return on a squad that costs a fortune with the best manager in the world at the helm.
 
Aye, i tend to think the same.

I was so frustrated after wolves for about an hour.

To be absolutely clear, my frustration isn't with losing, but the way we played and again, thats not the quality or the mistakes etc. but stylistically I find us such hard work and that is my major problem with pep and has been for 18 months. I don't expect to win, but I am bloody hoping to be at least mildly entertained!
And that's the crux of it.

I can take losing. Been there in the dark days. No problems.

But we are used to (probably spoiled) at watching swash buckling football over the years and now we all think it should be the norm.
But we aint remotely performing like the treble and the quad team did/are.

Saw absolutely no fight in anyone on Saturday. The game just passed them by.

That treble team would have grabbed the bull by its horns and rallied for a result.!!!
 
And that's the crux of it.

I can take losing. Been there in the dark days. No problems.

But we are used to (probably spoiled) at watching swash buckling football over the years and now we all think it should be the norm.
But we aint remotely performing like the treble and the quad team did/are.

Saw absolutely no fight in anyone on Saturday. The game just passed them by.

That treble team would have grabbed the bull by its horns and rallied for a result.!!!
I don't think just the treble team. The 17-22 version would have been attacking with pace and style and yes they'd lose some games but like you said, there would also be fight.

I'm coming round to accepting (I can be slow!) that our players were just better than our current crop. Kevs best was better than anyone's best in premier league history. Gundos brain, sterlings movement, Mahrez touch, walkers speed etc. it was just better.

But then I think again - how can we continue to play this way with the same manager and the same level of investment. And that's when I think it falls mostly at peps door.

My frustration is not just about getting the result, although that does help!
 
So; what do we make of the "two further years" guff? Has he been mis-translated, or do we think there may be a chance of him staying on after next season?
I'd love him to stay and beat the other piss can record of Premier League titles.

A season of transition won't be allowed by some fans who expect us to win the quintuple at a canter.
 
Aye, i tend to think the same.

I was so frustrated after wolves for about an hour.

To be absolutely clear, my frustration isn't with losing, but the way we played and again, thats not the quality or the mistakes etc. but stylistically I find us such hard work and that is my major problem with pep and has been for 18 months. I don't expect to win, but I am bloody hoping to be at least mildly entertained!

My explanation for our style of play in 23/24 and 24/25 is the utter importance of winning 4 in a row and then to win a CL place next season while having injuries and aging players. Without CL the rebuild would be more difficult.

Even during last season we had some very good attacking performances, though, like Newcastle and Chelsea at home or Juve in the US. Even against Al Hilal we played very well in attack minus finishing: could/should have scored 5.

Imo, we'll be better to watch this season.
 
True, changing one of the most successful managers because some expect the title every season and have inflated expectations might lead us there.

There's no chance of Pep doing a Wenger. If he doesn't win the title this or next season, I think he will leave.
He will leave this or next season if he wins the league or not
 
My explanation for our style of play in 23/24 and 24/25 is the utter importance of winning 4 in a row and then to win a CL place next season while having injuries and aging players. Without CL the rebuild would be more difficult.

Even during last season we had some very good attacking performances, though, like Newcastle and Chelsea at home or Juve in the US. Even against Al Hilal we played very well in attack minus finishing: could/should have scored 5.

Imo, we'll be better to watch this season.
We did. I also fell asleep during the Southampton away game, and whilst I'm getting older, this has never happened before (I swear!).
I hope you're right, but it is just just hope right now.
 
Still the greatest, but I really don’t know what Rico Lewis has on him. That’s lad is fucking shite. Any time he’s in the team for a prolonged amount of time best believe we are losing at least half of those games.
 
In the next few weeks we're going to have the best player in the world starting in midfield again. Even in his cameo on Saturday you could see that he moved the ball quicker than anyone. He'll improve Nico (both of them!), Reijnders will have more freedom and the defenders will relax that little bit more.

Anyone who's played knows that being able to give the ball to someone you know it's going to stick to give you so much confidence.

Yeah, it's brittle relying on one player, but it's where we are at the mo, but it'll allow the Pep system to work again
 
Anyone doubting Pep's qualities as a manager are insane.

This guy has dominated the league for almost a decade now, and barring last year, where nothing went right for us and we lost the best player in the world in September (at which point we were steam-rolling teams), We have been the best team in the league in terms of quality.

I do wonder, though, how committed he is to this retooling of the squad, and will he begin to move some of the disciples he has had that have brought him the success?
 
We are looking to regain the Epl and win the CL.
We have no right back, and an adequate left back.
One lumbering forward and a general lack of speed and more importantly composure.
We haven't bought in true quality since Josko.
We have 7 outfield player's over 30. So far it is yet another poor transfer window.
He should either extend his contract till 2030, or leave.
 
bet he is angry at seeing Arsenal and Liverpool both on 6 points and each having 1 or 2 games where they didnt play well at all but managed to win.

we somehow need that back that few games where we are second best or deserve fuck all we still win them.

not sure how, as if teams sense they can get something vs us then usually they do with first shot on target= 1 goal and then its us suffering to break them down or even create a chance for Haaland etc.
 

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