It's Quiet the £250m return

blueparrot said:
The one thing we know for certain Pep has to trust and be trusted those around him, the moment he feels that trust has gone and he is being marginalised he’d walk. Think Pep knew exactly who needed moving on ,his match day squads and substitutions made that clear, but he’d have been happy for Vianna to be the one to implement it as he is very close and grateful to those players, rightly.
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Some people just crave drama and conspiracy. Random loaded claims on the internet make that easier. That's all this is.
 
Dribble said:
This further confirms my suspicion that several aspects of the squad planning have been taken away from Pep. It would also explain Rodri's recent comments.

Added to Khaldoon's end of season statement, it could be that the club's hierarchy are privately fuming that we've allowed our advantage to slip.

This is all on Pep who resisted keeping clear Sky Blue water between us & the chasing pack. Within 12 months, it's now City doing the chasing, with Liverpool, Arsenal & Chelsea doing all they can to maintain their new found advantage over us.

It's like the old adage... You snooze, you lose.
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I get that when results shift, people start putting pieces together and trying to build a bigger story out of them, but sometimes that process can lead us into seeing shadows where there aren’t any. A stray comment from Rodri, a careful line in Khaldoon’s statement, a slight change in transfer strategy, and then it suddenly becomes this narrative about Pep being sidelined or the hierarchy fuming behind closed doors. It makes for dramatic reading, but football rarely works in such neat conspiracies.

The role of a sporting director, done properly, is exactly what Hugo Viana did at Sporting. He provided the framework, handle the long-term planning, make sure contracts, scouting, and squad balance are aligned. That’s not “taking power away” from a coach, it’s just protecting the club’s future, so the manager can actually focus on the football - and be a Coach. It’s what every serious, modern football institution aspires to. Liverpool are exactly the same.

Pep hasn’t been stripped of control, he’s working within a system that ensures City aren’t left scrambling the moment he departs. That’s smart governance, not a crisis. And let’s be real - rivals haven’t stood still. Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea - all of them have invested heavily and built strong infrastructures. Naturally, the gap closes. That doesn’t mean City have “snoozed,” it means the competitive cycle is doing what it always does.

We’ve been spoiled by the level of dominance Pep and this squad have delivered. A slight change in position from the chased to the chasers, doesn’t automatically signal some deep fracture behind the scenes. Sometimes it’s just the reality of elite sport. You can’t win the race every single lap, but if your structure is strong, you’ll always be right there when it counts.

At some point, we have to recognise there’s no value in dissecting every single word or decision and turning it into a conspiracy theory. Not every piece of news is a coded message, and not every slight dip in dominance is proof of some grand internal struggle at the Club. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the right one - other clubs are improving, City are adjusting for the future, and the foundations are still strong for us to compete at the highest level. Transition periods aren't easy, we've signed 4 brand new players in a starting 11 who have only had a month or two together. These players all play in key positions for how we play.

It won't happen overnight. Stay calm.
 
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supercity88 said:
If you believe our board are cut throat enough to sack the coaching staff and make very difficult but necessary steps to offload legends of the club, why would they marginalise the manager? Pep would be gone, they'd have no issue making that call.

But Khaldoon isn't short sighted. Pep has so much credit in the bank. Yes he fucked up but he followed a strategy he had largely believed in for a number of years and that had been successful. The board clearly agreed and made no steps to go against him. So it's a group decision and a group mistake and one they've sought to address as a group.

I do believe Viana has taken a proactive role in offloading players so moving forwards we are in a much better position to sell and buy top talent. I don't believe Pep has had no say whatsoever. I would imagine he expressed a desire to keep certain players and I'm sure a grown up conversation was had as to why they needed to go and how that would help Pep rebuild.
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Berti No Show said:
I get that when results shift, people start putting pieces together and trying to build a bigger story out of them, but sometimes that process can lead us into seeing shadows where there aren’t any. A stray comment from Rodri, a careful line in Khaldoon’s statement, a slight change in transfer strategy, and then it suddenly becomes this narrative about Pep being sidelined or the hierarchy fuming behind closed doors. It makes for dramatic reading, but football rarely works in such neat conspiracies.

The role of a sporting director, done properly, is exactly what Hugo Viana did at Sporting. He provided the framework, handle the long-term planning, make sure contracts, scouting, and squad balance are aligned. That’s not “taking power away” from a coach, it’s just protecting the club’s future, so the manager can actually focus on the football - and be a Coach. It’s what every serious, modern football institution aspires to. Liverpool are exactly the same.

Pep hasn’t been stripped of control, he’s working within a system that ensures City aren’t left scrambling the moment he departs. That’s smart governance, not a crisis. And let’s be real - rivals haven’t stood still. Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea - all of them have invested heavily and built strong infrastructures. Naturally, the gap closes. That doesn’t mean City have “snoozed,” it means the competitive cycle is doing what it always does.

We’ve been spoiled by the level of dominance Pep and this squad have delivered. A slight change in position from the chased to the chasers, doesn’t automatically signal some deep fracture behind the scenes. Sometimes it’s just the reality of elite sport. You can’t win the race every single lap, but if your structure is strong, you’ll always be right there when it counts.

At some point, we have to recognise there’s no value in dissecting every single word or decision and turning it into a conspiracy theory. Not every piece of news is a coded message, and not every slight dip in dominance is proof of some grand internal struggle at the Club. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the right one - other clubs are improving, City are adjusting for the future, and the foundations are still strong for us to compete at the highest level. Transition periods aren't easy, we've signed 4 brand new players in a starting 11 who have only had a month or two together. These players all play in key positions for how we play.

It won't happen overnight. Stay calm.
Click to expand...
There are members on this forum who're like post forensics. We all see & sense things differently, so if there are any post forensics out there who'd like to check, they'll see my posts from a year ago where after never saying a negative word about Guardiola (CL final against Chelsea apart), my patience began to wear thin with him.

1. His failure to see our squad needed to evolve which he declined to do (his admission)

2. The annual "will he, won't he" extend his contract for another two years.

Everything I've highlighted today in isolation is barely worth mentioning. However, when strung together in a timeline, I'd be kidding myself not to think there's more going on behind the scenes than most people think.

There's not one thing I mentioned that's made up. Only one could be cast as speculation (today's tweet about Viana & summer transfer decisions), but when considered in the context of what else is going on at my club, I'm not going to stick my fingers in my ears, scrunch up my eyes & refuse to acknowledge the picture that's emerging once I've connected the dots.

I'm not one for CONspiracy theories or hyperbole, but I am a person who takes keen notice of patterns & frequencies, & in that respect my Spidey senses are tingling. I repeat, I get a deep deep sense that all isn't well behind the scenes at Manchester City regarding Pep Guardiola.

I can't recall a manager sacking his whole backroom team himself. If anyone else can, please tell me.

We all know Pep loves a small elite squad. He "jokingly" threatened to quit 6 months ago, unless his squad was drastically cut by the end of the summer window.

However, over the last 2 years, FOUR senior players have publicly stated their personal, & the players' preference for a large squad, the direct opposite of what Pep desires. As of the close of this window, we have that large squad. Whether by design or because we failed to move players on, it amounts to the same. This larger squad doesn't include Philips or Ortega.

Pep admitted it was his fault that we didn't start the rebuilding process last summer, after turning down the offer. Khaldoon could barely contain his annoyance that this contributed to last season's collapse. Now reconsider the tweet about Viana & our increased squad size.

I've outlined several other instances where like I said, in isolation, they probably don't mean a lot, but when added together in a timeline, it makes me sit up & take notice.

I hope for my sake I've got this all wrong, but rarely do I see so many separate instances, which when linked start to form a picture & this doesn't turn out to be wholly or partly the case.

I'm happy to wait & see. If Guardiola adapts his tactics & formations, & everything returns to what we've come to expect, or we can clearly see a transitional pathway toward that goal, I'll be more than happy to hold my hands up & say I got it all wrong.

The thing is, I had similar feelings about the following too:

Pellegrini

Kompany leaving & us not replacing him

Pep's line-up for the Chelsea CL final

The 115 being utter bullshit & at worst us being fined for non-compliance

More recently:

Grealish & his end of season 2022-23 drinking

Rodri fearing for his health

Rodri, Foden, Akanji & Bernardo saying they were physically & mentally drained & the players wanted a bigger squad

Pep pulling his "will he, won't he" extend 12 months ago, becoming draining

Pep admitting he declined to rebuild last summer

Khaldoon's rebuild comments

Pep's coaching staff being sacked

City ending the window with a fully stacked squad, albeit Pep wants a small one

Pep Lijnders demeanour since the CWC

Rodri's "kids" comments

Rodri's comments about sorting things on & off the field

Reports today that Viana was solely responsible for all transfers this summer (could be speculation)

My mind works logically & I can't help making connections. After connecting the dots & seeing the picture that emerged, I had exactly the same feelings for all the above.

We all want the same thing, & I'm absolutely desperate for Manchester City to turn things around. I've defended Pep to the hilt when he was called the "Bald Fraud" "Fraudiola" & other disparaging things on this very forum. However, last summer's "will he, won't he" extend his contract was the first time I began to doubt him during his ten year tenure.

I swear, I hope I've got all the above very very wrong. If I have, I'll be the first to say so come the end of the season.
 
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Berti No Show said:
I get that when results shift, people start putting pieces together and trying to build a bigger story out of them, but sometimes that process can lead us into seeing shadows where there aren’t any. A stray comment from Rodri, a careful line in Khaldoon’s statement, a slight change in transfer strategy, and then it suddenly becomes this narrative about Pep being sidelined or the hierarchy fuming behind closed doors. It makes for dramatic reading, but football rarely works in such neat conspiracies.

The role of a sporting director, done properly, is exactly what Hugo Viana did at Sporting. He provided the framework, handle the long-term planning, make sure contracts, scouting, and squad balance are aligned. That’s not “taking power away” from a coach, it’s just protecting the club’s future, so the manager can actually focus on the football - and be a Coach. It’s what every serious, modern football institution aspires to. Liverpool are exactly the same.

Pep hasn’t been stripped of control, he’s working within a system that ensures City aren’t left scrambling the moment he departs. That’s smart governance, not a crisis. And let’s be real - rivals haven’t stood still. Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea - all of them have invested heavily and built strong infrastructures. Naturally, the gap closes. That doesn’t mean City have “snoozed,” it means the competitive cycle is doing what it always does.

We’ve been spoiled by the level of dominance Pep and this squad have delivered. A slight change in position from the chased to the chasers, doesn’t automatically signal some deep fracture behind the scenes. Sometimes it’s just the reality of elite sport. You can’t win the race every single lap, but if your structure is strong, you’ll always be right there when it counts.

At some point, we have to recognise there’s no value in dissecting every single word or decision and turning it into a conspiracy theory. Not every piece of news is a coded message, and not every slight dip in dominance is proof of some grand internal struggle at the Club. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the right one - other clubs are improving, City are adjusting for the future, and the foundations are still strong for us to compete at the highest level. Transition periods aren't easy, we've signed 4 brand new players in a starting 11 who have only had a month or two together. These players all play in key positions for how we play.

It won't happen overnight. Stay calm.
Click to expand...
Great post, far too level headed for this forum that's for sure. I agree with just about every word but to be honest I can't be bothered with this forum that much now, fed up to the hind teeth at all these armchair experts dissecting every move, every decision, every team selection, every bad pass and turning it into a crisis the likes of which make it sound like we're desperately fighting relegation.

Virtually nobody seems to get, even now, that last season we're weren't the club everybody else was chasing because of injuries. That's all it was. It's inevitable that there's going to be a drop off when you lose two key players for the ENTIRE SEASON, and I've always included Oscar Bobb as a player that was going to be a key figure in our season last term. You're probably going to drop a place or two, and that's exactly what happened. We finished third and reached the cup final. Totally understandable, totally acceptable under the circumstances and not a bad season by any stretch of the imagination. In fact under the circumstances it was a pretty decent finish, and we only lost 3 matches from March to the start of this season.

I think we've signed som every exciting players who are going to take a little time to get to know how each other play but when they do I can see this club exploding into life. Just give them time, sit back and watch and most of all stop bloody moaning. We've never had it so good and may never do so again, even if you dont realise it yet.
 
Viana is rebuilding the squad slowly but look at the quality he's signed, yes some are on loan but they will come back, Bah and Reis look quality. Nypan is looking like a very good player. Viana has had a total of 8 weeks on his own. The strategy he did at Sporting works, he can just do that now at a bigger richer club.

Viana's talent ID is exceptional. Hardly ever misses when it comes to finding talent.
 
johncity said:
Luis enrique for me
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Luis Enrique comes to City just to sell Donnarumma againa :D

i doubt we would go after Luis Enrique

i think we will go after a fairly young coach and back him up long term

Fabregas, Kompany, Arteta, Nagelsmann, Andoni Iraola, Michel is the shortlist imho
 
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Dribble said:
There are members on this forum who're like post forensics. We all see & sense things differently, so if there are any post forensics out there who'd like to check, they'll see my posts from a year ago where after never saying a negative word about Guardiola (CL final against Chelsea apart), my patience began to wear thin with him.

1. His failure to see our squad needed to evolve which he declined to do (his admission)

2. The annual "will he, won't he" extend his contract for another two years.

Everything I've highlighted today in isolation is barely worth mentioning. However, when strung together in a timeline, I'd be kidding myself not to think there's more going on behind the scenes than most people think.

There's not one thing I mentioned that's made up. Only one could be cast as speculation (today's tweet about Viana & summer transfer decisions), but when considered in the context of what else is going on at my club, I'm not going to stick my fingers in my ears, scrunch up my eyes & refuse to acknowledge the picture that's emerging once I've connected the dots.

I'm not one for CONspiracy theories or hyperbole, but I am a person who takes keen notice of patterns & frequencies, & in that respect my Spidey senses are tingling. I repeat, I get a deep deep sense that all isn't well behind the scenes at Manchester City regarding Pep Guardiola.

I can't recall a manager sacking his whole backroom team himself. If anyone else can, please tell me.

We all know Pep loves a small elite squad. He "jokingly" threatened to quit 6 months ago, unless his squad was drastically cut by the end of the summer window.

However, over the last 2 years, FOUR senior players have publicly stated their personal, & the players' preference for a large squad, the direct opposite of what Pep desires. As of the close of this window, we have that large squad. Whether by design or because we failed to move players on, it amounts to the same. This larger squad doesn't include Philips or Ortega.

Pep admitted it was his fault that we didn't start the rebuilding process last summer, after turning down the offer. Khaldoon could barely contain his annoyance that this contributed to last season's collapse. Now reconsider the tweet about Viana & our increased squad size.

I've outlined several other instances where like I said, in isolation, they probably don't mean a lot, but when added together in a timeline, it makes me sit up & take notice.

I hope for my sake I've got this all wrong, but rarely do I see so many separate instances, which when linked start to form a picture & this doesn't turn out to be wholly or partly the case.

I'm happy to wait & see. If Guardiola adapts his tactics & formations, & everything returns to what we've come to expect, or we can clearly see a transitional pathway toward that goal, I'll be more than happy to hold my hands up & say I got it all wrong.

The thing is, I had similar feelings about the following too:

Pellegrini

Kompany leaving & us not replacing him

Pep's line-up for the Chelsea CL final

The 115 being utter bullshit & at worst us being fined for non-compliance

More recently:

Grealish & his end of season 2022-23 drinking

Rodri fearing for his health

Rodri, Foden, Akanji & Bernardo saying they were physically & mentally drained & the players wanted a bigger squad

Pep pulling his "will he, won't he" extend 12 months ago, becoming draining

Pep admitting he declined to rebuild last summer

Khaldoon's rebuild comments

Pep's coaching staff being sacked

City ending the window with a fully stacked squad, albeit Pep wants a small one

Pep Lijnders demeanour since the CWC

Rodri's "kids" comments

Rodri's comments about sorting things on & off the field

Reports today that Viana was solely responsible for all transfers this summer (could be speculation)

My mind works logically & I can't help making connections. After connecting the dots & seeing the picture that emerged, I had exactly the same feelings for all the above.

We all want the same thing, & I'm absolutely desperate for Manchester City to turn things around. I've defended Pep to the hilt when he was called the "Bald Fraud" "Fraudiola" & other disparaging things on this very forum. However, last summer's "will he, won't he" extend his contract was the first time I began to doubt him during his ten year tenure.

I swear, I hope I've got all the above very very wrong. If I have, I'll be the first to say so come the end of the season.
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This is certainly a plausible assessment. But whether it is or not, there will be evolutionary change at our club for a period of a few seasons, as Pep nears the end of a very long and successful run. I can accept that we may not be as dominant a force as previously, as long as the processes of change are appropriately handled. Viana has a huge task ahead of him.
 
Dribble said:
I swear, I hope I've got all the above very very wrong. If I have, I'll be the first to say so come the end of the season.
Click to expand...

What would make you think you got the above very wrong? Be as precise as possible.

Markedly improved performances in the 2nd half of the season, cup finals, CL semi?
 
I think that a lot of what we are seeing at City right now are probably things that go on all the time. It’s just that, because we aren’t winning matches at the moment, these things are reported on more and we read into them more than usual.

It’s normal human behaviour to look for patterns. One way to look at it is if the results were like they are and nobody was saying anything, isn’t there an argument for saying that is worse?

If we went on a run of victories most of this would go away. We have a lot of new players and some legends have left…it’s going to take time and even then it’s unrealistic to expect the levels we have seen in recent years.
 
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