eastmanc
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Nico G coming on for Rodders gave him a much needed rest because he was blowing quite a bit, which is understandable.
Pep Guardiola - 2025/26
- Thread starter Blue_Lightsaber
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Aside from the fact I stated that, the point I'm making is that Nico G could have been subbed on earlier, having a double pivot. This would leave Rodri less isolated, having to cover less ground, helps win midfield dominance etc which would also have helped Rodri's legs. He can then be subbed later.
Semi World Class then. I suppose i was cheating a bit. I think both Stones and Fias have hit world class levels before, and their present levels does not suggest an age related decline. Just form, and injury for Stones... Anyway, that spine. is very good.
-Donnarumma, Gvardiol, Rodri, Phil, Haaland- really strong spine. Ig these guys hit their peak, we have a fighting chance at the title
supercity88
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Still concerning how long he's waiting to make changes. Whilst the game was won, we were under a lot of pressure and he didn't do anything to change that despite the issues being obvious.
We had 45% possession yesterday against an appalling rag side. We need to be so much better if we're going to get anything from the Emirates. The balance isn't there yet. Reijnders is looking to play forwards too quickly. Bernardo is taking loads of touches and losing the ball and Rodri is very isolated.
It's good we have a CL game Thursday to try and work things out a bit more, but I'm expecting him to play a more compact team against Arsenal. We should look to counter attack them as I don't think we win going toe to toe with where we're at in our development.
We had 45% possession yesterday against an appalling rag side. We need to be so much better if we're going to get anything from the Emirates. The balance isn't there yet. Reijnders is looking to play forwards too quickly. Bernardo is taking loads of touches and losing the ball and Rodri is very isolated.
It's good we have a CL game Thursday to try and work things out a bit more, but I'm expecting him to play a more compact team against Arsenal. We should look to counter attack them as I don't think we win going toe to toe with where we're at in our development.
jaiguruKun
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That must be one of the only times under his management that we've had less possession in a derby and won. I don't see it as a bad thing as teams seemed to have figured out the old system. Will we see more of this in the future?
The subs were a bit late, but the comms said Nico was coming on for Rodri immediately after the goal (68 mins) and he didn't get off until 76, it was just a really long period of play. If the ball had gone straight out and he got on 10 mins earlier I think we'd have been fine.
The big one for me that there’ll be a bit of respite from is this notion that Pep’s been ‘found out’.
The reality is there have always been tactics that can combat Pep’s tactics. Back in the Winter of the 2016-17 season, we’d kept just 2 clean sheets in the league all season at that point, we won just 7 of a run of 16 games that Winter, including heavy defeats to Chelsea (1-3), Leicester (4-2) and Everton (4-0) where Conte, Ranieri and Koeman exposed chinks in Pep’s armour.
Manchester City 1-3 Chelsea
Chelsea come from behind to beat Manchester City 3-1 to strengthen their position at the top of the Premier League.
www.bbc.co.uk
Leicester City 4-2 Manchester City
Jamie Vardy scores a hat-trick as Leicester City pull off a stunning victory over an out-of sorts Manchester City.
www.bbc.co.uk
Everton 4-0 Manchester City
Everton stun Manchester City with a superb performance at Goodison Park to leave Pep Guardiola's side 10 points off top spot.
www.bbc.co.uk
Before then, Barça showed it when they beat his Bayern side
Cox: Why Guardiola's tactics failed vs. Barca
Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola tried to beat former club Barcelona by playing their style, but failed. Here are previous examples of similar matches.
and when Madrid beat them in the CL semis in 2014, look at the first paragraph in this article, ‘Is Guardiola’s Tika-Taka finished…?’
In-depth analysis: Bayern Munich – Real Madrid 0:4
Real Madrid allowed only four shots on goal in the 2nd leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Guardiola's FC Bayern München. Is Guardiola’s Tika-Taka finished or has Carlo Ancelotti simply developed an enormously effective counter tactic? It is commonly said that Ancelotti has taught...
spielverlagerung.com
Every single tactical philosophy in football has chinks that can be exploited and they always will have. Pep’s not been found out in 2025 anymore than Germany already knew how to beat Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup final because there have always been ways to combat possession football.
People have been pushing that Pep’s been found out since his final season at Barcelona, but he’ll still find success with his philosophy ongoing. He just needs to finish building the next team that will enact it all.
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It was strange. Nico got stripped off and was ready to come on. I turn round and next thing I can see is he had his training top back on and was warming up down the touch line. 7/8 mins later he came on.
With the ball he is one of the best, yeah. In pure defending he isn’t world class
eastmanc
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So he is a world class footballer or are none of our players world class in your opinion.
Didsbury Dave
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Haha. I've posted something similar here loads of times over the years.The big one for me that there’ll be a bit of respite from is this notion that Pep’s been ‘found out’.
The reality is there have always been tactics that can combat Pep’s tactics. Back in the Winter of the 2016-17 season, we’d kept just 2 clean sheets in the league all season at that point, we won just 7 of a run of 16 games that Winter, including heavy defeats to Chelsea (1-3), Leicester (4-2) and Everton (4-0) where Conte, Ranieri and Koeman exposed chinks in Pep’s armour.
Manchester City 1-3 Chelsea
Chelsea come from behind to beat Manchester City 3-1 to strengthen their position at the top of the Premier League.
Leicester City 4-2 Manchester City
Jamie Vardy scores a hat-trick as Leicester City pull off a stunning victory over an out-of sorts Manchester City.
Everton 4-0 Manchester City
Everton stun Manchester City with a superb performance at Goodison Park to leave Pep Guardiola's side 10 points off top spot.
Before then, Barça showed it when they beat his Bayern side
Cox: Why Guardiola's tactics failed vs. Barca
Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola tried to beat former club Barcelona by playing their style, but failed. Here are previous examples of similar matches.www.espn.co.uk
and when Madrid beat them in the CL semis in 2014, look at the first paragraph in this article, ‘Is Guardiola’s Tika-Taka finished…?’
In-depth analysis: Bayern Munich – Real Madrid 0:4
Real Madrid allowed only four shots on goal in the 2nd leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Guardiola's FC Bayern München. Is Guardiola’s Tika-Taka finished or has Carlo Ancelotti simply developed an enormously effective counter tactic? It is commonly said that Ancelotti has taught...
Every single tactical philosophy in football has chinks that can be exploited and they always will have. Pep’s not been found out in 2025 anymore than Germany already knew how to beat Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup final because there have always been ways to combat possession football.
People have been pushing that Pep’s been found out since his final season at Barcelona, but he’ll still find success with his philosophy ongoing. He just needs to finish building the next team that will enact it all.
Remember all those managers who had "Got Pep's number". That's always the phrase used on here. It was Mourinho and it was Potchetino and it was Klopp and it was Tuchel. I seem to remeber it was even Solskjaer for a while. There have been many others - al;ways pure reactionary internet twaddle. Yet Pep always evolves. Always has, always will. A brillaint manager doesn't stop being a brilliant manager. They just have changing squads and suffer good and bad luck.
It’s the same case with ederson and donnarumma goalkeeping skills are more important so I regard donnarumma as better
Sir peace frog
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i beg your pardon
Brewster's millions
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Good to see him wearing proper clothes tonight.
We played like City of old *before* the red card. Rodri is the system.
Gabriel
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Focus now will understandably be on the trip to Arsenal, but the harder work arguably comes in the games thereafter. He needs to get minutes into Bobb, Nunes, Lewis, Gonzalez, Savinho, and Trafford. They’ll all come in against Huddersfield, and be slaughtered on here for underperforming, but they’ll need to be worked into the League/Champions League side or their seasons will never really get started. Going to be tricky when the same starting eleven are picking up results.