Hugo Viana | Director of Football

[Lavinda Past]

What is all this sick you mention frequently?

Do we need to start wearing our covid face masks again?

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Has to make the biggest call of his career in the Summer and he'll live or die by it.

 

[Lavinda Past]

I think that Cherki is a little too maverick for Pep's liking. Pep likes to have total control of what players do other than putting the ball in the box. Cherki is unpredictable and hence Pep lacks the control that he has with other midfielders like Bernie and Nico O'Reilly. Cherki should be first name on the team sheet just because of his numbers and the number of chances he creates. At the moment he is getting about as many minutes as the dutch ghost.

It's Pep v Jack Grealish all over again. Signed on the basis of free-roaming performances at Villa, restricted as soon as he put a City shirt on.

I can't bear to think how Pep would have destroyed players like Best, Rodney Marsh, Frank Worthington, Gazza, etc in the past.

Cherki not starting every game in this City squad is madness.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

A guy who doesn’t have the capacity for the position. An incompetent. Known here in Portugal only for stirring up trouble behind the scenes.

It's perhaps telling that the golden Portuguese couple haven't set the world alight in Manchester, one is already history and wasn't even able to do the basics.

The other is with us and the jury's definitely out. Suppose we'll find out with a new manager.

 

[Utter bobbins]

See these types of threads always bring the entitled wankers out

 

[BlueDejong]

Marmoush, Semenyo, Guéhi, and Reijnders were already considered top players in their leagues. When they were signed, all anyone had was praise for those transfers. No matter how you look at it, isn’t the manager simply using them the wrong way? It looks like they’ve been sacrificed just to be forced into his system.


The most baffling part is Nico González — he developed the player himself, and now he’s just discarding him. What on earth is he thinking? In this situation, is it really the director who should be taking the blame?

 

[Bluearmy]

overall feels like he is building squad for high intensity play style that is nowhere to be seen.
Leijnders was told to be the brain in the high intense dipper side around 2019-2022, which was all about high pressing aka inhaler style, two attacking fullbacks with regular and decent crossing, huge G+A across the front three, Mane and Salah from wide and Firmino middle, and a rather boring but sick high workrate midfield likes of Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Milner etc.

thing is something like that style would benefit many players in the squad, but for whatever reason Pep is going with the low intensity, slow build up, high line which keeps getting found out more and more and players look bad in it new ones especially while form of older ones like Haaland, Foden, Dias are poor.

Marmoush is puzzling transfer, he was a beast for Frankfurt o the counterattack, they set up deep to get the best out of Marmoush, Ekitike duo, they were so good running behind, attack space, for him to wait 10 mins of slow sideways passing get the ball up to him is pointles especiall ith his back to the net or front of low block. such a style mismatch. its like you crave a red Porsche as you are single want a speedy car to impress women and gold diggers and get a combi Volkswagen minibus instead.

Doku, Marmoush, Semenyo all need space front of them, our style rarely allows this.we are so slow in build up that even if opponent doesnt plan low block they naturally do it especially seeing how vulnerable we are to counters.

we had serious intensity under Pep in 2018-2023. we had off the ball workrate at sick levels. we won title without a striker as others put in sick pressing like Jesus, Sterling and everbody chipped in with goals.
these days we need to praise Doku if the ends the season with 2+4 GA in the league as our best winger.
Salah had one or two matches last season when he did 2+4 in a single fucking game not over a season. and then dont get me started on what Bobb, Savinho served up as winger here this season.

these tactics literally limiting in what players strengths are and does put the focus on their weaknesses.
watch Semenyo complete subbmarine drop next season on G+A if tactics dont change. now he still had bit of momentum he brought from Borunemouth and kept scoring, but that will be gone after the summer. same as Marmoush added a few after Frankfurt but once gets the Pep "way" he is not recognizable to his Frankfurt numbers.

Agree about Marmoush. Can only play upfront but we already had Haaland who will always play if fit. Then when you factor in how we play, its a strange one. Think Haaland is suffering similarly at present (1 goal from open play in the last 13 league games). We have played on occasion with pace, Newcastle being a recent example, so we can do it but seem to revert to slow build up play more often than not.

Doku should be 3rd choice, an impact winger from off the bench at this stage. As you mention, a small handful of goals and assists is not good enough.

 

[urban genie]

Considering viana has 6 months planning and prep time before he joined us his start doesn’t inspire any confidence. The signings just aren’t good enough to get us back to the levels of recent time. Donnarumma has had a good season and Guehi has looked a solid premier league defender. That aside they have been poor - cherki looks great but end product is minimal but he is young. RAN, TR just aren’t of the level needed. Semenyo like Guehi will likely be ok premier league players but not one that wins leagues or CLs.

We have spent millions on wingers but non can cross or create. Riyad was generally a sub under pep in the golden era - today he would be our best player. Tells a tale.

name the players he has bought who have not cotributed

Of the ones that play

khush, solid but young a good buy
donna one one the best a good buy
trafford a solid goalie 1st team capable a good buy
Guehi solid prem defender and a good buy
Semenyo his goals have been a godsend while haarland goes through a drought, a good buy
cherki a great buy
Marmoush not utilised enough of correctly but another good buy
Rijinders good player bit the pace of the prem compared to Siere A has hampered him, jurys out but still promising

Tkixi brought in the wingers who are producing few assists and less goals

Nico Gonzales was the last decent signing pre Vianna and since the treble season he isn't seemingly trusted if rodri is fit.

there is nothing wrong with the new players beyond them being either under used or used out of position, which in your first season or few months is something they need to adapt too.

The fault it trying to build a near complete new squad in a season and expect results, and the fault for expecting that is also ours, if we win just one cup of fuck all, then it won't be a shock, but this apparently new set of players that are crap in many heres eyes have took us to a cup final, the knockouts of the champions league, FA Cup qtrs and kept up in the title race with less than 10 games left, for me thats good going when many thought we would be battling for 4th spot

 

[KS55]

It's Pep v Jack Grealish all over again. Signed on the basis of free-roaming performances at Villa, restricted as soon as he put a City shirt on.

I can't bear to think how Pep would have destroyed players like Best, Rodney Marsh, Frank Worthington, Gazza, etc in the past.

Cherki not starting every game in this City squad is madness.

I understand this idea, but I don’t really agree with it.
For e.g. when Sergio arrived I think he saw himself as a finisher of chances created by others. Pep turned him into an all round creator/striker, the greatest we have ever had. Pep expanded Stones game and that would have gone further but for injuries. I am sure there are other examples.
Pep, we know, puts team above all, every player is there to serve the teams goals, but does that mean slavishly? Trying to get inside the head of Pep is impossible, he is very complex. So I don’t know how much this theory holds up. One day, a psychological profile of Pep will show him to be unique and bonkers!

 

[simon23]

You're making it out like we've signed a bunch of bums and have zero quality in the squad.

I agree that this squad is nowhere near as good as 3/4 years ago. But neither is our competition. This Arsenal side isn't a patch on Klopp’s Liverpool just like the Madrid side we recently faced is nowhere near Anchelotti’s side.

It's easy to blame Viana and recruitment but this side has had a huge problem scoring goals aside from Haaland, especially from wide forwards. Viana signs him the best and most prolific wide forward in the PL and Pep starts him centrally. That’s squarely on Pep for me.

We have signed a bunch of players who are not at the level required nor will they ever be to put us in contention to win a title or CL....if you want to refer to them as bums then that s your wording.....I class them simply as not good enough.

Our competition is clearly better than us now which shows you how far we have slipped in our standards.....you cant come on a forum however and criticise them as its seen as negative or unsupportive....fucking joke! Its actually factual that these players we have signed have dropped the levels of performance from way above our competitors (who were also better previous) to now way below our competitors - who are actually worse than they were originally (esp the scousers!)....when you realise that you realise how fucking bad some of these players are compared to where we were.....

People say we shoudlnt compare them to the likes of David Silva, KDB, Walker etc.....YES WE FUCKING SHOULD...these are the standards you have to be....not second rate players from Bounrmouth for instance or replacing Alvares with Marmoush or Mahrez with Sav, Gundogan with fucking Reejnders!!!.....everyone knows the Italian league is weak when Scott Mctomminay is considered one of the best players in there and then people thinking Reijnders was going to come in and suddenly be a world beater in this league....again fucking jokers..

For me the DOF head is on the line already.....yes Pep has a say BUT he aint the one going around identifying these players..he will have a say yes or no once they are brought to him but the DOF has a major role in this.....and he has failed big time

 

[Paul1970]

Considering viana has 6 months planning and prep time before he joined us his start doesn’t inspire any confidence. The signings just aren’t good enough to get us back to the levels of recent time. Donnarumma has had a good season and Guehi has looked a solid premier league defender. That aside they have been poor - cherki looks great but end product is minimal but he is young. RAN, TR just aren’t of the level needed. Semenyo like Guehi will likely be ok premier league players but not one that wins leagues or CLs.

We have spent millions on wingers but non can cross or create. Riyad was generally a sub under pep in the golden era - today he would be our best player. Tells a tale.

Problem isn’t viana it’s pep and his reluctance to adapt or change and Wgat we are seeing now will carry on until pep leaves and if will probably get worse as players will just fuck off as they are not getting game tine . We all l love and he is the greatest but it’s getting worse week by week.

 

[simon23]

name the players he has bought who have not cotributed

Of the ones that play

khush, solid but young a good buy - raw but could be good -undecided
donna one one the best a good buy - yes but also no......I personally warned people about what he was like under the high ball......he has significant weaknesses...great shot stopper
trafford a solid goalie 1st team capable a good buy - not when he is probably wanting out already.....bad decision to get him and Donarumma -
Guehi solid prem defender and a good buy - found out big time in the CL...could be good..long way to go
Semenyo his goals have been a godsend while haarland goes through a drought, a good buy - awful first touch...doesnt fit int he same team as Haaland unless he is going to be happy playing outwide....certainly aint a number 10. Contributes nothing unless scoring and you cant have two players on the pitch that do that (haaland has always been this way)
cherki a great buy -yes
Marmoush not utilised enough of correctly but another good buy - doesnt fit in the team..good player but cant play any of the positions around Haaland at a decent enough level

Reijinders good player bit the pace of the prem compared to Siere A has hampered him, jurys out but still promising - fucking woeful player.....absolutely shocking...off the pace is an underestimation - id sell him now as he is fucking weak and the worst buy since Phillips



Nico Gonzales was the last decent signing pre Vianna and since the treble season he isn't seemingly trusted if rodri is fit. - Agree on him Nico G is more than capable and should be playing alongside Rodri for me

Saying Reijnders is a little off the pace is just wrong....he has been without doubt the worst player this season for us.....he offers next to nothing virtually every time he steps on the pitch.....moments where he scores a goal and then goes back to offereing nothing

 

[simon23]

Problem isn’t viana it’s pep and his reluctance to adapt or change and Wgat we are seeing now will carry on until pep leaves and if will probably get worse as players will just fuck off as they are not getting game tine . We all l love and he is the greatest but it’s getting worse week by week.

So we blame the manager who has won us everything and let teh new DOF who has bought some absolute stinkers in completely off the hook

The drop off in technical ability in the players he has brought in is alarming. Semenyo couldnt trap a bag of cement, Reijnders is weak beyond belief. Marmoush doesnt fit our system at all

The issue here is both of them -they are not ont he ame wavelength at all and for me Pep deserves backing - he has way more experience of what is needed to win things...even if he is only going to be here another year. The whole club over the last 10-12 years was set up to play a certain level of technical football from the under 6's to the mens and womens first teams - Pep will leave at some point BUT are we really going to change the way the whole culb approaches football at every level just cause Vianna has a different view of the quality required.....

If we do we will slip further behind ....and be watching lower quality football for a long time after Pep has gone from what we are seeing at present.

 

[Chappie]

Arsenal only have decent players
None of them are worldies

Decent players that are better than our decent players.
Non of are ours are worldies at present.

 

[argyle]

From the last number of pages it's amazing that this team is 2nd and in a cup final.

You'd think we were in Spurs position.

 

[urban genie]

Saying Reijnders is a little off the pace is just wrong....he has been without doubt the worst player this season for us.....he offers next to nothing virtually every time he steps on the pitch.....moments where he scores a goal and then goes back to offereing nothing

I disagree but respect your opinopns anyway

 

[urban genie]

From the last number of pages it's amazing that this team is 2nd and in a cup final.

You'd think we were in Spurs position.

God forbid we are every in that positon again or the 115 is lost and we are sent to league 2 ;-)

this place would beard arse central

 

[Fiftyyearsandcounting]

It's Pep v Jack Grealish all over again. Signed on the basis of free-roaming performances at Villa, restricted as soon as he put a City shirt on.

I can't bear to think how Pep would have destroyed players like Best, Rodney Marsh, Frank Worthington, Gazza, etc in the past.

Cherki not starting every game in this City squad is madness.

Pep is a genius for converting Nunes into a fullback? Perhaps Nunes would have been better left to be an attacking midfielder.
Just my personal view is that Pep is given too much of the credit for what City has achieved. When you have a squad of players including Yaya, KdB, Mahrez, Silva (D), Sergio, Company, Sterling, Gundogan et al, and all in their pomp, you don't need to be a "Genius". Just wind them up and let them go, they will do the winning for you.

 

[Damanino]

I fully expect him to keep signing players that will not fit slow build up, possession based, high line football with lack of pressing involved.
Its like he is making transfers for post-Pep era and he has specific manager in mind thats certainly very different in tactical approach than Pep.

to go from ball controll masters like Grealish, Mahrez to wingers with bad first touch, from extreme passer Ederson to Donnarumma, these not marginal changes these are doing a 180 in terms of profiles.

 

[Lavinda Past]

Pep is a genius for converting Nunes into a fullback? Perhaps Nunes would have been better left to be an attacking midfielder.
Just my personal view is that Pep is given too much of the credit for what City has achieved. When you have a squad of players including Yaya, KdB, Mahrez, Silva (D), Sergio, Company, Sterling, Gundogan et al, and all in their pomp, you don't need to be a "Genius". Just wind them up and let them go, they will do the winning for you.

Thank you. I was beginning to think that everyone on here had been caught up in the myth of Guardiola developing players.

He's obviously a great coach with a proven magnificent record. However, having watched the players that he inherited / subsequently had at his disposal, I don't see that he's been any better at actually getting the best out of them than Manuel Pellegrini would.