Blue Mooner
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 25 Jun 2005
- Messages
- 3,133
Yesterday's decision to select Willy ahead of Joe Hart was a pretty big call and one that seemed to upset most blues. I think it was an important and powerful move, add that to Vinny seemingly no longer being captain and it is Guardiola clearly demonstrating who's in charge.
This is pure speculation on my part but has Guardiola come in seen the squad dynamics and realised he had to do something to break up the City old guard clique?
Yesterday's team was telling, Yaya not picked, Hart dropped, Nasri seemingly being put up for sale, Vinny training but not being considered fully fit, Zabaleta at some point rumoured to be moving on, subbed after 20 minutes in the St Johnstone friendly, and not picked yesterday. These are all City greats, all the strong characters in the squad. Had they become too powerful and controlling of the dressing room ? Has Guardiola decided that he needs to reassert power.
Pellegrini seemed to let the dressing room dominate him which was stifling the youth, having a possible negative effect on the likes of Sterling (look at him yesterday) Delph and others. The only old guard players picked yesterday were Aguero, Silva, Kolarov, Clichy, Fernandinho - I would suggest the quieter and less domineering characters, those more willing to conform and keep their heads down.
All these players are hero's in my eyes and I hope they still have a future at the club but had their popularity with the fans (with the exception recently of Yaya) led their egos to spiral out of control and were they too controlling of the dynamics of the dressing room. Look at Guardiola telling the squad to decide on the captain - was that Guardiola's way of freeing up the opinion of the dressing room, making it more democratic? How many times would Hart come out and be the voice of the dressing room, almost speaking like the manager. With hindsight, it was wrong, very wrong.
Look at the positive change it already appears to have had. The team huddle yesterday after the second goal was brilliant to see. The players sticking around to applaud the fans.
The above is pure speculation on my part, but something is going on, and to be honest it is brilliant that we have a manager prepared to make the big decisions and not be cowed by strong characters in the dressing room or the unpopularity of the fans. In Pep we trust.
This is pure speculation on my part but has Guardiola come in seen the squad dynamics and realised he had to do something to break up the City old guard clique?
Yesterday's team was telling, Yaya not picked, Hart dropped, Nasri seemingly being put up for sale, Vinny training but not being considered fully fit, Zabaleta at some point rumoured to be moving on, subbed after 20 minutes in the St Johnstone friendly, and not picked yesterday. These are all City greats, all the strong characters in the squad. Had they become too powerful and controlling of the dressing room ? Has Guardiola decided that he needs to reassert power.
Pellegrini seemed to let the dressing room dominate him which was stifling the youth, having a possible negative effect on the likes of Sterling (look at him yesterday) Delph and others. The only old guard players picked yesterday were Aguero, Silva, Kolarov, Clichy, Fernandinho - I would suggest the quieter and less domineering characters, those more willing to conform and keep their heads down.
All these players are hero's in my eyes and I hope they still have a future at the club but had their popularity with the fans (with the exception recently of Yaya) led their egos to spiral out of control and were they too controlling of the dynamics of the dressing room. Look at Guardiola telling the squad to decide on the captain - was that Guardiola's way of freeing up the opinion of the dressing room, making it more democratic? How many times would Hart come out and be the voice of the dressing room, almost speaking like the manager. With hindsight, it was wrong, very wrong.
Look at the positive change it already appears to have had. The team huddle yesterday after the second goal was brilliant to see. The players sticking around to applaud the fans.
The above is pure speculation on my part, but something is going on, and to be honest it is brilliant that we have a manager prepared to make the big decisions and not be cowed by strong characters in the dressing room or the unpopularity of the fans. In Pep we trust.