Pep BBC 5 live

[Scaring Europe to Death]

To be fair to Chapman, he belongs to a small minority of fair minded United fans, who don't play City bingo.
I think some people are trying too hard to find faults with the guests, who overall were extremely positive. (eg Ladyman citing that City has some justifiable gripes after the recent defeats, but Pep took it all on the chin).
Ballague called him a thief, but it was a jokingly, positive reference to Pep's willingness to learn, and use ideas from other sports, (some of our "overloads" have definitely been borrowed from Rugby Union)
The only irritation for me was the reference to the press conference after the Burnley game last season, and the continual obsession with Pep's reaction to a stupid "Have your team got a discipline problem?".
Pep was annoyed with the inconsistent refereeing around that period (Rojos and Barkley only getting yellow cards, and Fernandinho getting red), but it was the reaction that journalists remember.

 

[domalino]

What I do want to see from Pep is a willingness, very occasionally, to have his team sit back and not leave space behind. I've said before that I was delighted with how he went to a 5-4-1 at Spurs and we saw some good old fashioned bodies in the way defending.

He'll never do that, and that's not what he did at Spurs!

He changed to a 352 with Sterling up front next to Jesus but the defensive line was not moved back. Spurs enjoyed a good spell of possession but there was definitely no sitting back just trying to get bodies in the way.

He plays the way he does because he knows it's the most effective way to win. His record speaks for itself, he's not going to change.

 

[Ban-jani]

I think that’s harsh. Don’t like the fact he is a rag, but I think he is a decent presenter, fair minded, and does not spout anti-City bile

But he shot Lennon!

 

[OB1]

Yes it's very well worth a listen.

I got the impression from Ballague, that he's already updated his book with more of the same; that Pep just did what he did at Barca, in the Prem & it's just that the players took time to adapt (which of course is true in many respects). But I don't think he wanted to hear people such as Walker & Zabba explaining how Pep has adapted, (maybe because he didn't notice, so hasn't written it, or wants to be seen as the man who first mentioned it).

I actually thought it was hilarious when Pep went all Fat Sam vs Spurs & won the game with five at the back & 1 upfront. And I find it bizarre how it has received so little consideration, for example on here, & by pundits in general.

I think it's upset so many people's agenda, that they have just blanked it out of their minds. The computer nerds who think Pep's biographies are like the Bible & he 'always' has a Poncyetto at number 8 & a Fartaroundo at 6 & prefers defenders to stand on one leg at corners etc & of course for those who said he can't adapt to the Prem, a Pep who can run fucking rings round everbody with his passing game, then switch to destroying them at their own game, would be their worst nighmare.

Pep constantly adapts and that is actually something you get from Perarnau's books but everything is underwritten by an overarching philosophy. However, anyone wants to cast it, Pep's general approach worked pretty much from the off but was let down by flat out poor finishing and defending that had far far less to do with his approach than the pundits wanted to portray. Pep adjusted things, he took time to get the midfield combination of Dinho, Silva and KDB right and their roles: that was a combination I would think of him getting to know them and those players adapting their games in certain ways. That started to come together last season and we have barely lost a league game since it did.

I've also been disappointed that more comment has not been made of what he did at Spurs. Last season Pep gave the believe me guys I am so so pragmatic and boy did he demonstrate that at Spurs when seeing the game out against a tough opponent was very important (title clinching). That Pep has Walker hanging back more is another sign of that pragmatism. I think the 5-4-1 (especially when Mendy is able to give the option of two wing backs) is potentially a great tool for Pep; he has to overcome his fear of allowing the ball to be near City's goal; again, it should be a rarely used bit of kit, primarily some UCL games and (parts of games) against the likes of Spurs and the Dippers.

 

[John Oliver]

I actually thought it was hilarious when Pep went all Fat Sam vs Spurs & won the game with five at the back & 1 upfront. And I find it bizarre how it has received so little consideration, for example on here, & by pundits in general.

I think it's upset so many people's agenda, that they have just blanked it out of their minds. The computer nerds who think Pep's biographies are like the Bible & he 'always' has a Poncyetto at number 8 & a Fartaroundo at 6 & prefers defenders to stand on one leg at corners etc & of course for those who said he can't adapt to the Prem, a Pep who can run fucking rings round everbody with his passing game, then switch to destroying them at their own game, would be their worst nighmare.

Fat Sam Ho Ho Ho

Yes I think the Spurs game showed Pep can adapt, particularly when he brought on Otto to bolster the defence. And I don’t think he was heartbroken when the first goal came from a long ball over the top.

Interesting to hear what Kyle said re letting the run of the ball dictate which foot you use, rather than letting your best foot to dictate. So more and more, as they train under Pep, they will become to some extent two-footed. Nicely illustrated in the Spurs game with Sterling and Jesus scoring , and taking other chances, with their left foot.

 

[OB1]

He'll never do that, and that's not what he did at Spurs!

He changed to a 352 with Sterling up front next to Jesus but the defensive line was not moved back. Spurs enjoyed a good spell of possession but there was definitely no sitting back just trying to get bodies in the way.

He plays the way he does because he knows it's the most effective way to win. His record speaks for itself, he's not going to change.

I don't want to play telephone numbers.

Jesus was replaced by Bernardo and in the very late stages of the game, he predominantly plays the wide(st) right position of a midfield 4. You can freeze frame the video of the game a various points and see a very clear 5-4-1 in play and it looks too organised not to have been worked on. No they didn't drop ultra deep but it is far more of a sitting in shape than pushing up on the opponents and there are a number of blocks in the box. It's Guardiola's version of shutting up shop.

 

[OB1]

Haha yes, that was hilarious & complete bollocks. A handful welcomed him, the rest were desperate for him to fuck up & delighted in every setback (as some are still doing).

Thought Nevin was excellent, & loved it when he was asked what his experience of football coaching over here was & he replied "neanderthal". Exact phrase I sometimes use to describe them, but coming from a top pro, just proves what so many of us have been saying, even for years before Pep arrived.

Bot of an oxymoron but Nevin is one of my favourite pundits and I hadn't previously realised he was quite as much of a fan of Pep as he seems to be. As player, he was one of those guys I always wished was at City.

 

[OB1]

To be fair to Chapman, he belongs to a small minority of fair minded United fans, who don't play City bingo.
I think some people are trying too hard to find faults with the guests, who overall were extremely positive. (eg Ladyman citing that City has some justifiable gripes after the recent defeats, but Pep took it all on the chin).
Ballague called him a thief, but it was a jokingly, positive reference to Pep's willingness to learn, and use ideas from other sports, (some of our "overloads" have definitely been borrowed from Rugby Union)
The only irritation for me was the reference to the press conference after the Burnley game last season, and the continual obsession with Pep's reaction to a stupid "Have your team got a discipline problem?".
Pep was annoyed with the inconsistent refereeing around that period (Rojos and Barkley only getting yellow cards, and Fernandinho getting red), but it was the reaction that journalists remember.

I think you will find that the ideas thief description is actually one of Pep's own descriptions of himself so GB nicked that from Pep.

 

[domalino]

I found it interesting that Balague kind of talked over what the players actually said.

Most annoying was when Walker said in interview how his personal relationship with Pep is different to any other manager, and Ballague spent the first few minutes after the interview telling us how he was wrong and Pochettino's relationship with Walker was similar.

We get it, Guilleme, you wrote a book on Poch, that doesn't mean you can overrule Walker on the state of his own coach-player relationships.

 

[middlewichblue]

Who was the manager referred to if you weren't in his first 11 you might as well be dead? I'm presuming mancini? Can't imagine it was Manuel?