Pep's 'favourites' have been letting us down quite a bit too often in the last year or so. If he hasn't seen that, he's blind.
Assuming that he isn't, his stubborn reluctance to change things, either tactically or players, when opportunities have arisen, is baffling.
Perhaps, like many City fans, he too has convinced himself that he is some sort of infallible god...
It's easy to criticise. It's easy to say he should play others. It's easy to say play a different way. It's easy to slag players off. And everything is definitely always easy in hindsight.
You (and I) don't know everything that's happened behind the scenes, but we all do know we've had a lot of injuries. Yes, there's a point where players have to change because of that, but again, it's easy to criticise without knowing the full situation.
Also, its not just down to us, but down to the opposition as well. They also have plans, they can also play well. They often have good players. Usually, their fans have a lot more to criticise than we do as well.
Pep has changed things many times in the last few years, there's no reluctance to change. Sometimes there is too much change! I don't think anyone thinks he's infallible, but he does get it right more often than not.
Now, as this is the Nico thread....
Do I think he should have been used more? Yes.
Do I think he's brilliant? No.
Can he improve? Yes
Is he as good as Gundogan, Bernardo, Kovacic, Rodri or Reijnders right now? Probably not.
Should we have bought him? Maybe not. Maybe he'll come good - or maybe we bought him in case Gundogan or Kovacic got injured. Maybe he was a short-term safety net. Who bloody knows?
