Another good piece by Martin Samuel

[Latics Fan SJK]

And unless AVB had managed a team with 3 of the 4 best players in the world, you will be unable to dismiss it as it's simply conjecture.

But when Guardiola arrived they weren't three of the four best in the world, Messi was 3rd, Xavi and Iniesta not even in the top 30. He also made the decision to move on two of the people that were in the top 30, Ronaldinho and Eto'o, a pretty big decision and one which made Barca what they are today. Doesn't get enough credit for this.

Although I would prefer Pep for a variety of different reasons, I think it's pretty undeniable he inherited one of the best first 11's in football when he took over. I'm pretty interested to know who you think were the 30 better players than xavi and iniesta in 2008?

I'm guessing this is a joke. It has to be, because, well, it's bollocks.

 

[LittleStan]

Good squads should get the job done no matter who is in charge and if not then you have to question the whole set up from top to bottom of which management is only one part of.

Only if they are robots who get programmed into a style of play and the opposition sticks to the style of play that the squad is programmed to exploit.

As soon as you put human emotion and pressures on the squad then they certainly do need a management structure. We sometimes forget that even the older members of football squads are still very young and susceptible to getting things wrong.

What the owners do next, and listening to why the squad has not performed is part of this, will show their intentions.

When they took over they had a business mess to sort out, they are good businessmen and I expect that they will turn this club around to become a very successful and sustainable business.