Criticism of Pep

[Father Paul]

You are absolutely right about City. We have a strategy for how the team should play, one that Pep suits perfectly but other managers can be recruited who fit the bill. However, the chances of them being as good as Pep are slim to zero. So people should be very careful what they wish for.

Few if any want him to leave and rightly so. But the chances always were that he was here for 5 or 6 years max. HIS canonization by many fans has led to beliefs like yours that he is next to impossible to replace and that his departure will be a calamity. Nothing could be further from the truth we won major titles before he arrived and as long as the current structure remains in place we will continue to do so afterwards. The transition will be easier if a definitive decision about his future is made soon. If he wants to stay for another 3 to 4 year cycle fine if not we move on with another grade A manager. Finally, nobody is perfect and above criticism even Saint Pep.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

Few if any want him to leave and rightly so. But the chances always were that he was here for 5 or 6 years max. HIS canonization by many fans has led to beliefs like yours that he is next to impossible to replace and that his departure will be a calamity. Nothing could be further from the truth we won major titles before he arrived and as long as the current structure remains in place we will continue to do so afterwards. The transition will be easier if a definitive decision about his future is made soon. If he wants to stay for another 3 to 4 year cycle fine if not we move on with another grade A manager. Finally, nobody is perfect and above criticism even Saint Pep.

I agree with most of what you say apart from the last bit. No one is saying he is above criticism but ffs 7 out of the last 8 domestic trophies.
Come on he is due some respect, even if we have had the odd shit game.

 

[nmc]

This isn’t entirely related but forgive me. I recall listening to 606 many years ago and a Charlton fan rang in and laid into Alan Curbishley saying he was holding his club back and needed to be replaced. I wonder how that fan feels now. Curbishley oversaw the best of times for Charlton I’d I’d guess any Charlton fan would give his or her right arm to have top flight football back. I just mention this as an example because I think we are presently seeing the best football City have ever played and we will spend time in the future reflecting how good it was. We’d do good to enjoy it and appreciate it. We have a genius in our midst?

 

[Blue Mist]

This isn’t entirely related but forgive me. I recall listening to 606 many years ago and a Charlton fan rang in and laid into Alan Curbishley saying he was holding his club back and needed to be replaced. I wonder how that fan feels now. Curbishley oversaw the best of times for Charlton I’d I’d guess any Charlton fan would give his or her right arm to have top flight football back. I just mention this as an example because I think we are presently seeing the best football City have ever played and we will spend time in the future reflecting how good it was. We’d do good to enjoy it and appreciate it. We have a genius in our midst?

That is bang on. I remember it well, they really thought they should be challenging for the title !!!

 

[meltonblue]

This is only really a discussion because of the ridiculous expectations that are set on Guardiola because of his levels of success. He’s allowed a season not winning the title.

We’re in the league cup final (again), we’ve won five out of the last six domestic trophies not counting the community shield and we’re in the CL still with what I expect to be a great game coming up against Madrid.

Yes he over thinks things at times and believes that it’s his tactics that have to always overcome oppositions, rather than sometimes just allowing the individual qualities of players to come through. It does create the very rare experience of watching a coach every game as you normally would a player though.

Personally, I’m still savouring every minute of seeing that and I’ll miss it when he’s gone. He’s made me reassess a lot of what I think about football and I feel privileged to have watched it, even in games when the result hasn’t gone our way.

 

[nmc]

This is only really a discussion because of the ridiculous expectations that are set on Guardiola because of his levels of success. He’s allowed a season not winning the title.

We’re in the league cup final (again), we’ve won five out of the last six domestic trophies not counting the community shield and we’re in the CL still with what I expect to be a great game coming up against Madrid.

Yes he over thinks things at times and believes that it’s his tactics that have to always overcome oppositions, rather than sometimes just allowing the individual qualities of players to come through. It does create the very rare experience of watching a coach every game as you normally would a player though.

Personally, I’m still savouring every minute of seeing that and I’ll miss it when he’s gone. He’s made me reassess a lot of what I think about football and I feel privileged to have watched it, even in games when the result hasn’t gone our way.

Some fans would be gutted if we only won the League Cup this season ! Some of us spent circa 40 years desperate to win anything. How times change.

 

[meltonblue]

Some fans would be gutted if we only won the League Cup this season ! Some of us spent circa 40 years desperate to win anything. How times change.

I’ve always thought if you see winning as the be all and end all, particularly winning trophies, then you’re likely to spend most of the time disappointed. There is so much still to enjoy. The tactics of Guardiola, the passes of De Bruyne, the finishing of Aguero - all of those can go askew at times. When they work though, which is far far more often than not, we are incredibly lucky to be watching it.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

Few if any want him to leave and rightly so. But the chances always were that he was here for 5 or 6 years max. HIS canonization by many fans has led to beliefs like yours that he is next to impossible to replace and that his departure will be a calamity. Nothing could be further from the truth we won major titles before he arrived and as long as the current structure remains in place we will continue to do so afterwards. The transition will be easier if a definitive decision about his future is made soon. If he wants to stay for another 3 to 4 year cycle fine if not we move on with another grade A manager. Finally, nobody is perfect and above criticism even Saint Pep.

In my mind, Pep's the greatest coach in the world. No-one else out there is at his level. The best coach the Prem has ever seen. SM won't settle for anything but a special coach next time, but whoever it is will be a lesser coach than Pep.

 

[Blue Mist]

In my mind, Pep's the greatest coach in the world. No-one else out there is at his level. The best coach the Prem has ever seen. SM won't settle for anything but a special coach next time, but whoever it is will be a lesser coach than Pep.

Even the Rags are now copying his tactics, quite badly but they pass out from the back and try and press. He really has changed football in this country, well except for Sheff. Utd who still think kicking someone from behind is 'letting him know you are there; and perfectly acceptable.

 

[nmc]

I’ve always thought if you see winning as the be all and end all, particularly winning trophies, then you’re likely to spend most of the time disappointed. There is so much still to enjoy. The tactics of Guardiola, the passes of De Bruyne, the finishing of Aguero - all of those can go askew at times. When they work though, which is far far more often than not, we are incredibly lucky to be watching it.

Totally agree. I’d also add the way we play out from the back is mesmerising at times. Better than Barcelona... think back to Spencer Prior and Richard Jobson lumping it forward.