Discussion: Manuel Pellegrini (2014/15)

[blueinsa]

I stayed off last night bar one post in the post match and slept on it.

As fantastic as Barca are, we were poor i thought for a side that's won arguably the most difficult domestic competition twice in the last 3 years. Yes we put the effort in 2nd half but it was still men against boys and it felt like they were the cat toying the the mouse (us).

Getting beat off Barca again is no big surprise and yes we have been both hamstrung squad wise and unlucky with the draw but it still didn't excuse what was generally a poor performance on the very biggest stage.

Players out of form and players on the way out account for it but the buck stops with the manager and he is staring down the barrel right now.

Worse of all was the body language, yes, that old chestnut of Kun who looked disinterested for most of the game and constantly throwing his arms up in the air and looking fucked off with his team mates whilst not doing much himself if im honest.

I like the gaffer but he has got to show us in the remaining league games he can fix what is evidently broken right now.

 

[flb]

Maybe this is a cop out on my part but I can't believe that that team of ours carries certain basic characteristics which Pellegrini normally has in his team's. Yes he has his own limitations but if they choose to keep him he'll have practically a new team next season and id expect and the club would demand progress on that basis.

I cannot believe that the club would sanction "a new team" under a manager with only a year left on his contract, and little likelihood of a new one being offered

The entire point of a DoF is so you can do exactly that IMO.

I also don't think going into the final year of his contract is a huge issue. It's not like a new contract guarantees he'll be around beyond next season or that the players will believe that.

If the manager doesnt have some input into signings then for me mate its doomed to failure, surely the two have to work in tandem? No problems with the DoF model but i have grave doubts TB is the man for the job.

I just hope Pep was there to talk to FS and TB last night, we would have been obliterated last night if it wasnt for Joe, they appear to have downed tools and only riased themselves last night because they were on stage at Barcelona.

 

[flb]

I cannot believe that the club would sanction "a new team" under a manager with only a year left on his contract, and little likelihood of a new one being offered

The entire point of a DoF is so you can do exactly that IMO.

I also don't think going into the final year of his contract is a huge issue. It's not like a new contract guarantees he'll be around beyond next season or that the players will believe that.

The main point of a DOF is player recruitment, and the track record of our's has been appalling. He got the puppet of a manager he wanted to allow him his own transfer policy and he has fucked it up big time and should pay the penalty accordingly. In addition he has allowed the squad to age, and has put players like Nasri and Kolarov on fat contracts that their lack of application doesn't merit

Thats it in a nutshell mate, thing is though that TB will be given a few seasons to "Implement" his philoshofee.

 

[BillyShears]

I cannot believe that the club would sanction "a new team" under a manager with only a year left on his contract, and little likelihood of a new one being offered

The entire point of a DoF is so you can do exactly that IMO.

I also don't think going into the final year of his contract is a huge issue. It's not like a new contract guarantees he'll be around beyond next season or that the players will believe that.

If the manager doesnt have some input into signings then for me mate its doomed to failure, surely the two have to work in tandem? No problems with the DoF model but i have grave doubts TB is the man for the job.

I just hope Pep was there to talk to FS and TB last night, we would have been obliterated last night if it wasnt for Joe, they appear to have downed tools and only riased themselves last night because they were on stage at Barcelona.

Dooooomed! Haha. Sorry I couldn't resist. ;)

I'll be honest I said to the missus last night that it was the end of an era for that group of players n. She asked how the era ending had gone. I thought about it. 2 titles and two cups in five years finishing no lower than 3rd. It went very well even if we didn't crack Europe.

I have ultimate faith in Khaldoon therefore I have ultimate faith the next five years will be just as successful and who knows maybe we'll crack Europe too.

I'm excited about the rebuilding whoever does it.

 

[flb]

The entire point of a DoF is so you can do exactly that IMO.

I also don't think going into the final year of his contract is a huge issue. It's not like a new contract guarantees he'll be around beyond next season or that the players will believe that.

If the manager doesnt have some input into signings then for me mate its doomed to failure, surely the two have to work in tandem? No problems with the DoF model but i have grave doubts TB is the man for the job.

I just hope Pep was there to talk to FS and TB last night, we would have been obliterated last night if it wasnt for Joe, they appear to have downed tools and only riased themselves last night because they were on stage at Barcelona.

Dooooomed! Haha. Sorry I couldn't resist. ;)

I'll be honest I said to the missus last night that it was the end of an era for that group of players n. She asked how the era ending had gone. I thought about it. 2 titles and two cups in five years finishing no lower than 3rd. It went very well even if we didn't crack Europe.

I have ultimate faith in Khaldoon therefore I have ultimate faith the next five years will be just as successful and who knows maybe we'll crack Europe too.

I'm excited about the rebuilding whoever does it.

So you think TB will get things right without any input from the manager on player recruitment? How long would you give him? If he fucks up the next window mate he deservedly will get peddled back to Spain, its okay saying he has bought stocking fillers in Navas, Sagna and Demi etc but for very one of them hes bought shit like Mangala, Jovetic and Fernando.

Do you really trust this guy with an open cheque book to get it right with no input from a manager?

 

[BillyShears]

If the manager doesnt have some input into signings then for me mate its doomed to failure, surely the two have to work in tandem? No problems with the DoF model but i have grave doubts TB is the man for the job.

I just hope Pep was there to talk to FS and TB last night, we would have been obliterated last night if it wasnt for Joe, they appear to have downed tools and only riased themselves last night because they were on stage at Barcelona.

Dooooomed! Haha. Sorry I couldn't resist. ;)

I'll be honest I said to the missus last night that it was the end of an era for that group of players n. She asked how the era ending had gone. I thought about it. 2 titles and two cups in five years finishing no lower than 3rd. It went very well even if we didn't crack Europe.

I have ultimate faith in Khaldoon therefore I have ultimate faith the next five years will be just as successful and who knows maybe we'll crack Europe too.

I'm excited about the rebuilding whoever does it.

So you think TB will get things right without any input from the manager on player recruitment? How long would you give him? If he fucks up the next window mate he deservedly will get peddled back to Spain, its okay saying he has bought stocking fillers in Navas, Sagna and Demi etc but for very one of them hes bought shit like Mangala, Jovetic and Fernando.

Do you really trust this guy with an open cheque book to get it right with no input from a manager?

Yes I trust him to get this summer right. But then I wouldn't characterise any of his signings as shit arguably with the exception of Fernando.

 

[flb]

Dooooomed! Haha. Sorry I couldn't resist. ;)

I'll be honest I said to the missus last night that it was the end of an era for that group of players n. She asked how the era ending had gone. I thought about it. 2 titles and two cups in five years finishing no lower than 3rd. It went very well even if we didn't crack Europe.

I have ultimate faith in Khaldoon therefore I have ultimate faith the next five years will be just as successful and who knows maybe we'll crack Europe too.

I'm excited about the rebuilding whoever does it.

So you think TB will get things right without any input from the manager on player recruitment? How long would you give him? If he fucks up the next window mate he deservedly will get peddled back to Spain, its okay saying he has bought stocking fillers in Navas, Sagna and Demi etc but for very one of them hes bought shit like Mangala, Jovetic and Fernando.

Do you really trust this guy with an open cheque book to get it right with no input from a manager?

Yes I trust him to get this summer right. But then I wouldn't characterise any of his signings as shit arguably with the exception of Fernando.

Well Manuel kicked Jovetic out of his CL squad and fails to play Mangala in any big games of note.

 

[hateutd]

much skepticism,bout next day..... :(

 

[BillyShears]

So you think TB will get things right without any input from the manager on player recruitment? How long would you give him? If he fucks up the next window mate he deservedly will get peddled back to Spain, its okay saying he has bought stocking fillers in Navas, Sagna and Demi etc but for very one of them hes bought shit like Mangala, Jovetic and Fernando.

Do you really trust this guy with an open cheque book to get it right with no input from a manager?

Yes I trust him to get this summer right. But then I wouldn't characterise any of his signings as shit arguably with the exception of Fernando.

Well Manuel kicked Jovetic out of his CL squad and fails to play Mangala in any big games of note.

We had CL restrictions we won't have next season in terms of squad size and I wouldn't characterise either player as shit and nor would anyone with even a bit of a clue about how to judge a player.

Oh and Mangala played against Chelsea. And Roma. And Bayern.

 

[supercity88]

I stayed off last night bar one post in the post match and slept on it.

As fantastic as Barca are, we were poor i thought for a side that's won arguably the most difficult domestic competition twice in the last 3 years. Yes we put the effort in 2nd half but it was still men against boys and it felt like they were the cat toying the the mouse (us).

Getting beat off Barca again is no big surprise and yes we have been both hamstrung squad wise and unlucky with the draw but it still didn't excuse what was generally a poor performance on the very biggest stage.

Players out of form and players on the way out account for it but the buck stops with the manager and he is staring down the barrel right now.

Worse of all was the body language, yes, that old chestnut of Kun who looked disinterested for most of the game and constantly throwing his arms up in the air and looking fucked off with his team mates whilst not doing much himself if im honest.

I like the gaffer but he has got to show us in the remaining league games he can fix what is evidently broken right now.

I think you are giving us too much credit. We've won the league yes and that's not to be debated... but with the squad we have and in comparison to others we should have been winning it. We should have won it for the past three years really. Barcelona are a million miles ahead of us. There's not a side in the country who could have dealt with that last night. Even the organisation of Chelsea would have struggled with Messi's constant mix of direct running, quick pass and move football and his ability to pass it behind our defence onto a sixpence. He was incredible.

We lacked the fight required from the whole squad. Yaya was jogging around the middle then gesticulating when Barca carved us open. I've not seen a single game in Europe where all of our team has been on the money. That's why we are out of the competition again. Barca make us look like amateurs, we struggle to keep the ball and that's because we just aren't good enough. The toughest domestic competition? I'm not so sure. I think we get a lot of time on the ball and I think generally we are our own worse enemy on the pitch. The reason we drop points tends to be over commiting players forward and conceding on the break, or failing to break teams down. I'd say it's more competitive because the top sides have dramatically declined.

When we won the league in 2012 we were developing as a side. The likes of Barry, Lescott etc were good at domestic level but no where near what is required in Europe. Look at some of the other sides to have won the prem - Vidic and Wio - a class act across Europe, Chelsea had Claude Makelele in their title winning sides with Mourinho's first stint and John Terry another consistent and renowned defender. I think the level is starting to improve but Fabregas has been one of the best players here, he wasn't in Barca's first team plans... we've had to re-assess because of FFP but I hope we can now lure some of the top class players from across the World to the club to take us to that next level.

We need to open our eyes to the quality of Real, Bayern and Barca and look to emulate their squads. Domestically we are good but all English sides are out of Europe now aside from Everton in the Europa league - where are they in the league now?! Whilst Chelsea and Arsenal probably should have gone through, they have players who will improve as they get towards their peak. We have players generally past that which is even more problematic.

Time to press re-fresh I think. Time to build for the future by getting some pace and hunger into the side with younger players. It might cost a lot and people say it's not fantasy football. Do those same people see Real Madrid and Bayern Munich's squads... tell me that's not fantasy football!