Guardiola said he felt he owed other players a chance to be in the squad instead

[Moss Side's Finest]

The key to this entire debate is defining what Pep meant by "owed", the original poster perceives it as something like "he's a good guy who's put in effort all season, he's not played much, so I owe him a chance for his big day out".

Whereas I perceived it as "he has put in the effort, showed he is what I need for this game, yes other players have played well, but I owe him the chance to play ".

One seems like an act of charity, the other is giving someone a chance based on merit. Very different things.

I'm not saying I'm right in my perceptions by the way

 

[Norbert D]

Akanji has to play. He's the only player with any kind of pace and physical presence at the back. Without him we'd have been undone on more than the 1 occasion that led to the goal for Palace. Nunes is also a total liability.

Akanji was ball watching for the goal, he should have been tight to Eze and made sure he didn’t get a clean shot in.

 

[Gordyola]

Akanji has to play. He's the only player with any kind of pace and physical presence at the back. Without him we'd have been undone on more than the 1 occasion that led to the goal for Palace. Nunes is also a total liability.

Akanji from previous seasons yeah but not this version He was poor for the goal lost his man and was out muscled I would guess that Kusanov would have dealt with he situation much better Akanji was poor he was involved in the build up play was slow and ponderous 2/10 performance

 

[Gordyola]

Simple: Play your strongest team if he owes anything its to the group that won the games between Erling out and back He changed a winning formula result a draw and a loss

 

[hogismuir]

Do people really fall for Pep’s semi-intelligible post-game comments? I honestly think he is being sarcastic half the time!

As for anyone being owed anything, it begs belief.

That's my take on this too. After most games, especially defeats, Pep will basically just say anything. I'm not sure he knows what he's going to say and so it's a mixture of emotion, sarcasm and just random thoughts. He only usually says what he really thinks after winning a trophy when he's relaxed and the pressure is off.

 

[johnny crossan]

Akanji was ball watching for the goal, he should have been tight to Eze and made sure he didn’t get a clean shot in.

Akanji also nearly cost the quadruple with his lapses of concentration - I'd like to see him as a back-up not a starter.
Khusanov should be playing, he has the speed and the fire.

 

[herrock]

We all have a dilemma over what we say about pep. He is obviously a genius, the like we will never see again. I think it's only fair to say that he has made some very strange decisions this season. Team selections are all over the place, we seemed to have found the winning formula, and he changed it. Players play well and get left out next game.
The football is so boring to watch, it's down to the opposition packing the defence as much as anything, but it looked like he'd cracked that.
Hopefully this time next year it will all be forgotten when we get our mojo back.

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

Still people are leaping to his defence rather than listening to what he said and commenting on that. "he didn't mean it" "he says things in interviews that might not be true" Who gives a toss, read his words and go from there.

He has lost the plot clearly. It sounds like he was making big decisions with how he wanted his bench to look, to not make a sub until about the 75th minute anyway. He has ZERO faith in Grealish but had him taking up a spot on the bench? What's the fucking point. He sticks with his cup keeper, yet Mcatee who has played most minutes in cup games, doesn't even get on the bench. The same Mcatee who scored and had a good game against Palace in the league. Signs of a mad man

 

[Gabriel]

Utter nonsense.

He'd have been smushed under the feet of the bigger, much more physical side of Palace.

Odd one that. I think Lewis had played in all of the last 4 meetings with Palace (unbeaten, with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 3 goals).

 

[bennyboy]

Odd one that. I think Lewis had played in all of the last 4 meetings with Palace (unbeaten, with 2 wins, 2 draws, and 3 goals).

I would have had Lewis in the squad before Jack on his semi final performance.
Was Kovacic on the bench.
Iconic but sadly he has not backed it up since.

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

I would have had Lewis in the squad before Jack on his semi final performance.
Was Kovacic on the bench.

Kovacic was not fully fit and Pep didn't want to risk him, with the Bournemouth game looming, he wasn't in the squad.

 

[bennyboy]

Kovacic was not fully fit and Pep didn't want to risk him, with the Bournemouth game looming, he wasn't in the squad.

Cheers.
A huge miss for us on the day.

 

[Gabriel]

I would have had Lewis in the squad before Jack on his semi final performance.
Was Kovacic on the bench.

Kovacic was apparently unwell.

I often think we include players on the bench who don't have a heavenly of playing, albeit that was an Ave Maria with Echeverri, and that it's more about creating an esprit de corps.

It was strange to omit Lewis completely, as Guardiola waxes lyrical about his excelling in the pockets, and I felt sorry for McAtee. Our loan agreement with Sheffield United meant he couldn't play against us at Wembley last season, and he ending up missing out on both the semi-final and final squads.

 

[HypnoticBlue]

Play your best team, simple !!!!

 

[Prophet of Doom]

Still people are leaping to his defence rather than listening to what he said and commenting on that. "he didn't mean it" "he says things in interviews that might not be true" Who gives a toss, read his words and go from there.

He has lost the plot clearly. It sounds like he was making big decisions with how he wanted his bench to look, to not make a sub until about the 75th minute anyway. He has ZERO faith in Grealish but had him taking up a spot on the bench? What's the fucking point. He sticks with his cup keeper, yet Mcatee who has played most minutes in cup games, doesn't even get on the bench. The same Mcatee who scored and had a good game against Palace in the league. Signs of a mad man

Completely agree. His decision to give Echeverri his debut in a cup final when he hasn’t played a competitive game for 2 months is his sticking David James up front moment.

The players must be thinking he’s lost the plot this year. Pep is so inconsistent with his choices every week - the players must be thinking he’s lost it.

 

[bluetonium]

I felt Akanjis’ position was pivotal to a big part of our build up play on Saturday. He seemed to have an awful lot of the ball but, unfortunately, I can’t recall him playing a single pass forwards, everything was back inside. I think Lewis, maybe because he’s naturally a midfielder rather than defender, would have at least tried to be creative and move the ball forward.

Akanji isn't going to offer a realistic option outside, like Nunes, and he isn't going to come inside and, like you say, move it forward, like Lewis. It's not his skillset and that cross into the stand just showcased it. But if he gets it in the right back position it is inevitably always going to go square to Savinho, then back, or sideways to Dias or a dropping midfielder. Against 11 defenders, it didn't work out.

Clearly he played as Pep thought one fullback roaming was enough, and Akanji has the pace to deal with Eze. But when it became very apparent that palace were not being very adventurous, and our creativity was a problem, then it should have changed. My preference would have been Nunes as he will go to he byline and he will get a cross to Haaland. Yes he'd be exposed on the break and it may have ended up two nil, but it's a cup final and we needed a goal.

The opposition know that if Akanji or Dias gets the ball, then it certainly isn't going to be a progressive pass and it will be moved sideways. Far too often the ball was to where Savinho is, not where he wanted to be, who had to cut back inside. It's not Akanji's fault that he can't see a through ball or move it quickly, it's not his game, but I think we could have taken more of a chance by bringing either him or Dias off for a more forward thinking player with at least ten to go.

 

[The Northern Baptist]

Wonder if Pep feels he owes Grealish anything ? Or maybe the fans who spent a fortune getting there?

He owes Grealish nothing. This is the player who in the last week of the season is having to wear a sauna suit to keep his weight down and is seen pissed up all the time.

 

[Platt Lane 59]

Akanji isn't going to offer a realistic option outside, like Nunes, and he isn't going to come inside and, like you say, move it forward, like Lewis. It's not his skillset and that cross into the stand just showcased it. But if he gets it in the right back position it is inevitably always going to go square to Savinho, then back, or sideways to Dias or a dropping midfielder. Against 11 defenders, it didn't work out.

Clearly he played as Pep thought one fullback roaming was enough, and Akanji has the pace to deal with Eze. But when it became very apparent that palace were not being very adventurous, and our creativity was a problem, then it should have changed. My preference would have been Nunes as he will go to he byline and he will get a cross to Haaland. Yes he'd be exposed on the break and it may have ended up two nil, but it's a cup final and we needed a goal.

The opposition know that if Akanji or Dias gets the ball, then it certainly isn't going to be a progressive pass and it will be moved sideways. Far too often the ball was to where Savinho is, not where he wanted to be, who had to cut back inside. It's not Akanji's fault that he can't see a through ball or move it quickly, it's not his game, but I think we could have taken more of a chance by bringing either him or Dias off for a more forward thinking player with at least ten to go.

Agree with you on the changes.
But, this season, Pep has made few tactical changes during a match.
Saturday was hot, also Wembley's pitch is draining.
Add the unique atmosphere of a FA Cup Final, then why did Pep make his first substitutes on the 79th minute ?
I think Nunes is a threat and should have been brought on...

 

[Norbert D]

He owes Grealish nothing. This is the player who in the last week of the season is having to wear a sauna suit to keep his weight down and is seen pissed up all the time.

What about the fans ?

 

[Lavinda Past]

In answering the question of why some players (Lewis and McAtee) were missing from the selection team in the FA Cup final, Guardiola said he felt he owed other players a chance to be in the squad instead.
Do you agree with the concept that the manager owes all players participation regardless of the nature and importance of the game? I find it quite strange, especially to apply this concept in the FA Cup final.
The coach doesn't owe any player the right to participate, especially in crucial and important matches. The player may have the right to know the reasons for their absence to give the player a fair opportunity to train, develop, and compete for a starting spot, but I don't believe this is an absolute right.
This isn't the first time Pep has spoken about this matter. He has previously said he feels that he owes the old guards the right to play more. I believe this is one of the reasons Pep objected to signing players last summer and, thus, one of the biggest and most important reasons for our poor season-ending trophyless.
What do you think?

He lost the plot ages ago.

His 'system' has burned players out, it doesn't work any more, he has failed to find / develop effective replacements for ageing favourites, and he has no plan B.

He pulls inane faces, gabbles, and makes shit excuses up whenever questioned.

He definitely should have left after winning the CL in my opinion.