If the rot continues what happens ?

Goaters said:
We as fans have been truly spoilt over the last decade, I’m sure every man and his dog would agree.

Pep is clearly one of us, he’s bought into the project, defended us against the press and made us the envy of every other fan - hence the bitterness in the press.

I can completely accept this season as a write off (as long as top 4 is achieved).

If Pep wants to be overly loyal to players who’ve achieved so much with us - then so be it. If Pep is being very stubborn to his footballing philosophy that won us 4 titles on the bounce - go for it mate.

Guardiola isn’t an idiot, he’s the greatest tactical mind the games every seen. We’ve seen the media reports how stressed he’s getting, he’s looking like a broken man and will have huge weight of expectation on his shoulders so I do feel for him.

My issue with this run and potentially season is I’d have marked this as a ‘transition’ season. Would it really have harmed our chances further to see what nico or wright could produce holding as dm with energy? Would mcatee instead of nunes on the wing made us less fluid? Simpson Pusey at the back could have slotted in as a rb or cb and made us more solid than a lewis or nunes again.

My gripe is purely I’d have liked to have seen this as a chance to blood the unknown players, the players that have been elite throughout the youth teams, star players in the junior England setup. I just can’t fathom how we haven’t utilised this slightly more - especially when you see palmer, Lavia and Delap flying atm.

Now saying that, Lewis is a young lad and seems to be near universally ridiculed atm so maybe my youth theory is a naive assessment.

Anyway, Pep you’ve given me the best years of my life foootball wise. For his sake rather than us spoilt fans I want him to turn this round and show the world he’s still the best manager we’ve ever seen.
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Nail on the head. We're having a transitional season without a transition. Plenty of us are sanguine about what's happening regardless due to the results under Pep, and we all knew a drop off was coming sooner or later, but it would be a lot easier to accept a top 4 battle if we had the bones of the next generation all growing and learning together.
 
adrianr said:
Nail on the head. We're having a transitional season without a transition. Plenty of us are sanguine about what's happening regardless due to the results under Pep, and we all knew a drop off was coming sooner or later, but it would be a lot easier to accept a top 4 battle if we had the bones of the next generation all growing and learning together.
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this is not a drop off though, this is an implosion, even the players are saying they are playing with fear
that was a bad utd side, we were gripped with fear
 
Blu3m00n91 said:
No one can say that we haven’t supported the club or the players during this run. Our actual captain just completely avoids questions, letting other people speak for him. The other players talk a big game off the pitch and show fuck all on it. There is factors as to why we’re on a bad run but it’s not bad enough to excuse these type of performances. Pep said vs Southampton ‘work harder, Be Humble, Be ambitious, other wise academy is ready’. Time to stick to your words now pep
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'Work harder, be humble, be ambitious'.

Put THAT on a fucking banner.
 
I have had a thought about our problems.

Suppose just for a second know one is to blame!! I know right -:)

We have looked rather stale now for a while on the pitch. Predictable and sometimes a hard watch. What was once a formidable machine has ground to a halt.

Pep wants to continue using his system that has brought unparalleled success with this group of players. High press, high line, patient control the game, pass pass pass until you find an opening for a chance. Defend high and intercept the ball quickly to put the opponent under pressure.

Some of the players can’t do this anymore. The problems are well documented.

The only solution is to play counter attack football. Soak up pressure and use the wingers and Haaland to break on teams. Sit back when we don’t have the ball.

The team is stuck in no man’s land as a result. The only solution is the second option until we get to the summer for a reset. Pep can’t see it due to his blind side and philosophy and some of the senior players can’t admit it.

In summary,

Pep has his way of playing. Struggling to see past it which requires a complete change of thinking. Someone strong at the club needs to have an honest conversation which so far hasn’t happened.

Some of the older players can’t do what is asked anymore and either won’t admit it or can’t and some of the new players are not good enough to take over. As a result, we see a disjointed team all over the pitch.

All if them trying their best btw.

Until these honest discussions take place nothing will change. Time we see leadership off the pitch and time someone has the balls to point out what needs to be done and not worry about hurting peoples feelings. Khaldoon should be doing this.

Anyway, that’s what I have woke up thinking about now that iv digested the performances. You can see the players who believe in pep’s approach and can still carry it out. You can also see the players who can’t carry it out and you can also see the players who are not good enough to carry it out. Come on pep, set them up differently and remove some of the problems.
 
Pep looks completely broken to me. He looks like a man who has gone to the wall one too many times, and needs a break from football. It happens at this level, considering the past 7 years of constant high pressure games and success. Unimaginable success, and a work rate second to non. My own personal view is that we possibly have a replacement in mind and that Pep will announce his retirement from club football in May. He will take a good, well earned break from the game, and return after the next world cup to take over as the Brazilian, or even possibly England coach.
Just look at Klopp and how he looked after his time at Liverpool. He has taken a job upstairs rather than gone straight back into management. The modern sport, with it's conveyor belt of constant games, overbearing media spotlight, and social media allowing every fan to air their half thoughtout opinions, is exhausting, even for the best.
 
adrianr said:
Nail on the head. We're having a transitional season without a transition. Plenty of us are sanguine about what's happening regardless due to the results under Pep, and we all knew a drop off was coming sooner or later, but it would be a lot easier to accept a top 4 battle if we had the bones of the next generation all growing and learning together.
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We need to spend 1.2 billion pounds like the rags.
 
adrianr said:
Nail on the head. We're having a transitional season without a transition. Plenty of us are sanguine about what's happening regardless due to the results under Pep, and we all knew a drop off was coming sooner or later, but it would be a lot easier to accept a top 4 battle if we had the bones of the next generation all growing and learning together.
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When did you feel the drop off would occur out of interest? So many posters stating it was going to happen now that it actually has. Not many mentioned it in the summer though to be fair.
 
Will stress to the resident flappers in here that the top 5 will qualify for UCL this season.

I don’t like that as a concept but we might benefit from it this season.
 
Roachy said:
If, as so many experts here keep saying, the players are mentally and physically shot then there would 100% been signs in the summer. This collapse is too dramatic for there not too have been. It has to be halted though and that's why people get paid the big bucks.
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In hindsight, was the FA Cup Final a sign?
 
Manchester33 said:
I do. I'm not having it that there are 4 teams better than us this year. I reckon a couple of new faces in Jan will get us top 5.
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i obviously hope you're mate, but what i've witnessed in the last couple of months it will take more than a couple of new faces to put this right
that was a bad utd side yesterday and we had completely gone second half
 
BolinCell said:
We went big for Grealish and he's on the bench these days. I think that move spooked the recruitment team. Lets face it we should be in for the likes of Mbappe even when we have no chance. In for Salah just to make Liverpool give him a contract. Getting up teams noses just because we can. Our recruitment and off the field guys have not been up to scratch of late and have taken their eye off the ball. And Pep needs telling things like you can't go into the season with just 1 striker, we know your a genius but one striker even god can't do that.
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We have certainly made mistakes over the last few years with many of our larger signings being release clauses. Maybe the rough and tumble of hard negotiation isn’t for our existing DOF. We do need a focus on A list players to improve our former A list that have come to the end of their time with us.
 
mimicmickmickdoyle said:
"If the rot continues" keep backing the opposition rags I got 4/1 ,Aston Villa are 9/4 . At least make some money while you can.
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I made about £150 backing those fuckers yesterday. Of course, I'd sooner wish that I lost my money and we won or even drew the game but like you say there's money to be made backing the opposition at the moment and it more than pays for my piss-up at Villa Park on Saturday
 
There are several players who should not be playing apart from 10 minutes to see out a game we are comfortably winning. Remember those!
Walker, Gundoghan, Nunes.
There are quite a few that cannot be relied upon to stay injury free but are still good players when not injured.
Stones, Ake and Akanji. On balance one of them at least should be fit to play alongside Dias.
So we need a RB now to partner Dias, Stones and Gvardiol. Akanji can do it but given the injury record of Stones and Ake he'll be playing plenty of games at CB.

Midfield? Where to start? Kovacic and the new midfielder?
In front of them
Phil who is showing signs of life. Kevin and Bernardo, but not at the same time, Doku or Grealish depending on the opposition.
Haaland up top.
So 3 signings in January. As everyone knows a RB, CM and a goalscoring 10 to give Erling some support and rest.
On paper this sounds good. But the biggest problem the squad faces I feel is mental. We've, the players,have lost belief in each other and in Pep's way of playing.
Lots of talking needs to take place in the dressing and new leaders need to emerge form the younger group.
 
sir baconface said:
In hindsight, was the FA Cup Final a sign?
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Roachy said:
Could have been but the players were too busy getting pissed apparently so hard to tell.
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That was my point really. Had we ever before seen the players drop their professional standards like that? They effectively threw the game.

I know it was an outlet after a gruelling, but still successful, season but they might have waited a few days.

Was there a suggestion that we’ve seen it all and done it all now?
 
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