Is it just me or does it feel like Pep has cracked the code?

[Man_City_Loyal]

I feel like he's found the right combination of players now to go on a tear and win the League/Champions league.

Look at all the results across the season so far. Every time the following players play, City have their biggest results.

Donnarumma
O'Reilly
Dias
Gvardiol
Nunes
Nico
Bernardo
Foden
Doku
Haaland
Cherki

Some are interchangeable in terms of results, Rodri, Savinho, Reijnders... But others are lacking pace/physicality. I'd go as far to say the Bold players are absolutely must starters.
If he can get that team on the field for 90-95% if the season, it stands up against PSG, Bayern, Arsenal.. easily.

People talk about last season as a reason why City are no longer the same, but look at some of the teams Pep had to roll out.

City team vs Real Madrid last year

https://www.whoscored.com/matches/1888119/live/europe-champions-league-2024-2025-manchester-city-real-madrid

So much physicality missing, lack of pace, lack of core leaders/spine. Will get revenge in a couple weeks.

too soon.

 

[Marvin.]

Only a few weeks ago we were shite at villa..

Overall:

7 W, 1 D, 3 L in the PL.
2 W in the League Cup.
3 W, 1 D in the CL.

In the PL we drew at Arsenal and we have humiliated both Man Utd and Liverpool. Foden is back and Doku is getting better.

Onwards and upwards.

 

[Franny 1234]

I didn't realise Pep was into Dexter.
Hopefully he doesn't end up dead like everyone else who's cracked the code.

 

[paulchapo]

Im not sure we have cracked anything, but we are rebuilding. In a short space of time we have lost four world class players. Ederson, Walker, Gundogan and De Bruyne. For so long we have had to also do without another in Rodri. That is one heck of a spine of the team to lose and have to replace. Some sides would have suffered much more than we did in those circumstances .Don't forget we finished third and got to a cup final in spite of all this and while coping with an horrendous injury list.

The signs are good. New blood, a youthful energy, seven of the team that started against Liverpool were aged twenty three or younger. We also have some much needed new blood on the coaching staff, bringing fresh ideas. It will be interesting to see how we fare.

 

[the blue panther]

If we overrun Newcastle at St James' as easily as we dominated Liverpool at the Etihad then I'm a believer.

However I was at Villa Park last month and that was as flat and depressing as I've experienced all year.

It feels as though the starting XI v Liverpool plus Stones and Rodri,.can beat anyone
However we've then got a drop off to players who are either still finding their way or are simply not good enough

Oh ye of little faith - we still could have beaten Villa, as weak as we might have seemed at times.

 

[KS55]

Pep was asked how he had managed to produce the turnaround. He said:
“I am a genius.”
He was joking of course, echoing what some people were saying.
When it comes to cracking codes, Pep is no Alan Turing but he’d give Morse a run for his money.

 

[Lost in space]

Nah, he's still a bald fraud

 

[oldius]

I have said it many times - enjoy the journey.
It isn't long ago that the average age of our starting line-up was 29.
Now, we have a youthful blend of vast potential slowly coming together.
Some will achieve greatness and others will be the vital supporting cast, just as they were when Sergio was the star and KDB and David were feeding him, the cogs in the machine whirred away.

 

[Banano]

If we overrun Newcastle at St James' as easily as we dominated Liverpool at the Etihad then I'm a believer.

However I was at Villa Park last month and that was as flat and depressing as I've experienced all year.

It feels as though the starting XI v Liverpool plus Stones and Rodri,.can beat anyone
However we've then got a drop off to players who are either still finding their way or are simply not good enough

If we start with 13 players I think we'll win the lot, unless we draw Wigan in the cup.

 

[alexmcity]

seven of the team that started against Liverpool were aged twenty three or younger.

Agree with everything else, but we had 5 U23 players in the first XI: Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Gonzalez, Cherki, Doku. Foden and Haaland are 25. Still a very young side.

 

[Gingers Dad]

If we overrun Newcastle at St James' as easily as we dominated Liverpool at the Etihad then I'm a believer.

However I was at Villa Park last month and that was as flat and depressing as I've experienced all year.

It feels as though the starting XI v Liverpool plus Stones and Rodri,.can beat anyone
However we've then got a drop off to players who are either still finding their way or are simply not good enough

I was at Villa Park as well and it was a really uninspiring performance. But quite a few of the OP's players in bold did not start that game.

 

[alexmcity]

We are a work in progress.

Think the transition will be over when, hopefully, Rodri regains fitness and form: say, around February. We can do well without him, but to win big trophies we'll need him.

By February the new players will have gelled with the team as well. Let's hope Gvardiol, Savinho, Khusanov will be better too. We can expect higher quality and more consistency in the 2nd half of the season, injuries permitting.

 

[johncity]

Signs are good but there is much work to be done and improvement to come. Villa away was a reminder of that.

The line up was wrong in my opinion

 

[Blue Maverick]

We aren’t there yet, maybe next season and I think Pep will extend then as well.

 

[mattcity5]

Hard to be certain. I've always fancied our chances against teams who don't play like cowards, and do their best to take us on. Bournemouth, Dortmund and Liverpool all tried to give it a go, and we showed how good we can be.

The signs are positive now, but there are bigger tests to come for this team.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

I was at Villa Park as well and it was a really uninspiring performance. But quite a few of the OP's players in bold did not start that game.

Correct, but the headline of the thread is slightly contradictory to the OP's actual post.

If Pep has really cracked the code then he'll have recognised that some of our lesser players aren't strong enough and the starting XI at Newcastle will be as near as possible to the starting XI that thrashed Liverpool.

However knowing Pep he will start with Savinho,.Lewis and Al Nouri, and we'll be trying something completely unexpected

That isn't necessarily a criticism because we could still win the game,. but in a different manner

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Look at the personnel in that team.

I completely agree mate, but I just interpret it slightly differently.
To enjoy a successful season City will play around 60 games and some of those lesser players will need to be involved and they'll have to step up and contribute

 

[asahartford1]

Cracked the code when we win.
Wrong subs when we draw.
Wrong team selection when we lose.

 

[Gingers Dad]

Correct, but the headline of the thread is slightly contradictory to the OP's actual post.

If Pep has really cracked the code then he'll have recognised that some of our lesser players aren't strong enough and the starting XI at Newcastle will be as near as possible to the starting XI that thrashed Liverpool.

However knowing Pep he will start with Savinho,.Lewis and Al Nouri, and we'll be trying something completely unexpected

That isn't necessarily a criticism because we could still win the game,. but in a different manner

I half agree with OP in that our last three home performances have been top notch against very good teams. Our last two away games in the league at Villa and Brentford not so much.
Pep seemed to get his team selection wrong at Villa but his hand was slightly forced. Gonzalez and Kovacic were not fit and Reijnders is not a DM. Doku is an absolute must starter but Pep knows that players who attack in bursts won't always be consistent. He chose to rest Doku and by the time he came on Villa were sitting deep with no need to come out.
Im with you that the performance at Newcastle will be a good indicator to whether or not the OP is on to something

 

[alexmcity]

the performance at Newcastle will be a good indicator to whether or not the OP is on to something

Perfomances after international brakes are sometimes a bit average. The normal rhythm isn't there. The important thing at Newcastle is to win.