Is Pep a defensive genius?

[Blue Pete]

Pep is a football genius.

The game isnt attack vs defense it's about us having the ball or them having the ball. Pep is a genius at both these aspects of play, and his philosophy is about both. But because his team's score great goals those who can't see the complete picture (e.g. your average pundit for example) think he's a great attacking manager as we score loads and have the ball a lot.

We have a very good attack (based on stats) and a very good defense (based on stats), and we play a beautiful game not seen in this country before (based on my personal aesthetic opinion).

Pep is a football genius.

 

[Plays By Sense Of Smell]

Pep is a football genius.

The game isnt attack vs defense it's about us having the ball or them having the ball. Pep is a genius at both these aspects of play, and his philosophy is about both. But because his team's score great goals those who can't see the complete picture (e.g. your average pundit for example) think he's a great attacking manager as we score loads and have the ball a lot.

We have a very good attack (based on stats) and a very good defense (based on stats), and we play a beautiful game not seen in this country before (based on my personal aesthetic opinion).

Pep is a football genius.

He is - because he sees the fundamental principles at play and understands them to the point where he is able to apply them together as seamless parts of a greater whole.

He can also recognise useful principles from other areas of the world and incorporate them without much too misalignment.

I get the feeling he is the sort of person who regularly asks the question, “what is happening here?” - and who is open-minded enough to recognise that there are multiple answers.

 

[CityInWashingtonState]

Pep seems to me to be more about offense.

However... his philosophy is definitely holistic - his insistence at pressing immediately once the ball turns over and his stressing of positional play reaps dividends on defense. Overall it's probably the best defensive strategy.

That said, Pep is a football genius.

Pep studies the opposition for several days prior to any match scrutinizing opposition film to learn how they play and to learn how to exploit any weaknesses they have.

Pep frequently changes formations based on films of the opposition.

But for me - versus Liverpool in our 1-1 draw - that was a sea change. Pep played far more defensively in that game than I've ever seen him play. And his strategy very nearly paid off with a win. Still, a point away to our closest rivals is a very good point indeed.
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My point being - Pep is simply a football genius full stop. On both offense and defense.

 

[eastmanc]

Football is basically a game of human error. The team that makes the least errors usually wins the game, city make the least errors and therefore score more goals and concede the least goals.

 

[mosssideblue]

It’s a bit daft to base an argument on shudda wudda cudda. Spurs had a chance or two but in football it’s very difficult to score a goal hence the very low number of goals per game.In reality, as you put it, we conceded zero goals, everything else is pure conjecture.

Our defence is fvcking brilliant. Harry Kane has a heavy touch when in on goal partly due to the pressure he feels because we defend so well he spends the game feeding on scraps. Lamela misses for the same reason. We are squeezing the life out of some of the best forwards in the world and it’s a joy to behold.

Conjecture, like your second paragraph ?

 

[Harvster]

Pep is a football genius.

The game isnt attack vs defense it's about us having the ball or them having the ball. Pep is a genius at both these aspects of play, and his philosophy is about both. But because his team's score great goals those who can't see the complete picture (e.g. your average pundit for example) think he's a great attacking manager as we score loads and have the ball a lot.

We have a very good attack (based on stats) and a very good defense (based on stats), and we play a beautiful game not seen in this country before (based on my personal aesthetic opinion).

Pep is a football genius.

Whereas over in Trafford it's more like anaesthetic

 

[Academica]

I think tonight proved my point a bit. On paper that goes down as a clean sheet zero conceded which is great. In reality and it’s ironic that a shit pitch probably stopped us from conceding. Walker and Mendy were awful and constantly being out of position or giving the ball away resulted in spurs chances. We can be got at, we aren’t as solid as a clean sheet suggests. We was a better pitch surface/ better Harry Kane touch away from conceding. Delighted with the win but like I said earlier today let’s not be so prescious when people say our defence can be got at because it can.

I get what your saying, on paper it was a clean sheet but in reality it was a clean sheet.

 

[sir baconface]

There have been a couple of occasions when we’ve been cut through like a knife through butter. And because they were versus the likes of dippers and rags, they stick in some people’s minds.

Every team is going to have the occasional lapse but, overall, Pep’s “defensive” style is proving amazingly effective. And not just effective but entertaining to watch. There were one or two who called for a little more pragmatism in his first season. I was one of them. It’s now plain to see what was being built.

 

[M18CTID]

All teams who are 'good at defending' concede some chances, & occasionally it's down to shit mistakes, even in the 'best' defensive teams.

That was the case last night. We dropped some right bollocks.

The best defensive teams usually have a combination of luck & dogged determination, which covers said fuck ups. That was us last night.

We weren't that, v Celtic, Leicester etc, a couple of years ago, nor at Anfield last season, we were a bunch of clueless shithouses who helped the opponents to score, by compounding one mistake after another.

Imo, we have gradually evolved into a team which can be dogged, as well as pressing, wheras Pep's Barca were more reliant on shit or bust, in the pressing department.

It's no accident imo. Pep has learned stuff, from the Prem, as he does everywhere.

Well said. I’d say that doggedness was actually in evidence quite a lot on Monday night in terms of heading balls clear from corners and free-kicks. Neville touched on it afterwards, saying that even though we have a lot of midgets in the team the ball tends to be like a magnet to a City head, just as it was at Barca when Pep was manager there. Sure, there were the individual fuck-ups that put us under a fair bit of pressure against Spurs but when it came to the basic defending I’ve referred to above I thought we were fantastic and every bit as good at it as teams managed by some of the famous defensive minded managers.

 

[shemnel]

Pep seems to me to be more about offense.

However... his philosophy is definitely holistic - his insistence at pressing immediately once the ball turns over and his stressing of positional play reaps dividends on defense. Overall it's probably the best defensive strategy.

That said, Pep is a football genius.

Pep studies the opposition for several days prior to any match scrutinizing opposition film to learn how they play and to learn how to exploit any weaknesses they have.

Pep frequently changes formations based on films of the opposition.

But for me - versus Liverpool in our 1-1 draw - that was a sea change. Pep played far more defensively in that game than I've ever seen him play. And his strategy very nearly paid off with a win. Still, a point away to our closest rivals is a very good point indeed.
===
My point being - Pep is simply a football genius full stop. On both offense and defense.

1-1? 0-0?