That had crossed my mind but I think it more likely that we have collective burn out due to the intensity that have been applied to them for three seasons now. You are right though it is squad underperformance and whenever that happens it can be traced back to the manager.pretty much agree with all that, but with a darker take on the situation. "Melt-downs", "wheels coming off", and various other descriptions of a lack of form that throw up many and various reasons/solutions from frustrated fans....desperate for a return to the heights we have achieved recently, angry at the perceived lack of "passion", blah blah.
Individual failings can be coped with by resting/replacing , but squad under-performance is a much bigger problem, and sometimes only fixed by a change of coach/manager/ system. Which is the very last thing we need. But...."losing the dressing-room" happens to successful managers, and as fans we rarely get the full story....Not for a second suggesting Pep is at fault, but what we see on the pitch is miles from a season ago.....individually and collectively....the corner we need to turn is getting further away...
Go on....
In training videos it looks like he doesn't much like the weather.
It's the reason Nolito and Danilo didn't take to Manchester.
That had crossed my mind but I think it more likely that we have collective burn out due to the intensity that have been applied to them for three seasons now. You are right though it is squad underperformance and whenever that happens it can be traced back to the manager.
I take it you’ve not out of the window yet.When you tire of Manchester’s weather you tire of life.
Good points. Pep was given a difficult hand of cards to play. However, his play was Fern to central defence and loyalty to the old guard.Don't think the many injuries suffered this season have something to do with Pep unless we relate them to collective burn out, that is.
There are many problems happening at once:
- a bit of tiredness from the last two seasons
- Kompany wasn't replaced on the pitch and in the dressing room, his personal presence was huge
- Dinho, Dave and Sergio are a year older - on the wrong side of 30
- many injuries, bad and small; the small ones might also affect the form of the players and the overall performance of the team
- off field problems with Raz and Bernardo
- new players finding their feet in the league
- deliberate referee/VAR mistakes; even with all the problems listed above, we still would have a chance to win the league if referees/VAR had been impartial
So, given all these problems this season to trace the main reason for our results back to Pep would be a bit foolish. Pep isn't the reason we concede 2 goals from 3 attacks and need 5 chances to score 1 goal. In terms of xG we should be top of the league. Same was the case in 16/17. We'll have another busy summer to address the current problems with aging legends and tired legs.
Good points. Pep was given a difficult hand of cards to play. However, his play was Fern to central defence and loyalty to the old guard.
Two plays. Both the wrong call.
Maybe Garcia or Hwarwood-Bellis are not ready and are being protected. That is possible.Otamendi was a clown against Norwich and Wolves and rightly benched. I don't think Pep was wrong not to play Garcia instead though. Also we owe the old guard respect, we can't brush them aside, all the more it's not perfectly clear their heirs are better right now. The old guard sit top of the hierarchy and the manager has to respect that even if he is as ruthless as Pep. They won the domestic treble last season, so they had to start the season as regular starters.
I suspect that if we lose points in the next few games and the title becomes completely out of reach, then the younger players will ger their chances to impress and prove themselves more often. They must be ready for the next season after all, the transition should happen now, not next season.
Maybe Garcia or Hwarwood-Bellis are not ready and are being protected. That is possible.
Not playing Foden though is something I don't understand.
Not playing Foden though is something I don't understand.