We're probably gonna finish 3rd or 4th this season. So going by your logic, if we had played more pragmatic football we would have won the league this season with this shit-show of a squad. Brilliant. Now, we just need to extend contracts of all our players by 5 years, find a pragmatic manager and win us a title each for the next 5 seasons. Holy shit, I didn't even realize we had the best squad in the whole world. What a revelation!
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One year from now...
- Thread starter Cityisland
- Start date
Whilst you're right, a more pragmatic manager could probably have done better, although i doubt we'd be challenging for the title really. The thing is Guardiola hasn't been hired purely for results, he's been hired because of the style of play. I'm assuming it's part of his job remit, to implant that style of play into the club. Yes, short-term the results are not great and a number of our players aren't suited to it, however the reality is that Guardiola knows he has time on his side. Of course there's pressure, but we've been chasing the guy for 5 years, he's not getting binned after one season.He's proving to be the worst kind of tinker man, randomly picking players he knows are not up to the job, in positions and systems they have no hope of executing.
A pragmatic manager would have realised within a couple of months that the vast majority of this squad can't play the kind of system that he wants, especially in the PL, and would have changed things to address the issues. I firmly believe if he had done that back in November, we would now be challenging for the title, and preparing for a CL semifinal. If this sort of arrogance and stubbornness continues into next season, then I'm afraid we will probably be once again looking back at what could have been.
Typical City - turning the world's number one manager into a poor imitation of Mark Hughes within a space of a few months!!!
So he's been hired because of his style of football, and he has time. He has a number of young players who will be here probably for the duration of his tenure. There's going to be a large number of new players coming in next season probably. Surely trying to implant his style on the team now, will serve us better in the long run? The alternative is him having to start again all over again next season with a load of young players, and a load of new signings.
I think he's made plenty of mistakes, that he'd admit to, however i don't think you can ask him to change the way his team plays. It would defeat the purpose of hiring him.
dadnlad
Well-Known Member
thats saved me renewing my season ticket
so why drop them?
They look tired and out of form. In an ideal situation we could drop them. Clichy and Navas should be good enough to beat Middlesbrough but their form is even worse.
YaYa's Left Peg
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 13 Dec 2010
- Messages
- 1,469
Whilst you're right, a more pragmatic manager could probably have done better, although i doubt we'd be challenging for the title really. The thing is Guardiola hasn't been hired purely for results, he's been hired because of the style of play. I'm assuming it's part of his job remit, to implant that style of play into the club. Yes, short-term the results are not great and a number of our players aren't suited to it, however the reality is that Guardiola knows he has time on his side. Of course there's pressure, but we've been chasing the guy for 5 years, he's not getting binned after one season.
So he's been hired because of his style of football, and he has time. He has a number of young players who will be here probably for the duration of his tenure. There's going to be a large number of new players coming in next season probably. Surely trying to implant his style on the team now, will serve us better in the long run? The alternative is him having to start again all over again next season with a load of young players, and a load of new signings.
I think he's made plenty of mistakes, that he'd admit to, however i don't think you can ask him to change the way his team plays. It would defeat the purpose of hiring him.
Thank you for a reasoned reply to my post.
I understand fully that Pep has been brought in to lay down a long term blueprint for how the team will be recognised in the future, hopefully based upon achieving huge amounts of success as well as a style of football that is pleasing to the eye. And I get that and welcome that, and can't think of a better man for the job (my throwaway remark re Mark Hughes was a light-hearted - albeit poor - attempt to weave in the typical city mantra).
My only thought was that he could still have continued to implant his but ways within the context of a tad more pragmatism and a little less tinkering, which might have seen us not fall short as much as we have.
I think we have a lot more quality players than some people give us credit for - as demonstrated by how even our biggest rivals have set up against us, so a challenge for the title and a good run in CL was in my eyes well within the capabilities of this squad. As for starting again next season, well given the rumoured scale of change this summer, it may be like starting again, albeit with more players in the squad that suit Pep's style.
Let's hope that when things get tough next season (and they will), he learns from the lessons of the current season, and not be too proud or obstinate to grind out a result or two when the occasion demands.
Bill
Moderator
well we brought 2 of them on at 49 mins. better to play the first 45 and get the game won don't you think. then they rest.They look tired and out of form. In an ideal situation we could drop them. Clichy and Navas should be good enough to beat Middlesbrough but their form is even worse.
Well, another way to interpret the tinkering is that he's been trying to find a solution, just within his overall philosophy. I really don't know the answer to whether he should have compromised his style a little to try and improve the results, i think to some extent he actually has. I can see both sides of that argument.Thank you for a reasoned reply to my post.
I understand fully that Pep has been brought in to lay down a long term blueprint for how the team will be recognised in the future, hopefully based upon achieving huge amounts of success as well as a style of football that is pleasing to the eye. And I get that and welcome that, and can't think of a better man for the job (my throwaway remark re Mark Hughes was a light-hearted - albeit poor - attempt to weave in the typical city mantra).
My only thought was that he could still have continued to implant his but ways within the context of a tad more pragmatism and a little less tinkering, which might have seen us not fall short as much as we have.
I think we have a lot more quality players than some people give us credit for - as demonstrated by how even our biggest rivals have set up against us, so a challenge for the title and a good run in CL was in my eyes well within the capabilities of this squad. As for starting again next season, well given the rumoured scale of change this summer, it may be like starting again, albeit with more players in the squad that suit Pep's style.
Let's hope that when things get tough next season (and they will), he learns from the lessons of the current season, and not be too proud or obstinate to grind out a result or two when the occasion demands.
With regards to the squad, i think the top half the of team compares favourably with any other side in the league. However a lack of depth (partly due to Jesus and Gundogan being unavailable) has led to some players getting burnt out, the inability to rotate without a massive drop off in performance and a lack of options to change the game.
I think if you compare the defensive portion of the team, Chelsea and Spurs are much stronger, especially if you take Kompany out.
sir baconface
Well-Known Member
One year from now, I think we'll be in second place, trailing Chelsea. No silverware again. In short: a modest improvement.
well we brought 2 of them on at 49 mins. better to play the first 45 and get the game won don't you think. then they rest.
I'm not disagreeing that I'd rather play the strongest side, however they have been knackered and not playing that well recently. Perhaps one of Peps flaws, besides tinkering, is he has too much faith in some of the squad?
100% correctI seriously doubt anyone looked at Chelsea at the end of last season and thought all they need is Marcos Alonso, Kante and to bring David Luiz back and then they'll win the title relatively comfortably.
When Spurs finished 5th in 2014/15, I doubt anyone was saying they'll challenge for the title next season if they buy Toby Alderweireld.
When Rodgers finished 7th in 2012/13, I doubt many were saying if they sign Mignloget they will come within a Gerrard slip of winning the title.
It didn't take Mourinho a couple of seasons to overhaul a team that was known as "the invincibles." He did it in his first season.
People are way over exaggerating the size of the job as they want to make it seem like Pep's got a mountain to climb. He's been poor this season and if he doesn't win the title next season, should be fired, the same as any other manager. He shouldn't get special treatment.