Pep likes players with the correct attitudes. I think that means compliant attitudes. Same with his coaching staff. Nobody to challenge his decision making.I've long thought that Pep needs a Director of Football who'll challenge him robustly after nights like tonight. Creative tension if you like, where the coach has to justify his decisions or be told he was wrong in no uncertain terms. I don't think it works when the DoF is your mate. I wonder how much 'groupthink' there is among the coaching team.
Let's be honest he hasn't learnt from the Derby games. Playing a slow midfield and a high line against a quick attack. I don't think he's gonna change, which is bizarre because he done it against Liverpool at home which worked well.
He needs to sit down with his coaching staff and someone needs to tell him to stop fucking about with the team.
There's not many players on that lyon team who would even make it into our squad nevermind first eleven. We were destroyed by a former celtic player who came on as a sub.
As would have happened with any attacking player we brought on for a defender with 30 mins to go and 1-0 down.
Pep is the best we have had but that does not mean he is infallible. Nor does it mean his time here will last forever and the time will come when for the club and for Pep change is needed. I hope that time is not now but it could be.
Firstly it is very clear that as for this team a fair bit has to change. Both in personnel and maybe in accepting that Pep has to change his thinking as well. Maybe in Spain and European competition people had been starting to find his teams out a few years ago, and of course when it came to his CL wins he did have a peak Messi to help him along.
So is he prepared to firstly commit to staying and rebuilding which would surely mean a minimum of three seasons, and is he prepared to make some moderate changes to his way of playing the game. If the answer is no to either then there is sadly a case for calling time.
This winds me up more than anything. He eulogizes every team we play, how they are so so so good, so so so experience, how we are new to this stage, how we must learn.One of the worst things is he's always talking in the media about how our club has very little history in the competition and how we have to believe we belong there and then he goes and sets us up like some small team that feels we don't belong there.
Two great years and 2 meh years is decent enough but not what i expected from Pep.2 titles in 4 years with his squad is average. In Europe he’s obviously been far below average. Shitload of league cups though. Our inability to win big games under him is pathetic. You can excuse the odd one down to luck etc but not over such a long period.