Pep Guardiola - 2019/20 Performances

[alexmcity]

He's had four years to sort it out and we're still nowhere near having anything close to resembling a defence.

Baffling criticism. We had a very solid defence for two seasons, won 198 pts over 2 seasons which is the most ever in the top leagues, won unprecedented number of domestic trophies (7 from the last 8 on offer), won 14 games in a row to win the most exciting title hunt ever while conceding just 4 goals during that run. Actually, in 2019 we have conceded about as many league goals as Liverpool while going through a severe injury crisis this season.

This season we are without Laporte, Kompany and Stones for most games, Zinchenko missed 2 months, Mendy is Mendy....Ederson has lost a bit of form. It's perfectly natural that we have problems in defence.

Sometimes shit seasons happen. Klopp flirted with relegation in 2014/15. Pep's ability to manage hasn't evaporated in thin air. The other week both Zidane and Klopp said about him that he is the best in the world. The worst thing as a fan base is to put him under pressure and make him leave at the end of the season or even before that. No need to press the self-destruct button.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Its not nonsense to talk about defensive structure when you cant see a game out.

Newcastle away and now Wolves away, Rags home, Norwich away need i go on.

If we only have one way of playing, you need a defensive structure, i thought this is obvious.

this is so true. We were two up yesterday. Had taken off Aguero and Mahrez so no excuses, we had more than enough manpower to protect a two goal lead, flood the midfield and kill the game dead with good shape and ball retention. Instead, we were a complete bloody shambles all over the pitch.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

Baffling criticism. We had a very solid defence for two seasons, won 198 pts over 2 seasons which is the most ever in the top leagues, won unprecedented number of domestic trophies (7 from the last 8 on offer), won 14 games in a row to win the most exciting title hunt ever while conceding just 4 goals during that run. Actually, in 2019 we have conceded about as many league goals as Liverpool while going through a severe injury crisis this season.

This season we are without Laporte, Kompany and Stones for most games, Zinchenko missed 2 months, Mendy is Mendy....Ederson has lost a bit of form. It's perfectly natural that we have problems in defence.

Sometimes shit seasons happen. Klopp flirted with relegation in 2014/15. Pep's ability to manage hasn't evaporated in thin air. The other week both Zidane and Klopp said about him that he is the best in the world. The worst thing as a fan base is to put him under pressure and make him leave at the end of the season or even before that. No need to press the self-destruct button.

At the risk of repeating myself, my main issue is with him being overly passive when dealing with recurrent problems. There's having faith in your players and there's being ignorant to your team's frailties.

I called it at the start of the season when it became apparent we weren't replacing Kompany; I had no higher expectation than a top four finish. With additional major injury problems, I have genuinely expected nothing more than that. This isn't my sense of entitlement after being spoilt rotten for two years, it's about the manner in which we're performing as a collective being frustrating.

The game last night perfectly encapsulated our season, as far as I'm concerned; backs to the wall and unlucky to an extent, individual quality has taken us within touching distance of overachieving in the face of that adversity. Unfortunately, however, poor game management and decision making have robbed us of triumph.

 

[alexmcity]

this is so true. We were two up yesterday. Had taken off Aguero and Mahrez so no excuses, we had more than enough manpower to protect a two goal lead, flood the midfield and kill the game dead with good shape and ball retention. Instead, we were a complete bloody shambles all over the pitch.

It's not only not true but daft. We are not a team trained to play 10 men behind the ball. You can't instantly transform a team trained for years to have the ball and defend higher up the pitch into a team playing like a relegation fodder in and around its box. To play 30-40 minutes with a man less is one thing, to play 80 minutes with 10 men away from home against a team challenging for top 4 is a completely different thing.

 

[oldius]

this is so true. We were two up yesterday. Had taken off Aguero and Mahrez so no excuses, we had more than enough manpower to protect a two goal lead, flood the midfield and kill the game dead with good shape and ball retention. Instead, we were a complete bloody shambles all over the pitch.

We were and that is nothing to do with defensive structure. Sterling gave the ball away. Mendy gave it away. Ederson took a man out and was sent off. We were hoofing it almost immediately Ederson went.

 

[alexmcity]

At the risk of repeating myself, my main issue is with him being overly passive when dealing with recurrent problems. There's having faith in your players and there's being ignorant to your team's frailties.

I called it at the start of the season when it became apparent we weren't replacing Kompany; I had no higher expectation than a top four finish. With additional major injury problems, I have genuinely expected nothing more than that. This isn't my sense of entitlement after being spoilt rotten for two years, it's about the manner in which we're performing as a collective being frustrating.

The game last night perfectly encapsulated our season, as far as I'm concerned; backs to the wall and unlucky to an extent, individual quality has taken us within touching distance of overachieving in the face of that adversity. Unfortunately, however, poor game management and decision making have robbed us of triumph.

You didn't respond to what I wrote. Your criticism was completely ungrounded. We did sort out the defence and were extremely successful. This season we are having a severe crisis at CB and also at LB. Pep is a great manager, not a magician.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

You didn't respond to what I wrote. Your criticism was completely ungrounded. We did sort out the defence and were extremely successful. This season we are having a severe crisis at CB and also at LB. Pep is a great manager, not a magician.

I responded to your question before you asked it so forgive me for giving you the courtesy of not copying and pasting a previous comment in response.

But here you go, just for you:

The defence is shit and has been shit since before he turned up. Our domination of possession and individual quality from the likes of Kompany and Laporte have masked that.

You can argue that the best offence is a good defence but, when you isolate the actual defence, we've not had a solid, organised, cohesive defensive unit since he's arrived.

If you have a different take on it, that's fine. I understand your perspective but disagree. That doesn't mean your view is unfounded.

 

[Saddleworth2]

It's not only not true but daft. We are not a team trained to play 10 men behind the ball. You can't instantly transform a team trained for years to have the ball and defend higher up the pitch into a team playing like a relegation fodder in and around its box. To play 30-40 minutes with a man less is one thing, to play 80 minutes with 10 men away from home against a team challenging for top 4 is a completely different thing.

That’s just bloody bollocks mate. We lacked a forward. No reason why we couldn’t retain the ball.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

That’s just bloody bollocks mate. We lacked a forward. No reason why we couldn’t retain the ball.

We couldn't retain the ball because he decided to take a man out of midfield and bring on an extra centreback at half time and simply allowed them to come at us for 45 minutes.

Alex reckons we can't go from being an expansive, offense oriented team to being a backs to the wall, deep lying, defensive one in an instant. My question would be why we decided to try it instead of sticking to our principals in the way you'd expect of such a single-minded manager.

 

[Blue Maverick]

Next few months are crucial now, Pep either needs to go one way or the other, commit to the club or decide he’s leaving, this will give direction for recruitment, Sterling apparently won’t sign unless he knows what’s happening with Pep, other players won’t sign for us unless they know what the plan is is with managers. Last night individual mistakes cost us there was not much else Pep could do, our ball retention was terrible, we should’ve been able to see out the game with the players in the pitch, in fact there is no better team for it.
This reminds me of the last Pellegrini season, however I do believe we have a great chance to win 3 cups, cement top 4 over the next few months and then get on with the Champions league. If Pep is waiting to see how he does in that then it’s a big mistake, if he wins it he goes then he may think he’s done here, personally for me I’d like him to stay and leave when we’ve won the premier league back. Let him build a dynasty and leave us in a better position than when he found us.