Pep Guardiola - 2020/21 Performances

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What was interesting last night was he started what many would agree was his best side or very close to it but the performance in the first half was not great; second half, we saw the "real" City but it does, IMO, give weight to the view that whatever team he selects, on any given day, they could under perform; thankfully, in this case it was only for half a game.

Not that I thought we were bad in the first half but we needed to better and eventually did.
 
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OB1 said:
What was interest last night was he started what many would agree was his best side or very close to it but the performance in the first half was not great; second half, we saw the "real" City but it does, IMO, give weight to the view that whatever team he selects, on any given day, they could under perform; thankfully, in this case it was only for half a game.

Not that I thought we were bad in the first half but we needed to better and eventually did.
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Last night I thought we were a yard slower all over the pitch in that first half, or at least the first half an hour. After re-watching I think it was probably part of the tactics to not over exert ourselves and conserve our energy whilst they run themselves into the ground.
They were always going to swarm us early doors due to it being their home tie and the plan was probably to soak it up and get through the half still in the game.
They visabily dropped off their intensity in the second whilst we stepped up 10 yards further up the pitch and turned the tables.
Everything about us was improved in the second half. Passing, movement, press and energy put them on the back foot and they couldn't get near us.
 
What pep has done with no striker this season has been incredible. I can find him frustrating at times but that’s because I probably want to see a striker. Problem is we just don’t have what we / pep needs and instead of complaining once again he finds a way.

watching PSG defence last night run around confused as they had nobody to mark in the middle was bizarre but joyful.
you could see they didn’t know what to do.
 
OB1 said:
What was interesting last night was he started what many would agree was his best side or very close to it but the performance in the first half was not great; second half, we saw the "real" City but it does, IMO, give weight to the view that whatever team he selects, on any given day, they could under perform; thankfully, in this case it was only for half a game.

Not that I thought we were bad in the first half but we needed to better and eventually did.
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In a classic case of what those who know nothing call "overthinking", and far from the first time, he sat us deeper than normal to start. Gundo played alonside Rodri and the full backs sat back. It didn't work well, particualrly because the midfield kept giving the ball well, so he pushed the full backs on after about half an hour and this changed the game. He did almost exactly the same away at Anfield and also away at Real Madrid, including making the changes although he did them at half time in those games I think.

It's definitely a "game plan" now to stop good teams mugging us on the break early on and one which is more effective because of our brilliant centre halves.
 
Not only is he the best in the world in terms of how his teams play, create chances and players wanting to play for him - he just seems to ‘get it’ doesn’t he?

The amount of times he’s given brilliant interviews or press conferences is countless.

Wish we could keep him forever but we’re lucky enough to have him for the longest he’s ever been at a club and still counting!
 
Didsbury Dave said:
In a classic case of what those who know nothing call "overthinking", and far from the first time, he sat us deeper than normal to start. Gundo played alonside Rodri and the full backs sat back. It didn't work well, particualrly because the midfield kept giving the ball well, so he pushed the full backs on after about half an hour and this changed the game. He did almost exactly the same away at Anfield and also away at Real Madrid, including making the changes although he did them at half time in those games I think.

It's definitely a "game plan" now to stop good teams mugging us on the break early on and one which is more effective because of our brilliant centre halves.
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I'm sure we will see some sort of caution on Tuesday but it made such a difference when the team stepped forward.

Pep got to rest almost all his players for Tuesday today so hopefully they will have the energy to press PSG into submission.

Today was another example of why much of the criticism Pep gets after games like Leeds is misplaced. If we had lsot today the stick he would have got from the usual suspects would have been deafening but a virtually second choice starting eleven comfortably cruised it at a venue that has consistently been hard work for us. Freak results can happen but we really have minimised them with what I think is now 32 wins in our last 35 games.
 
OB1 said:
I'm sure we will see some sort of caution on Tuesday but it made such a difference when the team stepped forward.

Pep got to rest almost all his players for Tuesday today so hopefully they will have the energy to press PSG into submission.

Today was another example of why much of the criticism Pep gets after games like Leeds is misplaced. If we had lsot today the stick he would have got from the usual suspects would have been deafening but a virtually second choice starting eleven comfortably cruised it at a venue that has consistently been hard work for us. Freak results can happen but we really have minimised them with what I think is now 32 wins in our last 35 games.
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Yea, I was just thinking something similar. How many of those who kicked off about the Chelsea team thought about that selection when we were battering PSG in the last 20 minutes? Or steamrollering Spurs !

these rotations have also kept the “fringe”
Players motivated and involved too. Pep can genuinely say at the end of the season that it was a squad effort.
 
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