Pep Guardiola - 2020/21 Performances

[citytill1die84]

You praise Klopp for picking a brave team but they drew to our "cowardly" one, and were lucky not to lose. In fact his brave attacking side only scored thanks to a penalty.

YCNMIU can u? lol

 

[FCBarca]

I would say that this version of Pep is unfamiliar to me, surprising and uninspired

 

[Keeper!]

Pragmatist Pep? I agree to a certain extent. I don’t agree with the double pivot nor do I agree with him holding back foden. This season is going to see us empty handed. He is still not giving Bernie or foden a proper run out instead he is playing it “pragmatic” with gundo.

Pep has lost his spark this year. I am sure there are many reasons including Covid, family death and his mentality/stamina to stay at city for 5 years. Throw in a squad rebuild and Cas for good measure.

The whole team look mentally exhausted. In my opinion we need to cut Pep and the players a lot of slack this year. Tired minds will lead to bad mistakes and bad decisions

We can have a moan/laugh and discuss tactics, formations and personal but I know regardless of the results we will not turn our backs on Pep or the players when things are tough. Transitioning from one team to another was always going be hard. Buckle up for a bumpy season.

"The whole team look mentally exhausted. In my opinion we need to cut Pep and the players a lot of slack this year. Tired minds will lead to bad mistakes and bad decisions"

We did that last season as well, this teams does look tired and bored, is that down to the amount of football, empty stadiums , loss of belief in the manager or a combination?

For the last 18 months we are nowhere near our highest level.

 

[Fordyboy46]

As a team we look fucked fitness wise already and we're just in to November. Three more bloody internationals these next two weeks and several of ours will have nothing left in the tank soon, like Pep says something has to give re the number of games played every season. I know this doesn't touch the pragmatism narrative but I think it's a lot to do with how we're playing at present and I can't see things getting much better in the future.

 

[Paul1970]

We always say the players are tired and that is why we are not performing well what would happen if a lot of people went to work and didn’t perform because they are tired . They get absolute shot loads of money to go out and perform ski don’t feel sorry for these pampered superstars and neither should any normal working class person out there and does 40 plus hours a week for a fraction of there pay.

 

[remember arthur mann]

Obviously in transition from last year, don't worry, it will take a little longer but nowhere near as over at the swamp which is 7+ years and counting !

 

[supercity88]

Barely a break from last season, no pre-season plus several injuries and covid through the team.

I don't think it is any surprise we aren't that sharp. Liverpool and City have had it tough physically and mentally and were blown in the second half. There is science behind the whingeing about banning 5 subs.

Yes it would help us with our bigger squad but without it we are also most affected having had no time off last time out.

 

[MAG]

It’s the Lillo effect!
Juan Manuel Lillo

 

[mrtwiceaseason]

Think Pep looks daft going on about five subs and only making one and leaving foden waiting to come on for 10 minutes and not using him, no point in complaining about players running on fumes if you Carnt even use the subs available

 

[bugsyblue]

We can debate whether yesterday was a point gained or two points lost but to be honest that will only be answered by the end of the season.

However I don’t agree with the assessment that there are huge parallels between Pep’s first season and now. If they are, there really shouldn’t be!

When Pep arrived he had instil his ethos and style. That understandably takes time. Equally we had an ageing squad which needed rebuilding, we had players that didn’t fit Pep’s style (hart) and we always knew that first season was a transitional one.

Fast forward to now, Pep’s entered his 5th season with us - he’s not rebuilding someone else’s side, this is HIS side! Yes football is cyclical and yes we need a small rebuild but we have a much better squad now that what he inherited. We have players that fundamentally understand what pep wants and expects. In short, we shouldn’t need such a transition to take place and if we do then that’s a failure on pep and the club.

Yesterday was an opportunity lost in my opinion. You can call it pragmatic but I think we were slightly cowardly. But that’s not even the most startling observation to debate. What we should be debating is why we have become so predictable going forward? Why have we lost the edge and spark we once had in attack? It’s not pragmatism that’s causing this, it’s because we aren’t good enough. That’s the harsh reality.