Pep Guardiola - 2020/21 Performances

[Craig]

Thank you for this. our fanbase is making me so angry at times, there's a lot of things going on, it's not just black or white. We just drew with Liverpool not with Fulham.

It does seem we are focusing on UCL this year and Pep seems to be planning for it, especially the later stage.

Glad he’s planning for that already whilst in a group the EDS would have a chance of progressing from. Hopefully his plan is to pick his best team in the knockout games. Fair fucks if he manages to win it now given how he messed up so many years on the bounce when he had great sides.

 

[Corky]

2 new players in the starting line-up, one in the finishing line up.

It can't be the same transition excuse every single season, when a player leaves whose replacement was supposed to be signed 3 years before he left, or another player leaves who hardly played due to injury.

The league is there for the taking, the squad is good enough although striking options chose not to be addressed.

It is like when Keegan struggled so went defensive and got some good away nil nils, but struggled to score more than one goal a game. Although the board had stopped spending so Keegan had to cut his cloth, were as JG is still getting big money signings on tap, yet they are worse than the players they are supposed to be replacing.

 

[the_tevez_wiggle]

Outstanding post mate. No doubt you will be labelled a happy clapper by some.

Ederson/Stefan best goalkeeping duo in the world probably. Years of service ahead for them
Walker/cancelo/couto - 1 defensive, 1 attacking, 1 understudy. Walker coming into his end of career but is very solid and doesn't look to be tiring.
Dias/stones/thb - 1 world class, 1 very good rotation, 1 high potential understudy.
Laporte/ake/mbete - 1 world class, 1 just below world class, 1 high potential understudy.
1st teamer needed, mendy - we need to buy a left back or 2 nothing great I've seen coming through yet either.
Rodri/gundogan/Tommy doyle - 1 very good player still learning, Tommy might suit this position or maybe higher up. I'd like to see a more mobile backup for Rodriguez though.
Kdb/foden/mcatee - 1 best mid in the world, 1 extremely talented prospect, 1 next phil foden.
Bernado/palmer/nmecha - not sure whether we need to buy an aouar type player here, bernadotte is great but we aren't controlling games as well.
Sterling/braff - 1 world class, 1 great potential.
Mahrez/torres - mahrez isn't for me. Torres is untaped potential.
Kun/jesus/delay - the perfect blend.

Yes its a work in progress, yes we need at least 1 lb, a cdm, an am and a winger but the building blocks are in place. We were always going to struggle losing yaya, zaba, kompany, silva (kun & ferna dwindling) and to a lesser extent hart, Barry, nico, delph, etc. Yes, some are replaceable talent wise but these were characters/big personalities. Until dias arrived we have a nice, polite, good guys squad. Not a general amongst them, yes you can lead by example on the pitch but you need a motivator. Watching doyle and thb in the final shouting at lads out of position, passionately cheering every great tackle or oppo missed pass, personally is what we have missed. Dias can be that leader, that guy who's calm when needed and a bastard when it gets gritty.

Anyway, I believe this next version pep is building which will include city fans will be the best to date. Will he see it complete, maybe, maybe not, but the nucleus is there.

 

[come-on-barney]

Outstanding post mate. No doubt you will be labelled a happy clapper by some.

Ederson/Stefan best goalkeeping duo in the world probably. Years of service ahead for them
Walker/cancelo/couto - 1 defensive, 1 attacking, 1 understudy. Walker coming into his end of career but is very solid and doesn't look to be tiring.
Dias/stones/thb - 1 world class, 1 very good rotation, 1 high potential understudy.
Laporte/ake/mbete - 1 world class, 1 just below world class, 1 high potential understudy.
1st teamer needed, mendy - we need to buy a left back or 2 nothing great I've seen coming through yet either.
Rodri/gundogan/Tommy doyle - 1 very good player still learning, Tommy might suit this position or maybe higher up. I'd like to see a more mobile backup for Rodriguez though.
Kdb/foden/mcatee - 1 best mid in the world, 1 extremely talented prospect, 1 next phil foden.
Bernado/palmer/nmecha - not sure whether we need to buy an aouar type player here, bernadotte is great but we aren't controlling games as well.
Sterling/braff - 1 world class, 1 great potential.
Mahrez/torres - mahrez isn't for me. Torres is untaped potential.
Kun/jesus/delay - the perfect blend.

Yes its a work in progress, yes we need at least 1 lb, a cdm, an am and a winger but the building blocks are in place. We were always going to struggle losing yaya, zaba, kompany, silva (kun & ferna dwindling) and to a lesser extent hart, Barry, nico, delph, etc. Yes, some are replaceable talent wise but these were characters/big personalities. Until dias arrived we have a nice, polite, good guys squad. Not a general amongst them, yes you can lead by example on the pitch but you need a motivator. Watching doyle and thb in the final shouting at lads out of position, passionately cheering every great tackle or oppo missed pass, personally is what we have missed. Dias can be that leader, that guy who's calm when needed and a bastard when it gets gritty.

Anyway, I believe this next version pep is building which will include city fans will be the best to date. Will he see it complete, maybe, maybe not, but the nucleus is there.

Just needs to get that contract signed, or we are handing off to a new manager who is signed up to the blueprint. Hopefully the former.

 

[mccity]

We’re 8 points behind already with barely any games played.

I feel like you've misinterpreted my post. The 1st 2 games are obviously not reflective of our current form and I acknowledge the difference between us and Liverpool 18/19 comes in an inability to grind out winners.

 

[Fordyboy46]

When we were ace , where were you.

Waxing lyrical, I say it how I see it. Those two seasons were absolutely incredible and I couldn't praise the players and Pep highly enough. Last season and the start of this one have been disappointing and criticism is warranted all round.

 

[Horlocksleftpeg]

I don’t mind pragmatism to preserve energy when we’re 2-0 up but we’re starting every game “pragmatic” and not looking threatening if we go behind.
We’ve dropped points in 4 of 7 games this season. It doesn’t matter how it gets spun, that’s not the form of a team who looks like winning the league.
I’m not massively concerned at this stage but we need to put a run together of 5/6 wins to claw back up the table starting at spurs

 

[Saddleworth2]

Call it what you like, the results and more importantly the fabulous attacking football, are gone for now, replaced by inferior football. Yes we are rebuilding but the transition seems clunky as hell. We have issues in midfield, anyone can see that, both defensive and offensive. And still no Foden today. Our most creative, inventive, energetic midfielder this season not one minute on the pitch in a game at home against the current champions that we could have won. Can those that suggest they understand our evolution please explain that.

 

[Horlocksleftpeg]

Call it what you like, the results and more importantly the fabulous attacking football, are gone for now, replaced by inferior football. Yes we are rebuilding but the transition seems clunky as hell. We have issues in midfield, anyone can see that, both defensive and offensive. And still no Foden today. Our most creative, inventive, energetic midfielder this season not one minute on the pitch in a game at home against the current champions that we could have won. Can those that suggest they understand our evolution please explain that.

I could understand it given Liverpool’s line up and the first 30 mins but after 65/70 mins we were crying out for his energy and invention

 

[mccity]

Worth remembering that at the start of the season we were pressing well and creating chances before gassing out after 30 minutes. Which caused us all sorts of problems. Almost like Liverpool experienced today.

I think this play style is driven more by fitness than personnel.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Worth remembering that at the start of the season we were pressing well and creating chances before gassing out after 30 minutes. Which caused us all sorts of problems. Almost like Liverpool experienced today.

I think this play style is driven more by fitness than personnel.

Then why not take advantage of substitutes?

 

[mccity]

Then why not take advantage of substitutes?

I don't know for sure, but a few managers have avoided subs. I think they're afraid of a player getting injured and not having a sub.

Plus Fernandinho's injury might have left a sour taste.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I don't know for sure, but a few managers have avoided subs. I think they're afraid of a player getting injured and not having a sub.

Plus Fernandinho's injury might have left a sour taste.

Ok. So run those that are playing into the ground is going to help our fitness and injury problems?

 

[Mancityus]

What position in the table is pragmatic Pep aiming for - 10th ?

 

[mccity]

Ok. So run those that are playing into the ground is going to help our fitness and injury problems?

Exactly. Whatever he does something is at risk. He brings nobody on the players on the pitch are at risk. He brings 3 on and the introduced players are at risk plus he's in danger of having a 10 man team.

So if he tells them to run around like madmen they're even more in danger. The fitness just isn't there.

 

[Mancity1980]

A lot will be discussed about results, performances, goals, player selection, formations etc over the next few months, and no doubt Pep will come under plenty of scrutiny, but one thing I think we are all missing with the pragmatism currently being shown, is how much Pep has learnt about the Premier league. The parallels between this season and his first are quite stark, we are rebuilding, Pep is rebuilding this team, just like he did in that first season, it won’t all go to plan but it is shaping up a lot better than that first year, we’d of lost this game in that campaign. Win our game in hand & we are on the periphery, progress was achieved in the league cup and CL qualification for the next round is one win away. We’ve sorted our defence and I fancy us to go on and sign a midfielder & forward eventually, does this mean he’s gonna sign an extension? Possibly, but more importantly the foundations are being laid now for another cycle, it’s not easy to challenge on all fronts whilst making major surgery to the starting eleven but we are making a good fist of it, I for one will not be losing patience with the club or management in this transition period, it might get a bit turgid, we might have to settle for one nils, the football may not be so free flowing and our top players may struggle for form, but we will rise again, this club has shown this time & time again over the last decade, new heroes will rise and we will win titles....so let’s not act like the entitled ones in Stretford

Great post, the most important word you penned was “rebuilding”.

 

[WNRH]

If you were to pick an eleven based on Pep’s stereotypical managerial style that he has managed in his career, I think you would pick two teams before anyone in this side would be included (outfield only, Ederson would get in)

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

Moaning he wants the league to sanction 5 subs a game...and only makes one today

Wtf

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

I don't remember too many on here saying it was a rebuilding season before the season started.

 

[Chak19]

Moaning he wants the league to sanction 5 subs a game...and only makes one today

Wtf

Remember the Lyon game when he had 5 subs and made two, sometimes Pep leaves me scratching my head