Pep Guardiola - 2022/23

[city warrior]

It began after his brainfart v Chelsea in the CL final and carried into last season. Cracks were already appearing before Madrid semi final and we almost blew the PL against Villa.

This season has been a shocker apart from two or three very good performances, most games being rescued by De Bruyne and Haaland.

I feel that he is prioritising the CL and wouldn't be at all surprised if his contract has a clause that allows him to walk away if we win it.

Fortunately for him, Pep (quite rightly) has plenty of credit in the bank with City fans. Unfortunately for him, an increasing number of fans seem to be raising (imo quite reasonable) concerns around his team selection, tactics, substitutions, public criticism of players etc,and even his coaching assistants.

January is a huge month for City. If anyone can get through it successfully, it's Pep Guardiola. However, he's got to keep his squad happy and that may be a bigger job than we think.

So let me understand. You are annoyed because we lost a UCL semifinal where we were miles ahead the best team, and because we won the PL with the 4th highest points ever with a record streak? I don't even know what to say.

We are 7 points behind (with 1 match less) from a team that has played really well so far, and we udually start playing at our best from January. We have eliminated Chelsea and Liverpool from the Carabao cup, comfortably qualified in our UCL group. All of this in our historical worst months of every season.

Abd we have done that without Walker (our most important defensive player), and with no LB. If there is one thing that football fans are not, is reasonable, so I am not that surprised, but still.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Been thinking about how we seem to be so out of sorts this season (although our 'out of sorts' is still a lot better than most other teams' 'decent'). I think you can tie it into the debate around Grealish.

It seems to me that Pep's tryimg to play the same 4-3-3 (or more precisely a 3-2-2-3) we played with Sané and Sterling. But we don't have those two players so he's tried to shoehorn Grealish and (to a lesser degree) Mahrez & Foden into a system that simply doesn't make best use of their abilities.

It's alright saying Grealish is a 'failure' but he's not being played in the same role he played at Villa, where he operated more centrally just behind the front players, be that as an 8 or 10. He wasn't a wide player. You could probably find posts of mine on here that praised Grealish as a perfect Pep player when he was at Villa. He used the so-called half-spaces brilliantly so I wasn't surprised when we signed him.

But Pep's used him (and others) as square pegs in round holes in this system we play. It's like trying to play a guitar with a violin bow. You'll get a tune out of it but it won't sound right.

We need to go to a 4-1-3-2 (or 3-2-3-2 in possession) with Haaland and Alvarez (or Mahrez) up front, with KDB, Foden and Grealish (or Bernardo, Gundogan, Palmer) as the three behind them.

For me, that formation maximises our strengths. It would surprise me if Foden, Cancelo and Walker aren't being played because they're unhappy with what they're being asked to do, and it's showing.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Been thinking about how we seem to be so out of sorts this season (although our 'out of sorts' is still a lot better than most other teams' 'decent'). I think you can tie it into the debate around Grealish.

It seems to me that Pep's tryimg to play the same 4-3-3 (or more precisely a 3-2-2-3) we played with Sané and Sterling. But we don't have those two players so he's tried to shoehorn Grealish and (to a lesser degree) Mahrez & Foden into a system that simply doesn't make best use of their abilities.

It's alright saying Grealish is a 'failure' but he's not being played in the same role he played at Villa, where he operated more centrally just behind the front players, be that as an 8 or 10. He wasn't a wide player. You could probably find posts of mine on here that praised Grealish as a perfect Pep player when he was at Villa. He used the so-called half-spaces brilliantly so I wasn't surprised when we signed him.

But Pep's used him (and others) as square pegs in round holes in this system we play. It's like trying to play a guitar with a violin bow. You'll get a tune out of it but it won't sound right.

We need to go to a 4-1-3-2 (or 3-2-3-2 in possession) with Haaland and Alvarez (or Mahrez) up front, with KDB, Foden and Grealish (or Bernardo, Gundogan, Palmer) as the three behind them.

For me, that formation maximises our strengths. It would surprise me if Foden, Cancelo and Walker aren't being played because they're unhappy with what they're being asked to do, and it's showing.

I agree with a lot of this but the big problem with two up front is we relinquish midfield dominance in the harder games. We had a similar spell to this about 2(maybe 3) years ago where we went to 4231 and the full backs were being asked to push right on. I remember Peo saying after we won the league that year that they had a bit of a showdown and you could see it. He changed it back to one holding midfielder and the full backs let the wide men take up that space and we suddenly started winning game. I sense we are at that sort of watershed now and I expect him to put it right but I’m not convinced it will be with two out and out strikers.

I think he needs to abandon Grealish and/or Mahrez.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Been thinking about how we seem to be so out of sorts this season (although our 'out of sorts' is still a lot better than most other teams' 'decent'). I think you can tie it into the debate around Grealish.

It seems to me that Pep's tryimg to play the same 4-3-3 (or more precisely a 3-2-2-3) we played with Sané and Sterling. But we don't have those two players so he's tried to shoehorn Grealish and (to a lesser degree) Mahrez & Foden into a system that simply doesn't make best use of their abilities.

It's alright saying Grealish is a 'failure' but he's not being played in the same role he played at Villa, where he operated more centrally just behind the front players, be that as an 8 or 10. He wasn't a wide player. You could probably find posts of mine on here that praised Grealish as a perfect Pep player when he was at Villa. He used the so-called half-spaces brilliantly so I wasn't surprised when we signed him.

But Pep's used him (and others) as square pegs in round holes in this system we play. It's like trying to play a guitar with a violin bow. You'll get a tune out of it but it won't sound right.

We need to go to a 4-1-3-2 (or 3-2-3-2 in possession) with Haaland and Alvarez (or Mahrez) up front, with KDB, Foden and Grealish (or Bernardo, Gundogan, Palmer) as the three behind them.

For me, that formation maximises our strengths. It would surprise me if Foden, Cancelo and Walker aren't being played because they're unhappy with what they're being asked to do, and it's showing.

Peps habit of playing square pegs quite often produces brilliance,unfortunately its not quite working of late.

 

[manimanc]

If we are out of sorts this season and sit 2nd in the league with progression to the last 16 of the champions league secured AND through to the quarters(Again!), i can't wait to see us when we hit full tilt.

Seriously some of the posts in here.

Yes we haven't been the swashbuckling team of yesteryear and we've tweaked our system slightly but i think we've looked alright. A bit leggy in a few games but still gives me a buzz when we play.

 

[JewelZee]

The reason City are the team to beat each season is because of Pep. Don’t get too comfortable on that lofty position. The decline when he goes will be steep. The ideology
he has brought to the club far outweighs any trophy. Before the great man arrived we were a rich club with no identity. He gave us a credibility that could not be bought no matter how much money we throw at it.

The selection of players and rotation has left us winning league after league. It might frustrate fans but why change what is not broken? It’s clear we are not hitting the heights of previous seasons and Pep is part of that reason. The players are not performing. He don’t ask Jack to dribble into player time and time again, he don’t ask Kev to miss hit pass after pass or Akanji and stones to let Everton score by defending like shit.

We are who we are. I wouldn’t change it at all. The highs and lows of football. Arsenal are playing better than us and deserve to be top.

Ultimately as a collective the team needs to improve. Each individual needs to improve. City have no right to win each season. A lot goes into each team selection. Players attitudes, fitness and so on. If you think pep is stood around and thinking this is all right then you have not been paying attention.

stick by the coach otherwise we are just another rich plaything with no identity and a bunch of players deciding when the are going to perform or not. So all in all I would rather have what we have warts and all than become like everyone else.

Oh and fuck the champions league. We all watched the corrupt games at play to stop us winning that competition. We may have messed up against Chelsea but prior to that final we got shafted time and time again.

I can't say the reason we are the team to beat is solely down to Pep. He has done all of which you say. I for one am not disputing that. But just like a great player a great coach can go into a rut as well. Pep has the best team and doesn't need to prove anything. Some of these gimmicks, and I will call them that because that's exactly what they are, are completely unnecessary. Why the hell would you need to employ inverted FBs v. Everton? Why bring Foden and Alvarez on so late and leave Cancelo out altogether when you have about 30 minutes to get ONE goal and are creating basically nothing? To prove what exactly? That you know more than anyone else? That's been proven, mostly. Greater men have lost the plot. I'm not saying that about Pep and I'm not anywhere near convinced that he has, but I'm not naive enough to think it can't ever happen. Pep has always had a propensity to overthink it on occasion but it just seems he's doing it with much greater frequency this year and the performances and inconsistencies bear that out. Make no mistake, 99% of coaches would chew their arm off to have the roster he has at his disposal. That said, as I stated up above I agree with what you are saying about identity and sustained success and Pep's role in getting us there. I don't agree one bit that things will digress to any great level once Pep were to leave. The groundwork for sustained success has now been laid and as long as the ownership and management retain their current level of commitment regarding resources City will continue to thrive. Maybe even bag one or two of those corrupt CL trophies. Just sayin'.

 

[waspish]

Has it fuck. These daft little “mutinies” have been occurring in dark little corners of the forum every time we have drawn a game since the day he arrived. Some football fans are short-sighted and knee jerk but Pep puts them back in their box every single time. A great manager doesn’t turn into a bad one and a bad manager doesn’t turn into a great one. There are ebbs and flows but the cream rises to the top and the turds sink to the bottom in football.

Agree but some are not Man City fans who come on here and post utter dross

 

[JewelZee]

How did that work out for them?

You can't be serious? They are two heavyweights with not much separating one from the other. You can't actually be comparing that to us playing Everton at the Etihad? How the fuck do you actually ask that question?

 

[JewelZee]

Would you swap Pep for Carlo if given the opportunity?

No...

 

[meeesh]

So let me understand. You are annoyed because we lost a UCL semifinal where we were miles ahead the best team, and because we won the PL with the 4th highest points ever with a record streak? I don't even know what to say.

We are 7 points behind (with 1 match less) from a team that has played really well so far, and we udually start playing at our best from January. We have eliminated Chelsea and Liverpool from the Carabao cup, comfortably qualified in our UCL group. All of this in our historical worst months of every season.

Abd we have done that without Walker (our most important defensive player), and with no LB. If there is one thing that football fans are not, is reasonable, so I am not that surprised, but still.

8 points -5 tomorrow hopefully