Pep Guardiola - 2022/23

[JewelZee]

I also totally agree that he should have introduced subs earlier at the weekend but I trust that he had his reasons. Saying that he “overthinks” or is “stubborn” is too simplistic and “gimmick”’is just nonsense.

Inverted FB v Everton = nonsense.

 

[blueparrot]

Inverted FB v Everton = nonsense.

How is it nonsense we’ve been playing inverted fullbacks pretty much the last 5 years, why would he suddenly change it against Everton at home, how is that a gimmick, certainly not the reason we drew the game.

 

[Barcon]

In the words of the legendary Vinny Barbarino...Okay fine...

Up your nose with a rubber hose.

 

[Lavinda Past]

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.

Take your head out of the sand.

We're miles off standards of 2018/19 and, although we've been successful, we've dropped off quite significantly this season.

We'll need to improve massively over the rest of the season to win the PL this year. I won't be surprised if we do win it, because that's what we do, but we're probably going to have to do it the hard way.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Inverted FB v Everton = nonsense.

No it’s not. Lewis has been playing basically the same role that Walker plays in every game. What was a bad idea in my opinion was leaving Ake at full back where he could have had the cutting edge of Cancelo.

But it’s easy in hindsight. He knows what he’s doing and he will put it right.

 

[blueyorkie]

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.

Pretty well agree with that Colin, the main thing for me is to create width by playing wingers wide on their natural side rather than inverted which reduces the space for us to work in and makes it easier for our opponents to defend.

 

[Pep Guardiola]

Guys sorry I dont know where write this.

I read in England there is racism with Milton Keynes people wich is a city or whatever.

Thats true?

 

[citizen_maine]

Guys sorry I dont know where write this.

I read in England there is racism with Milton Keynes people wich is a city or whatever.

Thats true?

I know Yaya had accused him of racism, but hadn't heard that Milton Keynes had too

Edit: or should that be 'you' Pep?

 

[applejuice]

How is it nonsense we’ve been playing inverted fullbacks pretty much the last 5 years, why would he suddenly change it against Everton at home, how is that a gimmick, certainly not the reason we drew the game.

We play one inverted fullback + one traditional fullback + two CBs in the past.

Now we play with one inverted fullback + 3 CBs.

It means the opposition can double triple on the wingers fully knowing no one will come up to support them...

And even worse with 3 CBs we still cannot defend properly at the back. Grey can turn slip and get up with tons of rooms in the box then practise shooting....

 

[Mancini’s Pastilles]

The Silva that Pep had was past his orime and not close to a top 10 in the world. I wouldn't be sure he was top 10 even in his prime, but he was close if not.

The Silva in the centurions season was prime short memories my friend