Pep Guardiola - 2023/24

[Phil1]

Fair enough. I don't see any benefit in playing Alvarez as an AM when KDB is on the pitch, ever, not now and not in the future...so we'll agree to disagree...

I don’t expect that position to be his in the future btw, I think he’s there at the moment to help improve his all round game. It’s risky of course and will bite us when we drop points but I’ll always trust the process with Pep.

 

[city warrior]

I don’t expect that position to be his in the future btw, I think he’s there at the moment to help improve his all round game. It’s risky of course and will bite us when we drop points but I’ll always trust the process with Pep.

Absolutely. I also think City didn't expect Alvarez to be as good as quickly. I think we bought him with the idea that Haaland might go to another league in a short time (just because of his contract, his dad and agent comments on what they see Haaland's career will be like). I still think Haaland will be here 3 years (4 at most), so having Alvarez is fundamental. But you cannot have him playing 10-15 matches a year.

That is my theory of why Alvarez continues playing even now that KDB is back. But from now on, I think Alvarez will play as a starter in all the matches that are not as difficult.

 

[alexmcity]

What do Pep's critics think when they moan about his decisions?

Most of them realise he's the best or one of the best managers. Yet they think they know better than him whether he should play X, Y and Z (insert names of less popular players). How come?

Guess their theory is that Pep is a genius at finding winning formulas, but doesn't stick with them sufficiently long and tinkers to the detriment of the team (and the psychological well-being of fans). That is, he has character flaws, which make him a tinker man making avoidable mistakes.

For instance: What's the point of playing Gvardiol at LB? What's the point of playing Alvarez when you have both KDB and Foden to choose from? What's the point of playing Doku who dribbles, loses the ball, and repeat? What's the point of Akanji in midfield? Etc.

Well, this theory of Pep's flaws doesn't strike me as plausible. It's natural to asume Pep sees both the big picture and details much better than any fan. He is a top manager because there are good reasons behind his decisions. He wouldn't be so successful if personal quirks affected his decision making. Any of his less popular choices is motivated by things some of us don't understand sufficiently well. Pep wouldn't be Pep if he wasn't seeing things fans couldn't see or understand. Remember the time many on here thought Gundo and Rodri weren't good enough and Pep was stubborn and foolish to play them together?

 

[mcfcphil]

What do Pep's critics think when they moan about his decisions?

Most of them realise he's the best or one of the best managers. Yet they think they know better than him whether he should play X, Y and Z (insert names of less popular players). How come?

Guess their theory is that Pep is a genius at finding winning formulas, but doesn't stick with them sufficiently long and tinkers to the detriment of the team (and the psychological well-being of fans). That is, he has character flaws, which make him a tinker man making avoidable mistakes.

For instance: What's the point of playing Gvardiol at LB? What's the point of playing Alvarez when you have both KDB and Foden to choose from? What's the point of playing Doku who dribbles, loses the ball, and repeat? What's the point of Akanji in midfield? Etc.

Well, this theory of Pep's flaws doesn't strike me as plausible. It's natural to asume Pep sees both the big picture and details much better than any fan. He is a top manager because there are good reasons behind his decisions. He wouldn't be so successful if personal quirks affected his decision making. Any of his less popular choices is motivated by things some of us don't understand sufficiently well. Pep wouldn't be Pep if he wasn't seeing things fans couldn't see or understand. Remember the time many on here thought Gundo and Rodri weren't good enough and Pep was stubborn and foolish to play them together?

It is implausible for any human being, in any walk of life, to be infallible.

 

[alexmcity]

It is implausible for any human being, in any walk of life, to be infallible.

Yes, indeed.

What I wrote didn't imply that Pep has been infallible, though. The point was that fans are far less competent than him and should take into account that they know next to nothing about the reasons behind his less popular decisions.

When people who haven't managed anything, let alone a top football team, think they know better than the manager when and where X, Y and Z should play, despite lacking enough information and skills to understand it, they are most probably cranks. A lot of Pep's critics are being really foolish. The fact that Pep isn't infallible doesn't make the criticisms likely to be right. Most of them are silly.

 

[meeesh]

Yes, indeed.

What I wrote didn't imply that Pep has been infallible, though. The point was that fans are far less competent than him and should take into account that they know next to nothing about the reasons behind his less popular decisions.

When people who haven't managed anything, let alone a top football team, think they know better than the manager when and where X, Y and Z should play, despite lacking enough information and skills to understand it, they are most probably cranks. A lot of Pep's critics are being really foolish. The fact that Pep isn't infallible doesn't make the criticisms likely to be right. Most of them are silly.

Every manager that’s ever worked in football will have critics and “experts” who think they know better, we have two who come spouting shit on sky every week for a start, it’s just whose gullible enough to take in what they say I suppose, when one in particular has been a huge failure in the managerial game when he tried it

 

[B\connellblue]

Yes, indeed.

What I wrote didn't imply that Pep has been infallible, though. The point was that fans are far less competent than him and should take into account that they know next to nothing about the reasons behind his less popular decisions.

When people who haven't managed anything, let alone a top football team, think they know better than the manager when and where X, Y and Z should play, despite lacking enough information and skills to understand it, they are most probably cranks. A lot of Pep's critics are being really foolish. The fact that Pep isn't infallible doesn't make the criticisms likely to be right. Most of them are silly.

Hopefully that stunt he pulled with Akanji Saturday evening will not be repeated. Even the incompetent fans can see that was a disaster.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

I'd dearly love to see:
* Foden played centrally.
* More of Bobb, less of Doku
* Stones or Lewis pushing forward into mid - not Akanji
* Gvardiol at CB, not LB

 

[mcfcphil]

Yes, indeed.

What I wrote didn't imply that Pep has been infallible, though. The point was that fans are far less competent than him and should take into account that they know next to nothing about the reasons behind his less popular decisions.

When people who haven't managed anything, let alone a top football team, think they know better than the manager when and where X, Y and Z should play, despite lacking enough information and skills to understand it, they are most probably cranks. A lot of Pep's critics are being really foolish. The fact that Pep isn't infallible doesn't make the criticisms likely to be right. Most of them are silly.

I’m not sure what the point is here? If someone says Bernardo should have started instead of Alvarez on Saturday are they not allowed to do so because Pep knows more than them?

I don’t think any sane person would suggest they know more than Pep but it seems a bit odd to suggest they can’t comment on what they believe to be mistakes he makes…

 

[balotellishaircut]

I'd dearly love to see:
* Foden played centrally.
* More of Bobb, less of Doku
* Stones or Lewis pushing forward into mid - not Akanji
* Gvardiol at CB, not LB

I’d dearly love if all City fans supported the lads in Sky blue whoever plays, and gets behind the team, instead of quotes like “he’s not good enough or he will be gone next year” .