Pep Guardiola - 2023/24

[alexmcity]

What makes Pep "the best" is he fucks up a lot less than other managers...but he still fucks some things up...

Yes, it's inevitable that he makes mistakes. Because football may seem to be a very simple game, but it involves too many variables and trade-offs that are hard to calculate: say, if you play a defender in midfield, then, on the one hand, you can stop attacks already in the middle of the park, but, on the other hand, you may suffer more dangerous counters, etc. There are such tactical trade-offs from the keeper to the striker, and many more, related to individual qualities. Nobody can know in advance whether certain decisions are going to work.

Also, sometimes bad results have little to do with tactics and personnel and are down to personal mistakes, chance and refereeing errors. When Pep was preparing the tactics for Chelsea, he took into account that they concede many chances and goals (4 vs Liverpool and 4 vs Wolves!), and didn't take into account that Haaland might be completely wasteful, as the latter was improbable. Our xG was about 3,5 which is usually enough for 4-5 goals.

 

[JewelZee]

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.

If the media weren't so obsessed with being jackasses and asking ridiculous questions in the hope of making the club look bad maybe they would have the time and inclination to ask questions more pertinent to football decisions. Why is it that no one ever asks Pep questions like why is Akanji playing in the "Stones" role when to everyone watching it looks like crap? I'm sure that's the type of insight people would like hearing, not the same tired bullshit about the charges or what dickheads like Neville are saying about the squad...

 

[JewelZee]

You have no idea if stones is ready to play 2 games a week. Past evidence says he’s probably not.
I doubt he does anything because he just feels like it.
Disrespectful as fuck.

Whether Stones is ready to play 2 games a week is irrelevant...it doesn't mean Akanji should therefore be put in that role and fuck shit up...

 

[alexmcity]

If the media weren't so obsessed with being jackasses and asking ridiculous questions in the hope of making the club look bad maybe they would have the time and inclination to ask questions more pertinent to football decisions. Why is it that no one ever asks Pep questions like why is Akanji playing in the "Stones" role when to everyone watching it looks like crap? I'm sure that's the type of insight people would like hearing, not the same tired bullshit about the charges or what dickheads like Neville are saying about the squad...

I agree, but think some fans underestimate Akanji. He isn't in top form yet, which is normal. Pep has seen his qualities in training and prepares him to step up if/when Stones isn't fit.

Akanji is our most versatile defender. He was excellent at RB vs Bayern and then at LB vs Real. His passing is more than decent and he is our physically strongest player (according to Rodri), which makes him a potentially good partner of Rodri. Also, he's quicker than the other defenders not named Walker.

Nobody can be sure whether Pep's experiment will work, time will tell.

 

[JewelZee]

I also think sometimes shit happens and the players have an uncharacteristic mistake or the opposing team has their best game ever…and thus even though it doesn’t work, it still may be worth trying again in his mind!

Playing Alvarez as an 8 alongside KDB against anyone of note will NEVER work...

 

[bluenova]

What makes Pep "the best" is he fucks up a lot less than other managers...but he still fucks some things up...

Some journos still talk about the Chelsea CL final as if he does it all the time.

He's reached ten finals as City boss, and that's the only one he's lost. And I believe his record at Barca and Bayern was 15 out of 15.

I don't think anyone even comes close to that kind of record, so he must be doing something right.

 

[trueblue1972]

You have no idea if stones is ready to play 2 games a week. Past evidence says he’s probably not.
I doubt he does anything because he just feels like it.
Disrespectful as fuck.

It's amazing how many people on here think they know better than pep,

 

[meeesh]

I agree, but think some fans underestimate Akanji. He isn't in top form yet, which is normal. Pep has seen his qualities in training and prepares him to step up if/when Stones isn't fit.

Akanji is our most versatile defender. He was excellent at RB vs Bayern and then at LB vs Real. His passing is more than decent and he is our physically strongest player (according to Rodri), which makes him a potentially good partner of Rodri. Also, he's quicker than the other defenders not named Walker.

Nobody can be sure whether Pep's experiment will work, time will tell.

He's not quick mate, agree with most you have said there but he's slower than a carthorse, as we have seen on more than one occasion this season, I know Rodri ain't blessed with pace neither but we on about Akanji here

 

[JewelZee]

Some journos still talk about the Chelsea CL final as if he does it all the time.

He's reached ten finals as City boss, and that's the only one he's lost. And I believe his record at Barca and Bayern was 15 out of 15.

I don't think anyone even comes close to that kind of record, so he must be doing something right.

Duh...didn't I just say he's the best and that he errs way less often than other managers?

 

[alexmcity]

He's not quick mate, agree with most you have said there but he's slower than a carthorse, as we have seen on more than one occasion this season, I know Rodri ain't blessed with pace neither but we on about Akanji here

Might be wrong mate, but he seems quick to me. Or rather seemed quick when he was in top condition.