Pep Guardiola - 2023/24

[Rammy Blue]

I am not sure Pep can be faulted for his selection as much as his reluctance to change it once it was obvious it wasn’t working.

Alvarez in the high press and build up role could have worked well, but it was pretty clear it wasn’t by halftime. It was actually having the opposite effect after the restart (we were a poorer side with him in it at that point), and Pep’s stubbornness to acknowledge and correct it was his real mistake.

Kovacic should have come on for Alvarez on 50 minutes. In retrospect, I am sure Pep knows that.

Nah, not for me, it was an error in initial selection that most of us wouldn’t have made, imo.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Nah, not for me, it was an error in initial selection that most of us wouldn’t have made, imo.

Fair enough.

Personally, I assume Pep has considerably more information than I do ahead of matches, so I defer to him on selection and tactics, even beyond him obviously being an infinitely better manager than I could ever hope to be.

Once the match starts, I think the gap between the information he has versus what the fans have starts to close, given that is largely based on what is actually happening on the pitch at that point, so I am a bit more comfortable being critical of his decisions (or lack there of) during matches.

Which is why I will always fault him more for what I consider poor choices during the match than perceived ones prior to it. Especially as I have been wrong far more often when questioning his selections than with his substitutes or tactical changes.

 

[alexmcity]

Nah, not for me, it was an error in initial selection that most of us wouldn’t have made, imo.

Who could have played at LW if Pep had started Kova instead of Alvarez? The logical answer is Foden. But that would mean to put Bernie at RW. Pep wanted Bernie in midfield as Kova is still new to the team. Kova takes more risks than Bernie as he loves to dribble through the middle.

I don't know whether Pep made a mistake, but Liverpool's weak link was the right side of their defence and Alvarez isn't a winger. Maybe Pep should have played Foden on the left and Alvarez or Nunes on the right. That was maybe a bigger mistake, if there was such at all, than going with Bernie in midfield rather than Kovacic.

 

[bluegaz13]

The performance v Real Madrid was as close as you could get to perfection…………9 of those starters were available today and we have Foden instead of Grealish and maybe Kova instead of Gundognan ( a downgrade granted)

The defence last season looked impregnable…….why Change

 

[alexmcity]

The performance v Real Madrid was as close as you could get to perfection…………9 of those starters were available today and we have Foden instead of Grealish and maybe Kova instead of Gundognan ( a downgrade granted)

The defence last season looked impregnable…….why Change

You mean, why not play Akanji at LB, as Ake missed both legs vs Madrid due to injury and Akanji played at LB instead of Ake?

 

[HaalandEffect]

Should go back to a 4-3-3 now, and instead of 4-2-3-1?

 

[WallyA]

Should go back to a 4-3-3 now, and instead of 4-2-3-1?

Formation doesnt matter.

We have been attacking as a 3241 with the ball for a while now.

The problem is where the players started and their performance.

A formation change out of the ball, we 442 without the ball, isnt the problem.

 

[Fordyboy46]

The fact Pep said we were better when Kova was on sums up his selection mistake today, Kova should have started in place of Alvarez today.

And i bet Pep is regretting that now

 

[Phil1]

Pretty sure he wasn’t expecting Alverez to play as terrible as a weekend in Grimsby.
That said, be interesting to know if there’s a reason so many looked off it today.
Makes no sense.

 

[meeesh]

Who could have played at LW if Pep had started Kova instead of Alvarez? The logical answer is Foden. But that would mean to put Bernie at RW. Pep wanted Bernie in midfield as Kova is still new to the team. Kova takes more risks than Bernie as he loves to dribble through the middle.

I don't know whether Pep made a mistake, but Liverpool's weak link was the right side of their defence and Alvarez isn't a winger. Maybe Pep should have played Foden on the left and Alvarez or Nunes on the right. That was maybe a bigger mistake, if there was such at all, than going with Bernie in midfield rather than Kovacic.

Nunes is fucking garbage, forget him going forward

 

[bluegaz13]

You mean, why not play Akanji at LB, as Ake missed both legs vs Madrid due to injury and Akanji played at LB instead of Ake?

No…..I mean the four centre centre backs

 

[cleavers]

Formation doesnt matter.

Correct, we don't have a fixed one in any game, it varies depending on attack or defence, we mostly attacked first half, and defended second, people get fixated by formations, because they don't understand Pep imho.

 

[mrtwiceaseason]

For me hung rodri out to dry today .:+(

 

[fuskarn]

the akanji change was fine and akanji has been very good this season. the alvarez starting change was insanity, playing someone who loses the ball every other touch against a team that feasts on counter attacks is borderline criminal. kovacic should have started, since when does pep not like control?

 

[ninjamonkey]

I approved of the change defensively, akanji was the right call in my eyes and I think he was proved correct in his performance today where his pace was essential but his decision to have us vacate the midfield entirely and refuse to use haaland more were both shit decisions and were his shit decisions. I don't think he's nailed an approach to a top 4 game all season and that needs to change now otherwise we're done. Pep needs to step up more than any player now if we want silverware again.

 

[Damanino]

that experience really missing from wings which we had with Mahrez, Grealish. ball is sticking to them, rarely misplaced passes, even hard too take balls away from them without a foul. one thing Grealish is good that he has the ball he can win a freekick or keep the ball.

compare that to Alvarez wingplay today, within seconds he had the ball it was going to a Liverpool player or got himself in a harder situation by being slow and allowing Pool players to surround him, few times he did this on his own half facing his own goal. cost Rodri a yellow too.

add to all that Gundogan's calming role and setting the tempo he was perfect fit last season with ability to control speed, influence attacks, roam forward, get into the box even scoring some hugely important goals at right moments (FA cup final double, Aston Villa brace last round 21-22 at 1-2 down coming off the bench...), some assists on top.

a squad refresh was needed after a treble win, but we had experienced players leaving, bit of a messed up transfer window (Bellingham to Rice to Paqueta to Nunes..., from plan A to plan Q), incoming ones nowhere near matching the outgoing players level.

 

[wolviedinho]

Stuck on alveraz and it’s fucking up the midfield control. Haaland up front means we need extra bodies in midfield to keep us compact and able to press.

Needs to find away out of this no control in midfield which is causing us huge problems.

Still the man tho no matter if we win nothing ever again -:)

 

[WallyA]

I think one big thing that bothers me, besides the personnel and where they were, is simply our press.

Most big teams we have played this season, the 424 press has been woefully found out.

And everytime a good team easily bypasses the front 4, the midfield gets overran easily.

And sometimes the press is like a 415 with Rodri on his own.

I think the 424 press is fine against most weaker teams, but the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal know how to use their goalie to bypass to the midfield too easily.

 

[Alvin-blue-qhd]

I think one big thing that bothers me, besides the personnel and where they were, is simply our press.

Most big teams we have played this season, the 424 press has been woefully found out.

And everytime a good team easily bypasses the front 4, the midfield gets overran easily.

And sometimes the press is like a 415 with Rodri on his own.

I think the 424 press is fine against most weaker teams, but the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal know how to use their goalie to bypass to the midfield too easily.

I like 442, old school!

 

[Keeper!]

Shit the bed yet again at Anfield, brilliant start then the dippers changed tact and had us over.

We were overrun in midfield and constantly looked vulnerable at the back, Haaland/Alvarez invisible, and Rodri on his own.

Also Bernardo, love this guy but FFS he is running round like a headless chicken this season, he is so much better than that.

Kovacic had to be on for me and his version of Haaland in big games is a passenger, sometimes we look far better with a false 9 in the tough games.