Pep Guardiola - 2024/25

[waspish]

Pep has built a team that he thinks is well-suited to the way teams play in Europe, in the Champions League, but it’s currently not fit for purpose in a tough Premier League.

Sadly, we are old, slow and predictable.

That’s not to say we don’t have players with the skills necessary to create chances, as we clearly do. But, what it does say is that our First XI is often no longer a match for bigger, stronger, faster opposition that simply out run and over run us.

A midfield of Lewis, Gundo & Bernie against Bissouma, Sarr & Maddison was never going to get anywhere. They were bigger, stronger, faster and hungrier, both in the challenge and to get forward and score.

Kind agree with you! You listen to pro press conference he says you change you keep doing what has us winning all those trophies, my problem with that is we ain't got the players now for that plus he isn't taking into account the premier teams who play his way are anti press keep the ball well and mix it up! We don't mix it up it's the same play that has won us all those trophies but teams now blunt us and counter punch us.

Feel it's not going to get any better anytime soon can see us dropping down to 8/6th spot but not loads of points behind top four!

 

[VOOMER]

Of course it's a commitment, it's a big commitment considering his wife lives in Barcelona. We should be thankful she is tolerant of him being over here because most women wouldn't put up with it.

You what, he gets paid handsomely, we want players to sign 5 year contracts, not 2 year contracts. No wonder we are struggling to sign quality players (and we are), if the manager keeps saying he's going to go in two years time.
No wonder we look a shambles and players don't look arsed, the manager (as good as he is), is taking the piss.

 

[Gabriel]

Performances against Sporting Lisbon/Spurs were frighteningly similar. Spurn a hot of chances, concede two, lose another straight after the break and then wait twenty-two minutes before making a substitution.

 

[VOOMER]

Pep has built a team that he thinks is well-suited to the way teams play in Europe, in the Champions League, but it’s currently not fit for purpose in a tough Premier League.

Sadly, we are old, slow and predictable.

That’s not to say we don’t have players with the skills necessary to create chances, as we clearly do. But, what it does say is that our First XI is often no longer a match for bigger, stronger, faster opposition that simply out run and over run us.

A midfield of Lewis, Gundo & Bernie against Bissouma, Sarr & Maddison was never going to get anywhere. They were bigger, stronger, faster and hungrier, both in the challenge and to get forward and score.

We have been battered in Europe and battered here, I think you are spot on, we are now an average team and easy to play against. Of course if Haaland had put just half of his chances away then we would have drawn!

 

[VOOMER]

Kind agree with you! You listen to pro press conference he says you change you keep doing what has us winning all those trophies, my problem with that is we ain't got the players now for that plus he isn't taking into account the premier teams who play his way are anti press keep the ball well and mix it up! We don't mix it up it's the same play that has won us all those trophies but teams now blunt us and counter punch us.

Feel it's not going to get any better anytime soon can see us dropping down to 8/6th spot but not loads of points behind top four!

If they don't buy quality players in January then we won't qualify for CL next season unless we win it this year. To be fair that would be both hilarious and awesome in one go.

 

[Haaland94]

Really had a shocker yesterday.

The vast majority of posters here in the pre-match said we should be more defensively pragmatic, go with 4 CBs at the back, add muscle and legs to our (slowest in the league) midfield of Gundo (legend, but age waits for no man) and Lewis (overhyped and shouldn't be starting). Instead, we played the likes of Lewis and Walker, didn't play in-form Nunes, I still don't know who played left and right wingers because Savinho was completely wasted in whatever role that was supposed to be. Jack Grealish on the left and Savinho on the right should be our wings right now. KDB must be starting games, we are still replying on him. Add to that no DM options due to us being stingy in the transfer market and there you have it.

 

[Gabriel]

Really had a shocker yesterday.

The vast majority of posters here in the pre-match said we should be more defensively pragmatic, go with 4 CBs at the back, add muscle and legs to our (slowest in the league) midfield of Gundo (legend, but age waits for no man) and Lewis (overhyped and shouldn't be starting). Instead, we played the likes of Lewis and Walker, didn't play in-form Nunes, I still don't know who played left and right wingers because Savinho was completely wasted in whatever role that was supposed to be. Jack Grealish on the left and Savinho on the right should be our wings right now. KDB must be starting games, we are still replying on him. Add to that no DM options due to us being stingy in the transfer market and there you have it.

Agree with many points. However, we are not really relying on de Bruyne, because he simply isn’t capable of giving us more than a few minutes in the fag end of games that are already lost. Similarly, we weren’t stingy in the transfer market either, just grossly incompetent. We dropped 100 million on central midfielders, neither of whom were up to scratch, and at the same time allowed Lavia to leave. Those mistakes went largely ignored in the season we won the treble and were papered over last year when we won the league. Eventually such mistakes will extract a price, though, and we’re currently anteing up .

 

[Gumzy97]

Kind agree with you! You listen to pro press conference he says you change you keep doing what has us winning all those trophies, my problem with that is we ain't got the players now for that plus he isn't taking into account the premier teams who play his way are anti press keep the ball well and mix it up! We don't mix it up it's the same play that has won us all those trophies but teams now blunt us and counter punch us.

Feel it's not going to get any better anytime soon can see us dropping down to 8/6th spot but not loads of points behind top four!

We struggle so badly against teams that transition quickly from defence to attack. The worst thing for us is that teams have just started playing that this season. Quick transitions and counter attacks have become popular again from managers.

Remember Pep saying that it’s so important to win the ball quickly to stop teams quickly breaking, we just don’t have the players to do that in the team right now. So teams have a free hit at our defence

 

[meeesh]

Back to basics on the training ground now, get players to actually tackle......................it will be something new for them to try instead of pussy footing around then chasing shadows.

We were taught to be goal side when I was a kid, far too many try and tackle from the other side and to be quite frank they fucking can't or shouldn't try it.

Basic as fuck

 

[Gabriel]

Back to basics on the training ground now, get players to actually tackle......................it will be something new for them to try instead of pussy footing around then chasing shadows.

We were taught to be goal side when I was a kid, far too many try and tackle from the other side and to be quite frank they fucking can't or shouldn't try it.

Basic as fuck

There’s some truth in that but when a side already has injuries, and it’s highly likely that others are playing through injuries, too, then you’re just not going to see much aggression. Bournemouth, Lisbon, and Spurs all raised the tempo and aggression and found us wanting, and it’s difficult to see the trend reversing.