Pep Guardiola - 2024/25

[ChicagoBlue]

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.

 

[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.

 

[Gabriel]

‘This is not a team created to do box-to-box 40 times in a game - we are not good at that.’

Which begs the question what was the team created to do? We’ve been signing players that aren’t best suited for patient, possession football (Phillips, Nunes, Doku, Savinho) and allowed others to leave who were.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

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.

Of course he gets paid handsomely, he's the best manager in the world who gets paid the most for that reason , but money isnt his motivation as he's a multi multi millionaire. Pep could sign for any club or nation who can afford to hire him and he can take his pick. He loves it here and obviously has high job satisfaction.

Which quality players have we failed to sign because they think Pep will leave in two years time then? I'll tell you, the answer is none.

I don't know where to start with your last sentence. Pep is taking the piss you say? No. You're taking the piss for being expectant and entitled to success. You should be grateful for him committing another two years that will bring his tenure to 11 years, and you should be more grateful for all the outstanding football and success he's brought us.

 

[clarion]

Pep somehow found his motivation by playing and believing this tactics with 4 central defenders and 4 players behind Erling. He added Rico to all of that. That is 9/10 players. And there is Gundo.

It’s the team that can’t defend. It is now proven. 5 times in a row.

The only question is when and if Pep is going to give up from this overthinking brain fart.

I am not sure if he’s going to.

 

[Charlesfarsbar]

We’re playing twice a week now until the end of the year, that’s nine games.

He won’t have enough time on the training ground to drill a new system so he needs to start picking the players that suit one of his drilled set ups

Yesterday we went with the 2-3-5 in possession with Gvardiol and Walker providing the width , walker hasn’t got the legs anymore and Gvardiol was our best attacker but worst defender

Lewis , Bernardo and Gundogan has no physicality and were constantly late on the press when we turned over posession

Foden and Savinho were shite as inside forwards and could affect the game at all apart from the first 10 mins


I think the biggest issue is the midfield 3 , we need at least two players in there who can get about the pitch and squeeze the play . He’s going to have to bite the bullet and play either Nunes or on or two of the kids

If not we’re staring down the barrel of going on a long winless run

His comments about trusting older players also worries me as it’s plain they don’t have anything left to give at the moment.

Ideally we need at least one midfielder and a right back in January, probably a back up striker as well

 

[normskih]

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.

Fair point.

 

[Gabriel]

His comments about trusting older players also worries me as it’s plain they don’t have anything left to give at the moment.

He’s shown too much loyalty to too few for too long now, but it’s hard to see him changing tack even if the defeats keep mounting.

 

[kaz7]

Fucking hell, can you lot fuck off, we wont miss you, blues my arse

 

[citymad]

We’re playing twice a week now until the end of the year, that’s nine games.

He won’t have enough time on the training ground to drill a new system so he needs to start picking the players that suit one of his drilled set ups

Yesterday we went with the 2-3-5 in possession with Gvardiol and Walker providing the width , walker hasn’t got the legs anymore and Gvardiol was our best attacker but worst defender

Lewis , Bernardo and Gundogan has no physicality and were constantly late on the press when we turned over posession

Foden and Savinho were shite as inside forwards and could affect the game at all apart from the first 10 mins


I think the biggest issue is the midfield 3 , we need at least two players in there who can get about the pitch and squeeze the play . He’s going to have to bite the bullet and play either Nunes or on or two of the kids

If not we’re staring down the barrel of going on a long winless run

His comments about trusting older players also worries me as it’s plain they don’t have anything left to give at the moment.

Ideally we need at least one midfielder and a right back in January, probably a back up striker as well

Thats pretty much it! Pep doesn't have much time to change it. Forest home, Palace away won't be easy and it's quite conceivable that'll be 6 PL losses on the bounce when we meet the rags and then its Villa away.

 

[sir baconface]

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.

Fookinell. Who ever thought the best manager in football would spend 10 years in M11? We have been blessed.