Pep Guardiola - 2024/25

[simon23]

Annoyingly I reckon Kev DOES have one more great year in him, but he's never gotten over the hernia this season and it's restricting him massively. He'll probably end up going in the summer as we can't take the gamble on his wages in his current state, then get surgery and come back reborn for his new team. If we can qualify for the CL and attract a player like Wirtz in the Summer then it's definitely time to say goodbye though. Build him a statue and look to the future.

He doesnt have it in him...

We need to let players like KDB go so we can attract the other players in.....not the other way around.

A player like Wirtz comes in not to play alongside KDB but to replace him.....

 

[Odd socks]

Think Pep is well aware of our weaknesses and by next season he will have the young team with the energy and drive to get back to our best.
His priority is to secure chumps league next season and probably an eye on the FA cup.
I think he recognized the chumps league was a bridge to far without extreme pressure on the players we have at the moment and my thoughts last night when the team was announced was he didn't fancy a war so a honorable loss would suffice.
The run in now will feel like a holiday after years of top draw football and a chance to reset with more energetic players and I think we will see the old guard replaced with dignity rather than dumping them.
I'll take enjoyment if we can get these games left to show what our future may be and who knows we might just end up fresh enough to be crowned club world champions, now that would boil some piss.

 

[robbieh]

It seems to me that when we won 4 on the bounce, 100 points, domestic treble, it was all about what a genius Pep is.
Now that we are disorganised rabble it's all about how the players are not fit for purpose.

I actually thought we might take a drop of when he left. But it's happening on his watch.

Rodri is more important to this team now than Pep.

All of which does not mean he hasn't been the best coach since Sacchi, arguably the best coach ever in the English game, certainly more influential than Ferguson, Shankly et al

My view is that the recent farcical performances have been so shocking that they can't be totally explained away by injuries and age.

 

[sh249]

Just to clear something Ive read thats a misconception.

People seem to think the game against Newcastle is the way forward because we abandoned possession football and played more directly.

Wr did play directly... but in an intelligent way!

In no way did we abandon possession football, we had 62% possession.

Against Madrid it was 52%, and only by the end because madrid sat off to hold the lead.

Madrid was actually slightly ahead in possession for large parts of the game which is a big problem for Pep.

In fact we saw it against PSG and other games, we suffer without the ball.

Agree.The key for us is always going to be possession with purpose. Not aimlessly shunting the ball around at snail’s pace, nor going ‘direct’ all the time and bypassing the midfield. But working the ball intelligently around the pitch and through the lines and quickening things up when possible to hurt teams.
It’s part of the reason why I really can’t get my head around Pep’s predilection, especially in Europe, for playing flat lines that make it so much more difficult to move the ball the way we can.

 

[simon23]

It seems to me that when we won 4 on the bounce, 100 points, domestic treble, it was all about what a genius Pep is.
Now that we are disorganised rabble it's all about how the players are not fit for purpose.

I actually thought we might take a drop of when he left. But it's happening on his watch.

Rodri is more important to this team now than Pep.

All of which does not mean he hasn't been the best coach since Sacchi, arguably the best coach ever in the English game, certainly more influential than Ferguson, Shankly et al

My view is that the recent farcical performances have been so shocking that they can't be totally explained away by injuries and age.

Sorry disagree.

the bit you are missing in that in those successful season the players were at their peak....now thy are well passed their peak - the literally cannot do the yds needed and he has been missing the best DM (which is pivotal) in the world...now maybe we get awaay with that with all the others able to perform but you cannot seriously tell me you ware watching the likes of Gundo, KDB, Bernardo, Walker (before he left) and think they are performing at the same level as a few years ago....

Now what you cold lay at peps door is that he potentially refused a rebuild last summer - but Txixi and Khaldoon would have all been part of that decision as well
You could also argue that he hasnt adpated tactically to what has happened but with the group of players he has he has made tweaks here and there, but I just dont think huge adaptations are possible...we are not a team that can sit deep and play on the break - we have the legs upfront but not the midfield to do so - we stretch the game out we become even more wide open....so again I dont think there is much he can do.

 

[simon23]

He has flogged then to death and admitted as much and admitted he thought they had another season in them notwithstanding we have not had a settled line up all season and he was wrong and the dominos fell quickly as I at least expected which isn't much of a revelation as you allude to in your post above , too many of them are crocks now past their best and often the best of them fall of a cliff very quickly. We won't always get the players we want but we have a pretty good one in Erling who will be even better around a side that can play to this obvious strengths with two Premiership titles already under his belt.

Given the improvement in some of the sides from last season while others have stayed relatively stable a top 5 finish would be quite an achievement IMO as I expected us to fall much further down the table this season.

Yup he has made one mistake in potentially declinging a rebuild of the squad - he wont have been alone in making that decision however -

At the same time we were clearly in for other players and didnt get them - that aint on Pep
None of this however is reason for a minority reaction to wanting Pep to go at the end of the season - how ungrateful, spineless, immatureand pathetic are some of our fan base exactly??

I also think we have done ok this season in comparrison....remember when the scousers fell of a cliff - did they finish 10th? that summer they replaced their whole midfield - its a pretty similar situation as the one we are now in yet we have maintained a higher position

 

[simon23]

You are trying to support Pep in this post whilst completely contradicting yourself.

No Im supprting Pep against the idiots who want him gone.....while pointing out that he has made a mistake in not wanting a rebuild - but that he wont have been on his own in that decision.
No one is perfect - not even Pep - but he is allowed to make mistakes and deserves like all of our legends to decide whether he wants the time to rebuild or not....I think (and hope) he will

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Just to clear something Ive read thats a misconception.

People seem to think the game against Newcastle is the way forward because we abandoned possession football and played more directly.

Wr did play directly... but in an intelligent way!

In no way did we abandon possession football, we had 62% possession.

Against Madrid it was 52%, and only by the end because madrid sat off to hold the lead.

Madrid was actually slightly ahead in possession for large parts of the game which is a big problem for Pep.

In fact we saw it against PSG and other games, we suffer without the ball.

When we lose, we rarely have less possession than the opposition. The problem is the predictable “hit and run” counter attack that catches us with our pants down.

However, against the big clubs, with whom we often have to go toe to toe, the problem isn’t the counter attack, it is the size, speed and strength domination coupled with taking their chances.

When we face S,S,S and the opposition is having a good day in and around the box, we can get a good spanking…and we have been spanked a few times this season, and have been living on our wits in other games!

Currently, we don’t have the answer to that type of team and it’s not going to be quick fix…but the club is obviously on it.

Crashing out of the CL at this stage is going to cost us the price of a squad player or the wages of 3-4 players, and is a larger loss than quite a few of our recent annual profits! That probably means selling another Academy prospect or squad player, or even scaling back potential first team acquisitions. I think the club will do its utmost not to let it get that far, but not getting into a CL slot for next season would be absolutely disastrous!

 

[simon23]

When we lose, we rarely have less possession than the opposition. The problem is the predictable “hit and run” counter attack that catches us with our pants down.

However, against the big clubs, with whom we often have to go toe to toe, the problem isn’t the counter attack, it is the size, speed and strength domination coupled with taking their chances.

When we face S,S,S and the opposition is having a good day in and around the box, we can get a good spanking…and we have been spanked a few times this season, and have been living on our wits in other games!

Currently, we don’t have the answer to that type of team and it’s not going to be quick fix…but the club is obviously on it.

Crashing out of the CL at this stage is going to cost us the price of a squad player or the wages of 3-4 players, and is a larger loss than quite a few of our recent annual profits! That probably means selling another Academy prospect or squad player, or even scaling back potential first team acquisitions. I think the club will do its utmost not to let it get that far, but not getting into a CL slot for next season would be absolutely disastrous!

we have plenty to sell/release in the summer.....thats where the club need to be really proactive right from the start.
KDB
Gundo
Grealish
Walker
Bernardo
Nunes
Phillips (eventually off the books)
one of Stones/Ake
Sell acadmey players as well

This will save so much in wages and we can then hopefully get 4 quality replacements in.

 

[super_city_si]

It seems to me that when we won 4 on the bounce, 100 points, domestic treble, it was all about what a genius Pep is.
Now that we are disorganised rabble it's all about how the players are not fit for purpose.

I actually thought we might take a drop of when he left. But it's happening on his watch.

Rodri is more important to this team now than Pep.

All of which does not mean he hasn't been the best coach since Sacchi, arguably the best coach ever in the English game, certainly more influential than Ferguson, Shankly et al

My view is that the recent farcical performances have been so shocking that they can't be totally explained away by injuries and age.

His set up last night was a joke.

 

[Trojan1962]

Last night was awful 1st time I switched off after an hour. Not creating anything, boring to watch, no pace and just dull as dull. Think we had one shot on the hour mark. I thought things would be better after the Newcastle game but with Haaland out that would be difficult. Gundy can’t do 2 games a week in my opinion. Bernardo brings nothing anymore.

 

[wolviedinho]

The man is human after all.

City will look after him and get the team back to its best.

Burnout can happen to the best.

I hope he gets a good rest to find that spark again.

Thank the players who have won us the lot and start again.

This is not a pep team in any shape or form. We have moved away from his principles but given time a restart will take place.

I hate watching us get beat so easy but most of us have been through the wringer with city and this is but a tiny blip.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

we have plenty to sell/release in the summer.....thats where the club need to be really proactive right from the start.
KDB
Gundo
Grealish
Walker
Bernardo
Nunes
Phillips (eventually off the books)
one of Stones/Ake
Sell acadmey players as well

This will save so much in wages and we can then hopefully get 4 quality replacements in.

I agree with all those departures, but I suspect the length of his current contract (6 years from July 2022) will keep Phillips on the books.

We're also assuming that Nunes and Grealish will both want to leave

 

[Dazzle84]

As with many, this season is the first time I've properly doubted him. What's bothering me is the seeming lack of coaching this year when compared with previous seasons - where are the solutions, the tactical tweaks? It seems like he's allowed himself to be dragged down into the mire when it comes to injuries, etc - a truly great manager (which he obviously is, the greatest) should be able to transcend the issues.

It'll be an eye opener over the next 12 months. Either he creates a third great team, which would be almost unheard of, or we're saying a sad goodbye and a heartfelt thank you.

 

[jrb]

 

[supercity88]

exactly what i was saying....some people are such mard arses they just need someone to whinge about it instead of looking at the facts and accepting football goes in cycles...ours for this cycle is at an end.....we need a rebuild....why do we need a new manager to do that? why not use the best manager in the world to do that?
Some people are so scared of losing (they cant be long term city fans thats for sure) - we got beat by the best team in the world, comfortably....that can happen to any team...we have a tired team who no longer can put in the hard yds

The guys at the top of the club (Pep, Txixi, Khaldoon) made a mistake last summer (and probably the summer before if we are honest) in not stepping up the recruitment phase. Its been SO obvious that KDB is finished - even last year but some fans think he is going to get back to where he was...hahahaha!! same with Stones.Ake, Walker - their decline or injury issues have all been there to see for well over 12 months - the club didnt react and that is down to others as well as Pep...im still seeing people post that we should keep Gundo....I mean FFS!! this watery eyed nostaligia for some of our players... We need to move on and Id rather have Pep doing that than ANY other manager in the world.

Spot on.

The drama around our performance and results are because bad news about City sells.

I don't remember Real having this after their 4-0 drubbing. We mauled them that night and then they won the CL the next season.

The dippers won the league then fell off a cliff. They spent time out of the CL. They rebuilt and are a good side again.

We have gone up against a side who throw a fortune at players and have some of the best in the world. You can talk about how cheap Valverde was but their stature means they can get players for cheap as they live off their names and pay huge wages.

We are a few players off getting right back to the top, but we also rely on those we have bought to develop fast and deliver more consistently.

And Pep is the best manager on the planet to deliver that.

 

[69FACUPfinal]

We've not been good but had we hung on to the three points against Feyenoord or got another point v PSG or Sporting then we might not have been facing Real, and we might be living another day. But, as most managers will tell yer, "It is what it is!"

Or as Pep says ' eeeez futbol'.

It ruddy well is this season.

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

Good.

 

[Mancini’s Pastilles]

I think he needs some new coaching staff around him

 

[blue ranger]

I think he needs some new coaching staff around him

This is where Fergie did well. Changing his assistant every few years to freshen things up. Our assistant looks half asleep most of the time.