Pep Guardiola - 2024/25

[BlueMonkey79]

Yeah I'm aware.

What's that got to do with spending this summer?

Normally when you spend that amount of money in a transfer window, things improve..

We haven't improved one jot. Same old shite every week.

 

[Ken92]

Yeah I'm aware.

What's that got to do with spending this summer?

No cl or european football could have a pretty big impact to the players we could sign.

 

[SiMCFC]

I'd love to know how a supposed perfectionist like Pep can watch us week in week out and genuinely think we are playing with any semblance of a Pep team? We can't pass, we can't defend, we can't score very often (compared to chances created) those things are easy to coach and fundamental to any team.

Then you look at set pieces, we are shit at them, we don't defend them very well, and we don't attack them very well. Again, what the fuck are we coaching during the week?

The sarcastic clapping of players when they make a mistake is also ridiculous as they they then look shit scared to misplace a pass and start the same sideways or backwards easy passes instead of trying to get the ball up the pitch quickly.

He wants to fuck his water polo mate off and get someone in as a number two who actually knows something about modern football and can maybe help him out a bit with some fresh ideas.

 

[philiph20]

There is absolutely no doubt that Pep has been our greatest ever manager and he will probably remain the greatest through all of our lifetimes. I don't think anyone can argue he's not and I'd be amazed if we see the level and frequency of success from any club in the premier league for a long long time, not just city for that matter.

But we are now in March 2025, like it or not his previous successes have no bearing on whats going to happen in the future. He has never had to deal with a period like we are experiencing in his managerial career before so people are rightly questioning if he's the right man to get us through it - if we end up finishing 10th which isn't out of the question I think that would vindicate those questions being asked.

Hes been responsible for a ridiculous amount of success but is now equally as responsible for whats happened this season which -lets not sugar coat it - could end up being disastrous.

This season is down to the manager and the director of football, the complacency and poor purchases and the reluctance to play young player apart from a championship player at right back and in midfield are down to the pair of them, we are a middling team now and the fall from grace over such a short period of time is staggering, the signs were there post Istanbul, there is no room for sentimentality in football yet this is what happened with our superb players who are now sadly past it. It'll be an interesting last 9 games or so to put it mildly. Fingers crossed we can do something in the cup and get a CL spot but I'm far from hopeful sadly.

 

[Goater101]

Well from that argument a manager is never responsible if the players being poor has nothing to do with him:-)

Look at the space given to Brighton due to the positioning and work rate of our players. Teams run at us at will. That is 100% down to the manager.

If Baleba was in our midfield we would have won yesterday simple as. We have tried every possible midfield combination and barring a handful of games they’ve served up shit. Pep can’t escape criticism for this season of course not but you’ll see what happens next season with our transfers.

 

[SiMCFC]

Let's forget about 100 points and four in a row, shall we? Let's forget about winning the CL and numerous domestic cups?

Remind me how many PL titles the rags have won since Ferguson retired?

Remind me how many PL titles Arsenal have won since they got rid of Wenger?

Getting rid of a tried and trusted winner after one poor season would only be contemplated by fucking cretins.

Some of you cunts had better be careful what you wish for because you'll genuinely have something to moan about when he's gone.

Maybe some of us "cunts" are actually looking to the future and living in the present unlike the rags down the road who are obsessing over how good they were 20 years ago.

He's the best Manager we've had and most likely will ever have but this isn't just a this season problem, winning the title last Year masked a lot of this seasons issues for me, a lot of teams were sussing us out and I think we dug in and got over the line with some not too dissimilar performances as this season personally.

 

[CC1]

Maybe some of us "cunts" are actually looking to the future and living in the present unlike the rags down the road who are obsessing over how good they were 20 years ago.

He's the best Manager we've had and most likely will ever have but this isn't just a this season problem, winning the title last Year masked a lot of this seasons issues for me, a lot of teams were sussing us out and I think we dug in and got over the line with some not too dissimilar performances as this season personally.

Who would you have selected in defence yesterday then? What should Pep have done differently given the injuries (& possible unknown personal issues some players have after a 5 year hectic schedule) ?

 

[CC1]

Nothing about entitlement, just when the club give you +300 million in the past 3 years you should finish above Nottingham Forest.

The combined cost of their Wingers Odoi & Elanga is 20 million pound

Cost is irrelevant if players are unavailable for most of the season through injury.
No team would cope as well as we have if they’d had injuries to 4 of their first team players at the same time for over 10 weeks (3 of which are the main defenders). And as many as 10 players at the same time on occasions


Imagine dippers without Van Dyke; Konate; TAA & Szoboszlai - with the occasional few missed games by Salah at the same time

They wouldn’t be in the top 5

 

[SiMCFC]

Who would you have selected in defence yesterday then? What should Pep have done differently given the injuries (& possible unknown personal issues some players have after a 5 year hectic schedule) ?

I'd have played that defence if it was fit. Pep and the fitness guys know more than we ever will. What I wouldn't have is Rico fucking Lewis running round like a headless chicken roaming into midfield and then being out of position when they are attacking, the positioning is all off from our back line it has been all season. Gvardiol is still getting caught in no man's lands as well trying to push up the pitch, if we don't have defenders with pace don't ask them to be out of position so often.

Is Kev fit? If he's fit to play 5 minutes, he's fit to play 30, if not shouldn't be on the bench. Is Grealish a pisshead? If not he should be playing, shouldn't be on the bench, at least he can keep possession and get us up the pitch. Gundog did nothing in midfield that Nunes couldn't have done Yesterday and he has a damn site more pace/stamina than him, might have worked well but can see he went for a bit of new and old with that combination but maybe could have mixed it up at 2-2 looking for a win? Who knows.

It's the sheer reluctance to actually use the squad I find baffling.

 

[hilts]

If Baleba was in our midfield we would have won yesterday simple as. We have tried every possible midfield combination and barring a handful of games they’ve served up shit. Pep can’t escape criticism for this season of course not but you’ll see what happens next season with our transfers.

That would depend on our transfers, they may take 12-18mths to become Rodri:-)

In the meantime Pep is responsible when he knows we are struggling defensively. No one forces him to have Lewis inverted into midfield and have wide players not helping out our other fullback who isn't a full back and can be high up the pitch.

The chasm of space is there for everyone to see.

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

My biggest worry is that there hasn't been much difference in our approach to games which clearly hasn't worked and even early season whilst winning (just) we just didn't look fluid or exciting in the slightest. There are isolated examples such as Chelsea or Forest at home but there isn't any consistency in being more direct, moving the ball quicker and not passing a team to death.

When the uncertainty was around his contract I obviously wanted him to stay, I did have a sense of being happy for the future if he left though, a different approach, a different way of doing things might be what the club needs. Look at Wenger, lesser extent to the trophies but there was a time he was innovative, changed the modern game and had that Arsenal side purring and winning titles. With age he lost that and outstayed his welcome and Arsenal went downhill taking years to recover. I am not saying that is happening with Pep but he isn't offering much this season to convince me otherwise. Jose the same and obviously not the case every single time but managers do peak, same with players. His loyalty to starting the likes of gundog and bernardo, especially in the same game shows a lack of awareness of what we need currently. It is pace and power and both players have neither.

It is a bad year for a number of different things. I never get in football how it needs to be a full season thrown away, written off and it happens with loads of clubs. Why can't it turn around with a good group of players, a top class manager and new talent in the door in January during the season? It baffles me.

 

[Gumzy97]

The way we play reminds me of Wengers Arsenal at the end of his career there. Possession without threat. Possession for the sake of it. Slow and sideways passing.

 

[CC1]

I'd have played that defence if it was fit. Pep and the fitness guys know more than we ever will. What I wouldn't have is Rico fucking Lewis running round like a headless chicken roaming into midfield and then being out of position when they are attacking, the positioning is all off from our back line it has been all season.

So you WOULD have picked the same defence - including Lewis?
Options are limited at the moment & without Ake; Akanje & Stones (& Walker gone) Pep has NO options in defence.
Lots of ifs & buts because we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.
We’ve won the community shield; we’re still in FA cup & 5th in league despite all our problems.
However, I hope we can use Phil; Kev & Jack more now we’re only playing once a week

Doku is unplayable when he’s on the ball but he doesn’t do enough when he gets to the box - nor does he help out defensively

IMHO (& we have no info on the players health) we need to pack the midfield at the expense of a winger/forward - in order to support the depleted defence.

 

[doobyedoobye]

It's good sometimes to face adversity in life as a reminder not to take things for granted...

 

[King Jay]

I seriously hope that Viana doesn’t have that friendly mindset like txiki with him. Because the fact that he refuses fullbacks and certain midfielder most likely because of their age is killing us. I know that neves and emery who are killing it for PSG would never start for us because they are „ too young“

 

[Goater101]

I seriously hope that Viana doesn’t have that friendly mindset like txiki with him. Because the fact that he refuses fullbacks and certain midfielder most likely because of their age is killing us. I know that neves and emery who are killing it for PSG would never start for us because they are „ too young“

Viana has to be ruthless and simply take away Pep’s favourites.

 

[thomas1307]

If Baleba was in our midfield we would have won yesterday simple as. We have tried every possible midfield combination and barring a handful of games they’ve served up shit. Pep can’t escape criticism for this season of course not but you’ll see what happens next season with our transfers.

can you say that with absolute certainty because no player can guarantee a victory id say he's midfield partner was the better of the 2 balaba lost most of his duels

 

[Mike Brock]

It's good sometimes to face adversity in life as a reminder not to take things for granted...

I certainly won’t be moaning about a trip to Wembley if we somehow beat Bournemouth

 

[Bluewars II]

I'd have played that defence if it was fit. Pep and the fitness guys know more than we ever will. What I wouldn't have is Rico fucking Lewis running round like a headless chicken roaming into midfield and then being out of position when they are attacking, the positioning is all off from our back line it has been all season. Gvardiol is still getting caught in no man's lands as well trying to push up the pitch, if we don't have defenders with pace don't ask them to be out of position so often.

Is Kev fit? If he's fit to play 5 minutes, he's fit to play 30, if not shouldn't be on the bench. Is Grealish a pisshead? If not he should be playing, shouldn't be on the bench, at least he can keep possession and get us up the pitch. Gundog did nothing in midfield that Nunes couldn't have done Yesterday and he has a damn site more pace/stamina than him, might have worked well but can see he went for a bit of new and old with that combination but maybe could have mixed it up at 2-2 looking for a win? Who knows.

It's the sheer reluctance to actually use the squad I find baffling.

This is it, the same poor setup every game expecting different results.

 

[decmancity]

Normally when you spend that amount of money in a transfer window, things improve..

We haven't improved one jot. Same old shite every week.

The players we signed are decent and have been. Can't carry the rest.