Pep Guardiola - 2024/25

[Tugay One Cup]

He's a bit weird.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Yes, agreed, and I expect we will again. I think the return of Rodri will have a large bearing on that.
I also expect us to replace KDB with someone able to deliver more direct, incisive passes through to runners. As everyone knows, we are allowing determined, athletic teams to get their defence set and that is giving us a real problem. The key is not allowing them to get set by attacking more quickly, moving the ball more quickly, but also cutting out any breakaway earlier by having a strong defensive midfield.

There was an example late in the game, maybe in added time, where we won the ball in our half, with Palace players spread out. Akanji brought the ball forward and it was screaming for a quick forward pass. But he stopped and passed the ball sideways to KDB who, instead of being ahead of Akanji and central, was level with him on the touchline. Once that happened, Palace had the few seconds they needed to get back into position and the opportunity for a quick break was lost.

 

[sir baconface]

I think there is credit in the bank.
If we continue the decline next season with new players in the mix, then I think that there will be time to consider a change.

Credit in the bank is not the same as predicting future performance. I’m worried he is on the wrong side of his peak, while others have worked out how to counteract him with inferior resources. How often do you see business executives, political leaders - even rock groups - maintain creativity and performance over numerous years in the same job? It happens but it’s a minority.

That said, I think we are largely in agreement.

Should we fail to qualify for UCL, I believe he should strongly consider walking. I still think we’ll sneak it though.

Either way, he has enough credit to be given more time if he decides to stay.

 

[Gumzy97]

It's not a new tactic though is it? Teams have done this in previous seasons yet we've always found a way round it.

We had Kevin,David silva and Gundogan who could pick locks in defences, now we through recruitment don’t have that anymore. We need two young creators desperately

 

[sir baconface]

I can guarantee it’s more than just one season when there are other factors to consider, and his record over his career. It won't and shouldn’t cross anyone thoughts anytime before January next season.
At least for everyone at the club and for most fans.

Please see my reply to Oldius, a post or two above this one.

 

[Mcfc1.9.8.0]

Credit in the bank is not the same as predicting future performance. I’m worried he is on the wrong side of his peak, while others have worked out how to counteract him with inferior resources. How often do you see business executives, political leaders - even rock groups - maintain creativity and performance over numerous years in the same job? It happens but it’s a minority.

That said, I think we are largely in agreement.

Should we fail to qualify for UCL, I believe he should strongly consider walking. I still think we’ll sneak it though.

Either way, he has enough credit to be given more time if he decides to stay.

there’s actually nobody out there to take over that’s the worrying thing

 

[Stiff Little Wingers]

Pep needs to accept his previous tactics don't work anymore.
Other teams have adapted to it, in a sense Pep hasn't just improved City, he's changed how other teams play as well. No longer the 90% possession, mesmerising flair 5-0 wins. It's 85% possession, stale passing 1-0 losses.

I wouldn't be calling for him to go, but next season is pivotal; can he adapt a new way of playing that counters the way teams now set up against us? Does he still have the passion to continue? If yes, then by all means he's earned it. But if he can't and the best we can manage under him are trophyless, 4th place targeted finishes, it'll be up to the board to determine if that is where they want the club to be.

What we see before us is obvious and I like most blues are smothered in gratitude and sentiment. But, injuries aside, Pep is well past his best and coupled with boardroom inertia and poor signings. Makes it look even worse.
If the club is interested in rebuilding to challenge again then I don't think Pep is the man, sorry.
He may prove me wrong if he stays and hope he does but I think the days of thd great Pep days are wrong unless he can radically change

 

[Metal Biker]

What we see before us is obvious and I like most blues are smothered in gratitude and sentiment. But, injuries aside, Pep is well past his best and coupled with boardroom inertia and poor signings. Makes it look even worse.
If the club is interested in rebuilding to challenge again then I don't think Pep is the man, sorry.
He may prove me wrong if he stays and hope he does but I think the days of thd great Pep days are wrong unless he can radically change

Do you believe Pep has earned the opportunity to see if that's the case? If he can turn things around?

Becuase that's what i'm saying; he deserves that chance to prove himself again.

 

[Gabriel]

Yep, and we were also set up completely differently to that game 5 weeks ago. It's almost as though Pep thought "We beat them 5-2 so they'll change the way they play. That means I've got to change the way we play to counter their changes".

It's his classic weakness of overthinking things. Just play the same and let them worry about us.

Mentioned on another thread that after the Southampton game, a Scottish journalist pointed out to Guardiola that he hadn’t yet started de Bruyne, Marmoush, and Haaland together. This observation was clearly news to Guardiola, but you just knew from his reaction that they’d all start.

 

[Stiff Little Wingers]

Do you believe Pep has earned the opportunity to see if that's the case? If he can turn things around?

Becuase that's what i'm saying; he deserves that chance to prove himself again.

I'm not necessarily against if and nothing I'd love more but as said, like Wenger and Slur Alex there comes a decline. The other thing is it's not just Pep himself but tgd right players need to be bought and sold. But I think you'll agree that recently his basic decision making on team selection and tactics has been shit.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

My main issue I don’t understand the team selections, players not getting minutes for games on end then getting shoved in for a couple and then out again.

Why does Grealish start the semi and then get no minutes in the final? Rico not even in the squad, McAtee start against Southampton and not in squad. Echeverria making his first squad and debut in the final. Kev playing practically every minute since announcing he was leaving. Khushanov not seen for weeks, Nunes benched for Akanji.

When we were at our best you could always pick 9/10 of the starters, I can only assume Pep isn’t happy with quite a few of the players and doesn’t feel like he has a strongest 11.

The buck stops with him. He is paid to find solutions. He has taken the glory in recent years and quite rightly but this season, something has been off with the squad/team all season (Foden/Grealish) and ultimately it his his job to sort it out. He hasn’t been able to and his decision making has become muddled. His substitutions are baffling at times. Gundogan on at 87 minutes?

 

[Shirley]

Pep leaves a lot of stuff for the players to sort between themselves, maybe he needs to rethink that.

 

[SiMCFC]

I truely believe he's the best Manager we will ever witness as fans tbh, the problem is, like at Barca the football does become very predictable and dare I say dull. It's ok if you want to just win the majority of games but for the love of God the football is crap to watch, it was always stated that the players do get bored of Pep but I think maybe it's more the actual style of football they get bored with? I've been watching some non-league stuff in between our games recently and the matches although tactically awful are actually more fun to watch.

I do think his time is up here, the PL has changed 'massively' in the past few seasons, teams are now actually being built to defeat the football we play which is a credit to Pep. Same as the Champs League, we got schooled this Year by teams we have previously trashed.

 

[clarion]

Pep leaves a lot of stuff for the players to sort between themselves, maybe he needs to rethink that.

Ooh don’t tell him to think…

 

[Manchester_lalala]

I truely believe he's the best Manager we will ever witness as fans tbh, the problem is, like at Barca the football does become very predictable and dare I say dull. It's ok if you want to just win the majority of games but for the love of God the football is crap to watch, it was always stated that the players do get bored of Pep but I think maybe it's more the actual style of football they get bored with? I've been watching some non-league stuff in between our games recently and the matches although tactically awful are actually more fun to watch.

I do think his time is up here, the PL has changed 'massively' in the past few seasons, teams are now actually being built to defeat the football we play which is a credit to Pep. Same as the Champs League, we got schooled this Year by teams we have previously trashed.

Pep changed City and most of our lives. We’ve won everything and broken records galore. One bad season with the best player in the world missing for the whole season shouldn’t mean for drastic decisions.

I do agree he has to change it up next season, flying full backs with an energetic midfield. Let the handbrakes off Pep.

 

[TShed]

Greatest manager we will ever have

But the race is run shouldn’t have signed that last extension I doubt he knew we’d implode and need him to oversee a rebuild

 

[Dawsenna]

Maybe the wife left him cause of that disgusting spit habit

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

Time to go, the only positive crumb to take away from yesterday is that we can't say we won a cup even in a bad season. Our run in including the final was highly favourable. It is criminal we haven't won it and the buck stops with him.

There hasn't been any slight sign that makes you think he can mastermind this rebuild. He bought a load of players in January and only plays one of them, yet we are meant to trust a summers recruitment under his watch. It isn't the not winning as much for me, yesterday should have been ours and for the second year on the trot we have lost a final to a team that will finish miles behind us in the league, so there is a little element of not winning but it is the way we play. It is utter garbage and I have said it all season, even early on whilst top of the league. He hasn't adapted in the slightest and doesn't learn from repeating the same mistakes, playing the same players and expecting different outcomes. Why play a team and formation you probably haven't played all season in a fucking cup final? Why the week before against Southampton, after winning about 8 games on the spin and having momentum, do you change it. Why introduce Haaland who has had a crap season and we play worse with him in the side. Why have zero bottle or authority to manage the team instead of saying "the players decide" Why is KDB getting so many sympathy minutes when he is clearly nowhere near the level anymore. Why are you throwing a kid on for his debut after zero minutes with us when he could have played the week before at Southampton. Why are we playing slow boring football, allowing teams to sit back and defend us easily without using much energy and expect different results? Their manager put Pep to shame yesterday, he learnt from the etihad game where they attacked us, got some joy but left them open too. He knew full well if they sat back, they could contain us with ease and they have the pace to get up the pitch when needed. That is a manager who adapted his ways, learnt from a previous game and got the rewards, fair play to them. Pep, I am sorry but please go at the end of the season. There are no excuses for leading a team to them last two cup finals and this seasons league performance. Zero excuses.

 

[moomba]

Entitled to a down year given the previous 4. Suspect next season will be his last regardless of how it goes, but he'll be wanting to leave when we're back on top.

 

[Draikin]

Remember when he got there and said to play his football he needed perfectly fit players ?
Got rid of Nasri who was in better shape than most of our 2024/2025 midfield

Now as soon as an injured senior player is back he's instantly playing 90mn per game, leaving fit players like Khusanov, Nunes, Gonzales on the bench