Pep Guardiola - 2025/26

[JewelZee]

Attention seeking isn't attractive , and adds nothing to a supposed discussion.

Always the same from you. Gratuitous comments that add zero to the discourse.

 

[Damanino]

im with you mate, there’s no way this current style, effort and implementation is a pep side. It’s night and day.

A team should be a reflection of its manger and all peps teams have been unbelievable with his humbleness ethos, his pioneering tactics and systems, his passion, his constant desire to make players better at what he wants, his ability to make his players believe they can win it all, the ability to make players believe in what he is doing and trusting him that they will win! if they play the way he says, how many players/ex players have we heard say, pep tells us what’s going to happen and it happens?

This looks nothing like a pep side theses players do not look like they believe it anymore, or are sick of hearing it? and I’m not sure this looks like pep cares anymore,l either his body language just isn’t as intense or captivating. I’m afraid to say it, but to me it looks like the fire has gone. I’m not blaming him, he’s done wonders with us and over a sustained period. It’s took its toll, both professionally and personally. It looks to me like there’s nothing left to give and it shows in the performances. Unless he finds that motivation and standard he set for so long throughout his managerial career then I think it’s run its course.

some of the fire surely has gone. I remember Pep on the touchline going berserk at Sterling and Sane because they crossed the ball a second late and it was blocked when we were 3-0 up already! or going crazy at someone not stepping up quick enough to make the offside line stick when in comfortable 2-0 lead. but those errors were rare. now we have 5x bigger mistakes, errors most games at 1-0 down or 0-0 and there is an air of acceptance. like how many of attacks die down with basic errors from Doku, Bobb, Savinho not choosing the simple and best solution. the standard was simply much higher when we had Sterling and Sane at that age on the wings.
but there are many other examples in off the ball workrate too generally. the players may feel the standards have dropped. less is enough.

surely there is a tactical deterioration coupled with odd recruitment decisions. and now we pay the price.

Pep needs to show this season he has not burnt out. he took a year off to recharge after Barca, well the City run was much longer and draining too, caused him even personal life issues.

bit of an ego issue as well growing. he is not used to be not big favourite in league level or CL. not getting to last 16 in CL last season was a serious ego hit to him. especially as it was a rather weak season for Real Madrid who stopped us very early.
we need to go far in CL this time. but even the clubs in league stage will not make us a favour. they come to hurt us, outfox us. if we let them.

 

[Lavinda Past]

some of the fire surely has gone. I remember Pep on the touchline going berserk at Sterling and Sane because they crossed the ball a second late and it was blocked when we were 3-0 up already! or going crazy at someone not stepping up quick enough to make the offside line stick when in comfortable 2-0 lead. but those errors were rare. now we have 5x bigger mistakes, errors most games at 1-0 down or 0-0 and there is an air of acceptance. like how many of attacks die down with basic errors from Doku, Bobb, Savinho not choosing the simple and best solution. the standard was simply much higher when we had Sterling and Sane at that age on the wings.
but there are many other examples in off the ball workrate too generally. the players may feel the standards have dropped. less is enough.

surely there is a tactical deterioration coupled with odd recruitment decisions. and now we pay the price.

Pep needs to show this season he has not burnt out. he took a year off to recharge after Barca, well the City run was much longer and draining too, caused him even personal life issues.

bit of an ego issue as well growing. he is not used to be not big favourite in league level or CL. not getting to last 16 in CL last season was a serious ego hit to him. especially as it was a rather weak season for Real Madrid who stopped us very early.
we need to go far in CL this time. but even the clubs in league stage will not make us a favour. they come to hurt us, outfox us. if we let them.

Second half at Brighton showed us that the system is broken, the squad spirit is broken, and Pep, if not already broken, is well on the way to it.

We look lost. A shadow of the team we were. The 'rebuild' started 12 months too late, and we've been reduced to signing players who may fit in rather than will fit in.

We've got a handful of top players, a number of decent prospects, and a few potential passengers. We'll take some teams apart, and fold like origami against some others.

I don't expect to win anything this season with our squad, but I certainly don't expect a complete collapse. We should finish top half, and European qualification (any tournament) would be acceptable to me.

The complacency of the Board has allowed this to happen. Txiki retired but stayed on to help Viana through his first six months... apparently to little effect. Pep lumbered from crisis to crisis in his personal life and managed to get through last season without falling apart. Soriano continued to penny pinch and expand profit making schemes off field. Khaldoon rinsed and repeated his annual message and continued to glad hand the necessary people.

It's stagnating. It's been stagnating since we won the CL. The whole club has become complacent. That's why we are where we are... looking over our shoulders and hoping we can scratch a point or two against the rags and Arsenal, progress against Huddersfield, and get some CL points on the board.

We'll know better by Christmas. Until then, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

OpAlways the same from you. Gratuitous comments that add zero to the discourse.

If you didn't have such an inflated opinion of yourself and didn't attempt to put other people's opinions down in such an arrogant and dismissive manner, you might not come across as such a twat.

I hasten to add that I am not referring to myself, because I don't consider your opinions relevant enough to worry about.

I doubt your ego will allow you to consider how you might be perceived , and I am no doubt knocking at an empty house, so I will leave it there ccept that you come across as

 

[Blue2202]

im with you mate, there’s no way this current style, effort and implementation is a pep side. It’s night and day.

A team should be a reflection of its manger and all peps teams have been unbelievable with his humbleness ethos, his pioneering tactics and systems, his passion, his constant desire to make players better at what he wants, his ability to make his players believe they can win it all, the ability to make players believe in what he is doing and trusting him that they will win! if they play the way he says, how many players/ex players have we heard say, pep tells us what’s going to happen and it happens?

This looks nothing like a pep side theses players do not look like they believe it anymore, or are sick of hearing it? and I’m not sure this looks like pep cares anymore,l either his body language just isn’t as intense or captivating. I’m afraid to say it, but to me it looks like the fire has gone. I’m not blaming him, he’s done wonders with us and over a sustained period. It’s took its toll, both professionally and personally. It looks to me like there’s nothing left to give and it shows in the performances. Unless he finds that motivation and standard he set for so long throughout his managerial career then I think it’s run its course.

Hard to disagree with this. Pep doesn’t seem half as arsed to me - on the touch line, in interviews or just his body language in general. As someone else said theres just an acceptance from him now when we lose games.

I’m not saying he doesn’t care but it’s clear at least some of his intensity has gone, he looks like a rabbit in the headlights when things go wrong and is refusing to budge on whatever this set up or ‘style’ is.

The pep of old used to relish the tactical battles with Klopp etc and more often than not found the solutions to issues. With so many players having left who played a key part in our success it’s now bordering insanity to not change the style to suit the personnel he now has available.

 

[Paul1970]

Grealish said after 3 games at Everton he enjoys football again, unless he is sticking the knife in for City and Pep, lets assume he does enjoy being selected and trusted and playing and assisting goals, I look at our current players and not sure who is enjoying the current tactics, display, results generally.

does Foden looks like he is enjoying football? its been a long time he did.
does Bernardo enjoy playing? looks like he is going through the motion but kind of lost whatever made him great before.
Haaland struggles half of the games with nothing created for him.
the whole defence is in panic mode and playing with fear.
Rodri is just back and getting frustrated.
Doku, Savinho? there is pressure on them and they aint delivering enough.

the list goes on.

Pep must see this too, something is off, the desire gone, the effort off the ball feels forced rather than being hungry, our speed is slow, going forward, midfield aint controlling games. its bloody obvious. being outrun, outpressed, outfought by lesser sides. also outfoxed tactically.

that bit of energy we saw from Leijnders, Kolo and apparently players look hungry in training is wearing off quick with these shit results like Al Hilal, Spurs, Brighton and hard to say we wont have quite a few more like this unless immediate changes in tactics and application.

some serious leaders have finally left in Ederson, KDB, Walker, Gundogan (Carson:D). dont know if likes of Bernardo, Dias can take over similar leadership. Rodri maybe but who are the others? Foden?no way. Ake?looks very quiet.Stones? not sure.

remaining games in September will tell us a lot, apart from Huddersfield none of them will be simple games.

Good post .

 

[Paul1970]

im with you mate, there’s no way this current style, effort and implementation is a pep side. It’s night and day.

A team should be a reflection of its manger and all peps teams have been unbelievable with his humbleness ethos, his pioneering tactics and systems, his passion, his constant desire to make players better at what he wants, his ability to make his players believe they can win it all, the ability to make players believe in what he is doing and trusting him that they will win! if they play the way he says, how many players/ex players have we heard say, pep tells us what’s going to happen and it happens?

This looks nothing like a pep side theses players do not look like they believe it anymore, or are sick of hearing it? and I’m not sure this looks like pep cares anymore,l either his body language just isn’t as intense or captivating. I’m afraid to say it, but to me it looks like the fire has gone. I’m not blaming him, he’s done wonders with us and over a sustained period. It’s took its toll, both professionally and personally. It looks to me like there’s nothing left to give and it shows in the performances. Unless he finds that motivation and standard he set for so long throughout his managerial career then I think it’s run its course.

There is no Shame in the fire going out as it happens to everyone and it’s happened to pep . The players look like they don’t want to be out on the pitch and our captain just wants to run round arguing with anyone who takes him on our so called elite defender ruban Dias looks half arsed and has other things going on and big erl can’t even be arsed to run half the time leaving Rodri the worlds best getting frustrated with it all which is not good as Real Madrid are looking very closely and where is Phil foden in all of this ! . My opinion for what it’s worth is the players have had enough and they want change and pep is just burnt out and needs to leave for his own health and sanety . One last thing have Everton got a buy on jack grealish ?

 

[Paul1970]

some of the fire surely has gone. I remember Pep on the touchline going berserk at Sterling and Sane because they crossed the ball a second late and it was blocked when we were 3-0 up already! or going crazy at someone not stepping up quick enough to make the offside line stick when in comfortable 2-0 lead. but those errors were rare. now we have 5x bigger mistakes, errors most games at 1-0 down or 0-0 and there is an air of acceptance. like how many of attacks die down with basic errors from Doku, Bobb, Savinho not choosing the simple and best solution. the standard was simply much higher when we had Sterling and Sane at that age on the wings.
but there are many other examples in off the ball workrate too generally. the players may feel the standards have dropped. less is enough.

surely there is a tactical deterioration coupled with odd recruitment decisions. and now we pay the price.

Pep needs to show this season he has not burnt out. he took a year off to recharge after Barca, well the City run was much longer and draining too, caused him even personal life issues.

bit of an ego issue as well growing. he is not used to be not big favourite in league level or CL. not getting to last 16 in CL last season was a serious ego hit to him. especially as it was a rather weak season for Real Madrid who stopped us very early.
we need to go far in CL this time. but even the clubs in league stage will not make us a favour. they come to hurt us, outfox us. if we let them.

Tbh I can’t see us getting out of the group unless things change

 

[urban genie]

This swas Peps set up at Bayern the year lewandowski got 50+ and the walked it



Like here he plalyed bot fullback incerted, however he didn't push them up on the flanks or cantral atrack, he sat them next to Alonso as a aseecond defence and allowed the front 5 do the high press and overrun the oposition defence.

feel if he insists on inverted fullbacks he should use them this way


He also. ahd a 3-4-3 formation with the fullback. playing wing back



Personally I want him to try the second one with Stones-Khush-Gvardiol as our back 3




Bobb would be my wing back choice but could be easily belewis or nunes

 

[alexmcity]

Those who are sceptical about Pep and/or the squad can demonstrate their knowledge by making predictions about our season.

Ferguson needed 4 years to win the title after 2003 and 9 years to build another team capable of winning the CL. Anyone who thinks that rebuilding a team is easy is being naive.

Also, note the following. If the aim is just to compete for the title, the process of rebuilding would be easier. But Pep aims higher: he wants to create another special team, not just another title-winning team. A truly special team needs to implement more complex tactics, to build it takes more time. Aiming higher than just competing makes temporary failures more likely. The process is not linear: first you compete for top 4, then for the title, and then for the double or treble.

My prediction: at some point this season, whether in December or January, the team will click and become increasingly stronger, with some setbacks here and there. By April City will look like the most in form team in England and one of the favourites for the CL.

Now, those who disagree (they might be right!) are welcome to make their own predictions about the evolution of this team. Have skin in the game.

 

[Stoned Rose]

I’ve noticed this Ljinders one has rocked up and I’ve also noticed a lot of new players and the beginnings of a change in our style such as going long more.

We’re laying the foundations for Klopp coming aren’t we?

 

[doobyedoobye]

The concern remains the coaching currently and the players not believing in the system imo

 

[Jezza11]

I’ve noticed this Ljinders one has rocked up and I’ve also noticed a lot of new players and the beginnings of a change in our style such as going long more.

We’re laying the foundations for Klopp coming aren’t we?

The meltdown would be biblical

 

[bondsman]

This swas Peps set up at Bayern the year lewandowski got 50+ and the walked it

View attachment 168480

Like here he plalyed bot fullback incerted, however he didn't push them up on the flanks or cantral atrack, he sat them next to Alonso as a aseecond defence and allowed the front 5 do the high press and overrun the oposition defence.

feel if he insists on inverted fullbacks he should use them this way


He also. ahd a 3-4-3 formation with the fullback. playing wing back

View attachment 168481

Personally I want him to try the second one with Stones-Khush-Gvardiol as our back 3

View attachment 168482


Bobb would be my wing back choice but could be easily belewis or nunes

Big difference in the quality of the Bayern squads to our current squad sadly. Probably the key issue.

 

[JewelZee]

If you didn't have such an inflated opinion of yourself and didn't attempt to put other people's opinions down in such an arrogant and dismissive manner, you might not come across as such a twat.

I hasten to add that I am not referring to myself, because I don't consider your opinions relevant enough to worry about.

I doubt your ego will allow you to consider how you might be perceived , and I am no doubt knocking at an empty house, so I will leave it there ccept that you come across as

Are you trying to hurt my feelings? This isn't X and I don't live in the UK. Fella you've been pompous and condescending toward me since the first time I've ever posted. Rather than disagree with something I've said you always come back with some kind of wise crack. Instead of spending your time trying to make shit personal assessments maybe you could actually speak about football.

 

[Ken92]

This swas Peps set up at Bayern the year lewandowski got 50+ and the walked it

View attachment 168480

Like here he plalyed bot fullback incerted, however he didn't push them up on the flanks or cantral atrack, he sat them next to Alonso as a aseecond defence and allowed the front 5 do the high press and overrun the oposition defence.

feel if he insists on inverted fullbacks he should use them this way


He also. ahd a 3-4-3 formation with the fullback. playing wing back

View attachment 168481

Personally I want him to try the second one with Stones-Khush-Gvardiol as our back 3

View attachment 168482


Bobb would be my wing back choice but could be easily belewis or nunes

We don't have anyone near Robbens and Riberys lvl on the wings.They were both one of the best in the world at that time.Winger position with rb is a big problem imo

 

[Gumzy97]

I’ve noticed this Ljinders one has rocked up and I’ve also noticed a lot of new players and the beginnings of a change in our style such as going long more.

We’re laying the foundations for Klopp coming aren’t we?

I said this , the counter attacks against Brighton was really similar to the counter attack style klopp had with Mane , Salah and Firmino.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

Are you trying to hurt my feelings? This isn't X and I don't live in the UK. Fella you've been pompous and condescending toward me since the first time I've ever posted. Rather than disagree with something I've said you always come back with some kind of wise crack. Instead of spending your time trying to make shit personal assessments maybe you could actually speak about football.

Apologies if I have hurt your feelings.

You are, of course, entitled to post how and what you want on the forum.

We have different views on the football aspect, so better left to others to agree/disagree.

 

[TinFoilHat]

He's going and his big farewell will be the Oasis concert at the Etihad next summer...

;)

 

[Saddleworth2]

There is no Shame in the fire going out as it happens to everyone and it’s happened to pep . The players look like they don’t want to be out on the pitch and our captain just wants to run round arguing with anyone who takes him on our so called elite defender ruban Dias looks half arsed and has other things going on and big erl can’t even be arsed to run half the time leaving Rodri the worlds best getting frustrated with it all which is not good as Real Madrid are looking very closely and where is Phil foden in all of this ! . My opinion for what it’s worth is the players have had enough and they want change and pep is just burnt out and needs to leave for his own health and sanety . One last thing have Everton got a buy on jack grealish ?

Yes. Believe so.