Pep Guardiola - 2025/26

BlueMoonAcrossThePond said:
I'd start a separate thread about this... but here goes... in this thread nonetheless.

Why - under Pep - have we given up ball control as a primary means of both offense and defense?

This style of play is still viable for PSG, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and numerous top sides. Moreover, this style of play has always been Pep's style as far as I can tell - until recently.

IMO - ball control is best for offensive and defense - and the top sides in football still play this way.

Pep has gone away from this style in this season - when up against Man United and at all times against Arsenal and in our signing of Donnarumma.
==
Why have we changed our style?

Because we're no longer capable of playing this way.

That we're no longer playing this way is, IMO, a concession - that we're incapable of imposing our will against most sides - Manchester United as horrible as they are included - and that our best chance for a win is, against competent opposition, to either score first and retreat to a park the bus defense - or against superior sides - park the bus from the offset.
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I mean, only Pep can speak for Pep, but it does appear to me that with the purchases of Marmoush, Reijnders and Cherki (the first two especially), adding to Doku, Savinho and Haaland, with Foden and Rodri pulling the strings, Pep is making a team that wants to move at pace into a large empty portion of the pitch.

And a good way to engineer that space is to relinquish possession (occasionally) by punting it long and letting the oppo come onto you a bit.

To mitigate that, you can have a super solid spine and force them into full back positions where there crosses and cut backs are (mostly) dealt with by a huge keeper and very aerially competent centre halves. This defending, and a keeper that punches, naturally creates breaks for which your front 5 are put together for.

I mean that's just my view. Of course we'll have more possession against weaker teams, you can't engineer every minute of every match and i suspect Burnley will be a bit more traditional possession play, but this is my opinion on what is going on. Probably a load of waffly shit :D

we have 52% possession this year (Arsenal away and United are in there, who play more on the ball under Amorim), while Arsenal are just above us on 55%.
 
BlueMoonAcrossThePond said:
I'd start a separate thread about this... but here goes... in this thread nonetheless.

Why - under Pep - have we given up ball control as a primary means of both offense and defense?

This style of play is still viable for PSG, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and numerous top sides. Moreover, this style of play has always been Pep's style as far as I can tell - until recently.

IMO - ball control is best for offensive and defense - and the top sides in football still play this way.

Pep has gone away from this style in this season - when up against Man United and at all times against Arsenal and in our signing of Donnarumma.
==
Why have we changed our style?

Because we're no longer capable of playing this way.

That we're no longer playing this way is, IMO, a concession - that we're incapable of imposing our will against most sides - Manchester United as horrible as they are included - and that our best chance for a win is, against competent opposition, to either score first and retreat to a park the bus defense - or against superior sides - park the bus from the offset.
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Think we have to concede we had a unbelievably freakish amount of technical talent at the same time with some of the all time greats on the ball but that's not normal.

We're reverting to the mean.. but say even if we had signed Jude, Rice and Wirtz.. would they be as good technically as prime David Silva, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Ferna, Gundo, KDB in the middle?

The answer is no.. so we are forced to adapt and maybe do some things we didn't want to do but that choice was made for us last season.

We have to find newer players and win with them in a system that suits them, not try to Amorim a system that worked once in the past.

Thing is Pep can adapt.. that's why he has 6 PL's.. and each PL side was different from the last.
 
super_city_si said:
Great to see him so animated coaching Nico. I think the crop of youngsters that Viana has brought in has revitalised him. Both him and the team are looking hungry again.
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Imagine if we didn't have a animated coach and revitalised players, we might have less than the quite outstanding 7 points:-)
 
alexmcity said:
Drawing big conclusions from the game vs Arsenal is pointless. Gradually, we'll move in the direction of dominating games and possession-based football, but also countering fast against teams that attack us in numbers.
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It's amazing how many people are seemingly deeply affected by external narratives which have little basis in truth.
 
Peps mojo looks to have returned still individually coaching players while we queue in the car park.

He left the pitch at Huddersfield as the steward were handing their lanyards in after final checks!.
 
This is based on nothing but I’m certain pep is going to renew again.

I don’t think we will challenge for the league this season but there are definitely signs that things are starting to take shape and I think pep is getting excited.
 
rice10 said:
This is based on nothing but I’m certain pep is going to renew again.

I don’t think we will challenge for the league this season but there are definitely signs that things are starting to take shape and I think pep is getting excited.
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Pep said this a few months ago; ‘I said that when I finish my time here in I don't know one, two, three, four, five or years, I don't know, I will take a break, so I'm not retired, but I will take a break, for sure’.

I took that as him saying there’s a possibility amongst his options that could see him up for staying another five years!

Of course, that might be his bottom option, but it’s still there in his list.
 
It really annoys me Pep wears a suit for CL matches but then rocks up to FA Cup finals in a hoodie a trainers

Its the only thing Pep does that pisses me off but it really pisses me off
 
Chak19 said:
Keep playing Silva on the RW mate, that will really get us somewhere.
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Once Cherki is fit I think we will see a change in personnel here and there.

Players like Reijnders and Bernardo are benefiting greatly at the moment from the fact Cherki and Marmoush are out injured and Savio is still coming back from injury.
 
Tactically poor tonight for me. Please stop putting Bernie outside & expecting stones to be a winger. Handbrake on too much & fear in the boys
 
Gorbachev said:
Once Cherki is fit I think we will see a change in personnel here and there.

Players like Reijnders and Bernardo are benefiting greatly at the moment from the fact Cherki and Marmoush are out injured and Savio is still coming back from injury.
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Good, because I don't want to ever see Silva on the wing again.
 
Was hoping Ljinders and a change of back room staff would convince him to take the shackles off in games like that - but seemingly not.

We didn’t win that because of the safe tactics in the second half. No rush to score another, just happy to pass them to death. Football isn’t like that now, teams are fine with that and don’t rush into decisions and make mistakes, they’re patient and know a chance will come sooner or later.

And the insistent to play Bernie on the right? Fuck me, Pep, have a word with yourself lad.
 
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