Pep Guardiola - 2025/26

Pep shouldn't have tinkered with the defence to make room for Stones at CB/DM. Our record in the league with Dias and Gvardiol at CB and Nunes and O'Reilly at FB has been excellent.

If you think Stones can play at DM better than Kovacic, play him there, bench Bobb/Savinho and move Foden on the wings. We were a mess with Stones in that hybrid role. He isn't good in it without a proper DM. He played there in 23/24 vs Villa, we lost 1:0, but won the title. Hopefully a good sign :)
 
Don Karleone said:



For those who don't use X


Pep Guardiola: “It’s not the word [frustrated]. Last season was much, much worse - beyond much worse. We played against a good team, really good team.Good game I’d say, we started off impressive. And after, we missed in the first half when they linked behind our strikers… in the duels two-against-one, many times they were able because they are good and we are not good enough defensively today.They were able to get out from those positions, and after they run. In the second half, we adjusted better; we control better the centre, the middle, because they play a lot there.In general, we were there… I don’t have many complaints, it’s little details. But in general, it’s good.”
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I love Pep but if he thinks that was good today, then we have big problems.
 
I'm not bashing him after the first loss in a couple of months, but mate can you please do something about the set pieces ? it can help a lot when you're struggling to score, just change something about them ffs, and can you explain why you dropped O'Reilly all of a sudden just to play Stones who simply is not as good anymore ?
 
If it was about injuries I am OK with it. Playing Bobb against this physical side was very very bad decision.
They were obviously stronger.
 
I could have easily posted about individual players but I think Pep was the overall reason that we lost today.

1. Playing Reijnders
He has struggled all season and is not up to speed with the physicality of the epl yet. To play him at Villa Park as DM was negligent and naive from Pep, he rolled the dice on that one and lost. (Reijnders needs to be benched)

2. Savinho
His selection wasn't the problem but the instruction or lack of instructions to him was bad, his lost possession so many times and killed our attack, should have been told to be patient and play it simple, first 15mins we played well, Villa grew in confidence because they stop a lot of Savs crosses. Second mistake was not subbing him off at half time.

3. Nico Gonazalez
Should have started, if he was 50/50 better to gamble on him starting and then coming off later.
 
argyle said:
9 wins a row and this thread was quiet.

1 loss and out they all pop.
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We got lucky in a few of them wins as well though? His team selections abs tactics are atrocious most of the time and I sense he tried to do random things and if he win tries to showcase his apparent genius. Do the manager and sporting director talk after every game about player selection, tactics etc? If not then they should and if they do, Higo should be kicking his arse to be honest.
 
WallyA said:
433 but make the fullbacks go wide, wingers inside.

Play the midfielder deeper to help build up.

I'm tired of the wide wingers with no support.
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We literally had no build up today because Bernardo was playing so high up, and Stones And Tijjani couldn't control the midfield, Phil did fine but he can't do it alone and he's more of a threat so shouldn't have to be the one dropping deep, it should be Bernardo, but all he does is stay up top and press the opposition CBs which is completely useless, he needed to drop deep and hold Reijnders hand, be the link between midfield and attack, by the second half he was so gassed, he was hiding between Villa's CBs, he showed no interest in building play, really poor from him.
 
alexmcity said:
Pep shouldn't have tinkered with the defence to make room for Stones at CB/DM. Our record in the league with Dias and Gvardiol at CB and Nunes and O'Reilly at FB has been excellent.

If you think Stones can play at DM better than Kovacic, play him there, bench Bobb/Savinho and move Foden on the wings. We were a mess with Stones in that hybrid role. He isn't good in it without a proper DM. He played there in 23/24 vs Villa, we lost 1:0, but won the title. Hopefully a good sign :)
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Game against Villareal away made him believe that gonna work
Same as for Lewis and RB position. after game vs Wolves away, he thought that will work against Brighton and Tottenham ( both games lost)

No more Stones and Lewis nonsense plaese
 
TurboDuo said:
Game against Villareal away made him believe that gonna work
Same as for Lewis and RB position. after game vs Wolves away, he thought that will work against Brighton and Tottenham ( both games lost)

No more Stones and Lewis nonsense plaese
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You are probably right. But it was Gonzalez who made it work against Villarreal. Stones can't move the ball like a proper midfielder. Plus, Villarreal was a less dynamic game. European games are more suitable for Stones and Lewis, the intensity is a bit lower, unless you play PSG or Bayern.

Without both Rodri and Gonzalez in the first XI, Villa away was going to be a difficult game anyway. Maybe we should have played a more tactical game. We aren't ready to go to Villa and outplay them without a DM.
 
5 Hit Gibbon said:
I love Pep but if he thinks that was good today, then we have big problems.
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I find he frequently says we were good when a large number of us would disagree. I don't think he likes to criticise the players in public after the game. I am sure he was as disappointed as the rest of us.
Sometimes it's best to take a few deep breaths and wait a while, analyse the performance the day after and then speak. Sometimes the first few pages of the post match thread are an example of why you should bite your tongue for a short while.
It was a bit crap today though, the only good bit was the first 10 mins and there wasn't anything productive in that time.
 
Blu1 said:
He can’t motivate himself or the team which is understandable with what we have won. The game has moved on from pep for me.
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Agree. He used to improve players but how many can you say have improved in the last few years. Set pieces and finishing not improved And so many times we come out after half time and get put under immediate pressure like players slept through his half time team talk.
Deserves to go when he chooses to but the game is now pace, directness, set pieces and power and we are still playing slow build ups with a small slow team.
 
nico04 said:
I could have easily posted about individual players but I think Pep was the overall reason that we lost today.

1. Playing Reijnders
He has struggled all season and is not up to speed with the physicality of the epl yet. To play him at Villa Park as DM was negligent and naive from Pep, he rolled the dice on that one and lost. (Reijnders needs to be benched)

2. Savinho
His selection wasn't the problem but the instruction or lack of instructions to him was bad, his lost possession so many times and killed our attack, should have been told to be patient and play it simple, first 15mins we played well, Villa grew in confidence because they stop a lot of Savs crosses. Second mistake was not subbing him off at half time.

3. Nico Gonazalez
Should have started, if he was 50/50 better to gamble on him starting and then coming off later.
Click to expand...
Agree with the first two points but I’m sorry Nico G stinks! Reminds me of Javi Garcia.
 
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