Pep to leave at the end of the season

SanPellegrini said:
This might come across as a different take, but I’ve been thinking — might this be a decision the club actively took, rather than simply accepted? In other words, the often-said “he can leave/stay when he wants, the club will let him decide” might be missing the club’s own preference in the context of our form earlier this season, what was considered best for the club then (including operationally), and quite possibly what the club still wants (even if Pep is plausibly having second thoughts).

Disclaimer: I love the man. If it was up to me we’d keep him for many more years. I know the club would give him a respectful send-off, and I believe it was genuinely “mutual” (although there’s some confusion in how that term’s used in football).

But when you look at the broad timeline (as reported):

• Early season (up to Oct): Struggling around 5th place after a trophyless campaign. Many of us were worrying and writing the season off early. Pep looked short of fresh ideas at times.

• December 2025: Maresca leaves Chelsea. Stories linking him to City as Pep’s successor had already surfaced before he departed. He reportedly told Chelsea about the interest, causing the breakdown, and he’s been out of work since. (Surprising for a young, promising, in-demand manager who had so recently left his AM post to pursue this career)

• January 2026: Our form dipped again. If talks were happening in that Dec/Jan window, those results would have supported a mutual decision. Plenty here were saying “it’s time”. This is also the window you’d expect City to discuss, and then make, arrangements for a transition (knowing how we’ll run the club is).

• April/May 2026: Resurgence in form. Treble bid. Two trophies. Likeable young new squad coming together. Dramatically different both vs what we expected earlier in the season, but also I would imagine how the dressing room feels.

If as reported a decision was reached in Dec/Jan, to me it seems like a properly “mutual” one - ie both sides wanted it for similar, albeit personal, reasons. Pep was tired and 10 years is the perfect milestone, plus our form wasn’t giving him any joy. The club, with its high standards, had one trophyless season and risked another — a change was needed eventually, so why not now with a trusted successor lined up? And again, our form wasn’t great. So, hypothetically (but as reported, contemporaneously), we reached a gentleman’s agreement / signed a pre-contract with Maresca, put everyone involved on NDAs and planned for an announcement later in the season.

I would have expected the club to announce Pep’s departure earlier. But they probably weren’t expecting a potential treble charge or anything resembling that, and the right decision for all involved would have been (regrettably) to delay announcement so as not to impact the players. Pep’s comments about his contract having one more year seem to be for the same reasons - not breaking his NDA (if he has one), respecting the club’s preferences on timing, and most importantly protecting the players.

What surprised me were his comments tonight about speaking to the chairman. That was the first time it seemed to me he might be having second thoughts. After all, what is there to discuss otherwise? It might be an awkward chat to have though - if earlier in the season it really had been a mutual decision as described above, you’d need movement from both parties. I find it difficult to believe that City would break their word to Maresca (if given), reverse a huge operational decision taken many months ago (if taken), or leave an open question over the manager’s tenure going into next season. It goes against the stability and credibility the club treasures.

I’m not a mind reader and I only have the same knowledge as the rest of you, so I might be wrong. I just think the situation has been handled extremely oddly and Pep’s comments tonight were odd too. There are obviously a few other oddities in the manner/timing of when this was leaked, conflicting accounts from some linked to City (not that I think Liam Gallagher’s the most reliable source), and the guesswork that seems involved on the parts of some of the journalists/pundits reporting this. But if you asked me to guess, I’d say Pep’s having second thoughts, but those may well not change the dial (as the club isn’t leaving this totally up to him). We live in hope?
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There are something seriously dumb comments on here and this is one of the few that make any sense. There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the club will have planned ahead for his departure, you only have to look across town to see what happens when you don't, and we know that they did a similar thing when Pep was appointed - it was decided earlier on and Pellegrini was effectively asked to step aside. That didn't go down too well in many quarters at the like with many feeling Pellegrini was crapped on, so if an agreement has been made with Maresca I can see why.

It makes a lot of sense that's what has happened. I suspect City have possibly bought Maresca out of his contract and that Pep potentially decided he was leaving some time ago and recommended Maresca as his replacement. I didn't see Pep's interview last night, but if there has been a conversation it's for two reasons I would think, one is that it's a smokescreen, he will come out and say he's decided to quit to make it appear that he's only just made the decision, or two that he wants to stay on, which lends the possibility to Maresca coming back into the fold to work alongside Pep and taking over fully later on.

I doubt it's the latter, if Maresca has already been promised the job then I can't see them going back on that. However, I don't think this has got anything to do with form or how the season has panned out, I just think it's a decision Pep made earlier in the season and has potentially recommended Maresca as his replacement at that time. It all fits into place.

I said last season he wouldn't want to finish on a low but might call it a day next time we win a major trophy.
 
Marvin. said:
We don't go from a washed up team in 2024-25 to centurions in a year.

The trophies and point change by season speak for themselves. You want everything now but it's a process. As long as the fans can see that City are on their way back, most will be happy
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I totally agree we're on our way back. Some sensitive people have jumped on one flippant sentence from a much longer post and reposted in isolation. My view is its been an amazing 10 years, it wont be repeated and im excited by the makings of our young squad. Im looking forward to new ideas and new energy to push this young squad into a new succesful era.

If Pep and the club have been planning to leave at the end of the season then we should carry on with that plan. Changing tack cos a story came out like 3 days earlier than planned is reactive and very un-city
 
shemnel said:
I can see a decent proportion of fans not being happy with an incoming manager being responsible for forcing the club's decision making process and, perhaps, Pep's. Surely the tweet is hinting/claiming that the leaks about Pep's future have been coming from Maresca's camp?
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If its true its come from Maresca / his camp then its undermined everything Pep and club have been working towards this season. That is enough to rule him right out of any discussion.
 
coolcity said:
If you think we've been crap in the league you've become entitled, and I don't say that loosely, a great many of our fans have. We've only lost one, to the rags, as far as I can remember and it's the only match in which statistically we were not better than the opposition.

We've won two trophies since and finished second with our nearest rivals 10 points behind with one match to play. For most people, for a team in transition that's an excellent achievement.
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yeah but it's first time pep has gone 2 years without winning any league ssn gleefully announce

disgraceful ha ha ha
 
Mon Autre said:
Honestly cant fathom why so many people would want to what we've seen over the past 2 days dragged out over the course of another full season lol.

Also, feel like it would probably be better for incoming players to arrive at the beginning of something rather than feel like theyre arriving at the tail end of something. I want hungry players arriving to build a new era rather than for a walk on part in Pep's last dance.

The idea that a coach like Maresca would want to come in for work experience with Pep for a year seems completely delulu to me. Hes already done that and is probably in regular contact with him anyway. That's why he's been chosen.
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Might not be a year. It might be a similar situation as we had with Viana, he comes in for a transitional period as others have said and it eases the transition from one manager to another. Makes perfect sense to me.
 
ArniArason said:
Can't see how that would work. Pep would need total focus, not metric someone else aswell. Also, Maresca is a professional manager with his own views and ideas, he's also worked in the club for years previously.
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He has indeed worked under Pep, and if Pep wants to stay another season and the club want Maresca as next manager it makes sense to bring Maresca in to work with Pep for a season.
 
Mancini’s Pastilles said:
Not sure what thread this goes in, but how much of a **** does the bloke with the arsenal bottle, look like now?
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He doesn't look bad at all FFS. It was a bit of banter. It wasn't his fault the media got hold of it and it became a meme. The media, particularly social media, does this these days. Uses people to take the piss out of others, then drops them and they become the one being taken the piss out of. It's sad
 
I adore Pep and would love him to do a bacon face and change his mind about staying however some of the football we have played has been really turgid and slow over the last 2 seasons.
True we have won 2 cups this season and finished 2nd but we can be so much better.
If he stays I would be delighted, however I think he is done
 
willipp said:
If its true its come from Maresca / his camp then its undermined everything Pep and club have been working towards this season. That is enough to rule him right out of any discussion.
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Those quotes/leaks via his camp a week or 2 ago, about his next potential move, were irritating to me.

I have no idea whether his camp leaked the Pep going news, surely he/they wouldn't be the callous and naive to throw his mate and future employer under the bus?

Although I will admit that the fact that Maresca left in 2023 after 1 year of assistant coach, when Pep and the club had given him the opportunity to return to this privileged role after he left the club previously from his EDS role, didn't sit completely right with me. The fact is he's jumped ship twice from City, so something seems a little off with him for me.
 
TheGoat said:
Crap in the league? We are unbeaten since January (14 games)
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Unbeaten doesn't really cut it as a stat.

A team for example could draw 38 games in a season. They would he undefeated but just about survive relegation.

Draws against teams in and around your league position is fine when you are challenging at the top. But draws against teams in the bottom 5 of the table puts a dent in those title ambitions. And this season it's the draws against those teams that have killed us.
 
Mancini’s Pastilles said:
Not sure what thread this goes in, but how much of a **** does the bloke with the arsenal bottle, look like now?
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He does but hey its banter

But.. FAUX PAS of the century !!!
Nothing will ever be as bad as the 34/5 years banner hanging at the stretford end ( allowed by their club )
 
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