Pep's contract situation

[Keeper!]

I've thought of that mate, remembering last season.

Why would Pep do this ?

Genius, yes maybe.
But is this a massive flaw he keeps showing, and why does he love Sterling so much ?

Sterling has explosive pace, something this squad lacks.

Foden, Walker and Sterling are the only ones that have it, we need more, we miss Sane's pace.

Sterling has missed Sane as much as anyone, the two together on opposing flanks was a wonderful combination. They stretch teams, creating holes the footballers in the team could exploit.

 

[citymad]

Pep needs to take adjusting time in account. When you make 8 changes or move the player after 60 games on new position - it takes at least 20min of the game only to adjust and gain the confidence.

It makes you wonder whether he even played that starting 11 in training let alone in a once in a lifetime Champs league final.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

It makes you wonder whether he played that starting 11 in training let alone in a once a lifetime Champs league fina

I'm guessing they were the first down gor breakfast in the morning or first ones off the coach.
Something logical anyways.

 

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

Pep is a league winning machine but his record in the CL over his entire managerial career is poor quite frankly. Two CL wins with Barca, the last in 2011, is the sum total, even though his three clubs have been serial league title winners.

You then have to ask why this is? In the league you can afford multiple setbacks (just look at our start to the season just ended) yet still win it but once you are at the business end of the CL you don’t have this luxury. Maybe this has really played on his mind and he panics when setting up for crucial games? People might point to his LC record with us but really that is a competition that is relatively easy to win if a top side takes it seriously (as we do). You can point to his mediocre record in the harder to win FA Cup and in particular the abysmal semi final performances against Arsenal & Chelsea.

It might be that he never wins it again with any club.

 

[citymad]

I'm guessing they were the first down gor breakfast in the morning or first ones off the coach.
Something logical anyways.

I guess one day maybe in a chapter of his book he'll reveal why he experimented with a new team and formation leaving the back 4 exposed to a counterattack and gambling on an out of form player up top. It would make interesting reading.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

I guess one day maybe in a chapter of his book he'll reveal why he experimented with a new team and formation leaving the back 4 exposed to a counterattack and gambling on an out of form player up top. It would make interesting reading.

short chapter. "I'm an idiot". End chapter.

 

[Damanino]

To me its clear our first CL win will be with a much lesser manager than Pep. there is a reason he failed with Bayern 3 times in a row and that was with taking over a team that just delivered the treble and full of great players.
At City this season was the first when we did not have a really disappointing CL run with him and we finally did beat a top side (PSG, and a level below top ones Dortmund) in knockout stages as before the only teams he was able to eliminate were like Schalke and Basel etc.

My prediction is he fulfills his current contract until 2023 and call is a day for City.
To be honest not likely we see another CL final with him but you never know. It just takes good couple of years for all other top cubs too to visit a CL final, it is not very often that you do back to back or even 2 finals in 3 years.
Liverpool did that recently and of course Real Madrid delivered like 4 CL wins in 5 years which is madness but others like Bayern, Chelsea, Juve , Barca did not...

 

[robsta]

I guess one day maybe in a chapter of his book he'll reveal why he experimented with a new team and formation leaving the back 4 exposed to a counterattack and gambling on an out of form player up top. It would make interesting reading.

Shouldn't have to wait for his book, should be sat in front of the owners and CEO now explaining it. And not just a "we played exceptional" answer.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

I know some people will say I'm missing the point, but...

This season, Pep has won the League (again) by a healthy points margin, won the League Cup (4th year running), thereby adding another domestic double, reached the FA Cup semi, and the Champions League final, winning more European games than any previous English team. He also set a few English records along the way, and went on record-breaking winning (and away wins) runs.

And yet people are describing him with words like "embarrassing" ?
An over-reaction, surely ?

It is an over-reaction of course. I don't think many would swap Pep for any other manager. But it is so bloody infuriating. Pep himself preaches the virtue of keeping things simple but he can't help over-complicating things. For example, forget the defensive midfield debate, why did he move Foden from the left side where he has been sensational all season and put Sterling who has been dire for six months there against Reece James (one of the best fullbacks in England). What was the bloody point of that?

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

To me its clear our first CL win will be with a much lesser manager than Pep. there is a reason he failed with Bayern 3 times in a row and that was with taking over a team that just delivered the treble and full of great players.
At City this season was the first when we did not have a really disappointing CL run with him and we finally did beat a top side (PSG, and a level below top ones Dortmund) in knockout stages as before the only teams he was able to eliminate were like Schalke and Basel etc.

My prediction is he fulfills his current contract until 2023 and call is a day for City.
To be honest not likely we see another CL final with him but you never know. It just takes good couple of years for all other top cubs too to visit a CL final, it is not very often that you do back to back or even 2 finals in 3 years.
Liverpool did that recently and of course Real Madrid delivered like 4 CL wins in 5 years which is madness but others like Bayern, Chelsea, Juve , Barca did not...

I think the CL is all about mental pressure. Chelsea won it with Di Matteo and that was an inferior team to earlier ones that had failed. I think the scale of the trophy does strange things to players' minds. Look at the way Bayern collapsed against United in the Final and the way Milan collapsed against Liverpool in Istanbul. The team that wins is often the one that has nothing to lose.
All the pressure this week was on City and Chelsea played with freedom. Their fans were relaxed. They had nothing to lose and had already qualified for next season's CL. City went to pieces (both Pep and the players)
City are a brilliant, technical team, but how strong are we mentally? Some have said United's treble-winning team is not their best ever team and they only got 79 points in the league etc etc. But, for me, that's bullshit. That United side may not have been their most skillful one but it was definitely the toughest mentally. We have to become more resilient. We have performed well under pressure this crazy Covid season, especially in the PSG game, but we still wilted in the Final. Mancini's team would never have reached a CL Final but I think they would have performed better against Chelsea on Saturday because it had stronger characters in it.