Pep's rebuilding job. Pep's City Mk II

[Keeper!]

So they are a world class team without a world class playmaker

14 points above us and not even 1/2 a season gone. Kloppity is doing something right

 

[Jacob Smith]

You have just answered your own question, Pep says Foden is the greatest talent he has worked with, yet he can't get into this team.

Say's everything you need to know.

Totally agree about David Silva, best ever City player in my opinion, but he is now finished and the warning signs were there last season.

We have to replace Silva with a world class play maker if we intend to stay a major player in European Football

David isn’t finished, he still has a lot to offer (see Tuesday vs Burnley) but what he can’t do is play twice a week, that just won’t work for a player at his age asked to do the role he is

 

[lazza10]

On Tuesday the Prime presenters mentioned that City were only out doing a warm-up for about 10 minutes. Granted they’ll be stretching etc in the changing room but 10 minutes is incredibly short when it’s as cold as it is atm

Yeah that’s what I was thinking! Piss poor all round though to be honest, because the players them selves should know better and be able to take care of themselves

 

[nmc]

Pep had serious issues with the Team doctor and medical people, the Doctor left after 30 years plus working there.

It’s no secret that Bayern Munich’s Dr. Müller-Wohlfahrt did not get along well with former manager Pep Guardiola. The two had their fair share of disagreements during Guardiola’s tenure as Bayern manager, and a heated feud between them back in 2015 ultimately lead Wohlfahrt to stepping down from his post as team doctor.

I know that story was widely reported at the time but I’ve since read that the Doctor in question felt out primarily with other members of the Bayern hierarchy other than Pep; and it was the Tax fraudster who saw him out of the club.

 

[Marvin]

You described the ‘spine’ of the Mancini team. The spine (Yaya excepted) that drove us through our last couple of glory seasons. With them gone, who is the new spine? Only Kev can be pencilled in and he is inconsistent. Probably Eddie, maybe Laporte. We are two or three world class players short - Dave's replacement, Ferns replacement, Kuns replacement. We have ‘filled in’ round our spine since Pep arrived with players that cannot replace our best. We have a couple of largely untested youngsters who might be good enough in time. We have players that are performing way below their very best. Bernie, Kev, Stones, Raheem at present. You call this a transition. I’m not sure it should be termed that as there are just to many gaps in the ‘transition plan’
Pep has already ruled out players in the winter window. So it’s going to have to be one hell of a summer window if we are to transition fully. Pep’s manpower decisions are starting to bite us. It was a mistake to not replace Vinnie, like for like, it was a mistake to rely on a full recovery from Mendy, it was a mistake to think Fern is a better centre back than pivot. It is a mistake to play Dave three times in a week and underuse Phil. The only way we will know if Phil can be Daves replacement is to play him in competitive games. Same with Garcia. Too many mistakes, too often repeating the same tactics and expecting a different outcome.

I love Pep but some hard choices need to be made in the next six months about his and some of the players futures.

These same players won the domestic treble last season. What has changed? Time. Who are the players who are aging. There's your answer.

Fern and Silva should ideally be squad players now but they are playing hence Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool outpowered us in midfield in the crucial opening 30 minutes.

 

[Rammy Blue]

But they have 3 players up top that can rip any team a new arse hole when in form.

They have work horses in the middle doing the dirty work

And their defence has a world class central defender with 2 incredibly fast and technical fullbacks.

 

[lazza10]

David isn’t finished, he still has a lot to offer (see Tuesday vs Burnley) but what he can’t do is play twice a week, that just won’t work for a player at his age asked to do the role he is

Only if Pep realised this, then Foden would get his well deserved run in the side.

 

[RayCTID]

Liverpool might be playing "exciting" football (that is up for debate imo) but Klopp is totally relying on his key players to stay injury free for longer periods without much rotation. He doesn't have a Plan B at all (same when he was at Dortmund). He has taken full advantage of all the help his club has been given.

 

[Keeper!]

David isn’t finished, he still has a lot to offer (see Tuesday vs Burnley) but what he can’t do is play twice a week, that just won’t work for a player at his age asked to do the role he is

He's gone, had a great start to the season, but he had a 3 month rest in the Canaries, came back fit , fresh and healthy but age has already caught up with him and it's not yet Christmas.

 

[nmc]

Looking at our present squad I think maybe we are missing something in terms of leadership. Kompany was one hell of a leader and we miss him hugely in the dressing room. Equally Yaya was a hell of a winner - he never failed to show up for big games. We have great technical players but at times yesterday the team needed leadership and it’s a bit in short supply.