Peps Targets

[Tugay One Cup]

all pie in the sky until it happens guessing about thisplayer or that player .They will have there targets and back ups just wait and enjoy it.

Where's the fun in that? We'll just be left slagging off the players we already have.

 

[sam-caddick]

He usually prefers to have a 6 and two more or less offensive 8s. And he does not like the real defensive midfielders either - even their he wants a passer. That he has to adapt somehow to the players is something different. He lately in the clutch matches like e.g. against Porto played Thiago together with Müller on the 8 position. Müller was playing his usual self between HS, ten, and right winger - but even dropped deep and was behind Alonso and Thiago often especially when the opponent countered as he probably is faster than the two. Thiago moved from 10 to 8 to 6.

With Heynckes we played with a real defensive 6 - but Gustavo already knew that he will not have a future with Pep and went by himself like e.g. Gomez did. Pep did not have to clean out at Bayern as that already was done and the last guys that did not really match went on their own. He just had his usual fight with the no. 9.

Nice that you actually start to discuss what the changes might be. I have the feeling when I read some post that some players that a lot think will be no problem and even will be favourites might not be - because of playing style, workrate or character - and some that you think do not match actually will not be problems or atleast in the first period will be very helpful.

Do you reckon De Bruyne could end up being one of those 8s because I can't see him having a long term future being positioned firstly on the wing? I think he is wasted there even if he does like to cut in to a more natural position to him.

Talking of other players I have a feeling that if we do get Guardiola he will turn Yaya into a sweeper that will have license to go forward on occasions - Beckenbauer like - in a back three whilst also having a passing number 6.

 

[Maldeika]

Do you reckon De Bruyne could end up being one of those 8s because I can't see him having a long term future being positioned firstly on the wing? I think he is wasted there even if he does like to cut in to a more natural position to him.

Talking of other players I have a feeling that if we do get Guardiola he will turn Yaya into a sweeper that will have license to go forward on occasions - Beckenbauer like - in a back three whilst also having a passing number 6.

In the old de Bruyne transfer thread I told that I was not so sure that he really is Pep material - I am pretty sure he would have had problems in Munich and would not have succeeded - that might be different in City. I know that some said that I just post that because of being butthurt - but I had my own thinking about it. I wanted him to stay another year in Wolfsburg as I thought it would be good for his development - more as a person not out of player reasons - there he has surprised me.

Yes, de Bruyne is not a fast winger. Usually Pep prefers dribblers on the wing in the top 3. I do not really see him there. But I can see him as one of the 8s in a 4-3-3. But he for sure would have to improve his decision making for that position - as he will not have the space for his actions he has right now. He would not have it with the opponents he would have had them at Bayern - but it might be different against the opponents in the EPL. Even if I think that will change as the smaller EPL clubs might look at Klopp and the developments in the Bundesliga as soon more teams will set up ball possession orientated.

I am not sure if de Bruyne will cope with the man management of Pep. The reason why Pep recently had nearly no problems with it has more to do with the way Bayern was set up. He already came to a team with a set dressing room in which the individuals like Robben and Ribery knew their positions and were very teamorientated (they weren't in 2010 but got with the years). For Pep discipline is very important - and it is his rules first. I know that de Bruyne ain't so easy (not just because of Mou) as shown in Wolfsburg on various occasions where he really showed bad temper (and that was so "obvious" that all of the media knew and Hecking had to comment on it. But there he had a special position and Schäfer and Benalgio - the older guys that are the heads in the dressing room - are guys that try to integrate everybody.

But - he is very young. He can adapt. If he is willing he will make a real big step in all directions.

I think Yaya will be a big problem. I have heard of discipline problems he had in Barcelona and especially his agent always makes troubles. Pep did not like that. Problem might be his workrate, too. I see him often as a problem in your system especially when working in Europe. He is not really pressing resistant. And in difference to the time in Barcelona - he got older - and uses a special star status.

I think that some players with smaller egos who some here think will have problems because they are not technical enough - will have less problems to adapt. Others that a lot think that they will be the "stars" might have a lot more problems because Pep is a control freak who likes to control every move of the player and usually cuts individuality small. Müller and him had a lot of problems - and he is a very easy going character who is always team orientated. But - to really show his strengths Müller needs to have a lot of freedom. And that when Pep wants to control everything. A normal player Pep could have sorted out - but Müller never is injured and always had a special status as the fan and media love etc. - so with the many injuries etc. Pep never had the chance than to play him and he somehow even scored great even if the positions and tasks weren't really helpful with him. I do not know what happened - but somehow since summer it is different and he gets more freedom. His numbers do not show it totally as he has less assists than he should have (he is the guy that creates most chances out of open play in the Bundesliga). But that probably had to do with the injuries - Robben, Götze and Ribery are the better converters than Costa, Coman, Vidal.

 

[sam-caddick]

In the old de Bruyne transfer thread I told that I was not so sure that he really is Pep material - I am pretty sure he would have had problems in Munich and would not have succeeded - that might be different in City. I know that some said that I just post that because of being butthurt - but I had my own thinking about it. I wanted him to stay another year in Wolfsburg as I thought it would be good for his development - more as a person not out of player reasons - there he has surprised me.

Yes, de Bruyne is not a fast winger. Usually Pep prefers dribblers on the wing in the top 3. I do not really see him there. But I can see him as one of the 8s in a 4-3-3. But he for sure would have to improve his decision making for that position - as he will not have the space for his actions he has right now. He would not have it with the opponents he would have had them at Bayern - but it might be different against the opponents in the EPL. Even if I think that will change as the smaller EPL clubs might look at Klopp and the developments in the Bundesliga as soon more teams will set up ball possession orientated.

I am not sure if de Bruyne will cope with the man management of Pep. The reason why Pep recently had nearly no problems with it has more to do with the way Bayern was set up. He already came to a team with a set dressing room in which the individuals like Robben and Ribery knew their positions and were very teamorientated (they weren't in 2010 but got with the years). For Pep discipline is very important - and it is his rules first. I know that de Bruyne ain't so easy (not just because of Mou) as shown in Wolfsburg on various occasions where he really showed bad temper (and that was so "obvious" that all of the media knew and Hecking had to comment on it. But there he had a special position and Schäfer and Benalgio - the older guys that are the heads in the dressing room - are guys that try to integrate everybody.

But - he is very young. He can adapt. If he is willing he will make a real big step in all directions.

I think Yaya will be a big problem. I have heard of discipline problems he had in Barcelona and especially his agent always makes troubles. Pep did not like that. Problem might be his workrate, too. I see him often as a problem in your system especially when working in Europe. He is not really pressing resistant. And in difference to the time in Barcelona - he got older - and uses a special star status.

I think that some players with smaller egos who some here think will have problems because they are not technical enough - will have less problems to adapt. Others that a lot think that they will be the "stars" might have a lot more problems because Pep is a control freak who likes to control every move of the player and usually cuts individuality small. Müller and him had a lot of problems - and he is a very easy going character who is always team orientated. But - to really show his strengths Müller needs to have a lot of freedom. And that when Pep wants to control everything. A normal player Pep could have sorted out - but Müller never is injured and always had a special status as the fan and media love etc. - so with the many injuries etc. Pep never had the chance than to play him and he somehow even scored great even if the positions and tasks weren't really helpful with him. I do not know what happened - but somehow since summer it is different and he gets more freedom. His numbers do not show it totally as he has less assists than he should have (he is the guy that creates most chances out of open play in the Bundesliga). But that probably had to do with the injuries - Robben, Götze and Ribery are the better converters than Costa, Coman, Vidal.

Do you think Müller has become a better player under Pep though? Or is it just a case of him getting older and more experienced and natural development occurring?

With De Bruyne at Chelsea I think a lot of it was a development issue. He probably moved there too young and wanted to play week in week out to develop which under Mourinho was always going to be a struggle as it always seems Jose likes his established players who he can coach his gameplan ideas to rather than coach individual ability.

Now it is different as Kevin is older, more experienced and closer to the finished product.

I think there is more space in England too which is the reason why I think he will be OK as an 8.

In regards to Pep's man-management, if anything a lot of our players need it. One on our biggest issues in the last 18 months is consistency in intensity and motivation.

I think with our ageing team Pep will be able to rebuild it in his image pretty much as we have a lot of players after this season near, at or over 30.

I doubt he will be walking into a treble wining team where drastic changes would be unthinkable.

 

[Jacob Smith]

Wonder if he'd take the number 9 or go back to 16?

He wouldn't go back to 16 - he chose that number originally because when he joined Dzeko was 10 so he chose 16 because it was his wife's birthday and he's no longer with her. I'd guess he'd take the 9.

 

[Maldeika]

Do you think Müller has become a better play under Pep though? Or is just a case of him getting older and more experienced and natural development occurring?

With De Bruyne at Chelsea I think a lot of it was a development issue. He probably moved there too young and wanted to play week in week out to develop which under Mourinhonwas always going to be a struggle as it always seems Jose likes his established players who he can coach his gameplan ideas to rather than coach individual ability.

Now it is different as Kevin is older, more experienced and closer to the finished product.

I think there is more space in England too which is the reason why I think he will be OK as an 8.

In regards to Pep's man-management, if anything a lot of our players need it. One on our biggest issues in the last 18 months is consistency in intensity and motivation.

I think with our ageing team Pep will be able to rebuild it in his image pretty much as we have a lot of players after this season near, at or over 30.

If I look into the development of his numbers I am not sure about it - he was on a very high level in the treble season already - in the first half of the season only the big two were better - his numbers during Pep time until this season stayed the same. But he had them even if he was restricted in his positioning - that was somehow the surprising. He was not really playing so well then. Müller often played in a restricted position - were he could not really play out his strength that well and were he did not have that much freedom. But - his biggest asset aren't his goals and assists but his unorthodox runs that do not even have him as an assistant or goal scorer but with which he helps others e.g. to not get into the offside trap, to smart out defenders to follow the wrong person etc. There is about no offensive action where he does not have an influence it.

That sounds like he did not have made a development. But he has. He is much more consistent. He technically improved a lot - especially his passing. He was absolutely right footed some years ago with a real weak left foot - but he nearly shoots and assists as good with his left foot now and I would call him two-footed today. His "8-division-actions" - looking sometimes like he had the technic of a sunday-league-player in matches he had years ago are barely to be seen today. He still looks funny and odd - but that is more because of his stature with his long skinny legs. He is still not known for his dribbling skills - but if you look into the stats he has more than 60% won dribblings and even if he does less than the real dribblers when he does it works out. That he just scores tap ins for sure does not held any thruth - he had 4 great goals from out of the box last year alone in the Champions League. I think that the development was already real seen at the World Cup 2014 - he just could not always show it in his roles at Bayern.

A lot players have made big personal developments at Bayern. Boateng did and even told that Pep learned him defending. The only one who did not make the next step is Götze - he might even have made a step back. But the reason might have been that the hype was too big around him and he already came into the league fully developed. It is up to the players how they develop - it is not just talent but mentality, a lot of hard work, character and sometimes even luck. But I can see Götze leaving in summer - preferably he will follow Klopp to Liverpool.

To Kevin - it depends with what attitude he gets into. He is a red head and he really has the temper with it. It could be seen in a very disciplined team like Wolfsburg - but when everybody else is "good" that might be more obvious. Same with Chelsea where Mou had a lot of nice sheeps and could sort out the bad tempered guy. In another environment Kevin even might be one of the more disciplined especially as he already is used a lot from Bremen, Chelsea and Wolfsburg.

When it is about discipline I always have Ribery as an example. When he came to Bayern he was very undisciplined. Van Gaal had various problems with him but he already had a too big status at Bayern to really be able to sort him out. Heynckes was more the fatherly friend and with his guidance he got him to get really disciplined and hard working. That is why Pep did not have any problems in this aspect with him.

About the space - right now there is a lot more in the EPL than in the Bundesliga - atleast for teams like Bayern. The Bundesliga teams usually do not draw back as soon the loose the ball and park the bus - but already start to press when the ball is lost. You have seen that e.g. in the match against Stuttgart. But - in the future it might not be just the tulip general who sets up his team in a ball possession style - but others, too. And Arsenal is usually a team that does the same even if they lately seem to be more successful when they counter attack (Özil's assists might have to do with that, too. That little more counter attacking for sure has helped him). Liverpool might be the biggest danger in the next season. Not because of the class - but the biggest threat to ball possession is a lack of pressing resistance and teams that are set up the way Dortmund was. Bayern needed 3 or 4 years since the emergence of the system to cope with it and several coaches - and the other teams in the Bundesliga followed that way. Learning a system that is based on pressing and counter pressing without that ball possession part (hoofing is what the EPL teams always were good in) is not that difficult. Doing it fully - all the positioning, having the ball skills and passing range, being pressing resistant, playing with a high line including a very good pressing - is far more difficult and very vulnerable when not played in perfection. To get it working is a very big art even if it probably is the best system when you perfected it.

 

[sir baconface]

A whole thread speculating on the targets of a manager who may or may not join us.

Pfft.

 

[adaminho]

I would personally like to see Ryan Bertrand, Pogba, Hernandez, matuidi and coleman in.

Bony kolarov or clichy, sagna,demi,willy,fernando,nasri out,

Promo: Gunn, Maffeo, Denayer.

Loan: Angelino, Facey, Garcia,

 

[aguero93:20]

With Heynckes we played with a real defensive 6 - but Gustavo already knew that he will not have a future with Pep

With Heynckes in the last year you played more with a double pivot of Schweinsteiger and Martinez and either Kroos or Mueller in the 8 position, at least in the games I watched.

 

[richards30]

gundogan, gaya, pogba, stones and messi!

Fuck it! I think which ever way city will go apeshit to keep pep happy this summer! I would look at moving otamendi possibly to rb.

Hart
Otamendi
Vinny
Stones
Gaya
Pogba
Gundogan
De bruyne
Silva
Messi
Aguero

Yep, that would do for me!! ;-)