He's the third longest serving manager in the Premier League after Wenger and Eddie Howe. If he's a caretaker then every manager in the league other than Wenger is a caretaker. The average managerial tenure in English professional football is 1.23 years, Pellegrini has served well over double that!
He initially signed on a 3 year deal, so he should have been planning around that being his tenure, he's served the entire tenure of his contract. Sorriano has talked about managerial cycles going in 3 year cycles and then it's time for change, so you would assume Pellegrini was aware that was our CEO's management strategy. Guardiola signed for 3 years at Bayern, left after 3. He's signed a 3 year deal with us and I expect him to leave after 3. It's actually a fairly lengthy spell for a manager at the top of the game nowadays.
I accept everyone knew Guardiola was coming at the end of the season, but to be honest I think that bought him an extra season in the job. If a manager at Real, Barca or Chelsea had served up one as insipid as ours last season they would be out the door. Khaldoon said in his end of season review that we had fallen well short of expectations, he was visibly livid. The only reason he got the extra season was we knew Guardiola was coming and it made more sense keeping him than getting a caretaker in for a full season. If we didn't already have a deal in place for Guardiola he would have served two seasons, instead he got the additional sympathy season and he's made an absolute hash of it in the league. Again.
100% agree with you that it's a disasterous combination. As I said earlier, he does have a difficult job, knowing how to motivate comfortable millionaires who never have to work again to go and close down Lee Cattermole can't be easy. I'm not saying I could do it, it's a very particular skill set, but that's why he's getting paid 4million a year.
Again, 100% agree about Sagna and Zabaleta. There are clearly recruitment issues, as we've both agreed on. Personally I'd like to see some youth introduced to the side as it brings fresh legs, ambition, drive, motivation. I think that was one Slurgie's best tricks, introducing youth at the right time. They might not be as talented, but the eagerness can help add energy to the more established players. You've seen more of the youth team than me, so you'd know better than me who's ready and who isn't. But from what I have seen, there are certainly a few players who are ready to get more minutes and add some youthfullness and vitality to the team.
I'm not saying start them against Madrid, but maybe give them half an hour against Newcastle at home when we're 4-1 up. Start them against Norwich, whatever. I think the "lambs to the slaughter" approach away at Chelsea was probably the worst thing he could have done for their development. I understand you will say he's on a short term contract and can't take the risk of playing youth. But at the moment is Maffeo starting at right back a bigger risk than starting Zabaleta? Is starting one of the Garcia's instead of the tried and busted combination of Yaya and Fernando a bigger risk? Is starting anyone from the youth team left wing a bigger risk than playing Delph there?
Non of the other managers have ever been employed in a similar role to this. He took the job as a caretaker. He was always in the job till Pep was available.
To argue otherwise is pointless and wrong. It's the first time to my knowledge a manager has been employed with his fate already sealed. Stats regarding anyother manager are totally irrelevant. Unless those managers were employed under identical or even similar circumstances. Name one manager who took a job knowing it was semi permenant.
I refer you to your initial response. You tell me Sorriano has written in his book about this happening at Barcelona. Txiki was at Barcelona, no?
So they have experienced this before, yet decided to repeat it? Under more difficult circumstances. Idiotic if you ask me.
As a DOF Txiki has overseen a squad growing old and complacent before? Seems like he's a bit shit to me then.
You argue we've gone backwards since Pellegrini, I could argue the same can be said of Txiki.
On field they have done nothing Cook and Marwood weren't doing.
Off field Sorriano is doing a great job as far as I can see.
The bringing up of youth is an interesting. The EDS seems to be utterly rudderless too. Viera gone, some ex rag put in charge of an EDS full of players way below standard. The true talent are still eligible for the u18's. I'm talking Faupala, Glendon, Horsefield, Barker, Ambrose et al.
The EDS seem to be in an almost identical situation to the first team. In limbo, waiting for the next chapter to start.
Youth should be introduced, it was creeping in. Garcia and Celina were making inroads, Iheanacho was in. Since Viera has gone, it's stopped. Where's the link between EDS and Pellegrini?
I agree, Pellegrini has plenty to answer for. But I think there's plenty of reasoning to be heard about massive fuck ups all centred around getting Guardiola. Players have been signed for him, plans put on hold for him. For three years we have been working towards a manager we didn't have. Pellegrini has been a caretaker. He's done a decent job. No more.
He's being asked to manager players bought for another manager. He's being asked to manage players with no future. There are huge holes in the squad. Again players with little or nothing left in way of motivation. For all we know he may have wanted a totally different side. From what we know Demichellis was his man. He's washed now, but I doubt Mangala or Otamendi will ever have the impact he did in our 2014 title run in.
Pellegrini should have done better, I won't argue that. He should have been more progressive in terms of tactics, he should have been more progressive in terms of youth. All I'm saying, he's not alone.
Pep will have a very hard job, what do we do if he sneaks in 4th, win a league cup and makes the CL semis? Fire him?
I won't judge Pep till he's through our door.
