What are we expecting from Pep's first season?

[Terra Passenger]

I'm posting this when we still have 9 league games to go and the season continues to pan out poorly.

I know our final position is not yet known and we do not know which players will come and go during the summer, but based on what we have seen this season, what is the least we should expect under Pep's first season?

Personally I would just be happy for Pep to get us playing like a well organised team again, that knows how to defend, press and attack as a team and just as importantly entertains us.

For me, just getting to a Champions League spot in the league is good enough for the first season and a genuine feeling we are on the rise towards even greater heights over the next 2 seasons.

It's hard to know how much control Pep will enjoy over spending and recruitment.

Since 3-weeks ago I've predicted that our chance of winning the league is essentially zero and that finishing top-4 is pretty-much a 50-50 proposition.

Regardless of where we end up in the league this season, I expect us to win the league next by 10 points or more - why? - because each of ManU, Arsenal, Totenham and Chelsea have problems with player quality and/or squad depth and/or manager and/or ability to spend. If we somehow manage to qualify for the Champion's League... I'd expect a top 16 finish at least... more depending on the draw.

Whatever Pep does to our squad next season, we'll be miles behind Barca, Madrid and Bayern. Hard to gauge where we'll be wrt PSG (4th best club in the world IMO) since Ibra may be moving on. I'd expect us to be 4th or 5th best club in the world, proving it by beating anyone other than the top 3 or 4 in Champion's League competition - assuming of course we're even in the competition next year.

 

[crmcfc]

Assuming we invest heavily again we have to win the league, think Pep will be pretty staggered at what he has to work with when he asses the cripples and 30 somethings. Hoping he can sign 3 or 4 what I class as "starters" rather than squad players. Hope Pep plays a major part in who we sign as our recruitment has been shockingly poor under the current set up.

 

[Dax777]

It's hard to know how much control Pep will enjoy over spending and recruitment.

Since 3-weeks ago I've predicted that our chance of winning the league is essentially zero and that finishing top-4 is pretty-much a 50-50 proposition.

Regardless of where we end up in the league this season, I expect us to win the league next by 10 points or more - why? - because each of ManU, Arsenal, Totenham and Chelsea have problems with player quality and/or squad depth and/or manager and/or ability to spend. If we somehow manage to qualify for the Champion's League... I'd expect a top 16 finish at least... more depending on the draw.

Whatever Pep does to our squad next season, we'll be miles behind Barca, Madrid and Bayern. Hard to gauge where we'll be wrt PSG (4th best club in the world IMO) since Ibra may be moving on. I'd expect us to be 4th or 5th best club in the world, proving it by beating anyone other than the top 3 or 4 in Champion's League competition.

Now this is a legitimate expectation. Anything less is just setting the bar way too low.

 

[Bluep*ss]

I'm posting this when we still have 9 league games to go and the season continues to pan out poorly.

I know our final position is not yet known and we do not know which players will come and go during the summer, but based on what we have seen this season, what is the least we should expect under Pep's first season?

Personally I would just be happy for Pep to get us playing like a well organised team again, that knows how to defend, press and attack as a team and just as importantly entertains us.

For me, just getting to a Champions League spot in the league is good enough for the first season and a genuine feeling we are on the rise towards even greater heights over the next 2 seasons.

is it me or do you think City will finish in the top 4 ?.
We have 9 games left – 4 at home – Rags , WBA , Stoke , Arsenal.
and 5 away – Bournemouth , Chelsea ,Southampton , Swansea and Newcastle TBA.
27 points to play for – and on the evidence of this season and latterly the last few games i am very pessimistic.
Since Pellers announced his departure we are playing badly and sometimes his team selections have been dire.
As of now City , WHU , Rags , have all played 29 games with City 2 points more than WHU and 4 points more than the Rags. In 7th place are Saints and 8th Liverpool both on 44 points. Saints have played 2 more games than Liverpool.
One week from today I can see the media being in meltdown because the Rag youth have won at City.
We will probably get 5 more points at home and 4 points away. – giving us 60 points.
I told you I am a glass half full sort of guy.
Spurs just won at Villa.
What do you think ?.

 

[davymcfc]

I don't expect us to win every game I am sure there will be a transition period however what I want to see is an improvement in tempo and organisation. He won't accept any passengers and I would like to think he will have a consistent approach to team selection. This will undoubtedly be his biggest challenge but he deserves the reputation he comes with and if he is as good as we hope then this team can achieve truly great things.

 

[brian the blue]

Just rebuild and get us back in the champions league

 

[Terra Passenger]

is it me or do you think City will finish in the top 4 ?.
We have 9 games left – 4 at home – Rags , WBA , Stoke , Arsenal.
and 5 away – Bournemouth , Chelsea ,Southampton , Swansea and Newcastle TBA.
27 points to play for – and on the evidence of this season and latterly the last few games i am very pessimistic.
Since Pellers announced his departure we are playing badly and sometimes his team selections have been dire.
As of now City , WHU , Rags , have all played 29 games with City 2 points more than WHU and 4 points more than the Rags. In 7th place are Saints and 8th Liverpool both on 44 points. Saints have played 2 more games than Liverpool.
One week from today I can see the media being in meltdown because the Rag youth have won at City.
We will probably get 5 more points at home and 4 points away. – giving us 60 points.
I told you I am a glass half full sort of guy.
Spurs just won at Villa.
What do you think ?.

The remainder of this season is incredibly hard to predict.

My premise though is that our squad is simply showing up, going to work, unmotivated each week because of Pelligrini, whom I've nicknamed "The Master Demotivator."

At the same time, our squad is full of professionals - they *INTRINSICALLY* want to win and will be especially up for any game involving a close competitor or fierce rival.

I expect us to be really good - for this reason - against ManU, Chelsea and Arsenal.

For the rest of our games... I'm not sure; our squad is so talented and deep that we may well win our fair share of these games in spite of TMD.

In all... a top-4 place is 50-50 for me.

 

[Sir Joe Aguero]

is it me or do you think City will finish in the top 4 ?.
We have 9 games left – 4 at home – Rags , WBA , Stoke , Arsenal.
and 5 away – Bournemouth , Chelsea ,Southampton , Swansea and Newcastle TBA.
27 points to play for – and on the evidence of this season and latterly the last few games i am very pessimistic.
Since Pellers announced his departure we are playing badly and sometimes his team selections have been dire.
As of now City , WHU , Rags , have all played 29 games with City 2 points more than WHU and 4 points more than the Rags. In 7th place are Saints and 8th Liverpool both on 44 points. Saints have played 2 more games than Liverpool.
One week from today I can see the media being in meltdown because the Rag youth have won at City.
We will probably get 5 more points at home and 4 points away. – giving us 60 points.
I told you I am a glass half full sort of guy.
Spurs just won at Villa.
What do you think ?.

United are... well, United. West Ham have a bunch of tricky fixtures so I can't see them getting 4th. They play each other in the FA Cup replay so that's another fixture for them. Klopp's style is very intensive so with them travelling for Europa, they may drop points. Arsenal have lost a bunch of winnable games recently so confidence will be low.

The Kiev game should be easy enough. Bournemouth, Southampton, Swansea, Newcastle, WBA and Stoke should be do-able. Not so sure about Chelsea, United or Arsenal because of Pellers' record but if we beat United and/or Arsenal, top 4 should be guaranteed. We've got Kompany and Aguero still playing and KDB will be coming back. I'm optimistic, but Pellers is good at ruining that.

 

[argyle]

If our form doesn't improve this season then the least will be trying to get a top 4 position again.

 

[BlueAnorak]

It will take him a season to sort the squad out. Don't think we'll win the league as a result but probably top 4.
As we wont be in the CL, maybe we'll go very deep into UEFA cup. Maybe a good run in the FA cup or League cup (if he takes them seriously of course).