When is it time for a change?

[Blue2202]

It is monumental. Can anyone see a significant set of circumstances that might engender such a crazy reversal?

Perhaps a perfect storm of injuries, finely tuned playing style, old or unfit legs remaining and a closed transfer window?

Probably every single manager who has ever lived would be struggling.
Thus it would be ridiculous to fire a manager under such circumstances until you've given them reasonable chance to rectify it.

Complete insanity to do so if that same manager had shown that with adequate resource he can turn out the best team in the world capable of achieving feats no other team has ever managed.

Context is everything, yet many prefer to let emotion drive.
And still others simply seek opportunity to stir due to nefarious agenda.

It's not hard to find examples of each when the situation presents...

I understand there are mitigating circumstances and there is no agenda here, nowhere have I said get rid of Pep. I'm simply saying it's not normal to see such a drop off in the space of two months as we've seen, despite all the other factors which have contributed to it.

You're talking like Pep is infallible though which is just not true, he's also contributed to this shocking run of form and is ultimately responsible for results. I expected more from him (as one of the best managers of his generation) to sort this mess out but it's clear after two months he has no solutions. If you don't find that deeply worrying for us going forward then so be it.

 

[eyalluvitt]

Name me a top european side or defending league champions who have had a period of 1 win in 13 games in the last 20 years? You'll be struggling.

Attaining 5 points and dropping 22 points in 9 league games is not 'normal' its the absolute opposite and is completely unprecedented. This drop off is monumental.

99% of clubs would have pulled the trigger already and be riding the new manager bounce wave

 

[doobyedoobye]

The only reason that a managerial change would be required is if Pep said so. If his heart is not in it anymore for whatever reason .. Otherwise he will stay and fix the problems over the next few months..

 

[skiddypants]

99% of clubs would have pulled the trigger already and be riding the new manager bounce wave

Not us we are right with Tammy Wynette on this one.

 

[citymad]

I can accept a drop off, but the drop off this last few months has been absolutely sheer. I can't think of any other teams who've done it. I can totally accept that after 4 incredible years there will be some losses and bad runs etc, what I find hard to understand is what's being done to address it. The same players are picked, the same players make Sunday-league mistakes, the same players just look tired.

I know a lot of people think that as soon as we bring in Zubimendi, Kudus, Branthwaite, Pogba (heh), Robinson etc then we'll start winning every game but I don't agree. Something is seriously off with the players - every single one. The whole team look like they just don't know how to win games and that's absolute nonsense I know. I know we have injuries but there's no pace, no passion, no effort, nothing. It's just going through the motions.

I feel the only way we will win this season is if a team comes to us unprepared, or they just have a bad day. I love Pep, he's got pretty much limitless credit with me but ultimately it's his job to sort this out and I can't see what's going on. We aren't packing the defence like West Ham and Everton, we're not trying to outscore the opposition like Spurs. We're not countering like United and Wolves. We keep possession as if we get points for it and we don't.

I don't know what the answer is, but part of me worries that Pep has that same DNA gene that KK had. Pep's never had anything like this before and he looks clueless to me, as much as I love him. I hope he doesn't go full KK on us and walk out at the end of the season, but I can see it happening.

I feel the same. Love Pep but he looks like he’s struggling. Would love to see him try and change things up a bit.

 

[Gordyola]

I think that the players have lost faith in Pep's tactic. It is very difficult to get back from here.


People are talking about big rebuild but with current FFP regulations I doubt we can have as many big signings as we wish in one summer. So the majority of the squad still have to stay for one or two windows. It might be easier to get another coach to see if he can bring out the better side of the squad.

Just my opinion

Don’t think they have

It’s well documented that City have outs of room with PSR for a rebuild Do need to get of deadwood though

 

[Kinkladze 1]

The only thing that it’s time to change is the players and the transfer policy. Pep isn’t the problem.

 

[Benarbia’s Backheel]

The only reason that a managerial change would be required is if Pep said so. If his heart is not in it anymore for whatever reason .. Otherwise he will stay and fix the problems over the next few months..

Just checking, so you think he will fix it over the next three months yeah? After what you’ve just seen from the previous three?
I’m all for Pep staying, I love him! but people saying he’ll magically fix it aren’t watching what’s happening. He can’t fix this, he doesn’t have the tools or the knowledge to do it because he’s never been in the shit before and he only knows how to be on top. The only way of fixing it this season is if the players stop getting injured, but again, Pep is doing his best to make sure that they stay injured so it’s going to take a while.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

I doubt @kaz7 is suggesting there were "green shoots"
It's more about the fact some aren't willing to give our greatest manager time to turn things around.
This season is shot to shit - let's see what we've got after the next 2 windows eh

I don’t think the problem is only the lack of quality signings, though. Personally, I think Pep’s tactics have become stale, predictable and beatable.

It’s not uncommon for us, even in the losses, to have 65+% of the possession, but we are not doing anything with it. Meanwhile “1 shot, 1 goal” is becoming a bad joke and even today vs Everton, in injury time we had a 4 vs 2 against us that Everton completely messed up, otherwise it would have been another smash and grab 2-1 loss, just like the United game!

Pep is stubborn to point of distrust of players earning millions of dollars plus the Academy players he won’t even try.

Simpson-Pusey got a run out and I’m trying to think of anything he got wrong and can’t. Meanwhile, €77M Gvardiol is playing suicide square balls across midfield because the player he’s been “programmed” to pass to isn’t available!

Yes, we are very light due to injuries, but age has caught up with this squad, too, and it was an avoidable problem. Pep experienced it when he first arrived and had to go out and spend a fortune on a back four. However, that back four is now over 30 and we have two “superstar” midfielders well over 30 on the bench to “freshen up” the team for the last 15-20 mins and they’ve literally got no legs anymore and can’t find a pass to save their lives.

Indeed, they, too, may both be injured, but it has been PEP’S CHOICE to run a 16 man “trust” squad and it has bitten us in the arse HARD this season.

So, when reading the OP’s title, one might ask whether the “change” being discussed is Pep or simply Pep’s approach? I think Pep is going nowhere for the next two seasons, but his approach MUST change!

 

[East Level 2]

99% of clubs would have pulled the trigger already and be riding the new manager bounce wave

99% of clubs wouldn't be doing it on the back of four in a row and six titles in seven seasons and all the other stuff Pep has won.
However, a manager who has been good enough to guide us to all that success should be capable of sorting out such a mess (to some degree) well before the thirteenth game.
If we go out of Europe we'll lose any financial advantage the World Club Cup gives us when it comes to strengthening next summer, and failing to get top four may reduce our chances of attracting the best players out there.