Pep Guardiola

[rover]

when pep joined them bayern was already very close, if not already past it, to their peak. since he didn't commit himself as a long term bayern man hence he's not in a position to rebuild them with a complete overhaul. and this is simply impossible for him to do it in bayern given the club's culture. his status as a "guest coach" also limits the possibilities for him to completely overhaul the play way of bayern if he's not happy of the current one. he could easily find it in a struggle how to combine the current bayern structure with his own new idea.

the signings of bayern after his appointment were not smart neither. i am still wondering what role gotze can play in bayern if not crowding out the impact of muller. pep didn't get thiago until he spoke it out in public this would be thiago or no one. i believe the board was not convinced of this player but i don't see any problem to bring him in since bayern had no similar player. given the financial layout it couldn't go too wrong to meet the new manager's need. instead, the board should firmly say no to alonso. i don't see alonso could change their game in any significant way and obviously bayern already had similar player(s) in squad. bayern should tell pep to stick with the current players in that role however. need not to say lahm was re-engineered into a similar role later on at all.

i think bayern is a bit lost in what's the way they should move on going onward. maybe having pep joined as a "guest coach" is not really a too good idea

 

[AshfordLad]

I'd like to see him build a team before I judge him as manager. Like Mourinho has done, like Fergie did many times.

He made the Barca team of 2009-12 and pretty much the Sapin team of 2010-12 as well.

 

[Balu]

i think bayern is a bit lost in what's the way they should move on going onward. maybe having pep joined as a "guest coach" is not really a too good idea

He's not a guest coach at all though. He had all the freedom he wanted to change the team and despite some embarrassing results in the CL, the board continues to praise him to no end and tell the world that we want him to commit longterm. I'd say it's more a problem that he still doesn't fully understand the strengths of some of the key players and uses them wrongly while his signings didn't have the impact in his system he needs them to have. Thiago is so far either injured or does pretty looking, elegant things without actually having a big impact against the top teams.

 

[louvega]

Thiago is so far either injured or does pretty looking, elegant things without actually having a big impact against the top teams.

The story of Thiago at Barcelona. The invisible man.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

The story of Thiago at Barcelona. The invisible man.

Bullshit.

 

[louvega]

Bullshit.

I think i've seen every first team game he's played at Barcelona. Could you remind me of his most memorable performances? Every time I try I come up with nothing.

 

[Piratesoup]

I'll just hope that the City rumor is more than that and we can end this mesalliance

 

[Bob Loblaw]

I think i've seen every first team game he's played at Barcelona. Could you remind me of his most memorable performances? Every time I try I come up with nothing.

I've seen every first team game he's played too. You criticise his big game performances but he wasn't involved in that many from the start, understandably given Xavi and Iniesta did.

Most memorable performances probably a few against Villarreal or Athletic Club.

It's fair enough to say he didn't have much impact against the top teams, just harsh to imply it's from anything other than not playing against them much.

 

[Piratesoup]

Most of his games against strong opponents in a Bayern dress were the ones he played in the 2nd half of last season after missing a year with injury, which happens to be a period were we couldn't win against any stronger team anyway and often played like a bored mess regardless of Thiago being there or not. Nobody was able to shine in those matches.

 

[JustFootballFan]

3W-3D-4L Bayern against the top 5 in the Bundesliga last year.
22W-1D-1L Bayern against the rest.

Pep has mastered beating up on weak teams.

 

[Sunny Jim]

He made the Barca team of 2009-12 and pretty much the Sapin team of 2010-12 as well.

You sure?

 

[Piratesoup]

3W-3D-4L Bayern against the top 5 in the Bundesliga last year.
22W-1D-1L Bayern against the rest.

Pep has mastered beating up on weak teams.

The mark of someone who hasn't found a way to properly use his squad after 2 years.

 

[Balu]

The mark of someone who hasn't found a way to properly use his squad after 2 years.

To be fair to Guardiola, we beat Wolfsburg, drew away at Schalke and in Gladbach, and then won against Dortmund, Leverkusen and in Augsburg in the first half of the season. That's 4 wins and 2 draws against the top 7 teams. The 2nd half of the season was awful of course, we again came significantly worse out of the winterbreak than we were before, looked unfit and lost all cohesion. Our lead was big enough, so that it didn't matter that we lost against every half decent team in the 2nd half of the league. I've no clue what we're doing during the winterbreaks under Guardiola, but both times it had an incredibly negative effect on us and we couldn't get back on track for the CL either. It's really really odd. It has to be a very specific problem because the difference between the two halfs of the season is so huge, that it makes no sense to accept it as a general problem with the squad. It's not explained by injuries either and to question the mentality of a squad full of World Cup and CL winners makes even less sense.

There's something seriously wrong with our training periodisation and it hurts us more than anything else. Sadly it doesn't seem like anyone is asking about it, not one journalist ever questioned it, neither did we ever hear a statement from Guardiola or Sammer regarding our training during the winterbreak. It's shocking and if it happens again this season, I wouldn't mind to see both Guardiola and Sammer gone.

 

[Xivon]

There's something seriously wrong with our training periodisation and it hurts us more than anything else.

That's the one thing I genuinely criticize him for; more so than his tinkering with formations and players playing out of position which has been blown out of proportion, in my opinion. It's mind boggling to say the least. The other thing would be Pep's plans for the CL away games. We have been woeful in most of them (in contrast to the home games) and I just can't wrap my head around it.

 

[Dominos]

His away record in he CL for Barca wasn't great either.

 

[rover]

@Balu

this is just a mere observation from a complete outsider. if a footballer, no matter a coach or a player, when he first joins a club already thinking of an exist, to me he's pretty much a guest to the football club. if this can make you happier, i see lvg also a guest manager of united

the only difference is, when lvg joined united we were already about to have a total rebuild so he was having a very free hand to do it as long as the hierarchy gave him the full support, whereas this is not the case in bayern.

a guest manager is certainly not an ideal thing to a football club. for the lvg case, he would only focus in building a champion winning team but ignore those elements, especially those abstract ones like dignity, which are important to long term success of a football club. the money focus of our current hierarchy could only make it worse.

the recent transfer sagas with adm & ddg would definitely put us in a jeopardy. i don't see any decent football club would allow to proceed the transfer of adm under such circumstances

 

[Mciahel Goodman]

He made the Barca team of 2009-12 and pretty much the Sapin team of 2010-12 as well.

Spain were European champions in 2008, Barca's spine was already there. He did an incredible job to get the best out of what he had (two very astute buys as well), but he didn't build that side in the way Ferguson completely overhauled various teams, Mourinho too.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Spain were European champions in 2008, Barca's spine was already there. He did an incredible job to get the best out of what he had (two very astute buys as well), but he didn't build that side in the way Ferguson completely overhauled various teams, Mourinho too.

Does he have to? Nobody holds the fact that Fergie never created a team as elite as Pep's Barça side against him (and rightly so).

 

[Mciahel Goodman]

Does he have to? Nobody holds the fact that Fergie never created a team as elite as Pep's Barça side against him (and rightly so).

He doesn't have to, he's still a great coach. But being good in the market and knowing how to build/rebuild a team is a very valuable asset to have. He lacks this imo.

 

[rover]

i would say, at absolute highest level, our 98-99 squad performed at a level higher than barca of anytime. just barca could maintain at very high level for a certain long period of time whereas we failed to do that

 

[Bob Loblaw]

He doesn't have to, he's still a great coach. But being good in the market and knowing how to build/rebuild a team is a very valuable asset to have. He lacks this imo.

He didn't have total control of transfers at Barcelona though. You can't use English views to judge a European club transfers.

Agree that he hasn't displayed great transfer nous, but that's something he can show/fail to judge if he joins an English side.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

i would say, at absolute highest level, our 98-99 squad performed at a level higher than barca of anytime. just barca could maintain at very high level for a certain long period of time whereas we failed to do that

Not a chance.

 

[rover]

Not a chance.

that's why you are a liverpool supporter. you can keep your opinion for your own certainly

 

[Mciahel Goodman]

i would say, at absolute highest level, our 98-99 squad performed at a level higher than barca of anytime. just barca could maintain at very high level for a certain long period of time whereas we failed to do that

Nope. That Barca side dominated matches in a way I've never seen since (or before).

Edit: Actually, Spain did it too around the same period (obviously the two are very similar, that Spain side has always seemed like Barca without Messi to me).

He didn't have total control of transfers at Barcelona though. You can't use English views to judge a European club transfers.

Agree that he hasn't displayed great transfer nous, but that's something he can show/fail to judge if he joins an English side.

That is true, on the continent you'll' have technical directors, etc. But if we can't attribute the failures to him then we can also deduct the successes (Pique, Alves, Villa, etc).

I'll revise my opinion if he does come to England and show this ability, maybe he does have it -- but it's a question mark I have beside him for now.

 

[PedroMendez]

unrelated to Pep, but I don´t know where to put it. It is bayern related.

The small derby ended without goals. We played fairly terrible and 1860 bottled various goal scoring opportunities. Our right-back was send of for a professional foul minutes before half-time. Green was somewhat okayish, while the rest of the team (including Gaudino, Benko, Weihrauch) played fairly bad. Zingerle, Scholl and Ribery were still missing due to injuries and the team needs more time to gel. That said pressure is already on, because Regensburg won their first 4 matches while we have two points after the first two games (so far we have played two games less). The most interesting aspect for our first team was that Sinan Kurt didn´t play a minute despite being fit. He is not good enough at the moment and apparently he isn´t putting enough effort into it. Our youth setup has still a long way to go. I really hope, that Hoeneß makes some necessary changes.

 

[Theonas]

But you

Nope. That Barca side dominated matches in a way I've never seen since (or before).

Edit: Actually, Spain did it too around the same period (obviously the two are very similar, that Spain side has always seemed like Barca without Messi to me).



That is true, on the continent you'll' have technical directors, etc. But if we can't attribute the failures to him then we can also deduct the successes (Pique, Alves, Villa, etc).

I'll revise my opinion if he does come to England and show this ability, maybe he does have it -- but it's a question mark I have beside him for now.

But you're making it all about transfere. I really think we underestimate the difference between a coach and a manager. Fergie and Mourinho are great managers, the best over the 10 year in fact easily. Guardiola, van Gaal and co are great coaches. As good or better than anyone in the business but as managers they come short, mainly because they rarely actually do it.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Nope. That Barca side dominated matches in a way I've never seen since (or before).

Edit: Actually, Spain did it too around the same period (obviously the two are very similar, that Spain side has always seemed like Barca without Messi to me).



That is true, on the continent you'll' have technical directors, etc. But if we can't attribute the failures to him then we can also deduct the successes (Pique, Alves, Villa, etc).

I'll revise my opinion if he does come to England and show this ability, maybe he does have it -- but it's a question mark I have beside him for now.

That's fair. I certainly wouldn't be proclaiming that Pep has shown that he's great in the transfer market, so it's fair to have a question mark over that.

 

[The Mitcher]

Its alright to lose to the Lord Bendtner. Everyone has.

 

[rover]

@Mciahel Goodman

every players of barca could have known where to pass on the ball even before they had the ball under their feet. you can't do that without the success of their la masia. that's the strength that they can excel and no on ever can match. i have no objection about that. but the football they played was very monotone. even in their prime time celtics could manage to upset them with a 2-0 scoreline by parking the bus.

for our 98' squad we indeed also played tiki taka in the opponent's half, just not at such obsession level as that barca did. but our pace was much greater than barca. there was numerous times the opponents were running their socks off and we were going to secure a win at the last 15 min time slot.

and the most important thing is, whenever you can think about a way to score a goal in football, you can find it from our 98' squad. i've never seen any teams can ever do that except that one. in beckenbauer's words, our 98' squad was the most complete team in scoring goals ever seen in football

 

[rover]

for our lost against barca in the 08' cl final, actually we did give them too much respect. we tried to outplay them which was not impossible of that time being. we should hit them hard and got to force them to defense since defense was their very weakness. i'm not say this right now because bayern did it three years ago and made a success, i was telling myself that we had been wrong when the game was playing.

actually such strategy is not a new thing, indeed fergie himself employed once when he beat the cruff's barca once in the 91' cup winners' cup final

EDIT: which was not impossible > which was impossible

 

[darioterios]

for our lost against barca in the 08' cl final, actually we did give them too much respect. we tried to outplay them which was not impossible of that time being. we should hit them hard and got to force them to defense since defense was their very weakness. i'm not say this right now because bayern did it three years ago and made a success, i was telling myself that we had been wrong when the game was playing.

actually such strategy is not a new thing, indeed fergie himself employed once when he beat the cruff's barca once in the 91' cup winners' cup final

how, other than to press right their first pass between defense and goalkeeper? else I can't think how you can force their defense to work hard

 

[rover]

how, other than to press right their first pass between defense and goalkeeper? else I can't think how you can force their defense to work hard

you might go watch back the game how did we beat them in 91'

 

[B20]

that's why you are a liverpool supporter. you can keep your opinion for your own certainly

You won't find a single football fan who is not a united fan that agrees with you.

 

[FCBarca]

The story of Thiago at Barcelona. The invisible man.

Take him back in a heartbeat

 

[Blackwidow]

Funny that Lewy today in Kicker told how much he loves to play together with a striker partner and that Müller is ideal for him - especially when you know that Guardiola loves to play together with as much "real" midfielders as possible... - and it probably will be one of them for a lot of the matches. Especially the ones in the final stages of the CL away from home which Guardiola likes to control and that therefore never get won...

 

[RooneyLegend]

i would say, at absolute highest level, our 98-99 squad performed at a level higher than barca of anytime. just barca could maintain at very high level for a certain long period of time whereas we failed to do that

It really didn't.

 

[::sonny::]

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[clarkydaz]

found DiMaria's balls?

 

[darioterios]

 

[Speak]

Looked for some sort of 'football books' thread but couldn't find any recent ones. Just finished Guillem Ballague's book on Pep's time at Barcelona. Really interesting and worth a read.

Gonna start on Patrick Barcklay's one on Mourinho now.
Trying to build up a collection.