Don't think he'll be sacked at all. Would be a bit premature I think... (much as I'm enjoying the current situation).
I still think it's too early to judge him completely. Let's see what happens next season.
Is it Guardiola or is it his City squad?
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I still think it's too early to judge him completely. Let's see what happens next season.
Like a lot of us predicted, he's overrated and would be found out. It's only half way through the season and that is the exact case.
A few murmurings on TalkSPORT ealier that Pep will resign in the summer.
I think he will too. He looks balder than ever and depressed at City.
I think he will too. He looks balder than ever and depressed at City.
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City are still ahead of us in the league, I agree things look like they're unravelling but it seems premature to write his obituary just yet.
There's just no heart and soul at City. They will never have long-term success as long as they keep chopping and changing managers and buying shiny new players for silly money.
Who said Liverpool were in good form @padr81 ? Most United fans were confident going into yesterday because they appeared to have hit a sticky patch.
And yes, since the beginning you are 5th and we are 6th, everyone understands that. What you however are failing to grasp though is that you were 10 points ahead of us on the 1st December, and now it's down to just 2 points. You have lost 3 in your last 8, that's poor form, and most frighteningly for you, the team seem to be getting worse with each week that goes by.
It's got to a mixture of both but boy was Pep arrogant coming into the PL
That's brilliant. I do feel a little so sorrry for him. Just a little mind you.
They need to freshen their squad, and maybe make some big decision and have a clear out. What does Kompany, their captain, offer for example now? The one position where you can't be injury prone is CB, you need to be a permanent fixture in the side especially if your the leader, but he's never fully fit and constantly going off injured. It's best for them to say thanks, and just get rid of him.
Same with Toure, he's produced at times this season but he's not the same player and he's only going to get worse as time goes on. Zabaleta and Clichy as well, two full-backs who were great in their day but are now declining, especially Zabaleta. Bravo has been shocking, as has Stones with Otamendi not fairing much better.
Their only class players are KdB, Silva, Fernandinho and Aguero. The rest are good to average with a few promising youngsters in Jesus, Sterling and Ineanacho.
Same with Toure, he's produced at times this season but he's not the same player and he's only going to get worse as time goes on. Zabaleta and Clichy as well, two full-backs who were great in their day but are now declining, especially Zabaleta. Bravo has been shocking, as has Stones with Otamendi not fairing much better.
Their only class players are KdB, Silva, Fernandinho and Aguero. The rest are good to average with a few promising youngsters in Jesus, Sterling and Ineanacho.
The manager's job in my view is to play as per the team's strengths rather than his strengths. We are living in an era where average managerial tenure is less than 2 years, so you can't change the squad top to bottom, but you can change your tactics to an extent such that players are comfortable with what you want and then slowly change your tactics every season and buy players such that after 3-4 seasons players are playing as per managers' strengths which happen to be players' strengths as well. At Barca, he was lucky in that way and same was the case at Bayern, but here, you can't play this way with no WC CMs, or great defenders.
Additionally, among his signings this season, Nolito hasn't been a regular (even pre injury) and same can be said for Sane. Bravo and Stones have been disasters for them so far. So, it is the manager's fault!
And before people point that his CBs are shit, he himself bought a shit CB. Instead of spending 90-95 million on Sane and Stones, they could have bought 3 great defenders who would have added value to their side.
Additionally, among his signings this season, Nolito hasn't been a regular (even pre injury) and same can be said for Sane. Bravo and Stones have been disasters for them so far. So, it is the manager's fault!
And before people point that his CBs are shit, he himself bought a shit CB. Instead of spending 90-95 million on Sane and Stones, they could have bought 3 great defenders who would have added value to their side.
Having spoken to a few blues, it sounds like the parallels with LvG have started. He's too inflexible, doesn't get the league and players don't get him, sucking the life out of the place (didn't take much), making the players seem worse than they are...it's pretty fecking entertaining.
Chelsea change managers often and have had long term success
I think that JM was there long enough to establish a philosophy and way of playing. They also had the core players like Lampard, Cech, Terry and Drogba. A lot of the hard work was done by Ranieri too.
All this 'squad rating' business is completely business is completely results oriented. At the start of the season when Chelsea were struggling, it was their squad that was shot to pieces. With joker defenders like Luiz, past it players like Cahill, Terry, Ivanovic or non interested ones like Hazard, Costa. Even Kante was derided as a one season wonder. As soon as they started winning, suddenly they of course had the best squad about.
City's squad is fine, either the best or second best in the league, not Barca or Bayern level of super squad but definitely good enough to win the league.
City's recent troubles are all down to Pep IMO. First due to some of his shambolic transfers and second due to too much of a change in their style of play, too soon.
City's squad is fine, either the best or second best in the league, not Barca or Bayern level of super squad but definitely good enough to win the league.
City's recent troubles are all down to Pep IMO. First due to some of his shambolic transfers and second due to too much of a change in their style of play, too soon.
Shows how much they know.
Contract extension and a free rein in transfers will be the outcome of this maddeningly inconsistent season.
Yeah, Grant pretty much reached the CL final by letting the players follow the Jose's game plan. That core you mentioned was vital too. Almost all English clubs who have attained success over a longer period has had similar one.
You think their squad is that bad?
Ones we are linked with (maybe bollocks but there you go)
Keeper: Moraes (Benfica)
We need 2 Fullbacks, Danny Rose and Grimaldo at Benfica have been mentioned.
Centre Back/s we will be back in for Laporte and Pep loves Kimmich at Bayern.
Midfield: Rakitic
Forward: Aubameyang and Messi
Of course Gabriel Jesus will be a factor soon, Patrick Roberts is doing well at Celtic and Pablo Maffeo and Jason Denayer have a chance of being involved next season.
I don't rate half of their players, I really thought that they were going to sell most of them.
Since the takeover their turnover of Managers has been no worse than any other club bar Arsenal.
Pep will be at City as long as he wants to be and will be supported by the hierarchy.
Deals were pretty much done for Zabaleta and Kolarov to leave last summer but were backed down from.
Clichy is awful and should have been dispensed with.
Yaya is doing OK but will be released at the end of his deal this summer, Hart, Nasri, Mangala, Delph and maybe Kompany will be moved on.
It's comments like this I find bizarre.
A few months ago when United were drawing umpteen games and looking generally lackluster, plenty of people (especially opposition fans) wanted to write Mourinho off as a busted flush, Pogba as a waste of money and Zlatan as a lazy bastard here for a pay day. Most right thinking United fans didn't feel that way and realised that it can take time to get things moving in the right direction
Pep has an average squad, thin in quality other than the likes of Aguero, De Bruyne and Silva. He can (and should) be criticised for not addressing some of those problems and for the tripe he's bought in terms of Bravo (and arguably Stones) but it's not enough to write him off. There's no reason why if he gets the players he wants the style of play he wants to play won't work in the PL. Easy to point to a dreadful display at Everton but nearly the same side looked brilliant against West Ham a week before.
I'm sorry, I keep misreading that bit.
Their squad is possibly as bad as ours when Moyes took over. Yes I understand fergie won the year prior but the squad was a mess. If he digs in to complete the project, he's going to put together a tremendous squad. That shouldn't be doubted. The only doubt is whether he digs in or not.
I understand it completely but I don't think we're in crisis, I'll openly admit we're not where we should be but I think simply writing us off because of an inconsistent run is over the top. I've seen this from us time and time again, even in the seasons we've won the league. We dip for ages than put together 7 or game winning streak etc... It why we were 8 points ahead than 8 points behind than won the league on GD against you guys, its why we only led the league for 9 days or something in the "this does not slip" season. This City team is mentally fragile and its all when the going is good or nothing with them and always has been.
Not you by the way but someone here said we'll finish closer to Everton than United stuff like that is way over the top. I'm just not too keen on over reactions. Taking Chelseas 13 games out of the equation and we'd be 3 points off top with 17 games to play and it would be a 6 team title race. If we beat Spurs next week (unlikely but we're more than capable) we'll go level with them. I'll openly admit of the big 6 we're finding it hardest atm and the Everton game was the first really worrying game where we looked to have given up ala the last season under Pellegrini which is a big concern but we are hardly in the dire straits the media and some on here make out.
For what its worth when Jose was getting harsher criticism for better form, I said the same thing in many United threads. Football media and forums are full of overreactions.
I'm rambling now but back to your quote
My point about using our form since October and my reply is there's many ways to spin things. Since October you guys have probably been the best team in the league but since the opening day not so. Spurs atm are the form team with 7 wins in a row but that all changes if we beat them. After Spurs we should take 9 points before the derby and you guys could be coming unbeaten in 23 games our we could beat Spurs be on the back of 4 wins in a row and you guys could drop a clanger somewhere.
Our season like most teams won't be defined until the last 10 games where we face a terrible triple header in March/April when we have Liverpool H, Arsenal A and Chelsea away in a row. If we're in the top 4 or by some miracle close to Chelsea we won't drop many points in the last 7 games. If we're out of touch before those 3 games I'll gladly say I was wrong and if we lose to Spurs I'll start to worry but its no crisis.
For what its worth I'm more worried about the derby and how Stones and Bravo will cope with United sheer physical presence.
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To be honest, everyone and their dog knew LVG will be gone too so that can't be used as a difference between us.
Everton could be 6 points behind you after this weekend.
I still stand by it.
That doesn't mean much, just 5/6 weeks ago there were posts of WBA being able to go above us if we failed to win etc.
Or they could be 12 and you guys could be 5, they could be 9 behind us and 4 behind you making you guys closer to them than us. Football is a funny game and form can turn on 1 game. While I'd say we looked shaken we've only lost to Chelsea at our place this season and although we have most the big guns to play I'd make us slight favorites to pip Spurs, if it was at WHL I'd expect us to get hammered but thankfully its not.
Its your opinion and your fully entitled to stand by it dude but its one I disagree with and imo its way over the top. As I said to Regelus if it happens I'll gladly come here and say I was wrong and we are as poor as people are making out but I'm still not overly worried.
But Everton are a good side who I expect to kick on till May.
I also expect a better showing from United in that same period and City are simply getting worse. Its been the same 'City will come good they're not really this bad' posts for 2 months now.
It'll be a full blown crisis after Spurs press them into oblivion this weekend, the only factor I see that changes all of this is if they sack Pep before the end of the season.
Anyway United could finish 10 ahead of City and Everton a further 9 behind the bitters and my prediction would still come true
But Spurs haven't beaten us yet. What happens if we win?
Excellent, I wonder who will choose the mighty City without CL football over oh I don't know maybe Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal or United. Pure gold. Theres now a small pool of players to choose from and alot of teams who can afford them the small margins will be decidimg factors. Pep is the only thing they have to differentiate themselves from the aforementioned teams and he looks a beat man.
They need a HUGE clearout. If Pep wants this he is on the right track. Potentially a hugely exciting league in 3-4 years.
Remarkable how this forum & the footballing word has done a complete 180 regarding City's squad in only a matter of months. The hot takes regarding the squads of Liverpool/Chelsea/Tottenham are still fresh.
Half this board didn't rate Luiz, Cahill, Moses, Alonso, Matic, Costa, Pedro & Hazard at the start of the season. Now all of a sudden they're much better than what Pep has to work with.
John Stones was better than Luiz
People scoffed at being linked with Matic
Pedro was a flop & worse than Memphis
[Irrelevant point] was a panic buy
Cahill was shit
Hazard was inconsistent & far inferior to De Bruyne
Aguero was miles better than Diego Costa
A couple of months later & those same players are much better than what City have.
Half this board didn't rate Luiz, Cahill, Moses, Alonso, Matic, Costa, Pedro & Hazard at the start of the season. Now all of a sudden they're much better than what Pep has to work with.
John Stones was better than Luiz
People scoffed at being linked with Matic
Pedro was a flop & worse than Memphis
[Irrelevant point] was a panic buy
Cahill was shit
Hazard was inconsistent & far inferior to De Bruyne
Aguero was miles better than Diego Costa
A couple of months later & those same players are much better than what City have.
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Just to show many people don't really watch football game but follow the narrative on the media. Few posters, like myself maintained during City early dream start and Conte "sackwatch period" that's only from Christmas/New Year period that we can have a better/ more accurate view on how strong/flawed the teams are.
The excuse given to City about squad age, not having good transfer is way media covering their asses after hailing Pep to heaven during the dream start & jumping on Conte back.
The age excuse is weak since they used the same age to doubt Zlatan and has been shut up. Now after few months in suddenly City players got much older while Zlatan is a decade younger.
How people keep buying into this media narrative is astonishing. It's not like this is the first time around. See Rodger hype, AVB bashing, Moyes defense, LVG witch hunt... let alone further back in the past. Same old routine. Rinse and repeat
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Get a better keeper than Bravo, a better CB than Stones and get Fernando / Fernnandinho back and they'll be fine.
Doubt that will happen in this window though.
Doubt that will happen in this window though.
Of course Pep needs and wants an entire new starting 11 in order to get them performing like a normal side . Good luck to them signing the players that Pep wants, doubt he'll realize that he won't have the same dominance squad wise compared to what he had with bayern or Barca.
. Good luck to them signing the players that Pep wants, doubt he'll realize that he won't have the same dominance squad wise compared to what he had with bayern or Barca. They need an entire new back 4 as their fullbacks are past it/not good enough, their center backs are all average at best. Then they also have a mediocre midfield with Gundogan being always injured, fernando being a bit average, and then Fernandinho being the only reliable one but a card magnet. Then after that, David Silva is inconsistent as hell, Aguero gets a lot of injuries and then with not really any decent back up. It's a bit more work then just a couple of signings.
I said fine, and meant it as they'll compete with high likelyness top 4 (with those changes).Of course Pep needs and wants an entire new starting 11 in order to get them performing like a normal side
They need an entire new back 4 as their fullbacks are past it/not good enough, their center backs are all average at best. Then they also have a mediocre midfield with Gundogan being always injured, fernando being a bit average, and then Fernandinho being the only reliable one but a card magnet. Then after that, David Silva is inconsistent as hell, Aguero gets a lot of injuries and then with not really any decent back up. It's a bit more work then just a couple of signings.
They need magic to be champions league candidates.