If he was in the exact same position at United, he wouldn't be getting sacked either
"At a big club, I would have been sacked" - Pep
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
That isn't the point. It's the fact he called them a small club. It's really fun.
Weird comment. It's almost as if he wants to get sacked.
Don't recall any other manager that talks their club and fans down at such regularity
Don't recall any other manager that talks their club and fans down at such regularity
Not to rain on the oh so funny joke, but he called them a small club in the context of City not firing him after this season, the same would have happened at United. Though, yeah he probably wouldn't have said that here.
The reason Pep joined City is because he wanted to try his hand in the Premier League. Man City just happened to be the best vessel for him to do that.
He doesn't have an affinity with the fans one bit and I would wager that of all the current top managers (barring Wenger's unique situation) he will be most likely to walk if things don't go his way. In other words, it's not a commitment to him, it's an experiment - an experience.
He doesn't have an affinity with the fans one bit and I would wager that of all the current top managers (barring Wenger's unique situation) he will be most likely to walk if things don't go his way. In other words, it's not a commitment to him, it's an experiment - an experience.
Welcome Woy of the Wovers.
So you just proved that point.
I really don't know how I'm going to sleep at night after reading that. I mean, it's not like United fans haven't been saying it for the past God knows how many years
It's a nothing article and any of our fans spitting their dummies out about it need to man the fcuk up
It's still funny. Imagine if Jose had said it, you'd be pissing your knickers and with just cause.I really don't know how I'm going to sleep at night after reading that. I mean, it's not like United fans haven't been saying it for the past God knows how many years
It's a nothing article and any of our fans spitting their dummies out about it need to man the fcuk up
Of course he isn't, His job is on the line next season and he knows it.
He will spend a fortune this Summer.
Yeah, can't deny that. I remember Moyes with his "aspire to be like City" comment. It had some United fans in a bit of a rage. Thing is, he was clearly just talking about the quality of the respective sides at the time rather than size of club, etc, but it was spun somewhat differently.
Anyway, it wasn't that long ago that Pep was supposedly saying we're no bigger than Villarreal so to now say we're not as big as Barca or Bayern is an improvement in my eyes
He will be at City for 2 more years max, in fact he could walk next summer if he doest win a major trophy.
He's had a few digs at City tbh, my city mate is starting to turn on him, a lot of them have not been impressed at all. Pep thought he'd walk the league this season, he was like a guru who tried to play all sorts of crazy shit (clichy in midfield etc) while shipping out Hart, dropping Yaya to the reserves and even now I'm sure he'd like to sell Aguero...he shit his pants once he realised he couldn't steam roll 90% of the league like in Spain and Germany and went back to standard mode.
He's had a few digs at City tbh, my city mate is starting to turn on him, a lot of them have not been impressed at all. Pep thought he'd walk the league this season, he was like a guru who tried to play all sorts of crazy shit (clichy in midfield etc) while shipping out Hart, dropping Yaya to the reserves and even now I'm sure he'd like to sell Aguero...he shit his pants once he realised he couldn't steam roll 90% of the league like in Spain and Germany and went back to standard mode.
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I suddenly like Pep again now....for a little while anyway.
Most City fan friends I have are disappointed by him to. I think if he is in this similar position next year he will go. But he will spend a fortune in Summer and they will be back challenging for the league unfortunately I reckon.
He's acted very strange this season, was he this weird at Barcelona and Bayern?
Huh? United fans didn't manage your club, get salary from yours.I really don't know how I'm going to sleep at night after reading that. I mean, it's not like United fans haven't been saying it for the past God knows how many years
It's a nothing article and any of our fans spitting their dummies out about it need to man the fcuk up
He won't be sacked for not winning something BUT he could be sacked for saying exactly this though. Can imagine SAF and SBC won't be too pleased with this attitude to the club from the top man.
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Anyone know if blue moon is in meltdown!?
We are in different situations. I think Manchester United fans should aknowledge that our team is shit right now and has been since Fergie left. Blame whatever you like but that is where we are.
City on the other hand have a host of players all their competitors are jealous of, they have been winning, they've been spending money and improving. Our new manager came into a team in decline, their new manager didn't.
Starting to wonder about Pep, tbh.
They are City fans after all.
So what are they protesting at the moment (and past few years) then?
Does he not receive any media training? You would have though he would have been given vast dossiers on City before he took the job on.
Some of these nutters thought they were a big club before Mansour came on the scene. Alot of Blues are now of the opinion that they are soon going to be the biggest club in world football. There's many on BM saying they play the best football in the whole of Europe on their day.
I applaud Pep for his honesty. Hard to see how making these kind of comments are going to do anything other than infuriate Mansour though.
Some of these nutters thought they were a big club before Mansour came on the scene. Alot of Blues are now of the opinion that they are soon going to be the biggest club in world football. There's many on BM saying they play the best football in the whole of Europe on their day.
I applaud Pep for his honesty. Hard to see how making these kind of comments are going to do anything other than infuriate Mansour though.
Although I can understand United fans laughing at this, what he said isn't remotely controversial - everyone knows we're not as big a club as Barca or Bayern, and it could also be spun that it's a compliment insofar we're not as likely to sack him as certain other clubs are - after all, he was waxing lyrical the other week that he has more power at City than he ever did at the previous clubs he managed.
As for the bit I've bolded, I don't get this - after all, Moyes didn't get the sack from United for his "aspire to be City" comment. He did, however, get the boot because results were deemed to be nowhere near good enough
Trying to be objective, it's a very strange comment from him and leaves me pondering what he's trying to achieve by making it. He's putting more pressure on himself and there's times this season where he looked burnt out. On top of that he's potentially alienating the fanbase, members of staff and players. He's a very strange man
Maybe he's bored already, and he's hinting to the owners that he wants out
I say that is his first step to getting sacked. He's in the cross hair ever since.
I think losing back-to-back home games 3-0 to Liverpool and City, aligned with other disappointing results around that time, had far more to do with it than making that comment after the defeat to City.
I love how you guys make mountains out of molehills. Not even molehills. Pep is honest and comes across more blunt than most but he's never lied about the club, put the club down in anyway thats not true. As a City fan again I have zero issue with what he said. I think its more his English not being perfect than him seeing City as a small club. Like the time he kept saying "It is fault on Bravo", everyone thought he was saying "it was Bravo's fault" but he was actually trying to say "it is foul on Bravo". Little things like this happen. Anything he's called the club or supporters out on has been 100% honest. Empty seats, booing the CL anthem etc... He's come out and said 1 million times he's enjoying his time and City, and enjoying his struggles as he's learning stuff he hadn't to learn at his previous clubs.
As said by @sglowrider - we don't think we are as big a club as Bayern, Barca, Juve, the Milans and United etc.. hell we're not even a 2nd tier like Dortmund, Liverpool, Arsenal in terms of fanbase. But on the pitch we are a "big team" for lack of a better description. We're probably the least popular of the top 6 in England and our recent successes have maybe put us ahead of Everton etc... in terms of global appeal off the pitch. On the pitch we are seen as a "bigger team" or "better team" than lots of those clubs. United for example we've finished above in 5 of the last 6 seasons this season inclusive (Never thought I'd see that day), Liverpool everyone of the last 6 seasons or at worst 5 of the 6 depending on how this term plays out.
He's also not lying, scraping CL with Barca, Bayern, Juventus, no cup and out of the CL to an average team like Monaco = auto sack. It is what it is, we are who we are. We're new boys to the top of european football and in terms of "Big" Clubs we are far behind the others. We have done alot of work on catching up on the field and in financial terms. But in comparison to the others we have a tiny fanbase and a manager like Pep is bigger than the club. Fans might say no manager is bigger than our club but its not true. Pep is far bigger than City. I have no issue whatsoever with these comments no the Villarreal comments and neither should any City fan with half a brain. Pre 2012 our last league success was the same time as your first CL success.
You guys like to pretend that we go around parading ourselves as a "big" club but in reality we see ourselves as a "growing" club with a "big" team. Just like Pep. I would be mortified if he came out and said "I am so, so happy to be at a club as big as Barcelona, Bayern or United". It would be BlueMoon level delusion.
As said by @sglowrider - we don't think we are as big a club as Bayern, Barca, Juve, the Milans and United etc.. hell we're not even a 2nd tier like Dortmund, Liverpool, Arsenal in terms of fanbase. But on the pitch we are a "big team" for lack of a better description. We're probably the least popular of the top 6 in England and our recent successes have maybe put us ahead of Everton etc... in terms of global appeal off the pitch. On the pitch we are seen as a "bigger team" or "better team" than lots of those clubs. United for example we've finished above in 5 of the last 6 seasons this season inclusive (Never thought I'd see that day), Liverpool everyone of the last 6 seasons or at worst 5 of the 6 depending on how this term plays out.
He's also not lying, scraping CL with Barca, Bayern, Juventus, no cup and out of the CL to an average team like Monaco = auto sack. It is what it is, we are who we are. We're new boys to the top of european football and in terms of "Big" Clubs we are far behind the others. We have done alot of work on catching up on the field and in financial terms. But in comparison to the others we have a tiny fanbase and a manager like Pep is bigger than the club. Fans might say no manager is bigger than our club but its not true. Pep is far bigger than City. I have no issue whatsoever with these comments no the Villarreal comments and neither should any City fan with half a brain. Pre 2012 our last league success was the same time as your first CL success.
You guys like to pretend that we go around parading ourselves as a "big" club but in reality we see ourselves as a "growing" club with a "big" team. Just like Pep. I would be mortified if he came out and said "I am so, so happy to be at a club as big as Barcelona, Bayern or United". It would be BlueMoon level delusion.
City didn't lose Alex Ferguson, followed by 2 complete horror shows. Their squad compared to ours at the time was much better and still is.
Moyes was already on thin ice but his comments after the City game were very telling for the Glazers. His comments made him out to be what he infact was, a small fish in a big pond. A huge club like Utd can't have that. Wouldn't surprise me if a bollocking isn't handed out to Pep over this. If i put £2 Billion into a business i don't want my general manager running it with a corner shop mentality.
I like you.
It'd be harsh to have sacked him this season. Every new manager at a top six club is there for one reason and that is that the previous manager has messed up.
It's a difficult job to try and turn around a misfiring big club and in my opinion two summer windows are required. It's a generation ago now but I am always surprised that more clubs haven't stuck by their man like we did with Fergie. Obviously not every one can win every season but if you genuinely believe you have the right man in place then a show of patience can reap big rewards.
Problem is I don't think a lot of clubs trust their own judgement enough to allow a manager to build properly and really kick on. Sunderland are the first club for a while that I can think of who are sticking by a man who could easily have got the heave ho. Moyes was never right fit for us from the day he was appointed but he's about where he should be now and could be the man to get them back.
Burnley stuck with Dyche two seasons ago but I didn't think he was ever in danger when he got relegated because he was punching well above his weight - and still is - just being in the PL.
It's a difficult job to try and turn around a misfiring big club and in my opinion two summer windows are required. It's a generation ago now but I am always surprised that more clubs haven't stuck by their man like we did with Fergie. Obviously not every one can win every season but if you genuinely believe you have the right man in place then a show of patience can reap big rewards.
Problem is I don't think a lot of clubs trust their own judgement enough to allow a manager to build properly and really kick on. Sunderland are the first club for a while that I can think of who are sticking by a man who could easily have got the heave ho. Moyes was never right fit for us from the day he was appointed but he's about where he should be now and could be the man to get them back.
Burnley stuck with Dyche two seasons ago but I didn't think he was ever in danger when he got relegated because he was punching well above his weight - and still is - just being in the PL.
Not a surprise. Apart from Adarabioyo their best youth prospects are at least 1-3 years away from being first team ready.
On the face of it, this appears to sums it up well.
I wouldn't say United is the club Jose loves the most or any sappy shit like that, but you can see that there's a respect/awe for how great/big the club is. He seems to really want to make it into United folklore.
With Pep, it appears to be more of an assignment for him. He's trying his hand at the PL. Doesn't really seem to have any connection with city. And it's expected. He's the world's most successful manager since he entered management and has managed absolutely elite football clubs. This is a pretty huge step down for him and not just in terms of quality of squad.
I think he could well be a huge success there and it would be quite the achievement to win trophies at City while implementing his style of football next season. But as of now he does come across a little indifferent about the club itself. Maybe it's an uninformed and simple view from afar and City fans can tell us more.
It was always going to happen, considering Pep barely gave any academy players chances at Bayern even when they were running away with the league I never understood the optimism City fans had about him using their youth. City have some incredibly talented players in their academy and love to hype them but what's the point if there's no route to the first team. Even in positions where their most talented academy lads are they go and block their route to the first team by going and signing players a couple of years older than them. I'm not sure how the likes of Sancho and Brahim are expected to get chances consistently when Sterling, Roberts, Moreno, Sane and Zinchenko aren't much older and are more advanced than them.
Of the current reserve u23's and whatever the fancy name is we've given them I've forgot only Aleix Garcia looks like he can play premier league football. Adarabioyo has been poor when given a chance with real footballers. Reading Pep's article makes sense. Alot of our young talent has either fallen away when reaching that age group or moved on. Playing reserve games in front of no one with nothing on the line bar a trophy no one cares about will never bring players on.
They never get the chance to play high level football unless they go on loan and when they do clubs like City and Chelsea get slated for loaning out so many players. He believe a crucial part of youth development at Barca was Barca B playing real league football against real teams and he's got a huge point. Honestly the class of 92 is becoming a distant memory and teams bringing through lots of good players is pretty much unheard of in England. Maybe if they played league football from 18-21 with City B, United B etc.. their development would be faster and better and Rashford would be the norm rather than the exception.
Oh dear, now I probably know why he chose City over us (assuming that Chelsea wanted him also)
But yes, top 4 is not a bad result, IMO. He shouldn't be sacked - I mean, if he were at Chelsea either
But yes, top 4 is not a bad result, IMO. He shouldn't be sacked - I mean, if he were at Chelsea either
I would say Pep has zero attachment to us but I don't see him walking. He seems us a mid-level European team who are an average club. But he also sees us an opportunity as he has free reign at City, he never had at Barca or Bayern, I think he see's a club he can mold in his image. At Barca the club despite Pep's success is based around Cruyff, built in Cruyff's image. Pep see's free reign at City to do as he likes with unlimited resources to make a club who will always play the Pep way, in his image. He is an ego maniac after all (all the greats at everything are) and appearantly most really succesful people have psychopathic traits (which Pep seems to have in abundance, as did Fergie, does Jose, Klopp etc..)
He's said many times he likes it at City despite what people think, he enjoys the challenge and I think he's too stubborn and determined to walk away from something he sees as doable. Alot of his negative comments here are highlighted but he's also said he want's to be around to see peak Sterling, Sane and Jesus. Made comments about spending 10 years to get it right, how he'd like to follow his idol Alex Ferguson and achieve what he has. I think sometimes in interviews he brutally honest and this combined with his english while good is not perfect. A couple of examples.
I think the small club thing was meant more as "at an elite club",
just like the time he said "fullbacks have no talent to get up and down", what he meant was "fullbacks haven't the ability to get up and down the line anymore at their age" etc..
"is fault of bravo", "was a foul on Bravo".
He seems a cold fecker though, harsh and has zero time for any of the circus that follows Premier league football. He treats most reporters like idiots (which in fairness they are). Not an easy man to befriend I'd imagine.
I like him, I like the fact he doesn't portray us as Man United or come out with deluded crap like "All my life I dream of City", hopefully we can win him over like we did with Kompany, Zabaleta, Silva, Aguero etc.. who all became strangely loyal to us and grew an affinity for the club. So after all this long drivel basically I agree with you. Pep is at City for Pep, to try and make club Pep. Everything else is secondary to him, playing the Pep way and losing is more important to him than being pragmatic and winning. The question for Pep is can he play the Pep way and win. I genuinely think there is more chance of Pep being pushed from City than walking and I can't see that happening unless next season or the one after is a complete disaster.
B-Teams would be brilliant for the big clubs, but pretty shitty for the lower league clubs.
He'll spend a fortune this summer, try his best to win the league next season and then feck off somewhere more pleasant.
I think he's slowly realising this season that even if he does win trophies with City - nobody will really give a shit.
I think he's slowly realising this season that even if he does win trophies with City - nobody will really give a shit.