Manchester City under Pep Guardiola | Pep on City v Liverpool ref: "He likes to be special"

giorno

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Just dreamed city will lose 3-2 tonight. Gonna go put £5 quid on it
 

top1whoisman

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...nel-fans-able-close-Pep-Guardiola-s-star.html
Manchester City to unveil new glass tunnel where fans will be able to get up close with Pep Guardiola's stars

:houllier::lol:

They really do try far far too hard. Welcome to The Etihad Zoo - Player Exhibit.
Iirc Pittsburgh Penguins have this in the NHL. Thought it was weird when I saw it the first time, thinking it could disturb the focus of the players. They won the Stanley Cup last spring so not much effect. I still think it's not a good idea, a nice VIP experience from the rich fans point of view though.
 

Classical Mechanic

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Iirc Pittsburgh Penguins have this in the NHL. Thought it was weird when I saw it the first time, thinking it could disturb the focus of the players. They won the Stanley Cup last spring so not much effect. I still think it's not a good idea, a nice VIP experience from the rich fans point of view though.
I would feel like weirdo gawping at the players through a glass tunnel.
 

top1whoisman

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I would feel like weirdo gawping at the players through a glass tunnel.
Yeah well it's just about having your beers, watching the game and getting closer to the players. Not much different than having a seat closest to the tunnels. Not saying it's not weird, but I can understand it adding to the matchday experience for some.
 

Earthquake

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Probably not as bad as the Dallas Cowboys who have to run through a bar to get to the pitch.



Then again, these guys probably feel less like they're on the wrong side of an aquarium.
 

JustFootballFan

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Yeah, that's the gist of what guardiola said. And his answer to it, in short, was that he doesn't want his team to be better in those situations, he wants his team to take those situations out of the game entirely. Hence "i don't train tackles"
Pretty much. I think that Pep is too stubborn, when it comes to adjusting his tactics (temporarily) to his playing material, but the idea that the EPL could force the rest of the world to play their brand of football or aim for it, when they cannot develop any world class managers or players in decades feels a bit like the old saying of....

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.”


 

WeePat

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I don't understand why they leave the ground early so often.
 

Xaviesta

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Jamie Carragher's article in today's Mail will add to the perception people have the Guardiola is getting an easy ride in the press.
 

Varun

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The way they're struggling defensively now should make a lot here who used to post "my gran could play CB for this Barca side" realise how good the likes of Puyol, Pique, Mascherano etc really were/are.
 

giorno

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The way they're struggling defensively now should make a lot here who used to post "my gran could play CB for this Barca side" realise how good the likes of Puyol, Pique, Mascherano etc really were/are.
Yeah about that, Puyol was genuinely great, Pique too for a couple years, buy the biggest difference between barcelona and city is the midfielders. They have the biggest impact on defence in Pep's system
 

Varun

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Yeah about that, Puyol was genuinely great, Pique too for a couple years, buy the biggest difference between barcelona and city is the midfielders. They have the biggest impact on defence in Pep's system
I'm not saying the problem they are facing now is due to the defenders only. His control system was always the midfield which isn't working now. My point was that defending in Pep's system is really tough on the CBs, high line, little cover and multiple times a game where they're faced with attackers 1 v 1 or thereabouts. The likes of pique, masch(leaving Puyol out as he was different class) were very good at nipping these things at bud. Their current defenders are struggling and it's no real surprise. It's a system that asks a lot of the CBs.
 

dichinero

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Even as a United fan, I expect him to come good eventually. Regardless of what we want to say, they are in a more comfortable position in the league and I expect the board to back him financially seeing as he has his buddies up there.
 

Ishdalar

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Lots of people did. They were/are very underrated.
Pique has had a couple of awful months in the last 6 years tbf, that's where most of the criticism hits him. Nowhere near the level of consistency Puyol showed for 10+ years.

Mascherano is a different story, I don't think he would look like a good defender on another team that had him playing 10-20M closer to goal, that may be the reason why Stones looks dreadful, I don't think he had to defend in the zone Pep asks him to do now
 

Raul Madrid

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Pique has had a couple of awful months in the last 6 years tbf, that's where most of the criticism hits him. Nowhere near the level of consistency Puyol showed for 10+ years.

Mascherano is a different story, I don't think he would look like a good defender on another team that had him playing 10-20M closer to goal, that may be the reason why Stones looks dreadful, I don't think he had to defend in the zone Pep asks him to do now
With Barcelona's defenders, people have dismissed them with comments like "it is easy to defend when you are playing in a team that dominates most games". It is true that they do not have to defend as much as defenders do in a lot of other teams, but a lot of the time, once the opposition gets through the pressure from the forwards and midfieldiers, the defenders are isolated against attackers with lots of space behind them and having to run back towards goal. It is very hard to defend in those situations and you have to be very good in one-on-one situations, which are very difficult, to defend in Barcelona's team.
 

clarkydaz

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He gets a bit salty saying we should respect other leagues, but all he says about our league is long balls and 2nd balls
 

SwansonsTache

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You'd wager that such a superior tactical mind should easily be able to outwit the caveman tactic of long balls and fighting for 2nd balls \ layoffs.
 

clarkydaz

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That sounds an awful lot like LVG to be fair. Basically what he is saying is that it is a process. Except that he claims that English football is different to other leagues, but in a patronising way that they don't get to win much.
LVG complained all the other teams played long ball against us, then started hoofball to Fellaini himself
 

legolegs

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Especially when he goes on about Spanish players winning world cups, euros and CL's. Well not anymore eh Pep, what now?
Err yeah. He was talking about CL, EL, WC and EC. Last 3 years spanish teams won every CL and EL there is to win. Lost the WC and EC. 6/8 isn't all that bad I think.
 
Liverpool 1:0 Man City

Adisa

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Their record over the last 25 games has been awful. Still cannot believe they signed only one midfielder, despite that being their weakest are by some distance.
 

VorZakone

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Their transfer strategy has been dodgy, Nolito & Sane when they needed a new guy in CM because Gundogan was a huge risk knowing his injury-record.
 

Ayush_reddevil

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We are in a better position than them right now with a better squad and a better style of football. I definitely did not see this coming
 

SwansonsTache

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They should count themselves lucky that FFP is effectively ignored and that the Sheiks has a lot of money, because that team needs some heavy investing.

Pep will be given carte blanche though.
 

Adisa

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They should count themselves lucky that FFP is effectively ignored and that the Sheiks has a lot of money, because that team needs some heavy investing.

Pep will be given carte blanche though.
Don't see anything to be worried about, if they have more summers like the last.