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

[Peanut Butter]

I still reckon Guardiola will walk end of the season or halfway through next.

The bloke looks depressed and fed up already at City.

A 5-0 thumping of a terrible WHU side in the cup just papers over the cracks.

He is used to dominating leagues with just one or no serious opposition.

His football can be great when it works but looks so complicated and pointless when it isn't working.

He is a good manager at a club with no history or identity, the most quiet fans in the league and it seems to bother him.

It also remains to be seen if he knows how to build a good defensive unit. Again, he didn't really have to worry about this side of the game at Barca and Bayern.

 

[namco]

Laporte would make sense with Bonnucci extending but the Basque club are not easy to negotiate with - City will have to overpay to get him. Would be a smart signing, IMO

Where have you been!! Laporte has already told them to get fecked. This was even before the depths of City's defensive crisis was known. He's hardly likely to want to sign now when told he's going to be working with Bravo & Stones.

 

[FCBarca]

Didn't he turn them down in the summer when City matched his buy-out clause, choosing instead to sign a new contract? Why do you think Laporte will about-turn and suddenly be interested in joining City?

You haven't been reading how Laporte has been talking in the press in the past month? For an Athletic player, it's very atypical irrespective of the extension he signed after his injury & turning City down

It's just a guess really but I think you do get the sense something is afoot

 

[Adisa]

His Bayern first season record after 20 games is very impressive.. I remember the best game during this period was not in the Bundesliga but in the CL at...Etihad, where Guardiola and his team destroyed Pellegrini's City..

Remember the same fixture in the season after. Bayern got a red card and then preceded to pass City off the park.

 

[VanGaalEra]

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[#07]

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City want answers about refereeing?! What about us??

 

[Womp]

Forever a small time club. Meeting with referees ffs.

 

[sebsheep]

Surely that has to be a joke?

 

[Oscie]

Wonder if Pep's frustration recently has been partially attributable to the realisation that, if this is to be his final job in football, he isn't finishing his career at one of the grand old clubs of Europe. Instead he's finishing it at a bit of an upstart, albeit a financially awesome one, with a pretty disinterested fan base who don't generate much atmosphere and rarely bother turning up in impressive numbers even for important league and European matches.

That video of him trying to cajole the crowd during the Burnley game and getting next to no response - it's not beyond the realms of possibility that he's quite depressed that the salary the club was able to offer him wasn't really backed up by the size of stature of the club itself. He probably expected, and was sold, City as the newest tiger in English football, with the sharpest teeth and with a loyal and passionate supporter base as you typically get in such circumstance. It can't be easy expecting that and instead receiving tepid indifference.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Where have you been!! Laporte has already told them to get fecked. This was even before the depths of City's defensive crisis was known. He's hardly likely to want to sign now when told he's going to be working with Bravo & Stones.

Think you're the one who has been sleeping, mate.

 

[AkaAkuma]

bit of subterfuge me thinks.

 

[Billy Blaggs]

Think you're the one who has been sleeping, mate.

I thought you'd be nailed on this year. Liverpool then Chelsea have made you look average

 

[ti vu]

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Sure. So the next time the ref fecked up in their favor, the media would go out full force on them.

 

[gorky_utd]

Pure tactical masterclass from pep.Buy the ref.

 

[Jazz]

Meeting with Mike Riley? I fecking hope not unless all other clubs are able to do the same. What exactly does Pep not understand?
Is he trying to influence future decisions by exerting some pressure?

The FA should instruct City to send Riley a list of questions and he can send the answers back in the same way. No face to face meeting.

 

[FCBarca]

Forever a small time club. Meeting with referees ffs.

Organizing a meeting to understand? Wonder if Pep ambushed the ref in the parking garage like an experienced coach has before or driven one to retirement after death threats due to manufacturing a conspiracy

 

[marukomu]

Probably wondering why they don't get a penalty every week like in Spain.

 

[Kostur]

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This should be treated no other way as some sort of threatening or mobbing from City.

 

[Varun]

It's incredible how the first thing Barca fans do when something about Pep pops up is to get their head out of his arse to check their Mourinho's indiscretion Excel to see if they can find something worse. fecking obsessed with him.

 

[FCBarca]

It's incredible how the first thing Barca fans do when something about Pep pops up is to get their head out of his arse to check their Mourinho's indiscretion Excel to see if they can find something worse. fecking obsessed with him.

If it's a Barca fan doing it it's incredible, if it's United fans obsessed with every bit of discussion on City's forum it's just part of the game?

Some of you beginning to act like Bayern fans when Pep had made his intentions clear to not extend his contract there, like a jilted lover - bitter boys.

As to the OP, Pep hasn't been fined, suspended or generally abusive or routinely calling out the refs - now a meeting to get clarity on the rules for a new coach in a new league is somehow seen as either unsportsmanlike or egregious. Yet, there's Mou whose history with refs is well documented. Obsession or merely some balance?

 

[Varun]

If it's a Barca fan doing it it's incredible, if it's United fans obsessed with every bit of discussion on City's forum it's just part of the game?

Some of you beginning to act like Bayern fans when Pep had made his intentions clear to not extend his contract there, like a jilted lover - bitter boys.

As to the OP, Pep hasn't been fined, suspended or generally abusive or routinely calling out the refs - now a meeting to get clarity on the rules for a new coach in a new league is somehow seen as either unsportsmanlike or egregious. Yet, there's Mou whose history with refs is well documented. Obsession or merely some balance?

Are you talking about the blue moon thread? It's for a laugh, just like the RAWK one seeing as they're our 2 biggest rival clubs in the league and have a forum full of clowns. Shouldn't need explaining but there you go.

Re the jilted lover bit, I hope for your sanity that you don't believe that because no one here would give a feck about Pep if he wasn't managing one of our biggest rivals. Not many here are like you who's getting antsy about the Man Utd manager on a Man Utd forum while discussing the City manager as a Barca supporter. It is incredible, whether you like to hear that or not. If tomorrow he moved on to say sevilla, roma etc, no none here would give a feck whether he wishes to meet the refs or bum them.

As for the last bit, refer my earlier post. Any time you see something about Pep, the first thing to do is to search for Mourinho's history along similar lines. That's obsession and quite frankly pathetic.

 

[Xaviesta]

Nothing wrong with Manchester City and their manager seeking clarity for questions they may have.

 

[sebsheep]

If it's a Barca fan doing it it's incredible, if it's United fans obsessed with every bit of discussion on City's forum it's just part of the game?

Some of you beginning to act like Bayern fans when Pep had made his intentions clear to not extend his contract there, like a jilted lover - bitter boys.

As to the OP, Pep hasn't been fined, suspended or generally abusive or routinely calling out the refs - now a meeting to get clarity on the rules for a new coach in a new league is somehow seen as either unsportsmanlike or egregious. Yet, there's Mou whose history with refs is well documented. Obsession or merely some balance?

Or it could just be that you guys jump out the moment Pep is questioned in anyway and there does seem to be a theme of 'Jose is worse', which isn't really much of a defence. Now sometimes people do go overboard with criticism of him on here, but if those tweets are correct is it true in this case? The guy straight up complained about the number of yellow cards his team receive with the reasoning that City have the most possession so they shouldn't really be getting so many, it's like they shouldn't take in to account what type of fouls they are. Now City want a meeting because they think they're being unfairly treated by the referees, where were these complaints went Bravo was let off in the derby or when the ref let a clear foul on a Stoke player go unpunished?
The truth is everyone is suffering to an extent and quite a few teams a lot more than City.

 

[Zlatan 7]

Don't the refs here have to follow the same rules/ code as refs in Spain and Germany.
If so what is he hoping to learn new?

 

[SfcNervion]

A tactic to put the pressure on the referees, and I hope they don't get away with it. This is ridiculous.

 

[Tarrou]

Seems like a deliberate ploy to get it in the refs minds that City have been hard-done by, which is bollocks. Everyone goes through periods where it seems most of the big decisions go against them, it's just variance.

Like Mourinho last year the 'blame it all on the refs' rhetoric comes across as weak and I think that has a knock-on effect on the players confidence. Firstly it gives the impression to them that their manager isn't in total control, and secondly it gives them a convenient excuse for not getting the results expected of them.

From what I recall most of their red cards this season are completely justified. You can have all the possession in the world, but if you kick a player in the arse it's still a red card!

 

[clarkydaz]

where are they in the 'scissor tackles above the knee' and 'pushing players over advertising boards' table?

 

[Gentleman Jim]

I thought you'd be nailed on this year. Liverpool then Chelsea have made you look average

We've been too inconsistent and brittle, mate.
We actually battered Chelsea for an hour but fell in a heap. Tottenham and Leicester are the only teams that have totally outplayed us this season.
Who've you beat BTW? Anyone good?

 

[Xaviesta]

Seems like a deliberate ploy to get it in the refs minds that City have been hard-done by, which is bollocks. Everyone goes through periods where it seems most of the big decisions go against them, it's just variance.

Like Mourinho last year the 'blame it all on the refs' rhetoric comes across as weak and I think that has a knock-on effect on the players confidence. Firstly it gives the impression to them that their manager isn't in total control, and secondly it gives them a convenient excuse for not getting the results expected of them.

From what I recall most of their red cards this season are completely justified. You can have all the possession in the world, but if you kick a player in the arse it's still a red card!

He shouldn't be concerning himself about that. A red card is a red card regardless of the possession you have - provided the red card is justified obviously. I suspect he'll want some clarification on the Bravo incident vs Burnley in their last Premier League game.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

A tactic to put the pressure on the referees, and I hope they don't get away with it. This is ridiculous.

Well Pep did say that Sir Alex was his idol.

 

[prath92]

i hope Mike Riley also talks about how Bravo should have been sent off vs us too

 

[The Man Himself]

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Is this a joke? Want an answer? United too want an answer. Probably all clubs want an answer. Precious Pep being precious.

 

[Kostur]

We've been too inconsistent and brittle, mate.
We actually battered Chelsea for an hour but fell in a heap. Tottenham and Leicester are the only teams that have totally outplayed us this season.
Who've you beat BTW? Anyone good?

The two teams that 'have totally outplayed us this season'.

Especially Leicester, we've trashed them probably as much as they embarrassed you.

 

[Samid]

Aguero and Fernandinho will have served 14 games in domestic suspensions by the end of January and they're asking why they are bottom of the fair play league.

They've also had some dodgy penalties go their way, not to mention Bravo's shocking tackle on Rooney.

 

[Tarrou]

He shouldn't be concerning himself about that. A red card is a red card regardless of the possession you have - provided the red card is justified obviously. I suspect he'll want some clarification on the Bravo incident vs Burnley in their last Premier League game.

Bravo fecked up would be the clarification I'd give him

 

[The Man Himself]

Bravo fecked up would be the clarification I'd give him

Or point to the red card Bravo didn't get in derby match and tell Pep to feck off.

 

[SfcNervion]

Well Pep did say that Sir Alex was his idol.

Doesn't make it less ridiculous, whatever Ferguson did in his days.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

The two teams that 'have totally outplayed us this season'.

Especially Leicester, we've trashed them probably as much as they embarrassed you.

So that's Tottenham, Spurs and Seven Sisters Rovers then.
Well done.

 

[Kostur]

So that's Tottenham, Spurs and Seven Sisters Rovers then.
Well done.

I mean then there's beating you lot in the COC, not getting trashed by Liverpool if it counts, Fenerbahce's probably not good enough, no?

 

[Catt]

Some posters (mostly City & Barca fan) are so damned touchy when it comes to Guardiola.