He pulls off some incredible saves sometimes and is consistent for the most part but he really did lose a bit of form towards the end of last season and throughout the Euro's. He is not even close to Victor Valdes in his prime or Neuer so It will be interesting to see what Pep makes of the GK situation. Also agree that they have some other glaring issues, another CM and a decent versatile full back and they should be all set + they will sign Stones.
Our Rivals' squads next year - Manchester City (2016/2017)
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Overall, he had a great season. I can see him being replaced, but not this season, like I said I feel like they have more pressing issues than him. Unless he can't get over his horrible Euro's.
I don't rate any of their fullback options on either side, and their central midfield options are pretty dire. Fernandinho is decent and Fernando can do a job but is very limited. It's an especially weak area with Toure's rapid decline, we'll see if Guardiola can work his magic on him.
Gundogan will be crucial for them.
Interesting that they've played only three friendlies before the start of the season.
Im not underrating De Bruyne I think he's an exceptional footballer but so is Ramsey who really balances out our attac with his off the ball movement and understanding of space when operating in the attacking third of the pitch.
Last campaign I actually felt KDB introduction in the City team disrupted the rhythm and balance they played with in the opening 5 games where they gained 15 points and 5 clean sheets.
All in all I still think Arsenal are the best team in the country we just need to have the players fit throughout the season, sign a striker or productive winger and we're good to go.
Best team in the country who didn't league for last 12 years?
It's so obvious man, you are overrating Arsenal players.
Ramsey = KDB is actually hilarious...
Some absolutely howling new posters on here, think the newbie system change has been a massive fail.
I'm still surprised Pep hasn't brought in a GK or a couple of full backs as the options are all average.
de bruyne is another planet to ramsey
Nobody knows what they will look like tactically. I have no idea what formation they will use- 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2 but whichever one he chooses I think they have a lot of average players and a lot of players who are in the later stages of their careers. In my opinion KDB and Silva,if fit are their two best players and everything will depend on them. Aguero is on the decline in the last two years and he has definitely lost his pace after his hamstring injuries. This is the first time in his career that Guardiola does not have a complete team that is among the three best clubs in the world at his disposal. I think his teams are very weak defensively, vulnerable on the counter and in both Spain in Germany 90% of the teams are quite low in class and that is not the case in the Premier League. He won't be able to beat the likes of West Brom, Sland, etc. that will defend properly, use set pieces and wait for the counter all game long. I definitely think he will have hard time here and I am hopeful he will fail big time...
That's exactly why he's taken the City job and come to the prem league. Pep wants this challenge.
Make no mistake but Pep is one of the top two three managers in the world, he will make City much better then last season. I'm not sure about what kind of character he is. Sometimes he acts like a dick but more often as a cultivated and intelligent tactician with a great personality. Time will tell when we have a chance to follow him more closely.
City have probably the best squad in the league. They have a wealth of talent up front, experience and physique in the defense. The problem area is their midfield and Joe Hart. Yaya Touré is past his best, he can stil contribute against the bottom half but against the top teams his legs are gone. Gündogan is a unwritten card, when fit he's close to world class but I'm not sure about if he will regain full fitness again. Back injuries is nasty and often complicated to heal. Fernandinho and Fernando is both good players but not title winning material. I think City need one more quality midfielder to be absolutely sure about having a complete squad.
Aguero is starting to decline, no doubt about that. Those of you who disagree will see this season what impact his injuries has to his performance. He is a player who's relying on pace, let's see if he's still has it to play full 90 minutes two times a week.
All in all City is stil favorites to win the title. This season will be really really interesting.
Well I do not agree with that he is one of the best managers in the world one bit. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion and mine is that he was just lucky to have the best teams in the world and almost everybody in his place would do the same. His performance at Bayern was below par in my opinion. I do not know maybe I am wrong maybe I am write, I hope it is the latter
.I agree 1000% with the rest of your post, a very good and thorough analysis, they certainly have the best squad in the league.. I think his team will not be that good defensively and I wont be surprised if he used Fernandinho as a CB in a pairing with Kompany. He will probably use 4-1-4-1 with Guendogan as the holding midfielder when fit and Nolito,Silva, KdB, Sane. Silva or KdB can play on the wing with some other player moving in the centre, I have no idea. What I know is that I think his team will not be that good defensively and vulnerable on the counter. It is definitely going to be an interesting season...
Your wrong about him not being a good manager.Well I do not agree with that he is one of the best managers in the world one bit. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion and mine is that he was just lucky to have the best teams in the world and almost everybody in his place would do the same. His performance at Bayern was below par in my opinion. I do not know maybe I am wrong maybe I am write, I hope it is the latter
I agree 1000% with the rest of your post, a very good and thorough analysis, they certainly have the best squad in the league.. I think his team will not be that good defensively and I wont be surprised if he used Fernandinho as a CB in a pairing with Kompany. He will probably use 4-1-4-1 with Guendogan as the holding midfielder when fit and Nolito,Silva, KdB, Sane. Silva or KdB can play on the wing with some other player moving in the centre, I have no idea. What I know is that I think his team will not be that good defensively and vulnerable on the counter. It is definitely going to be an interesting season...
If he's not a good manager, than Ancelotti and Mourinho are not as well tbh.
Well everyone is entitled to his opinion as I said. Time will show whether I am right or wrong...
As a city fan I agree in part to your comments on Aguero. He has lost a yard of pace and that has made him slightly less dangerous. However Aguero is criminally underrated by some who think he's a striker who solely relies on his pace. He doesn't. He has high technical ability, control and passing as well as finishing. His pace and power is, of course, what makes him exceptional and there's no doubt injuries are impacting on his game - you can't keep having muscle injuries without it eventually affecting you permanently - but he's still going to be world class for a few years. We have good young options though in Nacho and Jesus and reports are suggesting even Moreno could end up as a striker so it's good we seem to be building towards his replacement in a few years.
Does people on here actually watch football?
How does Aguero rely on pace? He has never been a speed demon like Owen or Henry.
No need to be condescending.
I've give up on defending Aguero on here after the week just gone. Aguero isn't fast, but he is explosive over the first couple of yards to create the space he needs. There was zero evidence of that disappearing last season. He will decline eventually and we'll accept that when it happens, but it wasn't last season.
City are buying lots of pace and trickery on the wings. Something we lack but is crucial in the PL for opening teams up in my opinion.
As a fellow City mate I have to disagree with you. I think he's lost half a yard. No evidence he's no longer world class mind!
We'll just agree to disagree and watch him this season. It's been done to death in the Ibra and Aguero comparisons. His game relies on creating that space, so when he loses it he'll be in quite a bit of trouble.
Way too much hyperbole over Pep. To put it into context, Would Pep have been able to do what Jose did at Porto & Inter?
The critics say that Jose can only achieve success over short stays at clubs. Pep is also now only staying at clubs for 3 year blocks. They say that Jose's tactics have been found out. Pep failed to make a CL final for the last 3 years. The team he had at Bayern were capable of winning it at least once.
Yeah he's crap that Pep. never wanted him at United... Is that how it goes now?
Pep is Godly number 1. Is that how it goes now? Pep was criticised long before he became City boss ffs.
What I don't understand is City were strong out wide. This was supposed to be the redemption of Sterling etc etc so when they buy Nolito and Sane for already strong areas I thought ok..maybe the alternatives didn't fit into Pep's vision.
Then they buy two more players for those same positions...that doesn't make sense to me.
Haven't touched the defence ( Stones allowance) and one midfielder.
I'd love to see City's fans predictions for who they thought Pep would bring and for what position since I'm guessing this isn't what they expected.
They not only miss Toures goals but also his power and physicality. They had Yaya, Tevez, Dzeko, Kompany and even Aguero back when he was an asset outside of the box but this team does not have that, it lacks the physicality that England needs.
City will put out an incredibly small side at times this season. I cannot see how that works, even stubborn LVG had to relent and play Fellaini in midfield because of this.
Time will tell
How is Guardiola dealing with City's full back situation? Is he really going into the season with Zabaleta, Kolarov, Clichy and Sagna as his options?
Have they tried signing anyone?
Have they tried signing anyone?
Yep, and it's telling that even when Suarez was winning all the plaudits, Terry and Ferdinand both said Aguero was the hardest striker to play against in the league, and it was primarily because of his positioning. He is so good at standing marginally offside, waiting for the right moment to come back and then break forward again. With players like Toure, Silva, de Bruyne and Gundogan behind him, if he stays fit, he will continue to be devastating.
Yeah pre-season has hardly been ideal, Pep will definitely be pissed off with the trip to China. We did play a friendly with St Johnstone behind closed doors last Wednesday (3-0 win) but it's not good enough. The club really has to start weighing up the pros and cons of commercial activity. What's going to win more fans, playing in China for a few games, or actually winning trophies because you've had ideal pre-season preparations?
This is how it has ever been as far as I am concerned...
I doubt you have much choice after the China investment in your club though
Would Mourinho have been able to do what Pep did at Barça?
Exactly. I hate it when people use this kind of argument in football. Every achievement has to be considered in its context. Who else could have done what Simeone has done with Atletico? It's hard to think anyone else could have, he's the perfect man for the job. That does not automatically mean he is the world's best manager. Same with Ranieri at Leicester. Mourinho at Inter. Klopp at Dortmund etc. It also emphasises trophies above everything else when it's an injustice to just boil years of a manager's work down to what they put in the trophy cabinet.
Nobody achieved what Jose had before or after his time at Porto or Inter.
Barca were a powerhouse before Pep and are arguably better post Pep.
This argument leans towards Jose because of Rijkaard and Enrique, unless those two are supposed to be better than Jose also.
Hell I give more credit to Rijkaard than most because he had to set those standards, he had to change that clubs mentality.
To be honest it's a problem for all top clubs and no one of them will stop that in the near future.
Someone like Rummenigge says always "The players are needing more holiday (especially after tournaments) and to add more games to their football calendar is something i can't accept" but then he's very happy to travel to the USA and Asia now in the future.
Their Euro semi-final/final players are back in training since yesterday and wouldn't play a single pre-season game.......their first game will be the Supercup against Dortmund next weekend.
But to go back to your club.....you think that the no ideal pre-season could be a problem against Steaua Bucharest at least in the first leg (They'll have played 4 league games and 2 CL qualifiers before your CL qualifier against them)???
Would Pep have been able to do what he did at Barca without Messi, Iensta and Xavi ? I mean pep left but Barca stayed mighty and succesful under the next coaches, none of those coaches were actually highly rated but they just fit the Barca philosphy. Imo the key to Barca's success has never been Pep.
I have actually got to see Pep build his own team instead of just inherting a squad full of the world best players ready at his disposal.
We can't say he is a bad coach because he won everything there is to win but he was always set up ideally to do that. It will be interesting to see him at City now in the EPL, this isn't an easy challenge for him by all means. If he comes out all guns blazing and takes the league by storm, we will recognize him for the genius he is but until then it remains to be seen.
He already is recognised as a genius by most neutrals.
Yeah it's true that pre-season at the top clubs is largely dictated by financial considerations rather than footballing ones. I think Steaua will obviously have an advantage but the players will be made aware and it will help prevent the team becoming overly confident. Ultimately we have a much better team so I'd expect that to more than make up for the difference in fitness levels. Plus, I suppose it gives Pep and his team an advantage in that they can assess how Steaua are likely to line up and how they like to play, whereas they'll be left guessing like everyone else how Guardiola is going to set-up his team.
Unrightly so because he has never been seriously tested.
He has been tested. He's hailed as a genius because he created possibly the greatest team in history (definitely the greatest team in years).
Hardly the case when he came into a Barca side that was 3rd in the league and then won the treble with them. Messi went from a magnificent talent doing well to the undisputed best in the world under Pep, while players like Pique, Busquets and Pedro were all given important roles where other managers may have discarded them.
Pep also took the decision to get rid of Ronaldinho, which was a fairly bold one considering he'd been the best player in the world a couple of years previously and still wasn't all that old. It worked, though.
This is definitely Guardiola's hardest test yet, but the idea he's never been tested is nonsense. In the same way people say Mourinho's always had easy jobs. Both are great managers, so go to great clubs as a result of that.
It is not difficult to create a great team when you are handed players like Messi, Iensta and Xavi
Tell that to Tata Martino. You're hugely underrating Guardiola's influence on that team.