'Pep' Guardiola sack watch

Stocar

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Totally agree. Klopp has won it playing more entertaining football than Pep and without the massive advantages.
More entertaining football, but somehow creating far less chances, scoring (and conceding) less goals, and probably setting the record for scrappy wins?

I was aware that "nothing special" crew doesn't have any clue about football, nor genuine interest for it as a game, and may in fact even dislike it. Now I think it's possible that they don't actually watch football.
 

Maluco

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Imagine actually trying to suggest Guardiola had this perfect squad when City finished 3 points ahead of Southampton and 4 Wet Ham and were only fourth :lol::lol:

What is even more comical is people can only name 6 players good enough. 1 was potential in Sterling. One injury prone in Kompany.
We all know that placement was artificial. They dropped like a stone after Pellegrini was totally undermined by his announcement. There is no point hanging an argument on this

Guardiola won a CL final with Toure at CB, Puyol RB, Sylvinho left back and two rookies that year in Pique and Busquets.

Neville played midfield once in his career. Park was a decent player. Cleverley won one title and only started 18 games. Care to name all these titles and big matches?
Alex Ferguson constantly was making do with players filling in at RB, CM, all sorts. There are numerous examples. To compare that to Pep playing a few world class footballers slightly out of position, in a team that only had world class footballers is a joke.

I think his Barcelona team was fantastic anyway, I am talking about his achievements with City in this thread.


Totally agree. Klopp has won it playing more entertaining football than Pep and without the massive advantages. Pep won titles at City but it is the equivalent of cheating on a computer game.

It pains me to say that about Liverpool as a United fan. But I respect Klopp at Liverpools achievements so much more than Pep and City. I think most football fans do.
He has mate. It hurts. I don’t know how anyone can even argue the case now. People talk about Mourinho’s acolytes but this thread is showing the mental gymnastics people will do to defend saint Pep.

There is no point writing out a book to try and explain this and that. He can’t do it without world class players all over the park.

They keep saying “but he improved Sterling!!”, while we look at Liverpool and see Henderson, Wijnaldum and Milner dominating teams week in week out. Origi coming off the bench and winning CLs

There is no argument.
 

GoldanoGraham

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The city cycle will be over after next season....once Pep leaves, so will some of the players, a new manager has to come in and rebuild and be compared to Pep - sounds familiar - the cycle then ends

same will happen with Klopp -he and some players have now won the CL and EPL - players will want a new challenge - Real Madrid will take Mane and maybe VVD and the whole pack of cards will come down - Klopp will take a sabbatical and the cycle then ends

as we know better than most - after a period of success comes a barren period - while I’m now hopeful that our period in the desert is coming to an end - I’m also really looking forward to the end of the Pep cycle and the breaking up of the Klopp era......

I think Utd and Chelsea will be back as the main 2after the current cycle ends
 

acnumber9

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I think it's a shame that top clubs across Europe don't have the same reservations about Pep that our esteemed manager evaluators on the Caf have. Imagine him at Leeds... They would probably be in danger of relegation to League 1
Hyperbole is definitely a good tool in a debate. Makes you comes across well.
 

Mark_Barca

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I thought you were referring to Man City. Apologies. How does it compare to losing to Norwich who took 6 points from 11 games following them beating City?
The difference here is I've not once claimed City have been good in the league this season.

People are refusing to accept City were not great in the league in 15/16 prior to that announcement. 44 points after 23 games was the lowest total after 23 games for City since 2009/2010.

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/our-rivals-squads-next-year-man-city.406472/

Many posts there slating their squad and saying they would struggle even before the season started and during it. Ageing squad, all areas need improved. I know theres a real irrational dislike towards Guardiola but to completely dismiss the standard of that squad, the poor performances and results just to downgrade the rebuild required is ridiculous.
 

JDoe

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Not better than Clichy :lol:

Mata/Rooney more finished than Toure and Zabaleta :lol:

Herrera was wanted by Barca and was highly rated in Spain.

Fernandinho is a good player but not world class.

So much wrong in that post.
feckin hell mate, you're deluded as hell :lol:...
 

Maluco

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Klopp didn't win anything with Liverpool until he bought the most expensive defender, Goalkeeper and one of the most expensive DM. So let's not act like he got to where he is with Liverpool without great and expensive talents in his team. He also had another very important factor on his side that wouldn't be given to Pep anywhere, which is time to build with no pressure to win.
I don’t want to sit here and wax lyrical about Liverpool, but he bought exactly the players he needed. He didn’t buy about 6 defenders for 50 million, only one of which turned out to be a world class player. He bought one. The right one.

He brought in players like Robertson cheap and TAA, and academy product, is now arguably the best RB in the world (attacking wise)

Every manager needs great players, but the legends of the games are capable of something more. They can make a team more than the sum of its parts. Guardiola cannot do this. He needs world class players in every position to make a world class team.

Klopp has won as he has in England, and it took him another season to really get going. I think most people would take waiting the extra 12-18 months to see where it’s going ahead of spending 600 million straight away and things not working out at the slightest inconvenience (not to mention not looking close to a CL)

I don’t understand how people can even argue that Klopp has done better. He is manager of Liverpool, you know the team who hadn’t won a PL until last week? He has won the CL. Compare their benches on the next game week even at this stage. Who has the most money on theirs?

Klopp is more impressive in England, no arguments.
 

acnumber9

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The difference here is I've not once claimed City have been good in the league this season.

People are refusing to accept City were not great in the league in 15/16 prior to that announcement. 44 points after 23 games was the lowest total after 23 games for City since 2009/2010.

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/our-rivals-squads-next-year-man-city.406472/

Many posts there slating their squad and saying they would struggle even before the season started and during it. Ageing squad, all areas need improved. I know theres a real irrational dislike towards Guardiola but to completely dismiss the standard of that squad, the poor performances and results just to downgrade the rebuild required is ridiculous.
I’m not saying they were but they’d a better squad than everyone else. Half their best starting eleven now was at the club then. That thread isn’t great proof for you when one of the early posts is somebody laughing at them compared to our signings of Darmian, Depay and Schweinsteiger. Does that strike you as people you should listen to? The fact they were bookies favourites for the title tells a lot more than some weird United fans thoughts.
 

Maluco

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I think it's a shame that top clubs across Europe don't have the same reservations about Pep that our esteemed manager evaluators on the Caf have. Imagine him at Leeds... They would probably be in danger of relegation to League 1
Imagine having a debate about what managers have done better at the elite level of the game on a football forum!

Imagine giving an opinion on said forum without taking your Pro Continental coaching badge first!

Why won’t PSG listen to me!???
 

Fluctuation0161

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More entertaining football, but somehow creating far less chances, scoring (and conceding) less goals, and probably setting the record for scrappy wins?

I was aware that "nothing special" crew doesn't have any clue about football, nor genuine interest for it as a game, and may in fact even dislike it. Now I think it's possible that they don't actually watch football.
Pass, pass, pass round the houses may entertain you. Tactical fouls to stop the opposition counter attacking may also entertain you because then you can watch more of Citys boring play?

The high press, high tempo is much more entertaining. Hell, even counter attack is more entertaining the Peps high possesion style.
 

Mark_Barca

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He needs world class players in every position to make a world class team.
Hes dominated leagues with players like Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Keita, Fernandino, Zinchenko, Danilo, Gundogan, Hleb, Marquez, Pedro, Sylvinho, Gudjohnson featuring regularly.

Why do people need to make up complete lies?

Also nice to see you ignore what he did with Pique, Pedro and Busquets in his first ever season..
 

DarkLord

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Is that the year Barcelona signed Thomas Vermaelen?
That has to go down as one of the most bizarre Barca's transfer, they seem to have a habit of signing underwhelming players like these. I think Pep will stay on for at least two more seasons and I don't think City will collapse like how some are making it out, even if Pep leaves. Before Pep, they were still pretty dominant with Mancini. They have a good foundation with infrastructure even before Pep arrived, and they have a good youth team as well. Let's not forget Sancho came from City's academy. On the other hand, I have no doubt that Liverpool will struggle after Klopp leaves.
 

Fluctuation0161

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We all know that placement was artificial. They dropped like a stone after Pellegrini was totally undermined by his announcement. There is no point hanging an argument on this



Alex Ferguson constantly was making do with players filling in at RB, CM, all sorts. There are numerous examples. To compare that to Pep playing a few world class footballers slightly out of position, in a team that only had world class footballers is a joke.

I think his Barcelona team was fantastic anyway, I am talking about his achievements with City in this thread.
Agreed. The City league position before Pep game is well known. I don't understand how some people can deny that once Pep was announced the players effectively downed tools midseason.

He has mate. It hurts. I don’t know how anyone can even argue the case now. People talk about Mourinho’s acolytes but this thread is showing the mental gymnastics people will do to defend saint Pep.

There is no point writing out a book to try and explain this and that. He can’t do it without world class players all over the park.

They keep saying “but he improved Sterling!!”, while we look at Liverpool and see Henderson, Wijnaldum and Milner dominating teams week in week out. Origi coming off the bench and winning CLs

There is no argument.
Yep. Klopp has done it the proper way at Liverpool. For that I give him begrudging congratulations.

Something I never gave to City as it is all artificial with that club since the takeover. Fake sponsorships driving big purchases. It's just a big money franchise.
 

Maluco

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Hes dominated leagues with players like Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Keita, Fernandino, Zinchenko, Danilo, Gundogan, Hleb, Marquez, Pedro, Sylvinho, Gudjohnson featuring regularly.

Why do people need to make up complete lies?

Also nice to see you ignore what he did with Pique, Pedro and Busquets in his first ever season..
Again, for about the third time, not talking about his Barcelona time. He did an insanely good job there. No arguments.

Walker, Stones and Otamendi were all 50+ million defenders. Fernandinho absolutely is world class, Gundogan is a top class player too.

Not going to go into Barca because of what I said, but listing players like Keita and Marquez as not being world class footballers and something he just had to put up with, proves that you’re having a laugh. They are top quality and would have played for any team in the world at one stage.
 

Fluctuation0161

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Hes dominated leagues with players like Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Keita, Fernandino, Zinchenko, Danilo, Gundogan, Hleb, Marquez, Pedro, Sylvinho, Gudjohnson featuring regularly.

Why do people need to make up complete lies?

Also nice to see you ignore what he did with Pique, Pedro and Busquets in his first ever season..
Walker the most expensive defender in history at the time?
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ns-manchester-city-world-record-deal-defender

Stones the second most expensive defender at the time only behind David Luiz?
https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/st...a-record-for-two-clubs-in-one-transfer-081116

Need I go on?
 

Mark_Barca

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Make a post saying needs 'world class players in each position'

A large list of non world class players produced and that statement gets changed to top players, fees paid...

This place man. :lol:

Assume Maguire, AWB, David Luiz, Keita, Fabinho, Lukaku, Kepa, Felix, Pepe etc are all top top players as cost 50m+
 

Stocar

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Pass, pass, pass round the houses may entertain you. Tactical fouls to stop the opposition counter attacking may also entertain you because then you can watch more of Citys boring play?

The high press, high tempo is much more entertaining. Hell, even counter attack is more entertaining the Peps high possesion style.
This is the topic I have no interest debating about anymore. I have made peace with the fact that majority of people in our culture just seem to have poor taste, as in art and politics, even more so in sports. That opens something like a philosophical debate that has no place in football forum.

But please, explain how the team that consistently creates and scores the most goals, have the most creative set of players, and base their game on technical skill, somehow happens to be exceptionally boring? There is being stubbornly biased and keep moving the goalposts, but this is the next level of absurdity.
 

JDoe

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Again, for about the third time, not talking about his Barcelona time. He did an insanely good job there. No arguments.

Walker, Stones and Otamendi were all 50+ million defenders. Fernandinho absolutely is world class, Gundogan is a top class player too.

Not going to go into Barca because of what I said, but listing players like Keita and Marquez as not being world class footballers and something he just had to put up with, proves that you’re having a laugh. They are top quality and would have played for any time in the world at one stage.
Funny thing this guy does not seem to grasp is he is comparing those 6 players in that city squad that were "good enough" to 6 other "good enough" players of another top 6 club, ignoring the fact that all of those 6 "good enough" players of City would've started for probably the majority top club on the planet at that time. In his eyes, a squad consisting of mostly but not all of all time greats and rest filled squad players would've been inferior to some "good enough" squad like Chelsea/Spurs today probably. :lol:

Also, proceeds to name Walker and Stones, who were bought (alongside with Mendy, let's not forget) by Pep himself for world record fees for defenders at the times whilst naming them "average" at the same time, feckin hell :lol:. Danilo's price was also extremely steep for a mere backup player even at the time.

Those Pep fanboys really makes you sometime forget to appreciate the great, great team that Pep formed at Barca. His achievements after that with Bayern and City, certainly not horrendous, but also definitely nothing extraordinary.
 

Maluco

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Make a post saying needs 'world class players in each position'

A large list of non world class players produced and that statement gets changed to top players, fees paid...

This place man. :lol:

Assume Maguire, AWB, David Luiz, Keita, Fabinho, Lukaku, Kepa, Felix, Pepe etc are all top top players as cost 50m+
It’s not our fault if Pep spent world class money on players who turned out not to be. It’s just more proof that he needs what he needs. No shame in that.

You are on a hiding to nothing with your list mate, I’m sorry. He has won league titles in spite of having to play Marquez, Keita, Fernandinho, Walker and Gundogan.

I would probably be defending Pep like you as a Barca fan, what an incredible team.

But no one is looking at your list with any sympathy for Pep. It’s a list of top class (half of which are world class) players who sometimes played in a team of world class players.

How you can’t see that is bizarre.
 

Maluco

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Funny thing this guy does not seem to grasp is he is comparing those 6 players in that city squad that were "good enough" to 6 other "good enough" players of another top 6 club, ignoring the fact that all of those 6 "good enough" players of City would've started for probably the majority top club on the planet at that time. In his eyes, a squad consisting of mostly but not all of all time greats and rest filled squad players would've been inferior to some "good enough" squad like Chelsea/Spurs today probably. :lol:

Also, proceeds to name Walker and Stones, who were bought (alongside with Mendy, let's not forget) by Pep himself for world record fees for defenders at the times whilst naming them "average" at the same time, feckin hell :lol:. Danilo's price was also extremely steep for a mere backup player even at the time.

Those Pep fanboys really makes you sometime forget to appreciate the great, great team that Pep formed at Barca. His achievements after that with Bayern and City, certainly not horrendous, but also definitely nothing extraordinary.
Exactly. He is a great coach, but he needs very specific conditions. There is no shame in that and clubs pay a lot of money for the privilege.

With his massive resources, his time at City has been average thus far. It doesn’t take anything away from his great Barcelona team.
 

acnumber9

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Same year City spent £42m on Mangala, £25m on Bony and £12m on Fernando...
The point obviously being that Barcelona wanting a player doesn’t mean they’re a good player. I wouldn’t expect you to understand that though.
 

Mark_Barca

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The point obviously being that Barcelona wanting a player doesn’t mean they’re a good player. I wouldn’t expect you to understand that though.
Not many understand the repetitive nonsense you spout tbh.
 

cyberman

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In what way are his tactics in any way similar let alone identical?
The striker being in the side to bring in the wide men, the defensive nature of the hard working midfield and the defensive structre of Cech / Terry that holds it together.
Liverpool arent an individualistic side, they complement each other very well and are used to their strengths but there is no plan B. They are extremly machine like and will continue until the 90th minute since they will run through walls for their manager.
Thats why everytime Carragher etc are asked where they can improve its in midifield or their number 9. Its the imagination of the team, that little bit of offensive quality.
Im not saying its a bad thing, but a lot of their attack play is from out wide through the FBs. Its extremly effective but its not KDB, Pogba etc level of attacking mastery. Theyre just very good at it and it works.
 

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The striker being in the side to bring in the wide men, the defensive nature of the hard working midfield and the defensive structre of Cech / Terry that holds it together.
Liverpool arent an individualistic side, they complement each other very well and are used to their strengths but there is no plan B. They are extremly machine like and will continue until the 90th minute since they will run through walls for their manager.
Thats why everytime Carragher etc are asked where they can improve its in midifield or their number 9. Its the imagination of the team, that little bit of offensive quality.
Im not saying its a bad thing, but a lot of their attack play is from out wide through the FBs. Its extremly effective but its not KDB, Pogba etc level of attacking mastery. Theyre just very good at it and it works.
Ok from that perspective I can see your point somewhat but we're totally off topic here so I'll leave it there.
 

Speedy30

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I think that the easiest way to judge Pep against Klopp is to ask the question whether any other manager could have done what they have done at their respective clubs with the same resources?

I don't think there is another manager in world football right now that could have turned Liverpool from a 6th place finish in 2015 to Champions League winners 4 years later and then winning the title that no Liverpool manager has managed for 30 years. All whilst up against a manager with a blank chequebook to be able to sign whoever's he likes.

If you put Brendan Rodgers into Pep's position, whilst I can't realistically argue that he would win 100 points in a season, I do think that he would be able to win the title with City.

There's no question that Pep is a great manager but with the resources at his disposal, it would have been more surprising if he hadn't won anything. Klopp came in with a lot of fanfare but whilst most thought he would improve us, not many thought he would get us to where we are now.
 

Stocar

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There's no question that Pep is a great manager but with the resources at his disposal, it would have been more surprising if he hadn't won anything. Klopp came in with a lot of fanfare but whilst most thought he would improve us, not many thought he would get us to where we are now.
If winning is all that matters, then Klopp is obviously the best. Guardiola's football philosophy is probably not conducive to creating warrior team that will grind and overachieve, and in which average players will seemingly become elite through sheer inspiration. Not to say he couldn't do something similar (he's obviously a great coach and charismatic in his own way), but when it comes to transforming an underdog into a winning machine, there is no equal to Klopp, what he does is magical.

But there is also no manager that is able to produce the sublime football that Guardiola's teams display with unprecedented consistency. This is not merely subjective impression: his teams regularly feature at the top of the charts in goals scored and chances created, while playing intricate attacking football primarily based on skill.

Also, his winning rate is nothing to scoff at. He's not the first manager that has repeatedly coached elite teams, but I don't think anyone before him won that consistently. Making squads of elite and often highly individualistic players buy into very particular and uncompromising footballing philosophy, and become a formidable unit, is not an ability that is often (if ever) seen in football. That's how arguably the greatest ever football team (Barcelona) was created. I don't think any other current manager would be able to replicate that.
 

Speedy30

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If winning is all that matters, then Klopp is obviously the best. Guardiola's football philosophy is probably not conducive to creating warrior team that will grind and overachieve, and in which average players will seemingly become elite through sheer inspiration. Not to say he couldn't do something similar (he's obviously a great coach and charismatic in his own way), but when it comes to transforming an underdog into a winning machine, there is no equal to Klopp, what he does is magical.

But there is also no manager that is able to produce the sublime football that Guardiola's teams display with unprecedented consistency. This is not merely subjective impression: his teams regularly feature at the top of the charts in goals scored and chances created, while playing intricate attacking football primarily based on skill.

Also, his winning rate is nothing to scoff at. He's not the first manager that has repeatedly coached elite teams, but I don't think anyone before him won that consistently. Making squads of elite and often highly individualistic players buy into very particular and uncompromising footballing philosophy, and become a formidable unit, is not an ability that is often (if ever) seen in football. That's how arguably the greatest ever football team (Barcelona) was created. I don't think any other current manager would be able to replicate that.
I agree with pretty much everything you've written there and maybe I didn't word my original post as well as I could have done. Klopp and Pep are the two best managers in world football right now and the way that City and formerly Barca played under Pep was and is incredible. They are a great team to watch when they're on their game and the term 'total football' was coined for a team like that.

If you swapped the two managers around, I don't think Pep would have this Liverpool team where they currently are. I do think that Klopp would have added at least one European Cup to City's trophy room though.
 

Stocar

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The argument about "picking easy jobs" can hence be looked in another light. There are many managers who had thrived at the helm of underdogs and underachieving sides, but failed when they were given command of a team that everyone perceived as the best and overwhelming favourites.

So, if Guardiola up to now didn't really make a genuine underdog into a winner, so has Klopp as of yet not been tested in a job where absolute success is seen as mandatory, with no possibility for playing an underdog, and usually with a lot more egos in the dressing room. Not many have passed that test with flying colors, quite the opposite in fact. (On the other note, it is a shame that in this day and age we will hardly ever again see the ultimate managerial test: building and rebuilding a winning team through decades on the top level.)
 
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Stocar

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If you swapped the two managers around, I don't think Pep would have this Liverpool team where they currently are. I do think that Klopp would have added at least one European Cup to City's trophy room though.
That's quite possible, and it would be really interesting to see Klopp managing the side stacked with talent, but with the burden of huge expectations. Maybe that kind of situation actually is emerging with his current team.
 

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I don’t want to sit here and wax lyrical about Liverpool, but he bought exactly the players he needed. He didn’t buy about 6 defenders for 50 million, only one of which turned out to be a world class player. He bought one. The right one.

He brought in players like Robertson cheap and TAA, and academy product, is now arguably the best RB in the world (attacking wise)

Every manager needs great players, but the legends of the games are capable of something more. They can make a team more than the sum of its parts. Guardiola cannot do this. He needs world class players in every position to make a world class team.

Klopp has won as he has in England, and it took him another season to really get going. I think most people would take waiting the extra 12-18 months to see where it’s going ahead of spending 600 million straight away and things not working out at the slightest inconvenience (not to mention not looking close to a CL)

I don’t understand how people can even argue that Klopp has done better. He is manager of Liverpool, you know the team who hadn’t won a PL until last week? He has won the CL. Compare their benches on the next game week even at this stage. Who has the most money on theirs?

Klopp is more impressive in England, no arguments.
Guardiola can not make a team more than the sum of it's part and needs world class players in every position? Alright then please name one City player who was top 5 in his position (not talking about just the PL) before Pep arrived apart from maybe KDB. Remember that Silva was a WF playmaker before Pep came and put him in the midfield... Who are all these world-class players some of you keep bringing up who's name were never brought up in the ballon d'or 30 player list or in any serious conversation about world-class players or that before Pep started coaching them?

Klopp won his 1st trophy with Liverpool at the end of his 4th season, Pep would be fired in any club if he doesn't win anything after 2 seasons.

Mancini and Pellegrini had the same financial backing and also won, but there's a reason why no sane person compares their teams to what Pep has done with his... Pep isn't hired just to win, but also for his style of football.
 

Maluco

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Guardiola can not make a team more than the sum of it's part and needs world class players in every position? Alright then please name one City player who was top 5 in his position (not talking about just the PL) before Pep arrived apart from maybe KDB. Remember that Silva was a WF playmaker before Pep came and put him in the midfield... Who are all these world-class players some of you keep bringing up who's name were never brought up in the ballon d'or 30 player list or in any serious conversation about world-class players or that before Pep started coaching them?

Klopp won his 1st trophy with Liverpool at the end of his 4th season, Pep would be fired in any club if he doesn't win anything after 2 seasons.

Mancini and Pellegrini had the same financial backing and also won, but there's a reason why no sane person compares their teams to what Pep has done with his... Pep isn't hired just to win, but also for his style of football.
The thread is just going round in circles, so there is no point continuing the discussion. There is a massive discrepancy on evaluating the squad, so we will leave it there. In my opinion, Guardiola didn’t win anything with City until his squad were clearly ahead of any other squad in the league, by a distance. His bench alone dwarfed even the very top teams.

He inherited 5-6 really top players and some very good ones and bought 5-6 more really top ones and some very good ones. He spent a fortune and it looked great.

All of that is very nice, but any top manager would have been expected to win with that kind of spend on top of that kind of squad. He did it with flair, I will give him that.

It is very pretty and intricate, and looks wonderful when it comes off, but if that’s all you get for 600 million, then it’s not enough.

You can play down how good the squad was and where the money went all you want. It looks silly though. No one would argue that his squad wasn’t far above any competitor.

You can’t break the rules and play by your own and not face any criticism when you don’t do truly excellent things. That’s just the standard expected when you grossly overspend and have as privileged a position as he has had at City.

Those are the breaks.
 

footballistic orgasm

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The thread is just going round in circles, so there is no point continuing the discussion. There is a massive discrepancy on evaluating the squad, so we will leave it there. In my opinion, Guardiola didn’t win anything with City until his squad were clearly ahead of any other squad in the league, by a distance. His bench alone dwarfed even the very top teams.

He inherited 5-6 really top players and some very good ones and bought 5-6 more really top ones and some very good ones. He spent a fortune and it looked great.

All of that is very nice, but any top manager would have been expected to win with that kind of spend on top of that kind of squad. He did it with flair, I will give him that.

It is very pretty and intricate, and looks wonderful when it comes off, but if that’s all you get for 600 million, then it’s not enough.

You can play down how good the squad was and where the money went all you want. It looks silly though. No one would argue that his squad wasn’t far above any competitor.

You can’t break the rules and play by your own and not face any criticism when you don’t do truly excellent things. That’s just the standard expected when you grossly overspend and have as privileged a position as he has had at City.

Those are the breaks.
So we've gone from him inheriting/needing world-class players in every post to him inheriting 5-6 top players (without naming them) and "some good ones"? Alright then...