If they managed to buy Ronaldo they would have steamrolled this league this season as well.
Looks like they need a proper striker to finish their chances.
Looks like they need a proper striker to finish their chances.
'Pep' Guardiola sack watch
- Thread starter Classical Mechanic
- Start date
It was always fake since they had 2-3 games less
I still believe Guardiola exploited the covid rules. He got them a mid season break and they steamrolled the league afterwards. Takeaway their mid season break and we win the league last season no doubt.
Luis Enrique is where they should be looking if he leaves.
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You've got to feel for him. After only being allowed 10 minutes of preparation for the Southampton game, he is now being forced to use youngsters against the mighty Wycombe. Stay strong Pep
They've tried to copycat Barcelona, my guess is they attempt to copycat the Germans when Pep goes. They really are a club with no identity.
Poor guy. Maybe if their owners had backed him in the transfer market, they wouldn't be in this position.Tweet
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You've got to feel for him. After only being allowed 10 minutes of preparation for the Southampton game, he is now being forced to use youngsters against the mighty Wycombe. Stay strong Pep
After all, having 4-5 players injured is unprecedented in football, so it really is the worst of luck.
Yet, he battles on. Wycombe is going to be another uphill battle.
Am I the only one thinking that such statements just create a losers mentality? I can't imagine that it is helpful for his players to hear him say that he is forced to play them.
On one hand I hate such mentality discussions, on the other I just can't stop myself from asking whether this caused the slight margin they were beaten by in the CL final against a team which coach simply answered to the question who would win it "That's easy. We will win it."
Feels a bit like Pep's writing his resignation letter at the moment.
Didn't get a striker so he threw his toys out of the pram.
Spoke to the Brazilian press about becoming an international manager down there at some point in the future.
Goes back on that and says he's going no where when they don't jump at the offer.
Goes to war with the City fans over not coming to games, then doubles down on it when questioned and basically says "we're not a big club like United etc".
Now he's kicking off about having to play some reserve players as if it's a bad thing.
He's either trying to get sacked or he's leaving at the end of this season or next.
Didn't get a striker so he threw his toys out of the pram.
Spoke to the Brazilian press about becoming an international manager down there at some point in the future.
Goes back on that and says he's going no where when they don't jump at the offer.
Goes to war with the City fans over not coming to games, then doubles down on it when questioned and basically says "we're not a big club like United etc".
Now he's kicking off about having to play some reserve players as if it's a bad thing.
He's either trying to get sacked or he's leaving at the end of this season or next.
Please explain how he exploited the Covid rules and how long was the so called mid season break ?
Bit cringe to still see people mentioning them having what was it, one game postponed? Using that as a reason for them winning the league is silly.
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...d-after-covid-19-outbreak-in-guardiolas-squad
City were struggling for form. They should have played Everton on 28th Dec with just a 2 day break but pulled out on very short notice then had an 8 day break to refresh themselves for Chelsea in the League and United in the LC semis. They went on to win both games easily and never looked back.
After the Everton game's postponement they won an incredible 18 games on the bounce which sealed the title for them. I think the extra rest over the holiday period was the catalyst for this.
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Could've competed in games like these if only he was allowed to spend a further billion.
Counter attacking football seems to be his kryptonite.
Pathetic comment
It was quite easy to defend for the most part. They weren't direct enough today. Grealish kept stopping the momentum I felt, as good as he is at keeping the ball he made it so easy for Hakimi.
Actually this isn't true, the vast majority of teams set up to counter against his sides (and most of them fail)
Combination of this and awful finishing
I know many think a 9 fixes this but you can't have your 9 be the only good finisher in your team
Your mid season break was only 4 days !!
City played Arsenal 22nd Dec then played Newcastle on 26th Dec.
He clearly struggles against the low block. A few more patterns would go a long way.
To be fair though, Pochettino's bus is a challenge to break down when you also have to watch out for Messi, Neymar and Mbappe behind you.
To be fair though, Pochettino's bus is a challenge to break down when you also have to watch out for Messi, Neymar and Mbappe behind you.
Would be so much worse without Walker. He bailed them out time after time tonight.
Yeah agree with this.
Most teams have vastly shite players compared to City. He struggles when up against a very good counter attacking team. No real shame in that but it's been the case for years now.
He does?
That's why his teams are always at the top of the goal-scoring charts every single season then?
They didn't even struggle that much today.
Even with your added caveat it's still false, for 2 reasons
1. Because of how his sides dominate, every top side that plays against City (bar Liverpool, credit to Klopp for this) cedes possession and plays on the counter. You're operating with a higher sample size compared to the amount of teams that play on the counter against United for example
2. Even with this, he has a winning record against big sides overall. A few high profile losses, sure. Enough to say he struggles? I don't see it
Isn't that more of a reason why Pep should be better at dealing with counter attacks ? Everybody could see what was going to happen today and it played out as expected.
To me he is still currently the best manager in world football(Along with the fact the amount of money spent means his teams are always going to natural be some of the best in world football). But those few high profile losses are why he hasn't won a CL since his Barca days. Considering the resources he has had, it's a mark against him.
This season I think he will struggle a bit more. Struggle is relative of course, and they will still look threatening going forward. But the way to beat them is certainly to keep your shape because I don't think they have anyone really wanting to run in behind. Everything is played in front of you, and they are reliant on advanced midfielders to develop a strikers instinct in the box and that becomes a lot more straight forward to handle.
Same old story I guess. Against team that having same quality or more, where Pep prioritize midfield to contain opposition, they just lost the cutting edge in attack (already not optimal without a true prolific forward). Not able to score goal, would let your opposition (here are teams with serious quality), getting used and more comfortable. With their quality just a few chances would be enough for them to punish the high line defense.
Cry us a river really. Have time and resource to sort thing out all this time, but too obsessed with his view of perfect game to act on it. Getting the same control of the game like his Barcelona midfield is unfeasible. Ending up shooting in his own foot by neglecting the forward position.
Cry us a river really. Have time and resource to sort thing out all this time, but too obsessed with his view of perfect game to act on it. Getting the same control of the game like his Barcelona midfield is unfeasible. Ending up shooting in his own foot by neglecting the forward position.
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No point attacking me, you should rather aim your anger at your Pep Guardiola is my idol who seemingly can’t financially dope his way to a Champions League trophy
But hey, keep throwing even more money at the problem and you might get lucky
It's pretty good actually.
It helps that they are allowed to foul with impunity to stop counter attacks.
when you spend half a billion on defensive players alone, do you honestly not expect to have criticism??
You're right in your last 2 sentences but that doesn't aid your original point at all.
Sure. Every top side does this. They do it extremely well though (we are pathetic at it in comparison)
Manchester City wouldn't be anything if not for the financial doping of its owners
Said it in the match thread that if they didn’t equalise it would end 2-0. PSG are the worst team to play when chasing a goal but overall tonight I thought City weren’t bad and that was with Grealish and KDB putting in their worst performances.
Wrong forum, mate.
A few blanks and 1 goal scored in a game now. A pattern is starting to develop
Both PSG and City spent a Billion and yes he will always get criticism when they don’t win but City we’re decent tonight and PSG away these days is probably the toughest match on paper.
Pep is always going to get put down due to the money spent but he’s the best manager to spend the money
no argument there....it was a fun match to watch as both teams tried to play football without all the theatrics and nonsense you see in some of the bigger contests.
Needs another £500m for a whole new defence
It was a good game and PSG had good shape when City had the ball with 7 always behind it. City had some awful individual performances but overall were in the game and created plenty. There isn’t much between these sides
Didn't he just destroy Chelsea's 3CBs, 2 FBs and 3 DMs just some days ago?