City are backed by a whole country, there is no hoping anywhere.
Pep's spending is insane (£941m and counting at City)
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
It doesn’t really matter what he says it will always bring backlash as long as he works at City, PSG or Chelsea.
Ped is so touchy about how much he spends. Are there any other managers that come out with net spend wanker stuff?
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In summary....Fraudiola?
He knows he's a chequebook fraud.
If pep is fraud then all the managers other than him is worse than fraud. He spent yes but he delivered too.
He made his team dominant with the style of play. Mourinho spent a lot too but he afraid to lose so played negative football.
Even pep s team lost he never changed the style of play. Other than saf nobody dominated the league like he does.
3 league titles in five seasons is always impressive no matter he spent a lot or not.
He made his team dominant with the style of play. Mourinho spent a lot too but he afraid to lose so played negative football.
Even pep s team lost he never changed the style of play. Other than saf nobody dominated the league like he does.
3 league titles in five seasons is always impressive no matter he spent a lot or not.
Then why is he always tinkering in the UCL Ko stages?
He tried to dominate chelsea from the start. New ideas some time backfired.It's a game mate any thing could happen. That day Chelsea played better. But I don't think we had superior squad at that moment than city.
But calling pep fraud is disrespectful to the game itself in my opinion.
None of the other managers are rated as the GOAT of all GOATs though
I think it's a challenge threw by city to other teams with current best manager in the world with huge money backing. It's upto other top teams to overcome this.
It will not be easy for him too so why he wanted to spend. United liverpool and chelsea will push city to the limit coming season. Will see how good he will be. Still he is best active manager he spent a lot or not in my opinion.
Have been trying to do a little test. I think if I had to pick City's first XI, it would be:
Ederson (35), Walker (45), Zinchenko (2), Laporte (57), Dias (62), Fernandinho (30), KDB (55), Foden (0), Grealish (100), Sterling (44), Jesus (27). So call it 457 or so on the first XI.
But then here's the kicker, check this second XI:
Steffen (7), Cancelo (60), Mendy (52), Stones (48), Aki (50), Rodri (68), Gundogan (20), Mahrez (60), Silva (43), Torres (18), a striker (0). That's 426 on their second XI.
I mean good lord. There's having depth and there's that.
Ederson (35), Walker (45), Zinchenko (2), Laporte (57), Dias (62), Fernandinho (30), KDB (55), Foden (0), Grealish (100), Sterling (44), Jesus (27). So call it 457 or so on the first XI.
But then here's the kicker, check this second XI:
Steffen (7), Cancelo (60), Mendy (52), Stones (48), Aki (50), Rodri (68), Gundogan (20), Mahrez (60), Silva (43), Torres (18), a striker (0). That's 426 on their second XI.
I mean good lord. There's having depth and there's that.
Good name. I never picked up on this, but it all starts to become apparent.
Funny how much of a free ride Chelsea get, these days.
That's why they'll win the league fairly easily. It took Liverpool an unrepeatable run of largely using the same XI to bea them. To now add Grealish and probably Kane is just unfair.
For us to get to the same level squad wise would require another 5-6 players, so around 2-3 windows, the problem is City sign players every window too so we're always playing catch up.
Bet some of the city hierarchy in abu dhabi are pissed. Signed and sealed grealish, committed the money and Messi goes and becomes available. A few days too late. 
I'd like to see Pep manage an underdog team for once. Be interesting to see if he can achieve something similar to what SAF/Mourinho achieved with Aberdeen/Porto.
Doesn't have be an underdog team. If he could take Utd to being back at the captain's table while having to deal with Chelsea's roubles and City's Dehrams (under another manager obviously) that would be laudable.
United right now under Ole, while not as good as City, has improved. Do you actually think if Pep was managing this United team, he won't be doing much better than what Ole is doing right now?
Not here perhaps, but you’d still have non-United fans saying but he spent 800m to get them there!
The money spent would be legitimate and he would be facing corrupt money clubs (Chelsea/City) in the same country instead of managing one of them. Then his true mettle would be judged.
Edit: anyone asking if Ole belongs in the same sentence as Pep needs their heads checked. Can't believe you lot made me put those two in the same sentence - Redcafe, tsk.
Klopp is better. Zidane isn't far off for what he has achieved so far.
Klopp likes projects where there's no pressure to win (or get the team to play expansive football) immediately, projects where he's given atleast 2 or 3 years to win and when his team isn't considered favorite. Some can come to the conclusion that he maybe isn't great under pressure to deliver immediately.
Zidane so far has only managed a stacked Madrid team, he's won a lot with them but hasn't shown any real Identity in their style of play. I really wonder how he'll fair in another club with other players, i see him being a lot more successful as a NT coach.
It's easier to create an expansive and beautiful system when you've got 3-4 of the best players in a generation in your team (Barca), manage a historically dominant club who hoovers up the best players in the league, regardless of rivalry (Bayern) and been given a blank chequebook (Citeh).
That's not a knock on his managerial skill but he's been given advantages his whole managerial career that most other managers would have beeb lucky to have for even a couple of seasons.
That's not a knock on his managerial skill but he's been given advantages his whole managerial career that most other managers would have beeb lucky to have for even a couple of seasons.
I'm very curious as to what people think Pep would do worse than a Sean Dyche at Burnley for example. Is it player management? Is it tactics? Is hoof it la football beyond his comprehension? Is there a WhatsApp group of managers who think he can't get the best out of a Westwood and Barnes?
Anyway.
Well he certainly wouldn’t be winning the league with his fancy patterns of play now would he.
941 million pounds at one club in such a short time is just insane. Considering alot of players who made up the spine of his team were already there and de Bruyne, sterling and Foden, 3 of his most prominent attackers coming into this season were already there or cost nothing.
Add it to what he spent at bayern who have done better in CL since he left, and one CL final in over a decade is poor.
Add it to what he spent at bayern who have done better in CL since he left, and one CL final in over a decade is poor.
Its not small change though at a club who wins their league with eyes closed. One which won a CL not long before and not long after him.
It wasn't that outrageous at Bayern. It's probably the reason why he left, though.
He's a great manager, when he has an unlimited budget
I didn't say it was small change, but I'd say it was reasonable given the goals Bayern has every season (CL).
I don't think he's a great manager with unlimited budget, either. He's accomplishing pretty little in comparison to the money he spends. His Euro per Title ratio must be atrocious.
It'd be interesting to see what a guy rated as one of the best ever could do in that situation. How far could he take them etc. Not so much an assumption he'd be worse than Dyche or whoever.
I do think we have spend similar amount during our time with Mourinho + Ole.
Of course not. Would anyone win the league with Burnley? I think it's safe to say he would do a good job
Ah then yes that would be interesting to see for sure.
Is it? Has he ever worked wonders with below average players? That is the big question make over him.
His first season at City he inherited some quality players, KDB Aguero, Kompany, Sterling, Stones. But he still underachieved that first season before breaking premiership spending records.
Yes
People say Sean Dyche has done well at Burnley. I don't think it's a stretch to say Pep could at the very least, maintain that level
If it's that easy, why didn't other coaches get them to play his type of expansive football?
I'm curious though, if he isn't a great coach, what do you think all the big clubs and football experts see in him that makes them rate him so highly?
I mean if he leaves City tomorrow, clubs will be lining up to get him, why do you think that is?
It depends on the metric you're looking at, doesn't it? If you're a club owner and you're strictly looking at millions of Euros per CL win, there are others who are probably more successful. If you're looking at marketability, yeah sure he's good. He's decent on the camera, he can talk without sounding like a bricklayer and he's respectful to anyone. He's the perfect TV coach. But that's not why I would hire him. There's also his ability to develop players, I think that's the actual reason why people rate him so highly. He's very good at lifting players beyond the level they normally live at. In that his teams are a little bit overachieving. Maybe that makes him a good coach.
But, and this is the point I'm making, given the vast amounts of money he has at his disposal, he is not a great coach because he hasn't accomplished as much as he should with that kind of money. He's a decent coach, but I don't think I'm crass when I say every league in Europe has 3-4 coaches that could accomplish similar things with that kind of budget.
Edit: Also, let's not forget that players want to play under him, so he's got that kind of appeal to him, too. Makes transfers a little easier.
For perspective (Pep's big money signings and all that):
€20m+ transfers since Pep joined (so 2016-21, not including current window):
Chelsea: 19 players - total fee: €849.9m.
Man City: 16 players - total fee: €793.6m.
Man Utd: 14 players - total fee: €729.7m.
(values taken from transfermarkt)
€20m+ transfers since Pep joined (so 2016-21, not including current window):
Chelsea: 19 players - total fee: €849.9m.
Man City: 16 players - total fee: €793.6m.
Man Utd: 14 players - total fee: €729.7m.
(values taken from transfermarkt)
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Maybe it isn't City, maybe it's the league... oh what an evil thing to say. I'm sorry. :P
And why is that? I’m unsure what Pep has done to suggest he can work with anything but the best squad and the best players.
I know he's not popular here and he's failed to move with the times, but i rate Mourinho's first 10 years as at least equal to Guardiola's. League and Champions League with Porto, took Chelsea from nowhere to multiple Premier League winners, League and Champions League with Inter, and then started well at Madrid before it all started to go South. He was also a bit of a chequebook manager but he did prove he could build teams from nothing and work with average players, something Guardiola is yet to do.
Then you have Klopp who has been at least impressive in bringing both Dortmund and Liverpool out of the wilderness.