Definitely not. For many reasons:
- He’s coming from our cross town rivals. It would feel like stirring someone else’s custard.
- Football is cyclical. Even though Pep has always enjoyed having the best squad and resources in whatever league he’s been in, he’s also been a pioneer in the way he’s played football. That said, his trajectory is decidedly downwards. Albeit from ludicrously high standards. I think big question marks are being exposed about weaknesses in his teams, and I think as football evolves, this will only grow over time. His teams always seem to implode in the same way in the CL every year. I don’t see him learning his lessons. That will get ruthlessly exposed at United, where a rebuild is required.
- He’s tainted goods in my eyes. He turned United down once already, for the money at City, and that’s enough to write him off forever as far as I am concerned. But there are also two other serious ethical concerns I have about him. First, I remain highly suspicious about possible doping of his players going back to the Barca days. His connections with doctors deeply involved in the blood doling scandals, and the way his teams suddenly started pressing relentlessly after he took over - were all highly suspicious to me. Second, you have to accept that he has to have had high level working knowledge of City’s financial crimes, and is likely complicit in them. I strongly suspect he’s been paid additional monies via secret offshore accounts. And that’s probably the tip of the iceberg.
There was a time when he would’ve been my dream manager, but I truly think this guy is dirty to the core. He gets away with it because he is softly spoken, and plays sexy football; but I think he’s almost certainly a serial cheat and scumbag. What’s funny is that his apparent opposite, Mourinho, a manager who plays dour, ugly football and is caustic and unlikable, probably gets all the flak Pep deserves.
So I’m a no on this. I don’t want someone who turned us down for shitty. I prefer we blaze our own trail and go for a progressive manager like Rose or Nagelsmann. If we want established, I’d take Poch. Meanwhile Pep will find his way to another one of football’s corrupt elite, in Juventus. Eventually we’ll look at his resume at perhaps even say, “Poor Pep, it’s not his fault....he was surrounded by crooks”, but these are the environments he chooses.
- Manager at Barca. A notoriously crooked club, that is infamous for cooking their books and doing shady deals.
- Bayern, whose President went to jail, and who were preposterously dominant before he arrived. Essentially went and played FM for three years to try and win the CL. Failed.
- City. One of the most corrupt clubs in football in recent years. A deceit he is undoubtedly complicit in.
- Next he’ll go to Juventus. Perhaps the most corrupt club of the last 30 years. Who cheated their way to league titles by bribing refs. Were relegated but bounced back just to dominate Serie A again. Now signing players they can’t possible afford. Sound familiar? Pep will be right at home. Bayern mark 2. Have another crack at that CL.
- And as a player, let’s not forget he was banned for taking PEDs.
Honestly, there is feck all to love about United right now. The team is shite, the manager is shite, the stadium is knackered, there is no strategic plan, the CEO is a cretin, the owners are fecking leeches.....do we really need to add to the shit pile by employing this massive thundercnut?
- He’s coming from our cross town rivals. It would feel like stirring someone else’s custard.
- Football is cyclical. Even though Pep has always enjoyed having the best squad and resources in whatever league he’s been in, he’s also been a pioneer in the way he’s played football. That said, his trajectory is decidedly downwards. Albeit from ludicrously high standards. I think big question marks are being exposed about weaknesses in his teams, and I think as football evolves, this will only grow over time. His teams always seem to implode in the same way in the CL every year. I don’t see him learning his lessons. That will get ruthlessly exposed at United, where a rebuild is required.
- He’s tainted goods in my eyes. He turned United down once already, for the money at City, and that’s enough to write him off forever as far as I am concerned. But there are also two other serious ethical concerns I have about him. First, I remain highly suspicious about possible doping of his players going back to the Barca days. His connections with doctors deeply involved in the blood doling scandals, and the way his teams suddenly started pressing relentlessly after he took over - were all highly suspicious to me. Second, you have to accept that he has to have had high level working knowledge of City’s financial crimes, and is likely complicit in them. I strongly suspect he’s been paid additional monies via secret offshore accounts. And that’s probably the tip of the iceberg.
There was a time when he would’ve been my dream manager, but I truly think this guy is dirty to the core. He gets away with it because he is softly spoken, and plays sexy football; but I think he’s almost certainly a serial cheat and scumbag. What’s funny is that his apparent opposite, Mourinho, a manager who plays dour, ugly football and is caustic and unlikable, probably gets all the flak Pep deserves.
So I’m a no on this. I don’t want someone who turned us down for shitty. I prefer we blaze our own trail and go for a progressive manager like Rose or Nagelsmann. If we want established, I’d take Poch. Meanwhile Pep will find his way to another one of football’s corrupt elite, in Juventus. Eventually we’ll look at his resume at perhaps even say, “Poor Pep, it’s not his fault....he was surrounded by crooks”, but these are the environments he chooses.
- Manager at Barca. A notoriously crooked club, that is infamous for cooking their books and doing shady deals.
- Bayern, whose President went to jail, and who were preposterously dominant before he arrived. Essentially went and played FM for three years to try and win the CL. Failed.
- City. One of the most corrupt clubs in football in recent years. A deceit he is undoubtedly complicit in.
- Next he’ll go to Juventus. Perhaps the most corrupt club of the last 30 years. Who cheated their way to league titles by bribing refs. Were relegated but bounced back just to dominate Serie A again. Now signing players they can’t possible afford. Sound familiar? Pep will be right at home. Bayern mark 2. Have another crack at that CL.
- And as a player, let’s not forget he was banned for taking PEDs.
Honestly, there is feck all to love about United right now. The team is shite, the manager is shite, the stadium is knackered, there is no strategic plan, the CEO is a cretin, the owners are fecking leeches.....do we really need to add to the shit pile by employing this massive thundercnut?
