I you seek, you willl find
"I have the feeling United are coming back," said Pep Guardiola is my idol in jinx attempt
- Thread starter horsechoker
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I don't think Pep's the sort to troll us just for the kicks. He's a football purist and the games / halves he pointed out, we did have very good structure.
It's an honest assessment but it also reflects his views on how football should be played. If we had someone like Simeone and were shithousing the CL he wouldn't say something like that.
It's an honest assessment but it also reflects his views on how football should be played. If we had someone like Simeone and were shithousing the CL he wouldn't say something like that.
Anyone who watches us can see we are improving.
Even the match Vs Newcastle 0-0. My initial thought was a clean sheet Vs Newcastle is actually good this season. But having not watched the match I didn’t know how we played. I came on here and reading some of the post match comments thought we must have been utter rubbish. But then on MOTD2, I saw Man Utd were the team that should have won.
Match Vs Spurs speaks for itself, arguably our best performance in over a decade.
The 1st half Vs Chelsea was us dominating a top team and not in a brainless way.
Even Vs Sherif, a team that beat RM last year. We actually played pretty well Vs a 6 4 0 formation, it’s not easy to break through that kind of defence line.
I’ve been thoroughly impressed with our improvement under ETH. What more impressive is that he didn’t stick to the counter attack stuff that beat Arsenal, but went back to what he believes in and is better in the long term. This short term “get the job done” pragmatism is great and could give him the edge in one off matches over rivals, eg top 4 or title decider, cup finals etc.
Even the match Vs Newcastle 0-0. My initial thought was a clean sheet Vs Newcastle is actually good this season. But having not watched the match I didn’t know how we played. I came on here and reading some of the post match comments thought we must have been utter rubbish. But then on MOTD2, I saw Man Utd were the team that should have won.
Match Vs Spurs speaks for itself, arguably our best performance in over a decade.
The 1st half Vs Chelsea was us dominating a top team and not in a brainless way.
Even Vs Sherif, a team that beat RM last year. We actually played pretty well Vs a 6 4 0 formation, it’s not easy to break through that kind of defence line.
I’ve been thoroughly impressed with our improvement under ETH. What more impressive is that he didn’t stick to the counter attack stuff that beat Arsenal, but went back to what he believes in and is better in the long term. This short term “get the job done” pragmatism is great and could give him the edge in one off matches over rivals, eg top 4 or title decider, cup finals etc.
Nice comments by him.
Fair play Pep. I think it's an honest assessment and not Fergie mind game stuff.
I say fair play as it's refreshing to hear somebody talk about the football rather than the Ronaldo debate which is what all the ABU media (and a lot of our ex players) seem to be focusing on as a means of ignoring how good we have been lately. I'm glad to see Pep not doing the same.
I say fair play as it's refreshing to hear somebody talk about the football rather than the Ronaldo debate which is what all the ABU media (and a lot of our ex players) seem to be focusing on as a means of ignoring how good we have been lately. I'm glad to see Pep not doing the same.
Guardiola is just trying to push the spotlight to us and take the pressure off his own team by saying something "nice". No big deal here. He cannot say something bad anyway, so really a nothing burger here, if you ask me.
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I think he secretly likes us.
Cheers Pep.
In all seriousness I was gutted he went there, would have loved him to come here when he went to City. While it's partially about mind games I also think he is being sincere and recognising we really are improving. I'm loving how we are the now, just wish we could score more goals.
In all seriousness I was gutted he went there, would have loved him to come here when he went to City. While it's partially about mind games I also think he is being sincere and recognising we really are improving. I'm loving how we are the now, just wish we could score more goals.
Same.
Think he has a lot of respect for Ferguson and United
He’s never been foolish enough to dismiss United, most probably because he knows in a one off derby match anything can happen. But in the past he’s always said things like “united have the players so could also challenge” this is the first time where he’s actually praised United as a team and on a football level.
I also think it’s sincere because he is saying what United fans think, “it looks like United are finally coming” and he gives a specific example not us trashing Spurs, but the 1st half Vs Chelsea which is probably a more accurate reading of where United can expect to be on a consistent basis, plus it highlighted our main weakness the lack of a clinical goal scorer which in the end might make all the difference this season.
If you thought Mourinho had problems with the clowns backstage, Pep would have torn the entire circus down. He was having meltdowns over the training staff at a club like Bayern, which is managed light years better than us.
He certainly has more respect for us than that pissant of a club that he works for. Obviously.
Listening to the context of the commments, I think it's more about ongoing motivation for his own side.
They've won four titles in the last five season and are heavy favourites to make it five in six this year. And their main rivals over recent years are having an abysmal season and look in need of major work. At that point complacency could be an issue, especially with so much focus always on the CL.
So there's no harm from his POV in talking up the idea of the teams below them potentially presenting emerging threats going forward. And of those lower teams we're the sleeping giant.
Because the message he doesn't want to project is the truth, which is that there are no real obvious challengers to City in the league at the moment unless they actively feck things up.
They've won four titles in the last five season and are heavy favourites to make it five in six this year. And their main rivals over recent years are having an abysmal season and look in need of major work. At that point complacency could be an issue, especially with so much focus always on the CL.
So there's no harm from his POV in talking up the idea of the teams below them potentially presenting emerging threats going forward. And of those lower teams we're the sleeping giant.
Because the message he doesn't want to project is the truth, which is that there are no real obvious challengers to City in the league at the moment unless they actively feck things up.
A 'nothing burger'...poker fan?
Pep knows we can fecking good play football
Well I suppose it could be sincere and still trying to push the spotlight on us.
No, not really. What's the relation to poker?
The only person I have ever heard use that phrase before is Nick Vertucci who owns High Stakes Poker Productions.
The solidarity of bald...
Would have to really. His biggest achievements culminated in two CL victories against United.
Icic, sorry, no idea who that is.
For those not in the US this is a classic play by Belicheck for the New England Patriots. Just lauds everything about an opponent, sometimes to a somewhat ridiculous extent. They're both pretty successful in their field so its got to be viewed as a decent tactic...
I want to add this -- in our race against Manchester City, they have the edge in many areas. Pep got 14 new signings for well over 500m his first two seasons with the team, he inherited a team with a bunch of great players for him with De Bruyne, David Silva, Aguero, Otamendi, Fernandinho and the likes -- they have resources we do not have.
But ETH is a better manager than Pep Guardiola.
Pep is probably the best football mind of his time. But he is spoiled. Adversity and competition gives birth to development. He hasn't faced any competition. His way of playing football is the best, most effective, hardest to beat right now. Nobody else is doing it. In comes like a mini club like Brighton and tries, and they do great. The best way to defend is to have the ball. Pep's style is to have the ball as much as possible. He has developed methods that are more or less impossible to defend against with a low defense. Others aren't trying it, rivals hire guys like Mourinho, Sarri, Conte, Unai Emery, Solkjear and the likes.
I hate watching City. Think their style of football is so boring to watch as a neutral fan. But yesterday I had a bet which involved them beating Sevilla. Its so obvious that they have bad habits. They are managed by someone, who quite frankly, could do a lot better. Explain to me, why Julian Alvarez is their only striker option to Haaland? They are constantly sending in a ton of crosses to the box, like when they are coming from the left its against Alvarez and Mahrez. Last year, they only had one center forward, Jesus. One, in the entire team.
The sole essential aspect of Pep's style of football is to win the battle for the possession of the ball. Keep it when you have it, win it back when you don't. If his team errs regarding that aspect of the game, they won't win many games. There are a ton of decisions that he makes that managers with different philosophies wouldn't make -- and there are reasons for it. Ball playing keeper, its common now, wasn't 10 nearly as common 10 years ago. Ball playing CBs. CBs and wing backs taking a ton of risks with the ball. And in this equation -- you could end up at a point were you need to pick a striker -- or even play without a striker, to start with -- to win possession. Spain has done it. Barca has done it. Pep has done it in the past at City. With how his team plays in 2022 -- there is no reason for it. It can't really be up for debate. They have all the resources in the world. You give up a little little bit with playing a CF who is more a classic threat in the box over someone like Alvarez with the mobility he has, but its nothing compared to the gains they get when Haaland is playing. But it doesn't have to be Haaland or nothing. They were after Ronaldo, he would do great for them. Heck, someone like Giroux would work for sure. Just about any top striker would work for how City plays. Pep has definitely developed some real bad habits in City. Its not just there.
ETH has the absolute perfect ride. He got to learn from Pep in Munich. He got to implement his plans with amazing resources in relation to his league rivals for Ajax. I think ETH gives us a distinct advantage over Pep.
But ETH is a better manager than Pep Guardiola.
Pep is probably the best football mind of his time. But he is spoiled. Adversity and competition gives birth to development. He hasn't faced any competition. His way of playing football is the best, most effective, hardest to beat right now. Nobody else is doing it. In comes like a mini club like Brighton and tries, and they do great. The best way to defend is to have the ball. Pep's style is to have the ball as much as possible. He has developed methods that are more or less impossible to defend against with a low defense. Others aren't trying it, rivals hire guys like Mourinho, Sarri, Conte, Unai Emery, Solkjear and the likes.
I hate watching City. Think their style of football is so boring to watch as a neutral fan. But yesterday I had a bet which involved them beating Sevilla. Its so obvious that they have bad habits. They are managed by someone, who quite frankly, could do a lot better. Explain to me, why Julian Alvarez is their only striker option to Haaland? They are constantly sending in a ton of crosses to the box, like when they are coming from the left its against Alvarez and Mahrez. Last year, they only had one center forward, Jesus. One, in the entire team.
The sole essential aspect of Pep's style of football is to win the battle for the possession of the ball. Keep it when you have it, win it back when you don't. If his team errs regarding that aspect of the game, they won't win many games. There are a ton of decisions that he makes that managers with different philosophies wouldn't make -- and there are reasons for it. Ball playing keeper, its common now, wasn't 10 nearly as common 10 years ago. Ball playing CBs. CBs and wing backs taking a ton of risks with the ball. And in this equation -- you could end up at a point were you need to pick a striker -- or even play without a striker, to start with -- to win possession. Spain has done it. Barca has done it. Pep has done it in the past at City. With how his team plays in 2022 -- there is no reason for it. It can't really be up for debate. They have all the resources in the world. You give up a little little bit with playing a CF who is more a classic threat in the box over someone like Alvarez with the mobility he has, but its nothing compared to the gains they get when Haaland is playing. But it doesn't have to be Haaland or nothing. They were after Ronaldo, he would do great for them. Heck, someone like Giroux would work for sure. Just about any top striker would work for how City plays. Pep has definitely developed some real bad habits in City. Its not just there.
ETH has the absolute perfect ride. He got to learn from Pep in Munich. He got to implement his plans with amazing resources in relation to his league rivals for Ajax. I think ETH gives us a distinct advantage over Pep.
ETH is not a better manager than pep. Don't be silly pep has faced competition from liverpool amongst others. Nothing in your post even bothers to qualify your outrageous positionthat ETH is better.
It’s weird, wee are 6 points behind the so take their win Avis t us away and they’ve only been 3pts better than us v the rest of the league with us having a tougher fixture list.
Agree 100%, good post.
Liverpool doesn’t even remotely have the same resources City has, but sure they pushed Pep and made them improve.
But I stand by my comment, Pep has become a little reckless and haven’t developed much lately. He will still probably win the league comfortably, but ultimately, a few years down the road, I think we will see the benefits of a more focused ETH. JMHO.
I can agree that with this post. Let's see in ten twenty years if ETH can compare with pep
That has some truth, but these ecpectations exist because they spent so much money
No one cares about city. I literally forgot they existed until this thread was bumped.
In fact, I've forgotten them again, who are they?
In fact, I've forgotten them again, who are they?
Poor pep.
He's so bald, one can see straight through his mind games. Ha! Jokes on you, Pep.
I'm just happy somebody is worried about us as a title threat. We haven't threatened any of the big boys in almost a decade.