Manchester City under Pep Guardiola | Pep on City v Liverpool ref: "He likes to be special"

[Gopher Brown]

He's realised that they're not of the scale of clubs he managed before. Money is fine but the harsh reminder that city are small will always be there especially with Manchester United reminding him of this every single day he goes about his day to day affairs. It's like he is now the manager of a money rolled Espanyol.

We can say this, but fans aside, Man City aren't a small club - they'll have world class facilities and people who know what they're doing behind the scenes. The fans are only relevant once a fortnight or so - do you really think he's walking around the Arndale on his days off?

The problem he's having is that the players he have aren't good enough to play his system, but it might be some time before they are replaced, so he has to make do. I think Man City as a prospect for new signings has lost its attractiveness somewhat, and every season they go without a trophy is another turd in their selection box.

Maybe that's what you mean by small club?

 

[padr81]

I asked this question on twitter today and I'd like to put it to you. What happens to Pep if you don't make the top 4?

I would say he'll be kept on. Depends on whether he walks or not.

 

[Frank Grimes]

We can say this, but fans aside, Man City aren't a small club - they'll have world class facilities and people who know what they're doing behind the scenes. The fans are only relevant once a fortnight or so - do you really think he's walking around the Arndale on his days off?

The problem he's having is that the players he have aren't good enough to play his system, but it might be some time before they are replaced, so he has to make do. I think Man City as a prospect for new signings has lost its attractiveness somewhat, and every season they go without a trophy is another turd in their selection box.

Maybe that's what you mean by small club?

Small club was badly worded just not a big club relevant to the ones he's managed and the 2nd club in his city.

 

[giorno]

Yeah about fans...pep spent the near entirety of his playing career at barcelona. Then was manager for 4. Have you ever been to a barcelona vs minnows league game at the camp nou? Makes emptyhad feel like a circle of hell

 

[Adisa]

I would say he'll be kept on. Depends on whether he walks or not.

Think there's little chance of either regardless of top 4. Walking awa will look very bad on him. Also sacking a manager you've been waiting for for three years after one season, is beyond idiotic.

 

[Ludens the Red]

It's a very poor decision to try take on the English media.

Especially from a position of weakness.They want him to fail so badly and he's falling right into their trap.

You know I don't think it's that the English media want him to fail badly. I think that's some paranoid shit.
I think it's a case of the media going with a narrative.
If you go back to the first two months of the season when city were flying. The media and pundits were falling over themselves talking about how quickly City had adopted to his "philosophy" "ideology" all the usual buzz words.

Now the tables have turned and city aren't doing as well so now the narrative becomes Pep is struggling with the Pl.
He's not helping himself having all these super defensive interviews whilst slagging off the Pl.
For all Mourinhos early season tantrums and past ones at Chelsea during bad periods, he never had a go at the Pl or questioned the integrity of the competition.

He's moaning about those reds when every single one of them was a clear red card. What's it got to do with things being different in England.

There's far too much moving of goalposts when it comes to Pep and City.
I remember when Pep was appointed and the cafe lost their shit, everything was hunky dory at city, everything was perfectly planned and Pep would swoop in and dominate.

Now all of a sudden, city are old, Pep needs time and needs new players(despite spending more than anyone btw).

I also don't know why he seems so surprised by all this. At Barcelona you only needed two defeats to be crucified and thrown under a bus. I'm sure he experienced those pressures.

As for his relationship with match going fans. I do understand his frustrations, city fans have become hugely self entitled and they tend to get on their players backs very easily. Unless it's the Derby they just don't seem to get behind the team enough. That's not going to change though. When you go from years of garbage to instant success in the blink of an eye it can warp your view of things.

 

[Earthquake]

- do you really think he's walking around the Arndale on his days off?

Possibly whilst absolutely out of his gourd on coke mumbling to himself about wing halfs and inside pivots.

 

[Adisa]

 

[Zoo]

'Is there a discipline problem Pep?'

 

[ti vu]

Do you believe that the Premier League is the best in the world?

Looking at the performances in Europe, far from it.

Intensity is different to performance. 2 games in 3 days is hard for any managers to cope given the travel, the smooth of the season (want to be closer to family...

All big L'pool, City and United were not particularly at our best with our passing, movement, pressing. There were a lot of huff and puff, walking in the game. With City being caught by Tottenham and United behind their back, Pep's definitely feeling the pressure.

I don't read into this performance as City downfall yet as just explained above that this fixture ruin quality of football. English press finds way to spike thing up and spike the mood and makes it entertaining. Feel absolutely great not at the end of this like a year ago under LVG.

...



I also don't know why he seems so surprised by all this. At Barcelona you only needed two defeats to be crucified and thrown under a bus. I'm sure he experienced those pressures.
...

I was not making a critical statement about his opinion, the only thing that looks tiring is always the same stuff from Guardiola, when guys like Wenger do not win nothing relevant in more than 10 years the press in England never put hard questions to him.

While Pep and Mourinho are always getting the stick from the British Media, with Mourinho even worse, a month ago on the Guardian the so called experts said that he was finished, guys like Wenger get a free ride by the media, just my opinion, lets keep talking about Guardiola on a good or bad way, but I believe that City and United will improve until the end of the season, I will not be surprised if Monaco beats them on the Champions League.

Agree. This makes the job in PL stressful for managers. I meant the pressure being Barcelona Real Madrid manager is huge, but the press is at least more knowledgeable & reasonable when come to criticism. English press can mess your head with stupid stuff. For example today question with how happy Pep is with a win 10 men down for an hour. English press just love shite stirring and unreasonable bias like you said. You can't talk football sense to them. They throw their cliche around to wum certain managers but not the other. AVB treatment was so wrong when fecking Moyes was defended despite being complete disaster.

As opponent fan though I can't say I am not enjoying the English press starting to focus on Pep... He had easy ride early in the season after all

He will be in Serie A and at Juve soon enough, reestablishing his genious just how he likes it, minimal competition and a vastly superior squad to everyone else.

This level playing field stuff is beneath him.

I have my doubt since Juve has weird transfer policy with little to none coach's input. He won't be afforded the signings he wants but has to complete comply. I see PSG job he goes for.

Problem with him in Serie A is that they are very tactical astute and defensive. Without proper transfer to get "his players", if he continue to be stubborn with his own style, he would be destroyed. Juvetus is playing the right way and dominating teams. Trying to change the winning formula with a new system with little backing in transfer would be a disaster.

 

[::sonny::]

He will never change his philosophy

He is in England only to see, to try if his philosophy works in premier league as well

 

[rotherham_red]

I was not making a critical statement about his opinion, the only thing that looks tiring is always the same stuff from Guardiola, when guys like Wenger do not win nothing relevant in more than 10 years the press in England never put hard questions to him.

While Pep and Mourinho are always getting the stick from the British Media, with Mourinho even worse, a month ago on the Guardian the so called experts said that he was finished, guys like Wenger get a free ride by the media, just my opinion, lets keep talking about Guardiola on a good or bad way, but I believe that City and United will improve until the end of the season, I will not be surprised if Monaco beats them on the Champions League.

Pep has had a much easier ride from the press. It's only since his Leicester and Liverpool defeats, that he's had any bother from them. Even when he was drawing games against Southampton and Everton, excuses were made and everyone focused on Jose and Utd. Even when he lost to Chelsea, everyone focused on Conte's brilliance rather than Pep playing in to his hands.

 

[rotherham_red]

http://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...r-city/10716209/pep-fails-to-gee-up-the-crowd

Watching that scene play out on MOTD my first thought was that he actually views the City fans with contempt. Add in all those passive-aggresive statements about them up to now, and I honestly don't think I'm a million miles away from the truth.

 

[Dobba]

And this is with a media that greeted his arrival like the second coming. If Fergie and his mind games were still in play, Pep would be so upset he would only talk to the press through his sister disguised as a plastic troll.

 

[m1y2]

what a bellend, time will show he's overrated, also has he mentioned what is he going to do after coaching? pretty young, already afraid of ruining his record and reputation which messi and co helped him to build

 

[RedPed]

Welcome to the Premier League Pep! City fans having a major reality check. The City and United dynamic has completely switched. At the start of the season, they were bragging at how the best manager in the world had chosen them and how it was just a matter of time before Mourinho had his meltdown and plunged United into crisis.

Not panning out that way. Anyone notice the amount of times Jose talks abut how he is enjoying his time at United and really happy to be here. You don't hear that from Guardiola. I would argue that of the two, Jose is having a bigger impact right now. I'm sure he'll come good but he's certainly not walking on water as expected.

 

[Dans]

Yep, first sign of a challenge and he wilts.

 

[crossy1686]

Joining City was Pep's biggest mistake of his managerial career so far.

He could've had any job in world football and he decides to join City. That too after managing Barca and Bayern. City aren't even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as those two European supergiants.

Anyway, maybe it's just me but for the first time today I've started to see the media perhaps turning against the PL poster boy. Something certainly to keep an eye on.

I don't think anyone except City fans wanted to see Pep succeed at the start of the season, especially the media. He came in with a degree of arrogance, all that "the Premier League isn't harder than any other league" and getting rid of Hart to bring in Bravo, unfairly, judged by most in the media. On top of all this, the way he got the job was shitty and completely unfair on Pellegrini.

The media love the narrative that the Premier League is the 'toughest league in the world' and for him to come in a tell them they're all wrong was always going to get them riled up. Every time City drop points or scrape a win to 'weaker' opposition he'll be reminded of that comment and if he keeps making weird decisions to play fullbacks in centre midfield and selecting goalkeepers on their ability to control a ball with their feet and not their handling ability he's just going to get hammered more.

 

[cyberman]

Alarm bells should be ringing when Pep acts like that after a win with 10 men.
The lack of disclipline is shocking too. Players don't act like that when they are happy with their manager.

 

[Revan]

He's not used to having to work. I'm not sure what he was expecting, if he did his homework or whether he under-estimated the challenge. But he doesn't seem to have expected,or at least he's behaving quite badly for one who expected it to be tough. Had all the hallmarks of someone for who things aren't going as they anticipated and he's not taking it well.

But then surely he knew England was different to Spain and certainly Germany?

From all accounts, he seems to be a workaholic that works all day long.

The problem seems to be the stubbornness and the inability to change. He seems to be sure that his way is right, and all other ways are inferior. That is a dangerous mindset to have and inevitably will make you fail eventually.

 

[Xeno]

I guess his T-cell count must be running low and it's not as easy to sort a blood bag out in the PL.

 

[sammsky1]

Wonder if he regrets not taking the Chelsea job

 

[kirk buttercup]

From all accounts, he seems to be a workaholic that works all day long.

The problem seems to be the stubbornness and the inability to change. He seems to be sure that his way is right, and all other ways are inferior. That is a dangerous mindset to have and inevitably will make you fail eventually.

Sounds like LVG

 

[Revan]

Sounds like LVG

Yep. He is younger though, so probably can still change his ways, but lets hope not.

 

[ti vu]

From all accounts, he seems to be a workaholic that works all day long.

The problem seems to be the stubbornness and the inability to change. He seems to be sure that his way is right, and all other ways are inferior. That is a dangerous mindset to have and inevitably will make you fail eventually.

As I said just earlier, I don't read this as he is pissed about today performance, but the way PL runs this 2 games in 3 days fixture, and referee, the City fans, his own players' indiscipline... and of course dealing with the shite stirring press. He's a workaholic but prefer focusing on dealing with coaching. Now English press has tried to drag him into word war, he has more work and probably stressed. Very bs if a coach at this level being lazy, and Moyes is the sole hard working coach after SAF.

 

[dannyrhinos89]

What a loon

All it needs now is for pep to come out and say he wants city to be more like united

 

[Revan]

As I said just earlier, I don't read this as he is pissed about today performance, but the way PL runs this 2 games in 3 days fixture, and referee, the City fans, his own players' indiscipline... and of course dealing with the shite stirring press. He's a workaholic but prefer focusing on dealing with coaching. Now English press has tried to drag him into word war, he has more work and probably stressed. Very bs if a coach at this level being lazy, and Moyes is the sole hard working coach after SAF.

I think that all coaches are hardworkers but Pep (and also LVG) had a lot of articles of being perfectionists and spending an insane amount of time working. I mean, during his year off, Pep was studying 4 hours per day German.

In England, you need to be thick-skinned though, and Pep doesn't seem to be that type of guy. From all accounts, the rivalry with Mourinho became too much for him (he wasn't even losing) and the entire Barca-Madrid thing drained him emotionally. Add to fact that for the first time in his career he doesn't have a squad that is far superior to 18 other teams in the league, and it might be too much for him.

And to be fair, going from Camp Nou and Allianz to Emptyhad would demoralize anyone.

 

[clarkydaz]

Talking about quitting the game early, not the greatest rally call to your players is it

 

[Melvyn]

If he leaves within a year, it will simply confirm the notion that his reputation was built on managing teams that are used to being the top horse in their own leagues. This is really the first time he's been in this situation as a manager, and it'll be interesting to see how he copes with it.

However, I feel slightly sorry for him now. The media will be on his back after today. You know they love to pick a narrative and run with it, and they will. The English press always turn against the manager eventually, despite them worshipping at his feet just 4 months ago. In a way, I want Guardiola to succeed because if he doesn't, it will confirm the whole 'Premier League is hardest league in the world' narrative that smug journalists like to trot out.

 

[Xaviesta]

Not surprised by that tbh. He's always been clear he won't be at a club for a substantial amount of time and his career is more likely to take the lifespan of Cruyff or Sacch.

 

[Xaviesta]

Starting to feel his biggest mistake was not taking a year off from coaching and going straight into his next job after Bayern. He's so intense, too intense for his own you could argue and needs a year out to recharge his batteries so to speak.

 

[Revan]

If he leaves within a year, it will simply confirm the notion that his reputation was built on managing teams that are used to being the top horse in their own leagues. This is really the first time he's been in this situation as a manager, and it'll be interesting to see how he copes with it.

However, I feel slightly sorry for him now. The media will be on his back after today. You know they love to pick a narrative and run with it, and they will. The English press always turn against the manager eventually, despite them worshipping at his feet just 4 months ago. In a way, I want Guardiola to succeed because if he doesn't, it will confirm the whole 'Premier League is hardest league in the world' narrative that smug journalists like to trot out.

Weirdo!

 

[Oscie]

Starting to feel his biggest mistake was not taking a year off from coaching and going straight into his next job after Bayern. He's so intense, too intense for his own you could argue and needs a year out to recharge his batteries so to speak.

I don't get this talk of a year off. He took a year off in 2012 and you think he should have had another year off in 2016?

If his managerial style is so that he feels exhausted after a short period of time then he needs to work on it in the same way a player would be expected to work to overcome whatever's preventing him from doing his job. He seems a bit precious to me. Like a rock star with his head up his own arse who disappears every so often for the year to 'find' himself.

Maybe he can just take naps during the second half? Send his assistant out for the second 45 minutes to read a prepared statement informing everyone that Mr Guardiola has decided to spend some 'me time' in his sleeping pod.

 

[TheReligion]

Welcome to the Premier League Pep! City fans having a major reality check. The City and United dynamic has completely switched. At the start of the season, they were bragging at how the best manager in the world had chosen them and how it was just a matter of time before Mourinho had his meltdown and plunged United into crisis.

Not panning out that way. Anyone notice the amount of times Jose talks abut how he is enjoying his time at United and really happy to be here. You don't hear that from Guardiola. I would argue that of the two, Jose is having a bigger impact right now. I'm sure he'll come good but he's certainly not walking on water as expected.

Was just thinking the same. Good post.

The contrast is unbelievable. When JM was finding it tough he was still at one with the fans and he's been consistently complimentary of both them and the club throughout. In addition he's openly stating he would love to extend his deal and be at the club for many years.

Pep on the other hand seems to be pretty unhappy with everything. The league, the country, the media, the fans...

Now he's openly talking about calling it a day with coaching which shows just how fed up he must feel.

 

[Oscie]

Mourinho who's worked in Spain, Italy and England - and succeeded in all three, is always banging on about how competition domestically in England is incomparable to elsewhere. People think that because English sides have been crap in Europe recently that it means something. Maybe it does if we look at top club from this country vs top club from that country. But in terms of the every day, week-to-week internal battles, it's absolutely fecking brutal here.

 

[El Zoido]

Watching that scene play out on MOTD my first thought was that he actually views the City fans with contempt. Add in all those passive-aggresive statements about them up to now, and I honestly don't think I'm a million miles away from the truth.

It must be demoralising to stand on the touchline in front of thousands of empty blue seats every other week when you've spent your entire managerial career in front of 75,000+. You have to wonder if he looks over with envy at Old Trafford and the support Jose gets from the fans.

 

[legolegs]

I don't get this talk of a year off. He took a year off in 2012 and you think he should have had another year off in 2016?

If his managerial style is so that he feels exhausted after a short period of time then he needs to work on it in the same way a player would be expected to work to overcome whatever's preventing him from doing his job.

Or he can just take a year off if he wants to because if he takes a year off it's not his job to manage a club as SURPRISE he's not a manager then

 

[Oscie]

Or he can just take a year off if he wants to because if he takes a year off it's not his job to manage a club as SURPRISE he's not a manager then

I don't know what this means.

 

[legolegs]

I don't know what this means.

Well then you know how I felt after reading your post. Maybe it's a misunderstanding?

You seem to have a problem with the idea of him taking another year off after the Bayern job (which he didn't do but let's just ignore that for the time).
I honestly don't understand why? If someone feels like he needs a year rest every 3 or 4 years between his different jobs why would that be a problem?
Why would he have to change his style when he can just take a year off as well?

 

[Oscie]

Well then you know how I felt after reading your post. Maybe it's a misunderstanding?

You seem to have a problem with the idea of him taking another year off after the Bayern job (which he didn't do but let's just ignore that for the time).
I honestly don't understand why? If someone feels like he needs a year rest every 3 or 4 years between his different jobs why would that be a problem?
Why would he have to change his style when he can just take a year off as well?

Because it makes him seem like a delicate wallflower. He looks run into the ground this season already and we're 20 games in. He isn't a neurosurgeon on daily 12 hour shifts. For most of his managerial career he's been in charge of teams that frankly 99 times out of 100 would win their next game if he decided to pull a sickie and had a lie in that week. He's not delicate porcelain, he's a football manager. A well paid football manager with facilities and support and assistance upon which he can lean on to assist him in the job he's asked to do that 99.99% of football managers will never get, yet most manage to get through life without feeling the need to pause their careers for a rest. At least not in their early to mid 40s.

Suspicious how he only seems to need these sabbaticals when things aren't going so well. Madrid finally win a title? Suddenly he needs a rest. City's recent results haven't been so good? Suddenly people suggest he should have taken a year out. His need for a break seems to coincide with a downturn in fortunes for his team with the striking regularity as a school child claiming to be unwell on Sunday night with double maths in the morning.

I don't buy it and I'll admit to being (perhaps irrationally) annoyed by it.