Yes they comply with FFP by inflating revenue with made up deals, using clubs like Girona as pawns and cooking the books. Well done.
Pep Guardiola agrees 1 year contract extension | Includes additional 1 year option
- Thread starter Berbaclass
- Start date
Nico Gonzalez for 60m seems like a desperation deal to get in a younger midfielder with some legs. Has he really done that well at Porto? Its a surprisingly huge fee for a guy that to my understanding was never viewed as one of the better La Masia products of this generation.
I think both sides wanted this dealt with a long time ago. Needless to say, but anyone wanting us punished because they think we are guilty has no relevance to reality. We either are or we aren't. The verdict will fall and public perception will not change at all.
We either get punished or the case isn't strong enough, which doesn't correlate with how bang to rights most people think we are.
And the reason I write this is not because I am so convinced we are guilty or innocent of anything. I don't know. But if we are punished my ire and frustrations would be aimed at those responsible within the club. Certainly not the Premier League for charging us with something that obviously would be justified in that event. So with that outlook it is extremely tiring reading people 'just wanting us to get punished because they think we are".
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He was probably the second best midfield in the league behind Hjulmand in my opinion. I think City got a very good player. Porto fans aren't happy though. They lost their best player when they are still in the championship run. They are just 6 points behind us. I don't think they have what it takes now to win the league without him though. A week ago they were ecstatic after he scored the goal to qualify them for the playoffs and now they lose him to City. Sucks for a Porto fan this late into the window.
Fair enough. We will go back to this after the verdict.
On a lighter note, congrats. You got one hell of a player that will help city instantly. Porto's best in my opinion.
Good to hear, I know very little about him. Have you watched us this season? Do you think he has the skill-set to walk into our current midfield and thrive despite no physicality around him, or is he the type of player that functions better when there is runners around him?
Weird question I know, because every player is better with good players around him, but the issue is I think even Rodri would have struggled immensely gluing this together. We at least need someone that can impose themselves physically on a midfield, while being brave enough on the ball to relieve pressure on our backline.
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They’re getting a really crappy ‘punishment’ of a transfer ban aren’t they. The rest of the league can only hope they’ve bought poorly and Pep continues to struggle.
Yes, I've watched some city games including our 4-1 win against you at the stadium for the CL, where the result was very flattering for us considering your decent first half, the chances you missed and the infantile penalties you gave away.
I think due to current city predicament Nico González can be a very useful player. He's strong and tall (1.88m - 6'2"), very versatile, he can adapt to various positions in the field, good ball carrier and passer, specially in transition. He leads various departments in what concerns midfielders, namely short passes, expected goals, aerial duels and goals by headers. He's a very technically sound player. He will give a much needed boost to city's midfield.
Baldius Fraudi Maximus has bought yet another player has he? 
Brutus, pass thou thine chequebooketh.
Brutus, pass thou thine chequebooketh.
It flattered you a bit maybe, but it also perfectly highlighted how much space there is both in front of our defence and behind it, how slow we are in recovery, how stale our attack can become when we don't put pur chances away and most of all how fragile we can be under pressure.
Appreciate your thoughts on Nico. The exciting thing is that he is the excact profile that Pep seems to get the best out of over everyone else
Was today years old when I figured out Nico González is the son of Deportivo legend Fran
Going to Old Trafford and starting the current version of Gundogan, Kovacic, KdB and Bernardo together makes me wonder why he even bothered to sign the extension.
United are incredibly poor so just about got away with it, but baffling how intent he is on never ever setting the team up to succeed this season.We stumble over solutions in lesser games that just might work, but every time a bigger game comes up he is back to his negative drivel with the 4 core players that has shown all season that they just don't have the athleticism or rythm in their game anymore to run a midfield at this level plastered all over the middle of the park.
When he finally injects some players slightly in-form as subs as the game goes by he offsets it by bringing on the pressure-magnet Lewis for the one physical 2-way outlet we have on the pitch in O'Reilly.
I just can't put the finger on what he is trying to achieve at the minute.
United are incredibly poor so just about got away with it, but baffling how intent he is on never ever setting the team up to succeed this season.We stumble over solutions in lesser games that just might work, but every time a bigger game comes up he is back to his negative drivel with the 4 core players that has shown all season that they just don't have the athleticism or rythm in their game anymore to run a midfield at this level plastered all over the middle of the park.
When he finally injects some players slightly in-form as subs as the game goes by he offsets it by bringing on the pressure-magnet Lewis for the one physical 2-way outlet we have on the pitch in O'Reilly.
I just can't put the finger on what he is trying to achieve at the minute.
He seems a bit exhausted after winning everything imaginable.
We look better than them at the moment, and that is before Amorim has even really signed anyone or shaped the squad in any way. Any sort of goalscorer on the pitch today and we win comfortably.
It’s an embarrassing season for someone with such riches at his disposal (reminder that his striker, alone, gets 1 million a week). He should be winning the league every single season with the advantages he has over everyone else. 5th with more games they have failed to win than won, is pathetic.
It’s an embarrassing season for someone with such riches at his disposal (reminder that his striker, alone, gets 1 million a week). He should be winning the league every single season with the advantages he has over everyone else. 5th with more games they have failed to win than won, is pathetic.
Probably because it warrants him better pay off when he fecks off.
Part of me still can't shake off the feeling that they were seriously looking at Amorim so much so he was the only name on their list and we nipped in ahead of them screwing it up for them hence them signing Pep up again
O'Reilly started at least but then you had McAtee who scored a few goals around December/early Jan and he's played very little since. Nico Gonzales unused sub, what are you saving him for.
I reckon that's going to be your undoing in the FA Cup if you keep selecting immobile CMs just to give the old guard one last potential hurrah before a few of them leave.
Shagged out if you will
He looks so fed up in the post match interview
I assume he feels like he trusts the old guard more in the big games. It's not uncommon for managers to opt for experience over youth in big games, even when they know it might hamstring their rhythm.
No doubt Viana wanted him. They are best mates and works great together. But obviously Pep dictates if he stays or not. But I am just not seeing the Pep that is trying to put things right now, I am seeing someone that has partially given up the season.
And to be fair if we had the guy that has United 14th and just managed a 0-0 after playing a low-block at home against that City midfield 4 months into his tenure as our only option if Pep left we might as well pack it in
Heh. Bitterness off the charts
I think the charges punishment is hanging over them like the sword of Damocles. Probably no manager was going to take on that project with that uncertainty, so they persuaded him (with loads of money) to stay on until the decision is out.
What's your endgame here?
It is true though. You have soon to be 900 pages in a thread on this forum about him not doing a very good job yet some seem convinced that we put our future in the hands of an unproven manager from the Portuguese league to the point that Pep who has won 7 out of 8 titles in a row signing an extension was 2nd choise to us getting Amorim. It is baffling. There is plenty of talented managers out there and if we assume he stays the duration there will another few names in the mix in 2 years time.
Two things can be true at the same time though. Of course Pep was never going to be removed from his post for anyone, but he also is performing increasingly poor
You were complaining in another thread about every conversation coming back to City’s charges, but you seem to be provoking it in this thread.
Maybe it’s a defensive position because of that, but still, you seem to be bringing it on yourself here.
Get over it, we were shite as well
It's like cheating in FM. Fun at first, but soon feels hollow and pointless.
Meow
The guy who your genius manager hasn’t defeated this season in 3 attempts?
I'm talking about City now on a United forum so people can respond with as many snide digs about something that is still irrelevant to the topic as much as they want. Bit more annoying when the topic isn't even about City and the first response I get is that I cant discuss it because I'm a City fan.
We all saw the game. Both teams were poor, and worse teams than United has been a lot braver and got a lot more out of games against the midfield Pep put out.
I'm not going to pretend that United are performing well or that it makes sense that the City board wanted Amorim over Pep just because this is primarily a United forum. I'm talking about how poor my team is and it makes sense to take the opposition into account
I'd be really worried about Pep if I was a City fan, he's either there because City's bosses have told him if leaves before they say he can then they'll spill some dirt on him, or he doesn't know when is the right time to call it a day, either option is only going to end badly.
He look unmotivated and out of ideas to me, dare I say it a bit like a guy that looks like the game has moved on from what he does, a bit like it did with Jose.
Maybe Vicent Kompany could be an option when he does go, Bayern obviously knew something alot of other people didn't.
Surely you can see that United are moving forward from a terrible starting position under Amorim?
It’s a completely different proposition, and what he has done so far has been extremely promising. Still undefeated in Europe and looking so much more assured in big matches, while having to play some really poor footballers.
Nothing to suggest he wouldn’t have been a success at City.
I just felt you were being needlessly provocative with that statement, because there is no foundation for it thus far.
I think we’re approaching the twilight of his City tenure. One of his allies Begiristain is almost out the door. Won everything possible. Has an aging/peaked team that needs rebuilding. Style of play has been found out. It looks like he’s reached that point that Jose reached a decade ago.
I don’t think he’ll manage another club in Europe after this. I think he’s doing his sabbatical thing and then maybe an international job. Obviously some wealthy people in the Middle East will be offering him a salary to match a countries annual GDP to manage one of their teams but I think he’s got enough Dirham in his possession that the Guardiola family and their future generations wouldn’t have to work again and still live the life of luxury, until the 23rd Century came round.
He could just completely stop like his mentor Cruyff did.
I don’t think he’ll manage another club in Europe after this. I think he’s doing his sabbatical thing and then maybe an international job. Obviously some wealthy people in the Middle East will be offering him a salary to match a countries annual GDP to manage one of their teams but I think he’s got enough Dirham in his possession that the Guardiola family and their future generations wouldn’t have to work again and still live the life of luxury, until the 23rd Century came round.
He could just completely stop like his mentor Cruyff did.
I think Amorim is a very competent coach maybe even a elite one, I just think anyone that seriously thinks that Pep extensions 4 months into a season after winning 4 titles in a row was a panic move because United stole the only option we wanted is a bit delusional and wants to artificially create some kind of a victory based on tribalism. Guardiola is obviously first-choise in any scenario still, but we are approaching territory were he deserves the criticism he get
I think he seriously wanted this to be his last season, got caught seriously off-guard with how bad the shape of the squad had become, realised he would finish his time here with a limp, signed an extension based off his ego of wanting to fix this but his caught a bit in the middle of preparing for a new life in the summer and nlt really sure how he wants to take the squad forward. Also with Viana coming in I am interested to see how their ideas on targets allign, after getting some results after injecting new blood into the team he seems to have gone back to his m.o of slowly bedding in new players but this time while his starting players aren't performing.
But that starting eleven today. Jesus christ
I would agree with that part. I don’t think there is anything to suggest they had one and only choice, or even that they were seriously considering any sort of change.
Maybe this was all necessary until they learn the true nature of the punishment, and can plan accordingly. But Guardiola himself looks like he has given all he has to give.
I don't think he should be sacked unless next season goes as badly as this but I do think the game is passing him by a little like what happened Jose. You either adapt of get left behind and Pep seems to be refusing to adapt. Whether he likes it or not, football is moving away from the Spain 2010 style he played a huge part in and 15 years is a long time. It's becoming more athletic and more defensive. Jose football is almost coming back.
We saw a United side today at home, happy to camp 9 men around their own box and break at pace when the opportunity arose. Even teams that play out from the back like Brighton, Bournemouth and Chelsea are much more direct in transition than City and its a noticeable weakness in Peps armour he seems to be refusing to adapt too. Having 8 players pushed to the opposition box and 2CB's on the halfway line has been found out.
He'll either adapt or he will indeed be removed from the top of the game.
I remember quite a recent interview where he was asked if he watched other teams games and he laughed and said he didn’t have the energy for it anymore.
He was always quite innovative, so I wonder if it’s less about this, and more about burnout. Maybe he just doesn’t have the same intensity anymore.