The Barca team was a great watch. Those that didn’t like it were just jealous.
'Pep' Guardiola sack watch
- Thread starter Classical Mechanic
- Start date
The Barca team was a great watch. Those that didn’t like it were just jealous.
We can talk about whether he outsmarted himself with his approach at the beginning of the game, but he made the correct adjustments in the second half, they got their equalizer and to me seemed very much in control of the game. Maybe he could have done better, but as a coach he eventually did his part in getting his team to dominate and it was really inexcusable blunders that cost them the game, like Laporte (wasn't it him who had a howler against Spurs as well?) who played that atrocious pass and then allowed Dembele to get past him or Sterling missing an open goal.
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Pep is clearly an excellent manager but he hasn't won the CL for 9 years and he's never managed to win it without Messi, who is one of the greatest players of all time.
He didnt even win his own league mate.
The Pep Guardiola is my idol only won the CL in the past because he had prime Messi, prime Xavi and prime Iniesta.
Them 3 players are the best 3 players he has ever worked with and it’s no coincidence he hasn’t won it since having them 3 at his disposal.
Them 3 players are the best 3 players he has ever worked with and it’s no coincidence he hasn’t won it since having them 3 at his disposal.
Finally the Pep tide has run out?
Should he walk?
Should he walk?
When you don't really need to consider fatigue or a lack of motivation from competition between players because you have 2 starting XI of international players, a league campaign is much easier. Bernardo, Torres, Aguero, Mahrez, Foden were the attacking players that didn't start yesterday... And they've just sold Sane and D Silva. Insane depth.
I'm surprised city haven't sacked him. Everyone is appointing ex legends now so they should roll out Goater or Kinkladze
Barca only in theory won the league once in Zidane’s 3-peat reign. When he took over in 2016, they were trailing Barca massively in the league and brought them within 1 point of the title on the final matchday (actually accumulating more points than Barca in his brief period as coach). They won the league the next season and yeah obviously lost it in the 3rd.
Mick Summerbee please.
It's so weird how he always seems to lose trust in his teams strengths in the CL knockout stages, at least at Bayern and now City. I wonder if the Real pounding in his first season with us has left a scar, and if anything it's getting worse. Yesterday night must have been the worst example of subervting his own team's strengths in an attempt to counter imaginary threats from an opponent who likely could not have handled City's usual playing style.
Ridiculous.
Can't remember why I had you on ignore but maybe its silly posts like this.
Back you go.
Joey Barton
im not sure what the plan is after Pep. Seems like they were trying to be a mini Barca to lure him and they eventually did
This x100.
Teams hitting opponents on the transition phase makes for much better viewing if you ask me. Just hate it when the ball rarely moves from side to side but always stays in one half of the pitch. I look for matches where one team dominates the possession whenever I can't sleep at night.
The Pep Guardiola is my idol should get more heat for his Europe performances. The squad he has and regularly spanks loads of money on new players yet gets done by Lyon. Greatest manager my ass.
He needs a big pot next season desperately. If all he has to show is 2 big pots in 5 years he’ll have been an epic failure.
Why would they sack him? It's not like he's at a massive club is it. If he was here he'd be gone as finishing 4th and being in the Europa league isn't good enough for a club this size.
His second string is good enough to win the PL. His first string can't get to the Champions League semi finals.
It makes you think.
Are you saying Ole should be sacked?
Yesterday, the media were talking about Shitty winning the CL as a fait accompli, today, about turn, the BBC laying into him:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53795780
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53795780
Another year another failure. Since Barcelona, where he inherited 3 of the best players in history, hes managed to win a one horse race in Germany and a couple of leagues here with the most expensive football team ever assembled. Hes on the verge of dropping out of the top 10 let alone GOAT conversations.
He was never seriously in the GOAT conversations, at least not among serious people, the likes of Trappatoni, SAF or Paisley are clearly ahead. He like Mourinho are among the best of their generation but they are not better than the very best.
Absolutely terrible tactics yesterday. Playing Gundogan and Rodri against Lyon's young, mobile midfield made absolutely zero sense. Mainly when you have players like Bernardo and Foden who run 13km a game on the bench. Combined with a midfielder in defence whose legs are gone and a young guy who doesn't even want to play for the club anymore. Just don't understand this.
Yeah, doesn't look like there's a plan for life after Pep. There were rumours about Arteta and Gio before but that would be a bit ridiculous. Probably have to hope Pep signs extension or tells them soon this is his last season so they can target Poch. But who knows. I thought Gary Cook and Mancini were much better fits for City than Pep and his friends.
I just can’t help get this huge smile off my face.
I actually thought we’d get to watch Bayern annihilate Pep & shitty and then we’d get to make fun of them but OL got us laughing already.
There’s a reason they can’t seem to believe they’re good enough to win and that’s because they’re living under our shadows. There’s only one CL winner in Manchester and that’s us.
Manchester was and always will be red. Someone go remind them puhleeeeze
I actually thought we’d get to watch Bayern annihilate Pep & shitty and then we’d get to make fun of them but OL got us laughing already.
There’s a reason they can’t seem to believe they’re good enough to win and that’s because they’re living under our shadows. There’s only one CL winner in Manchester and that’s us.
Manchester was and always will be red. Someone go remind them puhleeeeze
Spain's Euro 2012 final performance is one of the great national team performances I have seen. You can make excuses for Italy, but they didn't have a sniff and were destroyed.
I would attribute their 'boringness' hugely to their opponents setting up the way they do, not venturing out of their half most times. There are only a few games where the opponents came with a different game plan and they were great games to watch. Spain Germany game WC 2010 was very good.
But yea - overall, the most entertaining they played was in 2008. Great team to watch.
I think that's part of the reason they'll continue to stick with Pep. They've invested so much in trying to bring him there and signing players for his vision that there's no obvious direction for City to go once he leaves.
It's probably an admission of defeat if he goes without winning the Champions League too. It will be interesting to see how they do next season, Pep has never really been in a position where he's had to reinvigorate an underperforming team.
If he doesn't win the league or CL next season surely he would leave on a sad note. 2 pl in 5 seasons is not bad but for the amount Pep has spent it will be underwhelming.
I get killed for saying this all the time but that right there is his biggest failing this season. That midfield is slow, lacks dynamics and demands KDB plays like Superman for us to score goals. It also allows team to run right through was with Gundo jumping out of the way in case he has to tackle and Rodri turning like a crane moving the statue of David in midfield. Its a real blind spot to have, its like the longer he's spent in England the more he's decided you don't attributes that have made teams successful here, first he abandoned all strength and power, was still successful so now he's deciding you can do it with no pace too.
The only reason we beat Madrid was KDB and their midfield had 3 snails vs our 2.
the clubs whole identity is built around copying barcelona, it will take some massive for them to change course
Absolutely he needs a big season imo. This is the worst season of his career by some distance, even worse than his 1st season here as he has no excuses, its his team.
There‘s a poster on here who claims that Gundogan is some sort of 5D grand wizard footballer but every City fan I know thinks he’s utter garbage and would love to see him play a lot less. I always find him one of those players that you don’t really notice so I have no real impression of him. What’s your take?
Pep won't get fired. That would be stupid. The whole point of firing someone is because you feel that someone else can do a better job, and I don't think there is someone that could. With that being said, Pep isn't really known for sticking around long, so I can see him using this latest loss as an excuse to step down. Funny thing is, he really is his own worst enemy. i don't know if it's arrogance or stupidity when he tinkers with his line up like he did yesterday. It's a one game elimination match. This isn't the time to try a new formation. Play your strongest team in your best formation from the start and if that isn't working, then you can make adjustments...
Ohh definitely this is his worst season. I think you guys will improve but you have to spend more just like the backing he received in 2017 summer transfer. Silva is gone, Kompany is being missed, Fernandinho is no longer the same Fernandinho from 2017, Aguero is also getting older. I feel you have been too over reliant on KDB this season. Likes of Gundogan and Rodri have been average at best. Foden looks like a proper talent but Pep for some weird reason has not yet made him a regular. Massive summer for you guys.
I agreed with your original post about how hard the UCL is to win, but this point about us being dominated in the 1999 final for 91 minutes is just wrong. Bayern Munchen were under siege for the final twenty minutes, deciding to sit back and defend. Franz Beckenbauer even said, according to Fergie's first autobiography, that he thought Bayern were going to concede based on the way they were playing.
Garbage is maybe a bit too strong but he's bang average. He's garbage where Pep plays him though imho. He's tidy on the ball but those injuries have made him a coward. He plays every game like he's afraid. He has been decent for us as a holding midfielder as his positioning is good, he's calm and usually in the right spot even though he can't/won't tackle. He should be behind KDB, Bernardo and Foden for those 2 spots next season.
Yeah, spot on! it makes zero sense. Pep turning from power and pace and direct football and fast counters during 2017-2019 to sideways passing, wingers cutting inside, walking, no pressing and just overall this slow, slow football. Like I wrote in another thread: he's doing an Arsenal and signing right players for that: Rodri, Ake, Torres... It's possible City will start games with this XI next season:
Ederson
Cancelo - Fernandinho - Ake - Mendy
Bernardo - Rodri - Gundogan
Mahrez - Jesus - Torres
That genuinely looks like a 4th PL / Last-16 CL team and nothing more.
As I have already replied to their comment, the idea that Bayern were 'dominant' in that 1999 final is just absurd. How any neutral fan, let alone Manchester United fan can claim Bayern were dominant is beyond me.
No Sterling?