Pep Guardiola

[DonAndres]

A better balanced defence and a fit Messi/Busquets and Naymar in attack I would still have Barca as the stronger side going forward.

Not really. We'll be a great team, but not probably not better than them. To really beat them we need to let go of the notion of useless possession, which we've adopted recently. It's barely even real tiki taka anymore let alone total football. Plus it'll take an 08/09 level overhaul of developing new talents and fading out old ones. It's not impossible but it's not that simple either that simply a balanced defense and improved attack would do it. Our midfield isn't in great shape either.

 

[darthvader7888]

Bayern are gonna be beast next season under Pep. Kinda wish I were a Bayern fan right now

 

[bluestar]

IMO the versatility of playing style is what makes Bayern a superior side to us now. We stuck with tiki taka for ages, actually imposing it on our opposition and not playing any other way. Eventually the play started to dull and football evolved to make us less impacting and unstoppable. Bayern have a massive advantage right now in the sense that their players are so versatile in ability that they can play any style they choose to. Bayern generally play a possession game, but they can counterattack with massive effect if they need to, they have different types of players ready to interchange different roles, they are physically superior, and they are as good on the ground as they are in the air. A key factor is that their system molds to fit their needs, not a single accepted one. Right now Barcelona are on the search to find duplicate replacements for Xavi and Iniesta, etc. while Bayern could have 8-9 different types of combinations in midfield/attack for now and the future that are all deadly and successful. We didn't evolve as a side, that's why we're declining. As we get lower, we'll ultimately be forced to adapt and make major changes, but no one really sees the need to do that now.

Well I'm a bayern fan and disappointed to read your post, as an outsider I always admired your Club philosophy and style of playing, thats what barca stands for, its about possession and dominance... Its not about any result or just winning, I always think of Xavi the master of possession, he explained the philosophy of barca is not about just winning or to play pragmatic, its about to play with a clear identity, his words were beautiful and full of passion. He said its not about the result, its about to be different and have an own way to play football, and if you get any results by playing your style and philosophy then its even more beautiful. I think this is what barca is about, their philosophy and identity of playing... maybe my team bayern will win more games, but sometimes I miss such a clear identity as barca have, bayern is the more pragmatic side.

 

[DonAndres]

It's often viewed as playing the beautiful way and I agree it is, but sometimes it gets downright stubborn and we forget the very purpose of it. There have been many instances where we pass just for the sake of it these days, not making it beautiful or deadly just statistically pleasing. It's a clear identity and our playing style is in the very blood of the club, but they need to remember what the identity actually is. Beautiful passing play and technical sequences, with possession as a byproduct of it. Not just to pass it back and forth because we feel like keeping the ball. You don't absolutely need all possession to play tiki taka/total football, it's about what they do when they have the ball. It's always about finding the right balance between romanticism and pragmatism, otherwise you go to extreme ends like Mourinho's sides forsaking beauty for success but with many flaws, and Tito's side striving for beauty without a distinct aim and thus looking lost.

 

[Meitux]

It's often viewed as playing the beautiful way and I agree it is, but sometimes it gets downright stubborn and we forget the very purpose of it. There have been many instances where we pass just for the sake of it these days, not making it beautiful or deadly just statistically pleasing. It's a clear identity and our playing style is in the very blood of the club, but they need to remember what the identity actually is. Beautiful passing play and technical sequences, with possession as a byproduct of it. Not just to pass it back and forth because we feel like keeping the ball. You don't absolutely need all possession to play tiki taka/total football, it's about what they do when they have the ball. It's always about finding the right balance between romanticism and pragmatism, otherwise you go to extreme ends like Mourinho's sides forsaking beauty for success but with many flaws, and Tito's side striving for beauty without a distinct aim and thus looking lost.

Off topic but Its really strange not seeing your Thiago avatar,we got used to it

 

[Mr Hulot]

IMO the versatility of playing style is what makes Bayern a superior side to us now. We stuck with tiki taka for ages, actually imposing it on our opposition and not playing any other way. Eventually the play started to dull and football evolved to make us less impacting and unstoppable. Bayern have a massive advantage right now in the sense that their players are so versatile in ability that they can play any style they choose to. Bayern generally play a possession game, but they can counterattack with massive effect if they need to, they have different types of players ready to interchange different roles, they are physically superior, and they are as good on the ground as they are in the air. A key factor is that their system molds to fit their needs, not a single accepted one. Right now Barcelona are on the search to find duplicate replacements for Xavi and Iniesta, etc. while Bayern could have 8-9 different types of combinations in midfield/attack for now and the future that are all deadly and successful. We didn't evolve as a side, that's why we're declining. As we get lower, we'll ultimately be forced to adapt and make major changes, but no one really sees the need to do that now.

I agree with what you say, but what you see as stubbornness, I see as a football identity, a philosophy and a somehow romantic view of the game, that is very refreshing in modern football. I mean we play Pique in a high defensive line. It's crazy, but we still do it. And we won La Liga playing that way. Of course, Champions League will be very difficult to win.

 

[Meitux]

I agree with what you say, but what you see as stubbornness, I see as a football identity, a philosophy and a somehow romantic view of the game, that is very refreshing in modern football. I mean we play Pique in a high defensive line. It's crazy, but we still do it. And we won La Liga playing that way. Of course, Champions League will be very difficult to win.

Dont forget also the fact that Madrid were pretty bad.Sooo i dont think it will be easy next season

 

[Mr Hulot]

Dont forget also the fact that Madrid were pretty bad.Sooo i dont think it will be easy next season

As long as we collect as much as 100 points, I think that we will win the title. Madrid was not really bad, they managed a win and a draw against us. We were just amazingly effective ourselves.

 

[Meitux]

As long as we collect as much as 100 points, I think that we will win the title. Madrid was not really bad, they managed a win and a draw against us. We were just amazingly effective ourselves.

Ofcourse 100 points are hard to pass.But i think next season they will be better,can we reach 100 points next season?thats the question for me

 

[DonAndres]

Off topic but Its really strange not seeing your Thiago avatar,we got used to it

Haha I figured it was time to change it.

I agree with what you say, but what you see as stubbornness, I see as a football identity, a philosophy and a somehow romantic view of the game, that is very refreshing in modern football. I mean we play Pique in a high defensive line. It's crazy, but we still do it. And we won La Liga playing that way. Of course, Champions League will be very difficult to win.

It is, but only when it's done right with the correct mindset/purpose. What we have right now is really just a shadow of old tiki taka.

 

[Stric]

The values of ideas such as identity and philosophy go out the window when you have nothing to show for it. The world fell in love with our style at the time when we were winning. If the style doesn't get you anywhere, like it doesn't nowadays, it's not worth as much. Nowadays we play with pointless possession and we don't play attacking football. We play the pass-the-ball-around-in-the-opposition's-half-until-the-89th-minute-and-then-realize-you-need-to-score-to-win football.

 

[JamDav1982]

The values of ideas such as identity and philosophy go out the window when you have nothing to show for it. The world fell in love with our style at the time when we were winning. If the style doesn't get you anywhere, like it doesn't nowadays, it's not worth as much. Nowadays we play with pointless possession and we don't play attacking football. We play the pass-the-ball-around-in-the-opposition's-half-until-the-89th-minute-and-then-realize-you-need-to-score-to-win football.

It was getting that way under Pep at times last season in the big games also.

Tito took over and did not try to change all that much and relied on Peps tactics/players. It made sense to do that in his first season, can you imagine if he tried to change things and won nothing.

Now it is clear changes need to be made and it seems to me like they are going after the right players to do that.

 

[DonAndres]

It was getting that way under Pep at times last season in the big games also.

Tito took over and did not try to change all that much and relied on Peps tactics/players. It made sense to do that in his first season, can you imagine if he tried to change things and won nothing.

Now it is clear changes need to be made and it seems to me like they are going after the right players to do that.

It did get somewhat dull under Pep occasionally during the last season but much less often and to a far less noticeable level. It's not just Tito's fault in general, but overall complacency in the team. Overhauling players will bring some life back but Tito himself needs to buck up and start working the players harder during training sessions and building a more demanding and lively system for play.

 

[JamDav1982]

It did get somewhat dull under Pep occasionally during the last season but much less often and to a far less noticeable level. It's not just Tito's fault in general, but overall complacency in the team. Overhauling players will bring some life back but Tito himself needs to buck up and start working the players harder during training sessions and building a more demanding and lively system for play.

It was dull this season?

They just won the league by a record margin!

There was much more complacency last season and more points dropped to poorer teams.

 

[DonAndres]

Points total=/=gameplay. Often times when we won it was in the liga where we played an overall lethargic match but ended up scraping by with a few goals. It often wasn't lively or continuous, just "sufficient". Messi was vital in a lot of those wins where he took the reigns and changed the look of the game.

Last season under Pep, the players were complacent but the play wasn't as slow and dull. We dropped points carelessly but that was more due to Pep experimenting and injury issues than drop in motivation and dull play. Obviously there was complacency in the team but not as much as this season I'd say.