Pep Guardiola

[Leo_Messi]

Have to disagree than Pep didn't improve their brand. Brought fresh style to the league, attracted lots of attention, played entertaining football. But result wise, should do better spendings considered.

Exactly. I usually like Khaled as a poster but that post of his was nonsense. I know many people who watch City occasionally or on a weekly basis because they are simply entertained. Much like I am whenever I watch City. Admittedly that only occurs a few times each month but I get the attraction. It's great to watch some great football (usually) without being emotionally invested. I believe that many people have that feeling especially those of us who don't support any clubs in England.

However the Man City brand has been growing on all fronts under Pep. That is without a doubt. Result wise it is not too bad. He has won everything there is to win in England 2.5 season into his Man City career with the exception of the FA Cup that Man City are heavy favorites to win this season. He won the Community Shield Cup, is in the final in the League Cup, is the favorite in the FA Cup, is only 5 points behind notorious bottlers like Liverpool and they got the easiest draw (on paper) in the CL. Basically securing them a spot in the quarter-finals.

Not sure how this can be considered as "failure". If Liverpool were not having their best season in history (point wise) he would be leading the league once again securely.

I have written about this a few times but even despite all of Man City's spending, 7.5 season later (!) Sergio Agüero remains their most prolific goalscorer. Yes, de Bruyne is the "brain" behind the team but you will have a hard time winning the CL when that is the case.

For instance, outside of the veteran Kompany, all of their good/above average defenders are young and largely unproven players. Mixed with the likes of Otamendi and Delph. Not exactly "elite players". Outside of De Bruyne and an aging Silva their midfield is hardly impressive either.

I actually believe that QSG has a superior squad. Significantly. And tons of more "x-factor". Been the case for quite a few seasons IMO. Yet QSG has been bigger bottlers in the CL than Man City.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Have to disagree than Pep didn't improve their brand. Brought fresh style to the league, attracted lots of attention, played entertaining football. But result wise, should do better spendings considered.

I didn't mean he didn't improve their brand, I meant that the "amount" of improvement is similar to that under Mancini and Pellegrini.
Mancini has won them the league title for 1st time in over 40 years, made them looks competent after some stupid spendings and built that team well. That was huge improvement to their brand.
Pellegrini continued on that, and improved the team results in CL earning them their 1st SF appearance.
Pep has played well last year, but one great season in league doesn't make such significant improvement, despite the records in points I doubt it will be pointed out as a historical league campaign tbh.
He needs way more than that to match the hype and expectations he had when he joined them. 1 year of dominance (league dominance for that matter) isn't enough for what he was brought to do

 

[DonAK]

There is a not a single person in the Premier League who will say Mancini or Pellegrini did as much as Pep did for Man City.

Both Mancini and Pellegrini spent the same amount of money, and more, and used it on many duds and didn't play nearly as well as City are doing right now. Even if they end 2nd this season it will comparatively be better than anything Mancini or Pellegrini did, but they will end 2nd because Liverpool will have a historic season of their own and win their first ever post-92 English title.

That's not an indictment on Pep, but something truly special achieved by Klopp if it happens.

 

[Porque]

Pep is incredible. But only in the EPL can 2/3 rivals spend an average of 60m per player to close the competitive gap in one season like Liverpool has done and Man U/ Chelsea attempted to do.

Let's see how he ends the season. He needs to win a CL there. Winning it would overshadow not winning the EPL this year.

On another subject, Pochettino with no signings is making an incredible challenge. Imagine if Spuds actually invested in their 11. City would be sitting 2nd.

 

[Alik]

On another subject, Pochettino with no signings is making an incredible challenge. Imagine if Spuds actually invested in their 11. City would be sitting 2nd.

He is not rated here as he has never won anything. However, I think what he has achieved with Tottenham's squad is amazing.

 

[Leo_Messi]

The overrated bald flop and philosopher is doing his thing in England. Playing some horrible football and not giving any chances to the youth. Making zero brave decisions. The likes of Mancini and Pellegrini were and are lightyears ahead of Pep. Thank God that we have Ernesto Valverde as our manager instead.

 

[Morten]

The overrated bald flop and philosopher is doing his thing in England. Playing some horrible football and not giving any chances to the youth. Making zero brave decisions. The likes of Mancini and Pellegrini were and are lightyears ahead of Pep. Thank God that we have Ernesto Valverde as our manager instead.

Just wait until City gets knocked out of CL again, due to a bad away game, bald fraud will be back sooner than you think

 

[Leo_Messi]

Just wait until City gets knocked out of CL again, due to a bad away game, bald fraud will be back sooner than you think

The same Pep that has 2 CL titles in 9 seasons and countless of CL-semifinals (record number of them I believe)? Best manager by far. Wins countless of trophies everywhere, you are guaranteed to win leagues with him everywhere so far, European success (good ratio), domestic cups, beautiful and entertaining football, giving youth the chance to shine, charisma, publicity, visionary, well-liked within teams, hard-working, generally well-behaved, a polyglot etc.

The baldie is a true managerial genius. Flopp has a long way to rival him.

 

[Vahue]

Another trophy for the best coach in the world. Only 1 cup final lost in his career.

 

[FCB1987]

maybe off to Juve

 

[JackaL]

He should come back after Messi retires and we need some big spending.

 

[mc_lovin]

Real set the precedent with Zidane. Would love to have him back here and coaching Frenkie/Arthur etc. And Pep vs Zidane is a good story. Realistically he stays at City (unless they get banned from cl?).

 

[Leo_Messi]

A Pep return would be a thing of beauty. Sadly it is unlikely to happen at any time (IMO) and certainly completely impossible as long as the current board is in power. Should he ever return it will most likely be after 2021. By that time Messi and Roberto might be the only players that he coached for us during 2008-2012, that will remain. Unless Piqué and Busquets end up staying for longer than the next 2 seasons.

Anyway nothing points to a return. He probably wants to coach a bit longer in City, afterwards in say Italy and from then on it is everyones guess. Talked often about wanting to coach a NT team too. So a return is probably not in his plans. He would only disappoint compared to his first stint as well but he might be the perfect fit post-Messi. At least the first few years without the genius.

BTW should Pep ever return it won't be the same Pep of the old as he also talks about in relation to learning a lot from his experience while coaching in Germany and England. It will, IMO, be an improved version of Pep.

[youtube]UPrWKDKfAKk[/youtube]

An interview with Valdano from September of last year.

Talking about some of the things that I mentioned above. Including wanting to coach the youth teams at Barça once again.

Always liked Valdano too. Classy guy.

 

[FCBarca]

I don't believe he'll go to Serie A. I think it's NT and then back to La Masia like he suggested recently, back where it all started

One thing I am very confident of, he will be returning home in the near future

 

[vlad]

Perfect timing for him to come back was after tito found out to be sick and later sadly passed away, but he didnt want to ruin his legacy and instead he choose to coach bayern in boring bundesliga with those 3-4 hard matches in a whole season in CL, maybe he was impressed by them when they crushed barca 7:1 in CL, then he picked oil club, he lost me there, i dont miss him, if his gonna come back, good, if not, thats okay, but i will never wish his comeback even if barca plays most boring football.

Look at zidane, he will never repeat what he did with madrid in those 3 season, he took 1 year off, madrids best player left, they were never in worse shape like now, they need to do major rebuild of team, and zidane comes back to help them with that, he doesnt give a fuck about his legacy, just by that he is more madridista then pep is cule, even if zidane didnt spend such long time at madrid as a player.

Pep next destination is more likely PSG