JamDav1982
Senior Member
Dont sign the likes of Bravo and Nolito then if the age of the squad is an issue.
Go out and sign more young players especially in such obvious areas that the team are lacking in the fullbacks.
Pep Guardiola
- Thread starter Barcaman
- Start date
Dont sign the likes of Bravo and Nolito then if the age of the squad is an issue.
Go out and sign more young players especially in such obvious areas that the team are lacking in the fullbacks.
Cule For Life
Member
Bravo and Nolito were understandable as they relatively have an idea of Pep system.
I agree with the fullback were it came to bite him at the end.
He is clearly building a squad for the future (and from what I remember, even when he came at City he said that the plan is to build a strong and competative side for both England and Europe in the next 2-3 seasons, unlike with Bayern, where the results were expected at he moment). He is trying to teach the players a different style of play compared to what they have used to and it will take time. Also he is trying to adapt his own style according to the Premier League, which is surely quite different then La Liga or the Bundesliga and he surely made mistakes, but I think it is normal in the first season.
Also, I do not agree that the squad he took was that strong, even in the last season of Pellegrini it was obvious that most of these players looks done for City and a big reinforcement and changes are needed in the club. And these changes cannot happen in one transfer window, as even City does not have such budget. When he took the team the full backs situation already looked bad for me (not sure why he did not go for any last summer), in the central defense he had Mangala, who flopped big time at City, Otamendi and Kompany, who is injured 70% of the last two seasons. In the midfield except Silva, De Bruyne, Fernandinho and Yaya (even that he is getting old too) everyone else did not look like a good enough players for a club, that wants to battle for the title and a Champions League glory (I never liked the likes of Navas, Fernando, Nasri, etc.). And up front he had only Aguero and Sterling (Bony is surely not a top player).
Transferwise Sane was a great signing, Stone is surely not improving as fast as maybe Guardiola wanted. I think Bravo was brought because Pep had to make a signing seeing how terrible Hart actually is and he did not had much choice in the last week of the transfer window. Nolito flopped big time, but I also thought he might be a good backup. Jesus is surely a great signing, even just seeing not much from him this year because of the injury. Another positive thing is that Sterling improved his game seriously under Guardiola.
Yes, City is surely not having a really good season, but I said that he is doing a good job reinforcing and transforming the team, having in mind that this is a team in progress and I do not think that the Arabs will expect something big in the first 1-2 seasons. Also, like I said, City is missing tons of chances this season and if they were not that much terrible in the finishing, right now would have easily be on third place and even around Tottenham in my opinion. Also big problem continue to be the defense and the goalkeeper role (and here Guardiola seems to not be doing a good job). I think City were way on last place on "saves" from the goalkeepers this season, and the stats were something like 55 saves and 35 goals conceded.
This summer if I remember correctly the contracts of Yaya, Zabaleta, Clichy, Sagna and Navas are expiring and given that these players are getting big salaries and in the meantime they were unlikely to leave, as no club will give them that much money, should give him even bigger budget in the summer and clear some of these really huge salaries on players that are not doing much of a job (except Yaya in this case, who is having a good second half of the season, but is getting old and gets like 230,000 pounds per week or something like that). But there is still a lot of cleaning to be done (Nasri takes around 120,000 per week if I am correct, Hart and Bony around this area as well and I do not see Guardiola using any of the three, despite having contracts for another 2-3 seasons).
Not sure if something of the said makes sense and is in the correct order, but I tried (even that is unlikely someone to take time to read all this nonsense, even I wouldn't
)
LeeRomeno
Active member
This season has been bad for him, sure he had money to buy, thing with Manchester City is that they are like Barcelona, if they come knocking, price will rise 3 times as everyone knows they got the cash. Jesus seems like a good signing for them, if he can keep fit. Stones is young and it will take time for him to get used to pressure and new demands Pep puts on his CBs. Sane is incredibly suitable for PL, tall, fast, agile, strong. Also very young, but he will be key player for them next season. Stones and Sane both cost him 100 mil together + 30 mil on Jesus and there is not much left. Nolito and Bravo were backup options, not his first choices for sure, but affordable. Gündogan was risk that did not pay off, hence his re-established trust in Yaya.
But if we look at the squad, it is far from suitable to play like Pep wants.
Forward section looks fine with 3 quality options
For wingers, it seems also okey with Sane/Sterling/Navas/Nolito capable of filling various positions.
Silva still has a year or 2 in him and he is very suitable for Peps team, De Bruyne awesome talent, but still raw as well and needs time. So for attack they look fine.
Every other position is still questinable. In CMs they have always injured Gündogan, 33 year old Toure, Fernandino and Fernando, neither really the tiki-taka players Pep would want on DM. Not to mention Delph, who is just there to fill the homegrown player role. RB position is covered by 32+ duo Zabaleta and Sagna, who both have to be replace. LB with 31+ Kolarov and Glichy, same can be said about them.
And they only have 3 CBs, 1 of them (Kompany) being as injuryprone as Gündogan. So definitely needs players there as well.
Not to mention GK, where he has 2 players who will be over 35 next season.
Everyone knows those issues, hence they ask massive amounts for the players.
Sure, Pep has been naive at times, but in reality the squad is not really that strong as it may look like, especially in midfield and defense.
But if we look at the squad, it is far from suitable to play like Pep wants.
Forward section looks fine with 3 quality options
For wingers, it seems also okey with Sane/Sterling/Navas/Nolito capable of filling various positions.
Silva still has a year or 2 in him and he is very suitable for Peps team, De Bruyne awesome talent, but still raw as well and needs time. So for attack they look fine.
Every other position is still questinable. In CMs they have always injured Gündogan, 33 year old Toure, Fernandino and Fernando, neither really the tiki-taka players Pep would want on DM. Not to mention Delph, who is just there to fill the homegrown player role. RB position is covered by 32+ duo Zabaleta and Sagna, who both have to be replace. LB with 31+ Kolarov and Glichy, same can be said about them.
And they only have 3 CBs, 1 of them (Kompany) being as injuryprone as Gündogan. So definitely needs players there as well.
Not to mention GK, where he has 2 players who will be over 35 next season.
Everyone knows those issues, hence they ask massive amounts for the players.
Sure, Pep has been naive at times, but in reality the squad is not really that strong as it may look like, especially in midfield and defense.
Windhook
Well-known member
Pep's main problem are the selfish attacking players. And he is being naive about it all the time. After Eto'o was forced out in 2009, Ibrahimovic was brought. The Swede instead of adapting to Barca system seeked some individual glory and it backfired on him. Pep was right about benching Zlatan, the guy was in I AM ZLATAN film mode, fuck everyone else. Zlatan will be remembered as a great, legendary striker, but also as a journeyman. Next logical thing for Pep was the signing of David Villa. It repaid instantly the club winning all the glory there was. But Villa got injured in FIFA World Club Cup in the winter of 2011 and it was all again Messi on his own. Barca without David Villa were helpless against the parked bus, it was Inter Milan all over again, the outcome would have been much different with Villa in front. Then came Pep's sabbatical year in New York when he was rumoured to be Alex Ferguson's successor. Bayern Munich instead won him. It was a good experience, learning German a little bit, but half of the Bayern squad despise him to this day. Pep being outspoken, tried to instill on accomplished star players like Ribery, Robben, Muller and others his tactical concepts and that didn't go well. Overall it was Eto'o again. What to do and what not to do. Nobody at Allianz Arena will remember him for long. It was a lost cause from the beginning, the way Jupp Heynckes was forced out of the team in the winter before winning all those trophies... Bayern fans to this day live in year 2013.
Man City is another business. Pep relied on keeping the squad Manuel Pellegrini had with a few tweaks. But what I saw from City this season it's clear the whole thing yet again revolves around a selfish player as Sergio Aguero. Sane is the signing of the season for Man City with Gabriel Jesus trailing, but all the rest of the squad, except for the heavy ass Yaya Toure, has no idea of his tactical concepts. Not to mention that 30% of the squad are Arsenal's former players.
Man City is another business. Pep relied on keeping the squad Manuel Pellegrini had with a few tweaks. But what I saw from City this season it's clear the whole thing yet again revolves around a selfish player as Sergio Aguero. Sane is the signing of the season for Man City with Gabriel Jesus trailing, but all the rest of the squad, except for the heavy ass Yaya Toure, has no idea of his tactical concepts. Not to mention that 30% of the squad are Arsenal's former players.
Last edited:
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
From all shit Pep is blamed for from Bayern fans this is the worst. Jupp wanted retirement and he said b4 his wife wanted him to retire in summer 2012 but he wanted one more year. Funny part is that he became less outspoken about that fact later (or may be I don't follow him much?) and letting people and fans acting like he was victim.
That said Pep should have learned the lesson and never announce where he is going until season is over, he repeated the mistake last year and this wasn't welcomed from either City or Bayern fans
Windhook
Well-known member
It was midseason 2012/13 when Heynckes hinted about retirement at the end of the season. Part of the reasons was that he was already 67 years old and another part was that he knew some his directors in Bayern were already negotiating with Guardiola. I think Rumenigge was huge fan of Pep ever since that demolition of Bayern at Camp Nou in 2009 and Uli Hoeness being the one on Heynckes side. All in all it was a huge mistake which in short term rallied the troops in Bayern, the players stood by their manager and went on to demolish every opponent in the spring of 2013. And when Guardiola arrived at Allianz Arena shit really hit the fan. The rest is history and like one friend of mine said (he is a huge Bayern fan): "Even my grandma can win the Bundesliga with these players".
Last edited:
The Black Storm
New member
Oh i missed that Pep's tactic and our midfielders also defenders 
we were awake on every single match .
I miss all of our players i would like to cry but ...
Im such a patience man to see who will be our coach it just a little waiting .
we were awake on every single match .
I miss all of our players i would like to cry but
... Im such a patience man to see who will be our coach it just a little waiting .
JamDav1982
Senior Member
Pep being a bit loose with the truth when comparing the youngsters at Man City to Barca and Real.
The young players at Barca and Real dont play in front of 40,000 people every weekend or even anywhere close. Nor do they play in second tier.
The young players at Barca and Real dont play in front of 40,000 people every weekend or even anywhere close. Nor do they play in second tier.
JamDav1982
Senior Member
He is talking about the second string sides and at Barca and Madrid they dont play in second tier or in front of anything like 40,000.
If anything that is an advantage they have in England to loan to a second tier where there are big crowds and a lot of pressure on players.
The U23 teams in EPL are not academy sides. I doubt they are weaker than teams Barca B play against at all. If anything probably the opposite.
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
Wait,so if a coach doesn't see his player ready despite their talent he doesn't promote them? That is unbelievable (sorry couldn't resist)
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
I don't like Pep words tbh,that said he got a point although I think he expressed it in a wrong way.
1st of all Spanish teams do loan players like England too,but their system is still better. You can play with your age until you are 19 after that you have to play with and against grown men. Players playing football for living not as education,players who are more grown physically and mentally. I think this is very important tbh and probably more important than the level where they are playing. They are also kind of competing for promotion or not to relegate every season.
It had way more success in the past decade and half at least than England for sure. Although you can attribute that to difference in amount of talent both countries
JamDav1982
Senior Member
The system in Spain may be better but Pep is still speaking rubbish about certain aspects of it and he makes out the players come through it first team ready which most dont and go out on loan.
There are loads of reasons Spain create more youngsters than the transition between academy or B teams to first team.
Last edited:
Home of Barca Fans
