Pep the Failure?

[Treboeth]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51344995
[article]Pep Guardiola: I'll be judged a failure at Man City without Champions League win

Pep Guardiola thinks he will be regarded as a failure at Manchester City if he does not win the Champions League.
The former Barcelona boss has won five major trophies since arriving at City in 2016, including Premier League titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
However, European success has so far eluded Guardiola.
"Last year was an extraordinary one for us but people say, 'But you didn't win the Champions League'," he said.
"That is why I will be judged, if we don't win it in my final period here, that I will be a failure here. I know that."
City have not made it beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League under Guardiola and have been knocked out by Monaco, Liverpool and Tottenham in the last three seasons.
On Sunday, Guardiola's side face a trip to Spurs for the first time since last season's Champions League last-eight first leg defeat.
Mauricio Pochettino was in the Tottenham dugout that day but Guardiola will now face a Spurs side managed by his long-time rival Jose Mourinho.
Guardiola expects to face a team that have traits of both managers.
He added: "They are quite different but there are similarities. Their teams are both quite aggressive.
"I saw Tottenham at Southampton and they were alive. They conceded a last-minute goal but I saw a team that is there.
"Every manager has different ideas, both are incredible managers. Mauricio Pochettino was there five or six years while Mourinho has been there just months, so all managers need time to make our teams play the way we want."
[/article]
For once I hope he`s right.

 

[Modo]

While a manager winning the league for Liverpool is deemed to be a legend, a manager winning the league twice in row in another English team is deemed to be a failure.
Baffles me to be honest, I mean rivalry aside he has transformed that team into an almost unstoppable force since he took over and should imo be regarded as the best manager in Man City's history.
It's scary when the attitude towards winning the league becomes "been there done that".

 

[Farkmaster]

I mean, it's absurd. Of course he will be judged a success here without a champions league.

However, if after this season, if there's no cup, and then he leaves, or he fails to topple klopp before leaving, then we will know he isn't motivated by a real challenge.

That says something.

 

[RedStar]

He built, at the time, the nost dominant side in the history of English football. The idea that hes a failure in any way shape or form just seems ridiculous to me.

It says more about modern entitled fans than anything else, and I dont like to see it because I dont want to see that shit being normalised and creeping in here when we get success.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

Fuck that slaphead.

 

[KopRed]

He's like playing Championship Manager with a hack in real life. 50m for every player.

He is right in saying he needs a CL at Citeh. He won't get it though.

 

[Shadey]

It's scary when the attitude towards winning the league becomes "been there done that".

Can’t wait to say that next season ..

 

[Mors]

He's right, clubs like city, real, barca, psg, chelsea, bayern etc - their managers are brought in to try and win the champions league as the clubs see their domestic league as more than achievable. I'm not sure if city have got any closer to it at all under pep. That will obviously be var's fault though, even in the seasons where var wasn't in place.

 

[Y1]

Fumers have already declared that CL is not real championship. Why would their manager want it so desperately? Hahahaha hahahaha hahahahaha

 

[tommyboy]

" if we don't win it in my final period here" is Pep telling the world he's finished with City?

 

[Woland]

It was because they didn't have VAR when we beat them. Do keep up

 

[Silver Sean]

Fuck him and the oil-rich cheating cunts. He should be at least in the CL final every season. Dickhead

 

[Woland]

Yep. Half a billion spent net and no CL. Wanker.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Hardly a failure is he? But the CL is what the owners want

 

[StevieM]

It was because they didn't have VAR when we beat them. Do keep up

Its all those pesky teams that are allowed in to the Champions League despite not being champions that’s the problem.

You know.... like the teams that keep putting Man City out.

If it weren’t for them City would have won the Champions League 50 billion times by now.

 

[peterhague]

The failure is not to have even got to a semi-final in those 3 years, that really is a bit shit considering the team he's had. He didn't get to a final with Bayern either.

 

[Insignificance]

He has a point. The financial gain they have make them favourites to win the league every year and it takes something special to beat them. And by us being in consecutive CL finals it is a failure for them not Even reaching the semis.

 

[hmmmmm1]

Pelegríni won the title for city. A failure may sound harsh but pep was specifically brought in for the champions league. If they get knocked out by real , there will be serious questions to be asked of pep

 

[CT_LFC]

City are like PSG in that the CL is the big trophy they’re chasing, but win it or not Pep has been anything but a failure at City. Yes, he has the most money available to him, probably in the world outside of PSG, and he sure likes to spend it, but he created amazing teams and is a terrific coach as well.

 

[MomoWASright]

If he was hired to win the champions league and doesn’t then he has failed.

 

[JurgenKlopp]

I wonder if there is a strong chance he could leave in summer if they don't get the CL?

 

[Vonblonberg]

While a manager winning the league for Liverpool is deemed to be a legend, a manager winning the league twice in row in another English team is deemed to be a failure.
Baffles me to be honest, I mean rivalry aside he has transformed that team into an almost unstoppable force since he took over and should imo be regarded as the best manager in Man City's history.
It's scary when the attitude towards winning the league becomes "been there done that".

Ey, and happen we’re doing it without the cheat codes...

 

[Holle]

If he was hired to win the champions league and doesn’t then he has failed.

They won‘t.

Real will spank these mongs.

And I hope Ramos ends Sterling‘s career.

 

[King Binny]

Manchester City stars told Pep Guardiola to stop tinkering in 45-minute dressing room showdown after defeat at Spurs - and his 76 line-up changes are more than ANY other Premier League manager this season

[article]The City boss has made 76 changes to his team in the Premier League this season. That is more than any other manager, with Frank Lampard at Chelsea second with 60. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has made 46 changes and Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers 44. Chris Wilder at Sheffield United has made the fewest changes with 30.[/article]

 

[reuque]

Manchester City stars told Pep Guardiola to stop tinkering in 45-minute dressing room showdown after defeat at Spurs - and his 76 line-up changes are more than ANY other Premier League manager this season

[article]The City boss has made 76 changes to his team in the Premier League this season. That is more than any other manager, with Frank Lampard at Chelsea second with 60. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has made 46 changes and Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers 44. Chris Wilder at Sheffield United has made the fewest changes with 30.[/article]

LOL a post-mortem immediately after a 2-0 loss hardly feels like the right time especially with them being the side having a superior shots. I hope those 45 minutes were them actually going through all 76 match lineups just to prove the players' side had a point while Pep whimpered in retreat to the press.

 

[manwithnoname]

An inquest seems a bit much, given they've won the back to back titles and are second to the best team in the world. They dominated Spurs and they've done the same to plenty of sides this season.

Their problems aren't hard to spot, and shouldn't be that difficult to fix. They're just being a bit profligate in front of goal; it's not like they aren't creating chances, and they're missing two big players through injury: Laporte and Sane.

The obvious issue is defensively, because Stones and Otamendi aren't a great partnership, and they've lost their best defensive screen by having to play Fernandinho as a CB.
This has meant having to pair Rodri and Gundogan, and neither is quick enough or aware enough; the amount of times Rodri gets caught upfield by a counter-attack is ridiculous.

If you get caught on the counter by Harry fucking Winks you know something isn't right.

 

[King Binny]

 

[Frogfish]

An inquest seems a bit much, given they've won the back to back titles and are second to the best team in the world. They dominated Spurs and they've done the same to plenty of sides this season.

Their problems aren't hard to spot, and shouldn't be that difficult to fix. They're just being a bit profligate in front of goal; it's not like they aren't creating chances, and they're missing two big players through injury: Laporte and Sane.

The obvious issue is defensively, because Stones and Otamendi aren't a great partnership, and they've lost their best defensive screen by having to play Fernandinho as a CB.
This has meant having to pair Rodri and Gundogan, and neither is quick enough or aware enough; the amount of times Rodri gets caught upfield by a counter-attack is ridiculous.

If you get caught on the counter by Harry fucking Winks you know something isn't right.

Whilst most of that is accurate there are a couple of discussions not being had by people mentioning Fernandinho and Sane ... Rodri was clearly brought to replace Fernandinho who, by most accounts, will be gone next Summer, and the other one is that Sane may not even have been at City this season had he not been injured in the Community Shield. Weren't Bayern all over him with a year to go on his contract and Sane refusing to sign a renewal ?

There is also the issue of ages : Fernandinho 35 in May, Otamendi 32 in a few days, Aguero 32 in June, D. Silva 34 January just gone. And the issue of expiring contracts : D.Silva and Bravo in June, Sane+Aguero+Fernandinho all 1 year remaining and Stones and Otamendi 2 years.

I could easily foresee a lot of changes this Summer (Sane, Bravo, Otamendi, D.Silva, Fernandinho and Stones - out of favour with Fernandinho played ahead of him even when he's fit). I guess Aguero will see out his contract.

 

[rurikbird]

Their problems aren't hard to spot, and shouldn't be that difficult to fix. [...]
The obvious issue is defensively, because Stones and Otamendi aren't a great partnership, and they've lost their best defensive screen by having to play Fernandinho as a CB.
This has meant having to pair Rodri and Gundogan, and neither is quick enough or aware enough; the amount of times Rodri gets caught upfield by a counter-attack is ridiculous.

You would think so, but as long as Guardiola is in charge, it will be harder to fix than you would think. He will always prefer sticking a midfielder at CB rather than buying a specialist defender; that's what he's done his whole career. When that doesn't work, he's going to start sticking full-backs there (Kyle Walker, it's your turn soon). Using a common sense fix for an obvious problem for Pep is like admitting defeat.

 

[StevieM]

Or maybe he’s not quite as good a manager as he thinks he is.

Winning titles in Spain with a Barca team fuelled by peak Messi, in Germany with a Bayern team that has dominated domestically before he was there and in England with a City team with about double the investment of any other team - isn’t exactly breaking the wheel.

He’s as much of a chancer as Mourinho - he just pretends to be all smart and innovative.

Admittedly his teams are better than watching an expensively assembled Mourinho team playing 8 at the back and humping it to some super-powered freak up front.