Not surprised the players have got bored of Pep's robotic football. Same thing happened at Barca.
Varchester City 18/19 discussion
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Not surprised the players have got bored of Pep's robotic football. Same thing happened at Barca.
So Pep has spent 376 quadrillion pounds and has won one league title in three seasons. To think I was banned from BlueMoon for doubting him.
Funnily enough a lot of negative comments about him every time City drop points over at Blue moon. Crazy given how well he has City playing. Also warranted given he's spent over half a billion.
He’s failing, and if he leaves they won’t find anyone better.
Three defeats to teams outside the top six after scoring first. This was the worst of the bunch. Against the others it seemed more like a combination of bad luck and bad performances, whereas today we seemed genuinely unmotivated in addition to playing poorly. It's weird how when we go behind now we never seem to even put teams under pressure. If it's 0-0, we're constantly applying pressure, yet when we go behind it seems to regress into pointless possession football with no creativity or penetration. Against Palace in the second half we didn't even create one shot on target. I don't remember testing Leicester and we barely looked like equalising today. It's going to take a remarkable turnaround for us to even make this a close title race now. Pep seemed skittish from the beginning of the game today, I'd infer that the team was not training to their usual standards or intensity as he clearly recognised early on that in spite of the goal we looked lethargic, even audibly shouting at the team to literally "wake up" at one point. We'll probably go and beat Arsenal, Everton then Chelsea only to feck up against one of the lower placed teams again.
Something completely unrelated.I learned the other day watching USA play that they signed Zach Steffen for next season. I guess he will be there to replace Bravo as the back up but, interesting signing nonetheless.
How can you say 1 league title in 3 seasons when we are halfway through his third campaign and he has a shot for all the trophies on offer. No wonder you were banned from Bluemoon.
Pep and City did superbly last season but failing to retain the league title for a decade now given their astronomic spending has to be a let down.
It would be more than that. 1 title in 3 years while united are barely competing Chelsea and arsenal have had bad seasons, would be a massive failure given his spending and that he had a core of title winners already. Hed be achieving on par with predecessors while improving them a bit more.
You're reaching a little. A few of the top teams will always be barely compteting. This notion that Spurs have it easy, City have it easy, everybody has it easy because the competition isn't up to is misplaced. This utopia of 6 teams firing on all cylinders is the stuff of dreams. It's as if people think 03, Arsenal, 99 United, 05 chelaea, 17 City and 18 Liverpool should be competing at the top in the same year.
1 title in 3 is not a "massive failure". City hasn't won the league for two years when Pep came and finished 4th when he joined. Since then 1 title in 3 years. It's not monumental nor is it a failture. He's done a very good job when it comes to the football/ evolution/performances but probably met expectations /only done well, rather than the remarkable, if he only wins the small cups this year
Feck my typing on this phone.
I think its a massive failure not to retain given how easily they won it last time. Undermines the achievement and makes it seem more like a freak made achievable by monstrous spending and a very weak bottom half of table.
It will be 1 title in 5, which given our outlay will be an absolutely horrid roi. Also despite the amazing football Peps record will be no better than Pelligrini's. Granted one took apart a great squad and one rebuilt but the reality is if we don't win the CL (and based on the last 5 weeks there is zero hope of that), Pep's time here despite being amazing at times will have yielded no more than Pelligrini's. Not a monumental failure, yet but certainly not what should be achieved given the outlay and squad.
This team as it has been since 2012, wilt when the going gets tough. Tonight was so bad it was shocking. No desire, no fight, nothing. We've lost 3 times from winning positions this season vs Newcastle, Leicester and Crystal Palace. Yes you can lose to those teams, but to lose from winning positions to all 3 in just over a month is terrible and Pep should have to face the same tough questions other managers would.
Cant disagree that failing to retain the title this season should be looked at a failture.
The tenure as a whole has been successful though. It's not been exceptional though. With their spending exceptional would be 2/3 or 3/5, or at least a title every other year. If he doesn't win it next year then he'll face plenty of flack and rightfully so.
Damn, 1 in 5 after all that spending is madness
I agree that he should face tough questions. One season of domination doesn't make you intouchable. Domination across seasons does that. He's been shown up by Klopp to an extent.
It's strange, but even if you guys sign new players, the team does seem capable of switching on and off as they please, losing motivation and going through the motions for stretches. Almost seems to be a problem with your club culture, as unresolvable as Arsenal's soft spine and Spurs' performances in high pressure situations regardless of manager.
Indeed, they’re very precious over there aren’t they? If you don’t take orders from General Consensus, you’re an undercover !RAG! with nothing better to do than infiltrate their forum and try to enlighten with football intellect, common sense and subjectivity. It’s certainly a Silva (apologies) lining to every defeat knowing that those cretins will be devastated by the confusion of Sharia sugar daddy’s billions, and holistic hypocrite Josep, not guaranteeing default victories to validate their lives.
Bullshit. Since P£p last got to a Champions League final, Simeone, Klopp and Allegri have gotten to two each with inferior squads and resources, despite Guardiola coaching some of the best clubs/players/collective squads in that time. Even Zizou reached and won three. There’s an abundance of coaches, from Conte to Jardim, who’ve shown the capacity to win without the indulgences Guardiola’s enjoyed in every job he’s ever had. Take away those default advantages, and he’s just a Waitrose Bobby Martinez.
The biggest difference this season, is that the players look human again like they did in his first season; Silva and Fernandinho fatigue like players in their 30’s should, and Sterling and Sane are quick without being irrationally explosive. Delph and Zinchenko get rinsed every game they play at leftback this season, despite looking like accomplished veterans in the role last year, despite the reality they were novices. It’s almost as if last season’s ‘nutritional guidance’ has been shelved under intense scrutiny from certain international governing bodies.....
Bullshit because I was critical Pep only for you to criticise him even more? Strange.
I wonder if he fecks off after that season if he doesn't win any titles.
Just like Mourinho has his 3rd season meltdowns, giving up when it gets tough seem to be Pep's "thing".
Just like Mourinho has his 3rd season meltdowns, giving up when it gets tough seem to be Pep's "thing".
This club needs to be deleted for allowing the unthinkable to happen. There is no redemption for a crime this severe.
Shocker of a result last night. Perhaps a little complacent following last season.
Maybe all the talk in the media about how unstoppable they were has got to their heads a little. Disappointing that they are allowing Liverpool to win the league, would much rather City win it due to their insignificance in the football world but i suppose 'Pool had to win it at some point.
Maybe all the talk in the media about how unstoppable they were has got to their heads a little. Disappointing that they are allowing Liverpool to win the league, would much rather City win it due to their insignificance in the football world but i suppose 'Pool had to win it at some point.
I've said it for a while (November time) that when I watch City play, they dont fill me with confidence. This is for a number of reasons. They pass the ball too much, giving teams to re group. Teams they play let them have the ball, so City mind set goes into this 'this is easy' and then find it hard to lift their game, when the opponents change tactics. (More pressure and long ball). And when City are on top, they miss too many chances and it comes back to haunt them.
But lately they are not even creating many chances against premier league teams. I still believe that their easy cup games have got them playing at a level which is below what is required for the premier league. They struggled against Huddersfield (even though they won) and Newcastle. These two fixtures sandwiched between all those cup games.
They have blown it this time. Even if they will all their remaining games, those wankers won't drop 7 points. Gutted!
But lately they are not even creating many chances against premier league teams. I still believe that their easy cup games have got them playing at a level which is below what is required for the premier league. They struggled against Huddersfield (even though they won) and Newcastle. These two fixtures sandwiched between all those cup games.
They have blown it this time. Even if they will all their remaining games, those wankers won't drop 7 points. Gutted!
It's a massive failure considering that 'operation Pep' was supposed to be the end game that they had been working to all these years.
There was that annoying journalist who said that when Pep signed for City, that history would look back at this era and mark it as 'the Premier League before Pep and The Premier League after Pep' i.e. that he would have a profound effect on English football and it would never be the same again.
If he only collects 1 title in 3, then I think history will look at his time in the Premier League as actually being the time that redefined him: in that he isn't some peerless genius, rather just a very good coach that benefited from having the dice totally loaded in Spain and Germany.
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All that cash, all that dynasty stuff, all that fawning over Saint Pep and it will probably be one title in 3 years. Not a failure but not a success either.
Over the years when people look back at great Premier league greats. He will just be rememberd like like Conte, Raneri, Hiddinck.
Very unpeplike to lose to relegation fodder regularly in a single season.
Pep only wins league titles when it is a one horse race. I think they will go all out for the Champions League now.
If, as looks likely, City don’t win the title this year, regardless of what else happens then Pep has been a failure
You don’t spend £3BN and 10yrs planning to bring in a manager and build a squad to win one title in three seasons
I also agree with the posters saying the competition is weak in the sense that when Utd have won titles we have seen off fantastic Arsenal, Chelsea and even City teams. A Liverpool team containing Lovren, Robertson, TAA, Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum etc...are just not in the same league as Arsenal ‘99, Chelsea 2005 or City 2011
You don’t spend £3BN and 10yrs planning to bring in a manager and build a squad to win one title in three seasons
I also agree with the posters saying the competition is weak in the sense that when Utd have won titles we have seen off fantastic Arsenal, Chelsea and even City teams. A Liverpool team containing Lovren, Robertson, TAA, Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum etc...are just not in the same league as Arsenal ‘99, Chelsea 2005 or City 2011
Embarrassing from them. The money spent, it should be a forgone conclusion that they retain the title. It's weird how no City manager is able to motivate them the following season after winning the league, maybe they're just paid too much money.
I honestly thought they'd dominate with Pep, that looked even more likely after last season, but its been pretty shambolic and they're looking like their best chance is the cup competitions. Was the vision to spend all that money to become the most dominating League Cup winners of all time? At least they'll probably retain that.
I honestly thought they'd dominate with Pep, that looked even more likely after last season, but its been pretty shambolic and they're looking like their best chance is the cup competitions. Was the vision to spend all that money to become the most dominating League Cup winners of all time? At least they'll probably retain that.
I am not sure that that was ever the unequivocal opinion of him. While many were fawning over him, there were just as many feeling that his shortcomings were masked by the ridiculous talent of the squads he had at his disposal.
Unfortunately I can see them going for the CL given it's the thing their lacking. But they won't win it and they will drop a few more points in the League making the worst scenario true. They lack in leadership and clear vision (unlike their title rival). TBH I think we should all support the scousers to reach the semis of the CL because it's the only way I can see them dropping more points in the Prem (and the away game to us offcourse). And it pains me to say it. Oh, and I can see Pep staying another season and then fecking off to PSG by which point Liverpool will remain firm favorites for another title
League table after 23 games.
Code:
Liverpool '19 60
Chelsea '05 58
Manchester C '19 56
Manchester C '12 54
Manchester Utd '12 54
Arsenal '05 48
Manchester Utd '99 44
Arsenal '99 42Players in those teams:
Code:
Chelsea '05 Scott Parker, Robert Huth, Paolo Ferreira, Wayne Bridge, Tiago
Manchester C '12 Joe Hart, Joleon Lescott, Nigel De Jong, James Milner(!), Gareth Barry
Manchester Utd '12 Phil Jones, Anderson, Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young, Tom Cleverley, Tony Valencia
Arsenal '05 Lauren, Cygan, Senderos, Flamini
Manchester Utd '99 David May, Nicky Butt, Phil Neville, Jordi Cruyff, Jesper Blomgqvist
Arsenal '99 Nelson Vivas, Ray Parlour, Diawara, Cristopher Wreh, Remi GardeAm I doing it right?
Most people thought Joe Hart was good back in 2012.
I still believe his team development has been superb but yeah it can't be denied that this season will count against him big time unless they win in the CL.
I agree that the premature fawning is looking rather, well, premature, now. 1/3 is nothing special for their spending. 1/5 for City as a club is rubbish given they've outspent everybody and easily so.
League table isn't everything. Going by that our 99 team was wank.
Valencia was our player of the year that season. Ashley Young was in the PFA team of the season two seasons before. Butt was still getting games ahead of Scholes in big matches back then. And guys like Neville, Barry, De Jong, Flamini, Lauren were all good players in the years mentioned.
Sorry does he have to have a more continental name to be considered top quality?
Robertson is one of the top left backs in world football right now.
Agree. To think there was all this talk of Pep's City being the greatest ever PL side. Absolute madness. They won't even retain the title by the looks, despite having more money and a better squad than Liverpool.
Robertson, TAA, Henderson, Milner and Wijnaldum are also all good players
It could be a very interesting Summer. They are going to need another huge spend to contend next season.
Fernandinho may be able to go another year. It's common knowledge they are looking at buying his successor in the Summer. Walker look's like his peak was last year & is now starting to decline. Mendy has hardly played for 2 seasons. Walker obviously needs replacing but what to do about Mendy. Don't think Pep will want to take the chance of relying on him staying fit for the majority of the season. Two new FB's needed. They have Aguero & Jesus. Jesus is very much a 2nd choice striker & not good enough to lead the line long term in the event of a major injury to Aguero. They could obviously take a risk on this but they would be putting all their eggs in 1 basket.
I don't think they can do all this without raising eyebrows concerning FFP. It may be the time when they decide they are going to go down the PSG route & spend what they want.