Sounds like exactly the kind of faff someone would continue with for a bit while it isn't fully working, which would be just great.
Manchester City under Pep Guardiola | Pep on City v Liverpool ref: "He likes to be special"
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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.
Sounds like exactly the kind of faff someone would continue with for a bit while it isn't fully working, which would be just great.
Simple answer to that is he can't present any evidence of the above being applicable to all BM posters. Maybe he thinks he's in the Bluemoon meltdown thread coming out with his sweeping generalisations - the only thing that's missing is a reference to his sparring partner manimanc.
Yes, I quite like Nasri and think he could slot in Guardiola's team but there have been times when he's come back from injury and had a backside that wasn't too dissimilar to Richard Dunne's
Its just what i feels . El will damper our chances and the lack of a proper replacement for carrick too .
City will need time to implement pep's philosophy . As of now I cant see him being successful with that mid and defense.
Liverpool will start with a bang in the league with their high pressing game and intensity . But as season progress they will fall down and the Liverpool's current mid and defense will struggle to get them to even top 4
I'm more leaning towards the second option though . Pep will have to produce something really great with that defense and mid to implement his style. If they sign Stones and Ikay starts to deliver form the next day out of hospital they may have a lil chance , but something says me it wont happen this season.
Sounds something Van Gaal would do. Wouldn't it be great if Guardiola's time pans out exactly the same as Van Gaal's did for us.
It would, but I think this is a good move from him to be honest. I reckon it could encourage all the players to be fitter, even if they're already fit enough. Also shows that you better be in top form and can't just slack off.
Looking at the players City arev linked with it looks like Pep is rebuilding the Club with a young talented team
Sorry I was talking about converting midfielders into defenders.
Regarding fitness, I remember apparently Moyes tried to go the route of increasing 'fitness' of the squad that won the premier league in the last season. It did spectacularly fall back on his face but the City players are definitely more likely to respect Pep than our players respected Moyes at that time.
The thing is that atleast in PL, more hard work in the pre-season does not necessarily equate to better performances. If you take too much out of the players early enough, the PL schedule and nature of games can lead to tiredness and injuries in the second of the season. I think Fergie was quite careful in maintaining that balance and I am in the impression that so is Jose.
Fernandinho was the obvious candidate for a position change under Guardiola. In a three at the back system he could work there, and possibly as a RB. I reckon he'll stay in CM though, his stamina and energy is too much of a commodity in our midfield at the minute to play him anywhere else really.
Fair points but we had a tactically inept coach and Zlatan was six months younger. Not too worried how we handle him with Pep in charge. More worried re Martial and Rashford to be honest.
Problem with young players is they don't always kick on as expected.
I just can't believe his priority hasn't been that defence. Did he watch them at all last season?
This is what I'm most excited about. I wished we'd done this a number of years ago. Apart from De Bruyne I'd say our core best players have been the same for years. We've wasted money on average players when I would have preferred us to take more risk on youth.
That's down to the coaching just as must as the players. On paper they are pretty much up there with any other defence in the league.
What paper is this?!
My paper.
This could only have been the case to be fair.
Go on then, enlighten me. Who has a clearly better defence on paper?
You rely to heavily on Kompany who seems to be really struggling to stay fit at the moment. Can you really coach Otamendi and Mangala to lead the defence?
That's a really cute video.
Or we could judge them on performances and our eyes rather than this piece of paper you have stashed away?
Your fullbacks do not have the pace or ability to get up and down the pitch anymore. Your central defenders have the chemistry of oil and water while the mystical Kompany is the answer to all your prayers the longer he sits on the bench.
There is a reason you are willing to spend over 100m on Stones and Bonucci while tried to spend another 40m odd to sign Laporte to play fullback.
Hint it's not because you have one of the best defence's in the league on paper.
If anyone can Pep can. I mean they won't be the best defence in the world but I reckon they'd be up there in the prem. Personally I think a back four of Clichy Otamendi Mangala and Sagna is still pretty strong. And it seems we are bringing in another centre back anyway.
We are spending money on our defence because we want to improve it. They are very weak compared to the top teams in Europe. My point wasn't on that though. I said they were made to look worse last year because of the coaching. That they are currently up there with the rest of the top defences in the prem league, which you've failed to refute.
Failed to refute? Well if we ignore their actual performances on the pitch etc and write off their weakness due to bad coaching then they have the greatest defence in the history of football.
Is this how it works?
If you do bring in another centre back of Bonnucci standard you may get away with it but Mangala and Otamendi as a center back pairing is bottom half of the table bad.
No. Just list all the teams in the prem that have a better defence. Much easier way to prove your point.
Ah, that's my bad. Wasn't paying attention.
Yeah, that's definitely an LVG type move.
With the fitness thing, like you say Pep will demand more respect for those kind of moves, but I think it's also not that out there (pizza aside) so probably won't face any silent backlash. Knowing I couldn't have pizza would just make me think about it then want pizza though
I disagree. Otamendi was one of the best defenders in La Liga before his move to City and I think it's a classic case of him getting used to a new league. Also his biggest flaw is his rashness and that can be coached out of him. Mangala, yes well big question mark still over him I agree.
Everybody in the top 6/7 not named City?
Rubbish. West Ham who finished 7th conceded 10 more goals than us last season yet you genuinely think they have a better defence? Even United who had the joint best defence last year, was it, are at best on par with City's defence, player for player. For me I'd say Spurs and Arsenal have a marginally better defence, that's it. Hence why I said we're up there.
Your defence was not on par with ours. That's just not true. That's the one aspect we were half decent at last season while your lot Benny Hilled every time the ball came into your final third.
It's funny how you had to go all the way to 7th to say my point was rubbish.
Does that not say anything to you?
Your whole team was setup to defend, of course you performed better than an attacking gung-ho side's defence. It doesn't mean your defence is better! You just completely seem to be missing my point that with a better coach our defence will improve and will be up there with the top 4. Even by your argument you admit our defence is at least the top 6 last year and we had a horrible defensive minded coach.
Your defence was honestly terrible last season, Utd's, Arsenal's, Spurs and Leicester's all had considerably better defences than City's. Which is something Pep seems to be aware of given the calibre of defender he's trying to bring in (if the Bonucci links are real).
It's not even close but we'll leave it there. You have old, paceless fullbacks and centre halves that have failed to show they can adapt to English football and they're supposedly up there with the best in England?
I hope Pep thinks the same as you!
Apparently, Pep is going to let the players choose the vice-captain...
Expect Yaya Toure to get very upset in the near-future.
Expect Yaya Toure to get very upset in the near-future.
If City's defence was this bad how come we only conceded 4/5/6 more goals than the teams you mention, all while playing a more open, adventurous, and attacking style, barring Arsenal. If Pellegrini had employed the same insipid tactics as van Gaal it's fair to say we'd have conceded a few less goals as well, which would be enough to put us on par with the rest of the teams in the league. We were the only English team to get to the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, and were taken out only by a deflected strike from one of the world's best attacking sides over two legs. The defence was undeniably poor at times, but it can and will be improved on, however the narrative of it as "honestly terrible" is unsubstantiated by reality.
Don't let facts get in the way of a good myth.
I've seen all of the team ripped apart on here over various comments - rubbish defence, midfield and attack. A lot of people are far too busy comparing us to Bayern and Barcelona and claiming that the gulf in class means Pep will have it tough, but failing to recognise that every single other PL team also falls equally short on that comparison.
You don't need a world class team to win this league, it can be done with a very good team and a top manager, and we have both. We'll be up there fighting for the title this season as far as I'm concerned, regardless of market activity here on in. Get it right though and we'll be clear favourites (which probably means some fullbacks, a CB and a CM).
@cyberman.
Are Darmian, Shaw, Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Rojo plus the kids clearly better than what we have?
If I mention ageing, unproven, inept, injury compromised players I could be talking about either team, couldn't I?
Are Darmian, Shaw, Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Rojo plus the kids clearly better than what we have?
If I mention ageing, unproven, inept, injury compromised players I could be talking about either team, couldn't I?