The Pep myth



Possession football works if you have a team of players who are excellent passers, and the other team wears themselves out chasing the ball the whole game. It still works for City, as they really do have the players, but I've noticed that they do struggle against very fit teams. Still they are top of the league despite the boring football. They only ever sign 1 or 2 players every window, players they have identified to improve the team, so that's where the consistency comes from. It's not a myth, they have a distinct playing style, a set transfer policy and a manager that isn't going anywhere. That's a steady ship.
 
All they do is pass pass pass. So boring...

I must have imagined the 33 shots they had last night. Real Madrid were defending like a Sean Dyche team at times.

Yes, they won and that's all that matters in the end, but there's no need for people to create a false narrative.

That could have very easily been a repeat of the game last year and it wasn't an Ancelotti masterclass that prevented it either.
 
AC Mack said:
Revolutionises modern football.

Not good enough for the SMB.
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Just for the record I am absolutely not saying isn't a superb manager, not in any way and I want that to be clear.

But there has been a consistent pattern with Pep in which when it comes to crunch time in the CL, he makes what could be deemed a strange decision that backfires.

I think you read Pep Confidential IIRC and the semi-final against Madrid during the year that book covers goes into that in some depth.

Last night (withdrawing KDB and Haaland 8 minutes before a shootout in which they'd have been guaranteed to be 2 of the 5 takers), the CL final vs Chelsea, the semi-final vs Madrid in 21/22, and 3 semi-finals at Bayern all fit the bill.

Again, obviously a superb manager, but it's absolutely fair to critique his decision-making in the latter stages of the CL IMO.
 
BRMC said:
The Doku change should have been done at half time. Grealish generally slows things down and cuts back inside.
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Absolutely agree, thought Grealish was poor tbh, slows play down, probes but rarely beats his man. He was playing against a full back who’d been booked for over half an hour yet still didn’t have a go at him. Doku did more in his 20 minutes of normal time than Grealish did in 70.
 
Interesting how people see a game so differently. Some saying taking Grealish off was ridiculous and he was City's biggest threat. Others saying he was poor and should've been pulled earlier. The match thread has a few people slating Doku as well yet here we have people saying he changed the game.

I've only seen 10 minutes of highlights. Grealish featured a lot more (i know he played more but if its highlights...) and had a couple of decent efforts.
 
dangermows said:
Interesting how people see a game so differently. Some saying taking Frealish off was ridiculous and he was City's biggest threat. Others saying he was poor and should've been pulled earlier. The match thread has a few people slating Doku as well.

I've only seen 10 minutes of highlights. Grealish featured a lot more (i know he played more but if its highlights...) and had a couple of decent efforts.
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Frealish :lol:
 
chunkyshanhawk53 said:
I’m sure I’ll get tons of abuse for this, so I’ll caveat in advance. He’s clearly a top coach. This is more a “is he as good as he thinks he is?” post

it’s now 10 years since he won the champions league. Despite having pretty much unlimited money at City and coaching Bayern, one of the biggest clubs on the planet

He got somewhat fortunate with Barca as he inherited arguably the best player ever in his prime

look at his City numbers. He’s been great domestically. But he should be when you look at what he’s bought. The transfer fees are from memory, so tell me I’m wrong

Ederson £35m (one of the highest fees ever at the time)
Walker £50m
Mendy £50m (even without the news he’s been crap)
Cancelo £40m+
Dias, Stones, Ake, Laporte at a combined £220m ish
Rodri £60m
De Bruyne £57m
Silva £35m
Jesus £27m
Mahrez £60m
Grealish £100m
Torres £25m

there will be more. Probably only one looks a shocker, but given the money surely he has to win more?

who has he sold at a profit? Sane?

who has he developed? Foden?

I’ll get pelters, but 10 years since a CL. With that money. He’s not the genius he thinks he is?
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Decent coach he might be, but yes he has had it easy wherever he has gone, really easy with the money he has had at his disposal at big clubs.

When he does something that Brian Clough done go to, not one but two, provincial football clubs that were classed as medium sized at best and win the Division 1 title with one and the Division 1 title and two European Cups with the other, then he can count himself among the managerial greats of Football.
 
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When i see Citeh play this year it all seems slow possesion football.....the issue is Haaland....teams know that if they sit deep and man mark Haaland then theres a good chance you can keep them out. Haaland has no individual skill in him therefore he cant pull a rabbit out of a hat unlike Augero when he was there.

In the past few weeks City have relied on wonder goals from 20 yards to get them out of the jail e'g Foden De Bryune....where Pep goes from here I dont know. Haaland is an awesome centre forward but they need that guy who can drop shoulder beat 2 men and involve others.
 

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