Football 2020/2021

[kaosmark2]

3 hours ago, eastynh said:

He is in this country, which is what I said.

The proof is in the pudding tonight, no one has ever played football in this country like City do.

I've yet to see any evidence of Guardiola "revolutionising football". He's spent big and is using it fairly well.

[Hugh Jass]

8 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I've yet to see any evidence of Guardiola "revolutionising football". He's spent big and is using it fairly well.

Dropping £50m+ a time on a parade of full backs is pretty revolutionary.

[eFestivals]

19 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

Some of it is down to Sterling, of course, he wouldn't have done it without having the maturity to work on his game (which say, Ben Arfa never did), but the improvement from when Guardiola came in was huge and very immediate.

There's definitely a difference under Pep but I think that's much less to do with Pep and much more to do with how he was misused by Pellegrini.

It was almost like Sterling was glued to a specific spot 2/3rds up the pitch on the left - and that's not how he played at Liverpool.

Somewhere round here there's a post of mine from Pellegrini's time saying that.

Edited January 27, 2021 by eFestivals

[eastynh]

12 hours ago, Gerard the Fab said:

It’s West Brom tho mate come on, that’s like saying Southgate is the best manager itw after England muller San Marino

 

11 hours ago, squirrelarmy said:

You only scored 5. Leeds are shit right now and we put 5 past them so that makes you equal to Leeds. 

You are right, it is only West Brom. But this is a West Brom team who recently got a point at both the Etihad and Anfield. 

Now we have won nothing this season and there is a long way to go, but the refusal to give Pep any credit in this thread is quite extraordinary. Apparently he's not changed football in the country. When was the last time a team won 11 matches on the bounce, while playing without a striker and having a false full back? Not only that, but having 70% possession every game and playing beautiful football.

It's easy to say he's spent all this money. Chelsea spent loads of money last season and they don't play beautiful football. Since Ferguson retired, no one in world football has spent as much as United, yet they don't play good football and have not won any titles. 

Some people just don't like City, I accept that. Whether that be a touch of jealousy because we got lucky with the owners or sometimes in comes down to actual racism because of who City's owners are. Maybe that just human nature and that's how people are tuned.

Some of the nonsense I have read in this thread though is astounding. You just have to read some of the crap about Foden. Some people's brains can't comprehend what their eyes are seeing. For a few years now he has quite clearly been the best young player in England, now he's one of the best players in England, nevermind best young players. Yet people were having none of it.

I am extremely fortunate to see the football that City play. History will look kinder on this team and management's achievements that the accolades they receive now.

Edited January 27, 2021 by eastynh

[rock the clock]

Racism? Is that an accusation against anybody here and if not why is it relevant to a discussion about whether pep 'revolutionised' footy in England? 

[eFestivals]

6 minutes ago, rock the clock said:

Racism? Is that an accusation against anybody here and if not why is it relevant to a discussion about whether pep 'revolutionised' footy in England? 

remember, City are perfect so any criticism is cos of racism. lol

[rock the clock]

It's Thomas Tuchel for the managerial merry-go-round then. Seems like an interesting bloke.

At least Chelsea seem to be learning from their mistakes. They've only given him an 18 month contract!

[TheGayTent]

The trouble you have Easty is that there are shades of grey in life. 
 

I’ve enjoyed much of City’s play over Guardiola’s reign. They’re easy on my eye (albeit less so after the departure of Silva). However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 
 

It’s a fact Guardiola has spent an absolute fortune and he could, and arguably should have, brought home more trophies than he has so far. 

The fact that other clubs and other managers have spent a vast fortune over the same time period, doesn’t alter that fact. 

Guardiola may go on to take all in the next couple of years. He may not, time will of course tell. It’s not wrong to believe he will, there’s pointers that suggest he might. It’s also not wrong to suggest he won’t. There’s pointers that suggest he might not.  Opinions are like arseholes etc, don’t take it to heart. 

I’m neither anti Guardiola or anti City, in truth I’m far more pro Man City than I am Liverpool or Man Utd - but that’s because I don’t like the trophies being shared by the same clubs all the time. Another decade of City and I’ll be rooting for the new underdog no doubt. 
 

Odd that you’re surprised that rival supporters of yours are seemingly anti Man City. Also odd that you’re surprised “neutrals” pick you up when you position opinion as fact. 
 

Relax and enjoy the build up to yet another cup final. 

[Hugh Jass]

40 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

The trouble you have Easty is that there are shades of grey in life. 
 

I’ve enjoyed much of City’s play over Guardiola’s reign. They’re easy on my eye (albeit less so after the departure of Silva). However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 
 

It’s a fact Guardiola has spent an absolute fortune and he could, and arguably should have, brought home more trophies than he has so far. 

The fact that other clubs and other managers have spent a vast fortune over the same time period, doesn’t alter that fact. 

Guardiola may go on to take all in the next couple of years. He may not, time will of course tell. It’s not wrong to believe he will, there’s pointers that suggest he might. It’s also not wrong to suggest he won’t. There’s pointers that suggest he might not.  Opinions are like arseholes etc, don’t take it to heart. 

I’m neither anti Guardiola or anti City, in truth I’m far more pro Man City than I am Liverpool or Man Utd - but that’s because I don’t like the trophies being shared by the same clubs all the time. Another decade of City and I’ll be rooting for the new underdog no doubt. 
 

Odd that you’re surprised that rival supporters of yours are seemingly anti Man City. Also odd that you’re surprised “neutrals” pick you up when you position opinion as fact. 
 

Relax and enjoy the build up to yet another cup final. 

Well said.

I’m very much a neutral in all this and have no axe to grind with City nor are my views coloured by any big club bias.

My view on Pep is simple: He was brought to this country at great expense and fanfare with one expectation - to make City the supreme club in both England and Europe. Five years in has he managed that? The answer is no. Two titles in that time is hardly dominant and they’re no closer to winning the CL now than they were before his arrival. With the money and resources made available to him I would argue that he has underachieved. That’s not to say he has been bad, they play some great football at times and they broke records that one season. But in terms of achievements he was meant to better than the likes of Mancini and Pellegrini, and I don’t see a whole lot of evidence he has been.

Klopp has done more in a similar timeframe when you consider the relative starting positions and timeframes IMO.

[eFestivals]

44 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Klopp has done more in a similar timeframe when you consider the relative starting positions and timeframes IMO.

and spends.

[Hugh Jass]

1 hour ago, eFestivals said:

and spends.

I meant to say resources. Dunno why I wrote timeframes twice.

[jyoung]

Mount on the bench for Tuchel's first game apparently. Getting the news in before all the clever clogs start scoffing.

[CG31]

8 minutes ago, jyoung said:

Mount on the bench for Tuchel's first game apparently. Getting the news in before all the clever clogs start scoffing.

Does that mean Havertz as a number 10? If so then I think he could have his first good game against decent opposition 

[kaosmark2]

6 hours ago, eastynh said:

Now we have won nothing this season and there is a long way to go, but the refusal to give Pep any credit in this thread is quite extraordinary. 

When you go ridiculously overboard with the praise, people point out that's an exaggeration and you're reading that as "refusal to give any credit". It's not particularly remarkable that others refute your points instead of just blindingly agree with your opinions.

[jyoung]

26 minutes ago, Gerard the Fab said:

Does that mean Havertz as a number 10? If so then I think he could have his first good game against decent opposition 

Looks like he'll be playing behind Giroud with Ziyech. Could work well given Oli's good link up play and Ziyech's crosses. 

Hudson Odoi at wingback seems bold though. Not massively keen on some elements of the line up but let's see how it goes...

[rock the clock]

Thomas Tuchel is revolutionising football in England with his brand of possession based football 

[thetime]

The only revolutionary in the British game in the past 30 years is wenger. 

[Hugh Jass]

34 minutes ago, rock the clock said:

Thomas Tuchel is revolutionising football in England with his brand of possession based football 

He revolves. But he doesn’t evolve.

[thetime]

Ouch.

[CG31]

2 hours ago, thetime said:

The only revolutionary in the British game in the past 30 years is wenger. 

I second this

or Chris Wilder 😉

[squirrelarmy]

Sheffield are clear title contenders now. 

[CG31]

21 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

Sheffield are clear title contenders now. 

Also puts United on an equal level to Newcastle

[Hugh Jass]

Even we beat Sheffield United at home.

[eastynh]

13 hours ago, thetime said:

The only revolutionary in the British game in the past 30 years is wenger. 

Certainly not Ole is it?

[thetime]

39 minutes ago, eastynh said:

Certainly not Ole is it?

No one has ever claimed he was.