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The Official 2024/25 Premier League Thread

glorygloryeze said:
What do you mean by "Pep will soon need an intervention"?

I do wonder if something i heard on Talkbrick is correct: when Pep signed his extension actually a lot of the players hearts sank as they realised they'd still have to endure his intense way of working....after initially thinking they only had a few months of it left.
the old timers probably most affected as the newer players only recently exposed to it...when you've won all those old timers have won with him i guess mentally more thinking about a change compared to newer ones like Doku who still have hunger..

Interesting to watch from afar, regardless
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I mean he will need someone to step in and tell him to stop - it’s all over - because they won’t sack him and he’ll destroy himself.
 
What do posters think the reason is for City falling apart overnight?

As we are setup in a way that is partly inspired by their setup, it has some implications for us.

And when posters say Peps demands on players, what exactly is this?
 
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SpurMeUp said:
What do poster think the reason is for City falling apart overnight?

As we are setup in a way that is partly inspired by their setup, it has some implications for us.

And when posters say Peps demands on players, what exactly is this?
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Whatever it is it will be far less than the internet fans.
 
SpurMeUp said:
What do poster think the reason is for City falling apart overnight?

As we are setup in a way that is partly inspired by their setup, it has some implications for us.

And when posters say Peps demands on players, what exactly is this?
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He no longer has the best players x2 for every position. It's why our similar style has the same issues. It's a style that relies on a higher quality of player than the opposition. City always gave up chances, look at how many times we've beaten them over the years, they just had the quality that it didn't matter cause they would outscore the other team. Son has always terrorised them cause he had the pace to beat the high line. Now they're all old and crocked everyone can do it.

Since they changed their recruitment model to profile as a normal football clubs the quality of player they have bought in has been really poor. They sold good players and replaced them with inferior ones and their legacy players have all got old together. Real Madrid are still the gold standard when it comes to squad renewal, they strike the perfect balance of recruiting world class prospects, world class or just below current talents and letting players go at the perfect time. Who are the world class players in City's team? Rodri and Haaland maybe. But he's a striker that relies completely on service, so now it's like playing with 10.

Added to this is Pep's arrogance, going into the season with one striker, is madness. Especially after selling your second striker who's level is good enough to lead the line alongside or replace if your starter is misfiring. It's the perfect storm but in some ways was predictable. He's whole career he's never managed in adversity with a team that wasn't the top 1 or 2 in the league with the best players and the best spending power. Now is the time we get to see how good he really is (before they go on a spending spree, and start tapping up Kulu).
 
fernadez said:
Added to this is Pep's arrogance, going into the season with one striker, is madness. Especially after selling your second striker who's level is good enough to lead the line alongside or replace if your starter is misfiring. It's the perfect storm but in some ways was predictable. He's whole career he's never managed in adversity with a team that wasn't the top 1 or 2 in the league with the best players and the best spending power. Now is the time we get to see how good he really is (before they go on a spending spree, and start tapping up Kulu).
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So predictable that no-one predicted it?

I suppose the best place to go and look is City forums...see if anyone was voicing any such concerns. (They're the die hards in the trenches, so, much like us, analyse everything)
 
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ricky2tricky4city said:
So predictable that no-one predicted it?

I suppose the best place to go and look is City forums...see if anyone was voicing any such concerns. (They're to die hards in the trenches, so, much like us, analyse everything)
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There have been people (non mainstream media) that have continually questioned if his style would be feasible at a non doped team. If you go onto Blue Moon they have been vocal about the poor recruitement for a long time and also of the tactics employed. It's not dissimilar to when Fergie squeezed that Utd team to the title and then ducked out. It had needed investment for a while and whoever took over was gonna cop it. Last season although he scored loads Haaland didn't add anything that wasn't already there before, they traded one player scoring for different players scoring.
It's no different to any other teams cycle, the suprise is in the fact that it should have never happened. City are in a position like Real to churn players continually without levels dropping and they used to be much more aggresive with binning players. The trying to look like a normal club model comes with negatives.
 
fernadez said:
He no longer has the best players x2 for every position. It's why our similar style has the same issues. It's a style that relies on a higher quality of player than the opposition.
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Tho that could be true of many winning sides. Managers are only as good as their players ultimately.
fernadez said:
City always gave up chances, look at how many times we've beaten them over the years, they just had the quality that it didn't matter cause they would outscore the other team. Son has always terrorised them cause he had the pace to beat the high line. Now they're all old and crocked everyone can do it.
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That is interesting.
fernadez said:
Since they changed their recruitment model to profile as a normal football clubs the quality of player they have bought in has been really poor. They sold good players and replaced them with inferior ones and their legacy players have all got old together. Real Madrid are still the gold standard when it comes to squad renewal, they strike the perfect balance of recruiting world class prospects, world class or just below current talents and letting players go at the perfect time. Who are the world class players in City's team? Rodri and Haaland maybe. But he's a striker that relies completely on service, so now it's like playing with 10.
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Clubs in this league have a much harder fixture list as well. The likes of Brighton and Bournemouth trump the likes of Palmas and Mallorca.
fernadez said:
Added to this is Pep's arrogance, going into the season with one striker, is madness. Especially after selling your second striker who's level is good enough to lead the line alongside or replace if your starter is misfiring. It's the perfect storm but in some ways was predictable. He's whole career he's never managed in adversity with a team that wasn't the top 1 or 2 in the league with the best players and the best spending power. Now is the time we get to see how good he really is (before they go on a spending spree, and start tapping up Kulu).
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Maybe City are feeling the pinch with the focus on their spending. And are looking to rein it in.


It is amazing how quickly fans, media, and momentum shift. The old adage that you're only as good as your last result couldn't be more true. Yet City mopped up. They have been even more dominant than United under Fergie right? Which does suggest that if you get the right players and squad together then there is success to be had.

I also wonder whether teams combating our style of play has inadvertantly affected City. Rather than be in awe, there is a formula for combating their style of play. And who knows this better than Ange? Who's beaten them soundly, knowing their weaknesses.

All that said we are different to a Pep side. The speed that we try to attack is compelling. They seem to have a slower build up.
 
Will watch second half, haven't seen the 1st. But, what I've seen so far in recent weeks, it looks similar to the collapse that we had under Poch that I saw signs of in 2017/18 but really became pronounced in the last few months of 2018/19.

We just let that team decay and it went stale. Seemed the message stopped getting through and the energy dropped. The same thing has happened at City albeit not for the same reasons.

Be very interested to see if Pep can turn it around. He's a wonderful football manager but this is the first time he's been tested like this.
 
Maybe it’s confirmation bias but I cannot believe how long Villa are getting to turn on the ball. City are not getting after them at all which was always a hallmark of Pep teams.
 
I was worried when Ten Hag went that Ange would be the obligatory “top 6 manager under pressure”. I’d have given you a million to one on it being Pep. fudge me.
 
Mikey10 said:
McGinn did his best to fcuk that up again, but Rogers did brilliantly.

Can honestly see Pep walking if this goes on much longer.
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As great a manager as he is, one of the greatest ever, if he does that his legacy is seriously tarnished as it’d show a major shortcoming in his ability to overcome the adversity that other greats did.

But, like you, I can see it too.
 
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