[_slavo_]

I feel kind of bad for Pep, though. I like the guy.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by The Soup Nazi

Having won the Premiership with Mancini and then with Pellegrini (playing better under "The Engineer", though ), but having fallen short of turning into Champions League superstars, Guardiola was supposed to make them some kind of... elegant European bulldozer or something. Now, good luck with winning ANYTHING this season.

So far it hasn't worked out and I have my doubts it ever will, but the optimists will say (not necessarily wrongly) that this was always gonna be a transitional season. What's surprised me is how poorly he's performed in the CL. His problems dealing with the Prem are one thing but he knows the CL inside out and should've done better there.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by _slavo_

I feel kind of bad for Pep, though. I like the guy.

This season's been a real eye-opener for me. I still like what he stands for (and obviously admire what he's achieved) but this is the first time we've ever seen him really struggle and it's bringing out a side of his personality we (or at least I) hadn't seen before. His passive-aggressive attitude in some post match interviews definitely reveals a paranoid side to his personality that I wouldn't have previously associated him with. It's easy to construct a quite cool/measured persona when everything's going your way. I also think his past rivalry with Mourinho helped him come across as the good-guy to Jose's pantomime villain. Now things aren't so black and white, we're probably seeing a truer reflection of the kind of person he is - at least in terms of how he presents himself to the public, which after all is the only thing we can go on.

[!@#$%!]

i wrote a long post about this the other day but the browser ate it

i'm glad to see him fail not because i'm against his project or his idea of football but rather i see him as a lonely thinker trying to play a game of chess and then ordering people around according to his will.

but playing people like chess pieces is a kind of arrogance. and football, which is a team sport, will ultimately spit out a tyrant. you have to get buy-in from your team and staff and fans not alienate them.

his success was in barcelona which had already molded him and molded the players he used. so his chess was possible there. but then he panicked and left! under pressure.

at bayern he got all the easy victories but not the hard ones. and he broke people. not talking about gotze who now turns out to have a metabolic disorder of the muscles, but the many injuries he blamed the medical staff for, players he mistreated like schweinsteiger, players that didn't like him, people he played out of position.

yes, some players did better with him (neuer because he had to, mueller because he fit well) but others like ribéry were bothered by him, tinkering with lahm in outer space was a sort of "because i can".

so he won the bundesliga while his competition collapsed--okay, but no heroic achievement.

after he left, ribéry called him inexperienced. i think he was right. he had no experience outside of barcelona.

then he thought he was hot shit and was gonna rule the prem the same way. lol.

i'm glad he's being knocked down a peg or two. he might become a better manager after he's been humbled by a defeat he can't run away from. maybe learn to work with people instead of trying to bend them out of shape like a torturer in the spanish inquisition.

(nobody expects the spanish inquisition, etc.)

[h8kurdt]

Atletico Madrid (Spain) v Leicester City (Eng)

Borussia Dortmund (Germany) v Monaco (France)

Bayern Munich (Germany) v Real Madrid (Spain)

Juventus (Italy) v Barcelona (Spain)

That draw. Oh my days, there's potentially some great games there.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

Atletico Madrid (Spain) v Leicester City (Eng)

Borussia Dortmund (Germany) v Monaco (France)

Bayern Munich (Germany) v Real Madrid (Spain)

Juventus (Italy) v Barcelona (Spain)

That draw. Oh my days, there's potentially some great games there.

holy shit.

i'm getting a preemptive heart attack.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

at bayern he got all the easy victories but not the hard ones.

The interesting thing with Pep's experience of the Prem is that he's generally ok against the big teams but struggles against more mid-table ones. Even if he beats them he really has a hard time against them. Apart from all the big money hype, I'd say the Prem is really defined by teams like Stoke or West Brom, who aren't particularly easy on the eye but are very well organised, and will often bully 'better' teams with their sheer doggedness and physicality. Mourinho's initial success here was largely due to him recruiting premium players to play mid-table style football. Something Pep will never do. It's telling that Man City have arguably played better in the Prem this season when Yaya Toure (probably the least Pep-like player in their squad and who he sold from Barcelona after his 1st year in charge) has been involved.

When you think about Pep's club career, it's interesting the amount of players he marginalises who are known for their strength and physicality: Toure, Alexis Sanchez, Zlatan, Schweinsteiger, Ribery. Admittedly Schweinsteiger had massive injury problems but as player types, they represent exactly the kind of player who thrives in the Prem.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

Atletico Madrid (Spain) v Leicester City (Eng)

Borussia Dortmund (Germany) v Monaco (France)

Bayern Munich (Germany) v Real Madrid (Spain)

Juventus (Italy) v Barcelona (Spain)

That draw. Oh my days, there's potentially some great games there.

A shame that two of the 'big 4' will go out so early but Leicester's tie ... Wow. If they can channel their spirit from last season it's not inconceivable that they could make the semis.

Predictions though

Atletico, Dortmund, Bayern and Barcelona in the semis.

Dream semis:

Atletico vs Bayern
Dortmund vs Barcelona

Final

Bayern vs Barcelona. Barcelona wins. Suarez scores a hat trick before getting sent off. Thus becoming my all-time favourite player.

[!@#$%!]

i don't know enough about atletico or leicester to predict but simeone is simeone and don't both teams play a similar style? if so then atletico should win

i've heard about this real "meltdown" but i shit my pants at the thought of real madrid. they are ALWAYS deadly unless bale's and cronaldo's legs have been amputated. then again, ancelotti might make the difference.

juve barcelona--i have no idea either.

man. i can't predict for shit.

==

about the player preference, yes--but interesting that he brough xabi alonso though, who is no mouse. and costa is a beast as well.

but to be honest i don't know who is in charge of the hires. looks like rummenigge has the final word. he already said renato sanches will replace alonso, ha ha ha.

[The Soup Nazi]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

It's telling that Man City have arguably played better in the Prem this season when Yaya Toure (probably the least Pep-like player in their squad and who he sold from Barcelona after his 1st year in charge) has been involved.

That's what I was talking about earlier. When Touré and Silva were in charge of City's playmaking (not to mention they're excellent when it's their turn to score), things were more effective, more solid. Squarer? Nah, there was enough movement around them, particularly during Pellegrini's first season in charge.

Originally Posted by demonrail666

When you think about Pep's club career, it's interesting the amount of players he marginalises who are known for their strength and physicality: Toure, Alexis Sanchez, Zlatan, Schweinsteiger, Ribery.

Sidelining any of them is insane, because in addition to their "strength and physicality", as you correctly call it, they have MAD SKILLS! What better combination can there be?

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Final

Bayern vs Barcelona. Barcelona wins. Suarez scores a hat trick before getting sent off. Thus becoming my all-time favourite player.

Dude, Suárez EATS PEOPLE. As David Bowie said in Zoolander, "Disqualified!".

In terms of predictions, we should start The Mighty Football Thread's 2016-2017 UEFACL Quarterfinals-to-Final Pool. And the prize has to be something truly awesome, like... a date with Maggie Gyllenhal. I mean, I'm sorry but Peter Sarsgaard is gay as heck, all due respect/no disrespect.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by The Soup Nazi

That's what I was talking about earlier. When Touré and Silva were in charge of City's playmaking (not to mention they're excellent when it's their turn to score), things were more effective, more solid. Squarer? Nah, there was enough movement around them, particularly during Pellegrini's first season in charge.

The weirdest thing with Pep is he seems set on finding problems where there aren't any (Aguero?) and seeking solutions to actual problems that only end up creating different ones (Stones? Bravo?). Man City definitely needed tinkering with after the Mancini/Pellegrini era but not the way Pep's going about it.

Originally Posted by The Soup Nazi

Sidelining any of them is insane, because in addition to their "strength and physicality", as you correctly call it, they have MAD SKILLS! What better combination can there be?

Completely agree. Didn't want to imply that's all they were.

Originally Posted by The Soup Nazi

Dude, Suárez EATS PEOPLE.

Have you seen what Chiellini's wearing for the quarter finals?

 

[The Soup Nazi]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Have you seen what Chiellini's wearing for the quarter finals?

Looks like it could be the "live action" version of what the villain in the upcoming Justice League film wears on his shoulder.

 

You probably need more layers to block Suárez's bite, though.

[h8kurdt]

https://www.theguardian.com/football...tical-analysis

This is a good piece. Pretty much what we've been saying but still an interesting read.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

https://www.theguardian.com/football...tical-analysis

This is a good piece. Pretty much what we've been saying but still an interesting read.

How do you feel about Lukaku not renewing his contract?

Plus West Brom 3 - 1 Arsenal

Has to be the end now for Wenger. Has to be.

[h8kurdt]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

How do you feel about Lukaku not renewing his contract?

Plus West Brom 3 - 1 Arsenal

Has to be the end now for Wenger. Has to be.

That fucking fut cunt Raiola is doing his very best to cause a ruckus between Everton and Lukaku and it's pretty annoying. Supposedly the big thing is about the buy-out clause and Raiola doesn't want it to be too high. If big enough teams want him they'll pay through the nose for him. Especially when you consider how good he is right now at 23.

The big question would be where would he go. I suspect if Costa goes, he'll go to Chelsea. Why he'd even contemplate going to Man Utd whilst Mourinho is there is beyond me. Bayern? Barca? Real? I don't see it.

All in all I love the guy and would love for him stay and try and build something with Everton. Don't think he will, like.

You've got me on a roll now!

[h8kurdt]

Did see this on the bbc website before

"Everton have now had more different goalscorers than any other side in the Premier League this season (15)."

Which is mental. I honestly didn't think that'd be true.

[h8kurdt]

Arselol.

Yeah, Wenger is done now. So this is how it ends, not with a bang but a whimper.

Hopefully they'll keep the losing streak on and Everton overtake them!

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

Arselol.

Yeah, Wenger is done now. So this is how it ends, not with a bang but a whimper.

I was on the fence before but it's impossible to defend his position now. I watched the game and they were laughable. I can't see them finishing top 4 at this rate. There'll be an exodus of players in the summer, although quite honestly, besides Sanchez, who'd want them - at least for the kind of money they think they're worth? Something tells me there's a fair few Arsenal players learning Chinese right now.

But I will miss Wenger when he goes. Difficult to even imagine the Prem without him, and his long coat.

 

[!@#$%!]

not as thrilling for most, but leipzig was beaten 3-0 by bottom-table werder bremen, and dortmund won friday. so, leipzing remains 2nd but dortmund is closing in, 3pts behind now.

oh yeah

[demonrail666]

man c vs liverpool just started. should be a good one if you can find a way to watch it. Pep v Klopp n all that.