Oasis007:


Pep Guardiola is crazy! I swear!!!
What does he intend to achieve with this Striker-less lineup?!

Well, he just achieved 4-0 effortlessly

sinizia:


I blame Guardiola for that mistake and not Bravo. Guardiola has so much drilled ball passing into the head of Bravo that all he does now is pass and pass without having an iota of sense to kick out some kind of balls. In short, Pep screamed about passing of ball so much that Bravo has taken it as the only gospel in football. Look at what it's cost City. Nonsense. Kick out ball, Neur and DDG are not the best in the game for passing but for saves. That's the major attribute of ALL keepers. Buffon, Casillas, Van Der Sar, Cech, are all great keepers for SAVING goals not passing skills.


That said, kudos to City tonight, prior to Bravo's moment of madness, they played Barca off the park. City surprised me tonight. In the first-half, Barca had no answers for them. They matched Barca in all categories and played with zeal.


Anyone that says Guardiola is a fraud is simply a hater. That man is a genius. I'm believer.

His a forking idiot.
You play to your opponent strength for their house
For what? Vanity

SailorXY:
Bros trust me, all this is nothing if you don't get nothing from the game itself.
2005 FA Cup final United vs Arsenal - I have never seen a one-sided football in all my life like that, before or after; 180 minutes of hard ANALysis. In the end Arsenal won PK shoot out. I can bet that many fans who saw that game don't even remember much from it but when we refer to FA website - the winner on the day is written in block letters.

For Pep, Jose, Conte, Pochettino, Wenger, the Liverpool guy: in the end we will all rate them by what they were able to achieve in the EPL. This is what we will all remember.

Results are the most important thing in football no doubt, and titles are the ultimate deciders at the end of one's coaching or playing career; but I'm someone that praises a player or coach when he's doing something right irrespective of what transpires at the end.


I've watched the previous 4 meetings of Barca-City, and before Bravo's madness, this has been City's best display for me. I expected the usual annihilation of City but they proved me wrong. It's not surprising that Guardiola refused to renege on his principle of attacking football. Individual errors might have spoiled their plans this night, and I don't know if City will become great under Pep or not; but one thing I know is that Pep is coach with a vision and tactics like no other presently. And if he happens to get things right at City, I'm afraid of what United vs City's encounters will be.

Pep is good but he took Bayern Munich backwards since Jupp and is doing same with City in the Champions League. Attack wins you matches but defense wins you leagues. This is what is going for Mourinho and that's why most people here were crying over our bus packing at Anfield i laughed. Always learn to respect the better team and settle for a draw and play your life in the next leg. No baldiola Wan play barca style when we know Messi made him look like the best ever.

SIRcumalot:

His a forking idiot.
You play to your opponent strength for their house
For what? Vanity

He's not an ediot to me. Save for individual errors, City played well. They made Barca look ordinary. Pep doesn't like defensive football, he attacks and he doesn't change his belief. City should've known that before hiring him. I'm a fan of attacking football and I'd give an arm to have Pep at United.

Mou's subtle shade at Pogba though..

More or less of "Shebi you say you wan play #10 - see as you useless for that position"

Well said sinizia

sinizia:


He's not an ediot to me. Save for individual errors, City played well. They made Barca look ordinary. Pep doesn't like defensive football, he attacks and he doesn't change his belief. City should've known that before hiring him. I'm a fan of attacking football and I'd give an arm to have Pep at United.

Defensive football na still football,
And if done properly isn't a total borefest
Watching barca try to break down a spirited defence is ten times more thrilling than what you saw tonight.
As for Pep to Utd
I surprise say na only one arm you go sacrifice for the cause.
Plenty go give more.

Stones is one huge shite though, same as Bravo..

I actually thought Pep would have gone with the 343 tactic he had against Everton.. The tactic gave them the better balance in the central midfield with 2 double pivot in Gundogan and Fernandiho while the likes of Silva and De bruyne roam behind one of Aguero/Ihenacho. What was he thinking playing without a focal striker and with one pivot against a rampaging barca team..

I was even expecting Sane to start or come on because he offers more defensive work than Sterling. This was the same Sane that had no difficulty out muscling Pogba in the City game. That was one thing that impressed me about him in that game, same in the Everton game. I would have put him as a wing back on Messi if I were Pep..

Anyway, Stones just keep proving me right with his horrible performance.. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at his performance. Same with their horrible keeper.

sinizia:


He's not an ediot to me. Save for individual errors, City played well. They made Barca look ordinary. Pep doesn't like defensive football, he attacks and he doesn't change his belief. City should've known that before hiring him. I'm a fan of attacking football and I'd give an arm to have Pep at United.

what was he doing in the second half @ Old Trafford?
What was his plan hoofing long balls against Spurs when him eye don clear?

Not every predator will confront a prey head on, there is smartness & there is overconfidence. Pep kind of overconfidence is misplaced, he doesn't have the quality he thinks is in his squad; & that will be his Achilles.

sinizia:


He's not an ediot to me. Save for individual errors, City played well. They made Barca look ordinary. Pep doesn't like defensive football, he attacks and he doesn't change his belief. City should've known that before hiring him. I'm a fan of attacking football and I'd give an arm to have Pep at United.

There's no reason why he shouldn't have gone with a striker to give them a focal point in attack though. Debruyne was never a forward to begin with, even Sterling/Nolito woulda been a better choice as the false 9 than De bryune.

A double pivot of Fernandinho and Gundogan in midfield wouldn't have hurt either, considering the fact that Dinho is not your typical DM, he's a converted no 8.

sinizia:


Results are the most important thing in football no doubt, and titles are the ultimate deciders at the end of one's coaching or playing career; but I'm someone that praises a player or coach when he's doing something right irrespective of what transpires at the end.


I've watched the previous 4 meetings of Barca-City, and before Bravo's madness, this has been City's best display for me. I expected the usual annihilation of City but they proved me wrong. It's not surprising that Guardiola refused to renege on his principle of attacking football. Individual errors might have spoiled their plans this night, and I don't know if City will become great under Pep or not; but one thing I know is that Pep is coach with a vision and tactics like no other presently. And if he happens to get things right at City, I'm afraid of what UnitesUnited vs City's encounters will be.

Pep going to play tikitaka with Barca at Camp Nou is always a suicude. No matter how good played today, they'll always make errors. Barca's kind of tikitaka always thrive on these little little errors and they have a front-three that'll always punish teams for such errors. Can you compare that to Man City's? It's not as if Barca also won't make errors as well but who are those strikers that'll punish such when he played without Aguero/Nacho who can punish them for theirs most especially after their two of their back four was out.

Diademk07:
Stones is one huge shite though, same as Bravo..

I actually thought Pep would have gone with the 343 tactic he had against Everton.. The tactic gave them the better balance in the central midfield with 2 double pivot in Gundogan and Fernandiho while the likes of Silva and De bruyne roam behind one of Aguero/Ihenacho. What was he thinking playing without a focal striker and with one pivot against a rampaging barca team..

I was even expecting Sane to start or come on because he offers more defensive work than Sterling. This was the same Sane that had no difficulty out muscling Pogba in the City game. That was one thing that impressed me about him in that game, same in the Everton game. I would have put him as a wing back on Messi if I were Pep..

Anyway, Stones just keep proving me right with his horrible performance.. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at his performance. Same with their horrible keeper.

But this was d same sane you were criticizing when he was bought that he was shit..you categorically stated that united should take heart that pep had a worse transfer window..you listed sane as one of d bad guys...now youre praising hik..mayb you should learn to b patient befire you give verdict...thats how after 3vgames you said hazard was having the best time of his career

Elampiro how far with Rooney's back injury?

SIRcumalot:

Defensive football na still football,
And if done properly isn't a total borefest
Watching barca try to break down a spirited defence is ten times more thrilling than what you saw tonight.
As for Pep to Utd
I surprise say na only one arm you go sacrifice for the cause.
Plenty go give more.

Defensive football is a tactic in football and it wins matches and even titles. If you doubt me, ask Atletico. Even Mourinho's defensive sides like the Chelsea of his first stint had a knack of scoring a goal or two and locking up shop. I criticized him back then but deep down I didn't mind United utilizing it to win matches coz result matters the most.


But I've been a fan of ATTACK over DEFENCE. No matter how good defense looks, the best sides in football have had a good mixture of both or more of attack than defence. How many defensive minded teams have won more titles than attack minded teams?


I love United under Alex coz we played brilliant attacking football. That's the United I fell in love with, so I'll always lean towards more attack than defense or a good mixture of both but never more of defense.

dubylhover:


But this was d same sane you were criticizing when he was bought that he was shit..you categorically stated that united should take heart that pep had a worse transfer window..you listed sane as one of d bad guys...now youre praising hik..mayb you should learn to b patient befire you give verdict...thats how after 3vgames you said hazard was having the best time of his career

Sane intelligence and end product are still not there but his defensive work was never in question.. I saw him out muscling Pogba multiple times in the City game but his quality on the ball was very poor, you can't expect me to praise him, do you? Same thing against Everton, His defensively work was fantastic against and even though his quality has improved a bit, the end product was still lacking..

Like I said in my previous post, I'm willing to give him time but not Stones whom I have known for 2 yrs!

That said, I praised Hazard because he was good in those 3 games until his coach ventured away from the very tactic that brought the best in him but then, my assessment about him needing to play close to the centre were spot on! As simple as abc!

You on the other hand can keep ass licking the worldclass Stones!

SailorXY:
what was he doing in the second half @ Old Trafford?
What was his plan hoofing long balls against Spurs when him eye don clear?

Not every predator will confront a prey head on, there is smartness & there is overconfidence. Pep kind of overconfidence is misplaced, he doesn't have the quality he thinks is in his squad; & that will be his Achilles.

During our more dominant second-half display vs City, did it pay off? City had us where it would hurt us and it didn't matter what we did, the game was over in the first-half. Plus we were attacking with nothing left to lose, so City had to play with a bit caution. City no be Barca, they're still a team in progress.

Against Spurs City came out to attack but were outmuscled and overpowered. But at least Pep never started the match with an intent of defending. City were forced into such scenarios coz of Tottenham's excessive pressing.

As for your last paragraph, you're right that its not every time one attacks especially considering the quality of City team is not better than Barca's, but even if City parked the bus, Barca would carve them wide open still. E for worse sef. Ultra-defending is not Pep's style, everyone knows this, he said it also before the match. So it's either you employ him for attack or you leave him. This Barca first-half display is the closest I've seen a team in recent times neutralize them attacking-wise. Even MSN were invisible. Barca fans were even asking for where Messi was in that first-half.


Take it from me, if Pep succeed with City and mold them to the team he wants, they'll dominate EPL.

sinizia:


Defensive football is a tactic in football and it wins matches and even titles. If you doubt me, ask Atletico. Even Mourinho's defensive sides like the Chelsea of his first stint had a knack of scoring a goal or two and locking up shop. I criticized him back then but deep down I didn't mind United utilizing it to win matches coz result matters the most.


[b]But I've been a fan of ATTACK over DEFENCE[\b] No matter how good defense looks, the best sides in football have had a good mixture of both or more of attack than defence. How many defensive minded teams have won more titles than attack minded teams?


I love United under Alex coz we played brilliant attacking football. That's the United I fell in love with, so I'll always lean towards more attack than defense or a good mixture of both but never more of defense.

Almost everybody is,
And you still need to score goals to win,but no when to focus on which side of football
Pep never wavering on his style of play don probably cost am another UCL medal.

Ancleotti's Milan is a great defensive side they won two UCL medal.
And the only team and manager to win the UCL back to back did it with their defence.

tess1:


Pep going to play tikitaka with Barca at Camp Nou is always a suicude. No matter how good played today, they'll always make errors. Barca's kind of tikitaka always thrive on these little little errors and they have a front-three that'll always punish teams for such errors. Can you compare that to Man City's? It's not as if Barca also won't make errors as well but who are those strikers that'll punish such when he played without Aguero/Nacho who can punish them for theirs most especially after their two of their back four was out.

Pep's biggest mistake was not having Aguero on that pitch, he'd have scored Barca in that first-half. Barca had errors too but no-one to convert them. At the end, City attack didn't step up. But still, as a fan of attacking football, City made me happy up until Bravo moment of stupidity. Thunder fire Pep on that one. His quest for passing football is too extreme.

MrLouisVanGaal:
Pep is good but he took Bayern Munich backwards since Jupp and is doing same with City in the Champions League. Attack wins you matches but defense wins you leagues. This is what is going for Mourinho and that's why most people here were crying over our bus packing at Anfield i laughed. Always learn to respect the better team and settle for a draw and play your life in the next leg. No baldiola Wan play barca style when we know Messi made him look like the best ever.

Just like JM went to Anfield knowing fully well that Liverpool's game is fast paced. He decided to set his team to play an open game in the first half and play a more defensive game in the second half to get a result. Some opposition fans started saying he's packing the bus.

One even went further by spamming the sport section with Man Utd having 34% possession for the first time in ages forgetting that it's results that matters, not possession. Last season when we were having so much possession, where did it get us?

I could also remember three seasons ago on Real Madrid's way to win the UCL when Carlotti was their coach(if I'm not mistaken). They went to Bayern and surrendered possession to Bayern and beat them by 4 nil with only 31% to Bayern's 69%. Nobody said Carlotti packed the bus. Today who remembers such possession stats? But we'll forever remember the result and the eventual cup won by Real Madrid.

As far as I'm concerned, it's superioty of coach's tactics that matters so far it brings result. Different tactics for different games.

Diademk07:


There's no reason why he shouldn't have gone with a striker to give them a focal point in attack though. Debruyne was never a forward to begin with, even Sterling/Nolito woulda been a better choice as the false 9 than De bryune.

A double pivot of Fernandinho and Gundogan in midfield wouldn't have hurt either, considering the fact that Dinho is not your typical DM, he's a converted no 8.

I agree, seeing Aguero on the bench made me angry. I don't know what Pep was thinking mehn and Debruyne as a false 9 would have been more devastating if Nolito or Sterling played there. It cost them that point man to convert those chances or run off the shoulders of Umtiti or Mathieu.

sinizia:

Take it from me, if Pep succeed with City and mold them to the team he wants, they'll dominate EPL.

Before I address this, the City game was not won in the first half. Zlatan could have leveled it in the dying minutes, Rashford had his effort ruled out & there were @ least 2 more clean headers the Zlatan I know would have buried without fuss.

This you paragraph is like saying water is wet. If Jose succeed in molding the team he want with United, they will dominate EPL. So?
In the end, dominating here points to trophies earned, not ball playing goalkeepers showboating!!

sinizia:


Pep's biggest mistake was not having Aguero on that pitch, he'd have scored Barca in that first-half. Barca had errors too but no-one to convert them. At the end, City attack didn't step up. But still, as a fan of attacking football, City made me happy up until Bravo moment of stupidity. Thunder fire Pep on that one. His quest for passing football is too extreme.

Not to mention that he under utilised De bruyne. De bryune best asset is his direct creativity nd through balls but no,he was deployed as a false 9, even when he dropped deep to fashion out something, who's he supposed to create for? Who's Silva supposed to create for as well?

I was really expecting to see the 343 tactic once again but I guess Pep chickened out because City drew that game.

sinizia:


Pep's biggest mistake was not having Aguero on that pitch, he'd have scored Barca in that first-half. Barca had errors too but no-one to convert them. At the end, City attack didn't step up. But still, as a fan of attacking football, City made me happy up until Bravo moment of stupidity. Thunder fire Pep on that one. His quest for passing football is too extreme.

Bravo was stupid for trying to pass the ball in front of two players when he could have kicked out the ball. No keeper is as ball playing as Valdez/Nueur, yet, they know when to pass and to clear out.
As per your analysis of the match, I'll say kudos to you. Individual errors cost City as they really played well by taking the game to Barca.

The fraud has been exposed again. LOL.

The same rubbish he did against Barca with Bayern two seasons ago.
You take the game to Barca, but you lack any cutting edge after playing a useless false nine tactic!
How many false 9 can actually score like Messi?
What's the essence?

The thing is Enrique's barca doesn't even need to dominate to win matches.
They simply ruthlessly punish every lapse in your system.

These Spanish teams hath no pity for Pep though.

Four games with no win?

pep is a joke even LVG knows when to defend and when to attack, i remember the arsenal game that we won at the emirates, arsenal outplayed us, yet we won 2-1 would even have been 3-1 had di maria buried his chance.

tactics is not just playing tiki taka getting the fans creaming dia pants in Ecstasy, tactics is much more than that, apart from passing the ball from keeper to attack pep knows nothing he's the only elite manager I've seen in a long time without a plan B.

SIRcumalot:

Almost everybody is,
And you still need to score goals to win,but no when to focus on which side of football
Pep never wavering on his style of play don probably cost am another UCL medal.

Ancleotti's Milan is a great defensive side they won two UCL medal.
And the only team and manager to win the UCL back to back did it with their defence.

Ancellotti with his defensive side was poor on the league scene, he's just a man good at UCL. Why wasn't his Madrid that defensive as well? AC Milan had good attacking outlets as well. Kaka and Shevy in their prime were devastating. You can only be defensive depending on the team you have. Even United is not as defensive as Mourinho's great defensive sides. Also when was the last time a team won UCL back to back? Before it's renamed. E don tey, bros.


But I get what you're saying. A little caution won't hurt especially when playing your superiors.

Ramdeuter

These Spanish teams don come yeye your boy again o...
What is it na, can't someone play tiki-taka in peace again?

SailorXY:

Before I address this, the City game was not won in the first half. Zlatan could have leveled it in the dying minutes, Rashford had his effort ruled out & there were @ least 2 more clean headers the Zlatan I know would have buried without fuss.

This you paragraph is like saying water is wet. If Jose succeed in molding the team he want with United, they will dominate EPL. So?
In the end, dominating here points to trophies earned, not ball playing goalkeepers showboating!!

In the second-half didn't City miss chances as well. If they convert all the chances for both teams, City would have still won. I still remember City's numerous counter on us that they wasted.

True, if Mourinho molds his team well, they'd be a force; but I see Pep's molding as a long term source of success than Mourinho's. Pep's plan for a club is to change their entire style of play which sets the tone for a period of domination. He's not just about winning for a short time but rather laying the foundation of sustained success.

sinizia:


Ancellotti with his defensive side was poor on the league scene, he's just a man good at UCL. Why wasn't his Madrid that defensive as well? AC Milan had good attacking outlets as well. Kaka and Shevy in their prime were devastating. You can only be defensive depending on the team you have. Even United is not as defensive as Mourinho's great defensive sides. Also when was the last time a team won UCL back to back? Before it's renamed. E don tey, bros.


But I get what you're saying. A little caution won't hurt especially when playing your superiors.

For me barca attack is too good for you to play them in a open manner.
They won't play to their best and you go lose by 3.
Park your bus and watch MSN go to work.
Na then you go see football.

sinizia:


In the second-half didn't City miss chances as well. If they convert all the chances for both teams, City would have still won. I still remember City's numerous counter on us that they wasted.

True, if Mourinho molds his team well, they'd be a force; but I see Pep's molding as a long term source of success than Mourinho's. Pep's plan for a club is to change their entire style of play which sets the tone for a period of domination. He's not just about winning for a short time but rather laying the foundation of sustained success.

We can give him credit for molding barca, but the man ruined Bayern's identity in Europe and made them serial losers.
I fear he might do the same with city with his insistence on tiki taka.
Big teams enjoy playing against such in Europe!

Elxandre:
The fraud has been exposed again. LOL.

The same rubbish he did against Barca with Bayern two seasons ago.
You take the game to Barca, but you lack any cutting edge after playing a useless false nine tactic!
How many false 9 can actually score like Messi?
What's the essence?

The thing is Enrique's barca doesn't even need to dominate to win matches.
They simply ruthlessly punish every lapse in your system.

These Spanish teams hath no pity for Pep though.

Four games with no win?

mtchew.....ur hatred for prep is making u like ur former enemy,barca.......imagine england best is being disgraced...and they say epl is d best.