Pep Guardiola

[Mellotron]

He's expected to confirm today that he's leaving Barca at the end of the season as he feels that both himself and the team could benefit from a change.

The initial suggestion seems to be that he wants to take a break from football for at least a year (and I wouldn't blame him), but there's speculation linking him with Chelsea, Man City and Milan already. I wonder though, could he be tempted by a bit of part-time work, for example managing an international side which is currently managerless heading into a big tournament in the Summer?

I know it's dreamland (or would be for me at least), but I wonder if the FA would even consider asking the question.

It would take the England players about 6 YEARS to learn to play his way, not 6 weeks. If England appointed Gus or Pep for this summer, they would go out at the group stages.

 

[Frutos]

that playing 3 defenders and 7 midfielders whilst passing it from one touchline to the other isn't going to work.

Two Champions League titles, three La Liga trophies, one Copa del Rey, three Spanish Super Cups, two European Super Cups and two World Club Championships in four years would suggest it worked pretty well tbh.

 

[Mellotron]

Could you just IMAGINE his face if he turned up as England manager, went to his first training session, and watched talents such as Peter Crouch, Shaun Wright Phillips and Aaron Lennon attempt his barca styled play,

Corrected.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

To be fair...it did work REALLY quite well.

His latest iteration of taking it to the extreme hasn't worked well. It used to be a 433 with a striker, now it's a 433 with no defenders and no strikers and lots of people kicking it about around the 6 yard box trying to make nice triangles.

With a decent defender they would have stopped Torres goal with a decent striker they might have stuck in more at the other end. They don't have either, even Villa is past it.

He disappeared up his own arsehole trying to play total football but forgot the scoring goals and defending bit.

 

[sten_super]

His latest iteration of taking it to the extreme hasn't worked well. It used to be a 433 with a striker, now it's a 433 with no defenders and no strikers and lots of people kicking it about around the 6 yard box trying to make nice triangles.

With a decent defender they would have stopped Torres goal with a decent striker they might have stuck in more at the other end. They don't have either, even Villa is past it.

He disappeared up his own arsehole trying to play total football but forgot the scoring goals and defending bit.

I think this is a MASSIVE generalisation based upon 3 games (2 x Chelsea and 1 x Real Madrid). They got mugged twice by Chelsea and beaten by a ridiculously good (and expensive) Real Madrid side. In La Liga they've won 73.5% of their games this season (with 6 draws and 3 defeats from 34 games).

Guardiola is constantly trying to slightly evolve the style, while simultaneously developing a plan B. That's why in recent seasons he's shipped out their best striker (Eto'o) and bought the likes of Ibrahimovic, Sanchez and Mascherano. At the same time, teams are slowly working out ways of nullifying the triangles; but let's bear in mind that it's taken the opposition about 4 years to get to this point, and even then it's only 3 games that they've lost.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Maybe they could swap like Adams and Taylor did a few years ago? Brighton is already the Barcelona of the UK and they'd save on stamp duty. Everyone's a winner.

Never mind saving on the bleedin' Stamp Duty! When Pep brings in Xavi & Iniesta to bolster the squad, can they raise their game to OUST current midfield maestros Harley & Dicker? We can only hope that Uncle Tone knows what he's getting himself into...

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I think this is a MASSIVE generalisation based upon 3 games (2 x Chelsea and 1 x Real Madrid). They got mugged twice by Chelsea and beaten by a ridiculously good (and expensive) Real Madrid side. In La Liga they've won 73.5% of their games this season (with 6 draws and 3 defeats from 34 games).

Guardiola is constantly trying to slightly evolve the style, while simultaneously developing a plan B. That's why in recent seasons he's shipped out their best striker (Eto'o) and bought the likes of Ibrahimovic, Sanchez and Mascherano. At the same time, teams are slowly working out ways of nullifying the triangles; but let's bear in mind that it's taken the opposition about 4 years to get to this point, and even then it's only 3 games that they've lost.

3 games which cost them La Liga and the Champions League and lets not pretend Barca haven't spent a ridiculous amount of money either. Imbrahimovic is basically an anti-Barca player as well, what was that about? Also, where was Plan B versus Chelsea and Real if has spent so much time developing it? What is Plan B?

 

[Big Jim]

On a serious note I could easily see them pinching the Bilbao manager or even promoting from within. They NEED someone who knows their style already. Those players are now moulded to play that way and I can definitely see a coach promoted if pep does leave.

QUOTE]
I agree. I think Bilbao were superb the times I've seen them.

I think if not him, then someone from within again. So I agree.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Confirmed. He will leave at the end of the season.*



* sorry, Reuters have reported it as confirmed.

 

[sten_super]

3 games which cost them La Liga and the Champions League and lets not pretend Barca haven't spent a ridiculous amount of money either. Imbrahimovic is basically an anti-Barca player as well, what was that about? Also, where was Plan B versus Chelsea and Real if has spent so much time developing it? What is Plan B?

The initial post effectively made out that they were completely shit, and everything had gone completely tits up because he'd tried to be too clever. As it is, they are going to finish 2nd in the league (as I said, to an extremely good Real Madrid team), made the semi-finals of the Champions League and are still to play the Spanish cup final. Most teams would judge as none too shabby.

I'd agree that the Ibra signing was a mistake, but hindsight's a great thing. They obviously wanted a big physical target man to play off - unfortunately Ibra wanted to play every game and be the fulcrum of the team, which was never likely (no matter how much over the odds they paid for him). Their 'Plan B' this season has been to play Sanchez as a number 9 (rather than playing Messi as a 'false 9') - at Stamford Bridge Sanchez was put through and hit the crossbar after about 20 minutes. If that'd gone in, who knows what would have happened? It's a game of small margins - losing a couple of games isn't necessarily all down to a monumental problem with the tactics.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Harry Redknapp with his history of winning an FA Cup and bankrupting three Clubs. Great.

Winning a cup with a team that on paper is not as good as its rivals is exactly what we want the england team manager to do. And all the players are free

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

The initial post effectively made out that they were completely shit, and everything had gone completely tits up because he'd tried to be too clever. As it is, they are going to finish 2nd in the league (as I said, to an extremely good Real Madrid team), made the semi-finals of the Champions League and are still to play the Spanish cup final. Most teams would judge as none too shabby.

I'd agree that the Ibra signing was a mistake, but hindsight's a great thing. They obviously wanted a big physical target man to play off - unfortunately Ibra wanted to play every game and be the fulcrum of the team, which was never likely (no matter how much over the odds they paid for him). Their 'Plan B' this season has been to play Sanchez as a number 9 (rather than playing Messi as a 'false 9') - at Stamford Bridge Sanchez was put through and hit the crossbar after about 20 minutes. If that'd gone in, who knows what would have happened? It's a game of small margins - losing a couple of games isn't necessarily all down to a monumental problem with the tactics.

I didn't say it was crap, it's just nowhere as near as effective in previous years. Although I admit the 'clona style of play isn't one I enjoy.

Their away form is the evidence that their style isn't effective as it once was. Plus, it's very dependent on having singluar players like Xavi and Messi, they can't rely on them forever. And relying on Messi to be on form continously with a single point of failure isn't a good thing, Real don't rely on Ronaldo they have Higuian and Benzima who can play up front. It's a bit like United's reliance on 50 year old Scholes.

The best Barca team was the one with Eto'o up front, Henry, Messi, Eto'o. The latest version of Guardiola's tactics with a 433 with no out and out strikers hasn't been anywhere near effective as when they had decent recognised strikers.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I didn't say it was crap, it's just nowhere as near as effective in previous years. Although I admit the 'clona style of play isn't one I enjoy.

Their away form is the evidence that their style isn't effective as it once was. Plus, it's very dependent on having singluar players like Xavi and Messi, they can't rely on them forever. And relying on Messi to be on form continously with a single point of failure isn't a good thing, Real don't rely on Ronaldo they have Higuian and Benzima who can play up front. It's a bit like United's reliance on 50 year old Scholes.

The best Barca team was the one with Eto'o up front, Henry, Messi, Eto'o. The latest version of Guardiola's tactics with a 433 with no out and out strikers hasn't been anywhere near effective as when they had decent recognised strikers.

Losing David Villa was massive for them. He was the difference, someone who could get a goal out of nothing, he was their 'different' player. Take Rooney, Ronaldo, Aguero/Tevez, Van Persie or any other key striker out of a team and they will struggle. They have Messi, but he is a floating butterfly, and that's why they've continued to search for the perfect no.9. Villa appeared to be it, his injury is probably the key reason they've struggled.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Losing David Villa was massive for them. He was the difference, someone who could get a goal out of nothing, he was their 'different' player. Take Rooney, Ronaldo, Aguero/Tevez, Van Persie or any other key striker out of a team and they will struggle. They have Messi, but he is a floating butterfly, and that's why they've continued to search for the perfect no.9. Villa appeared to be it, his injury is probably the key reason they've struggled.

Just because Arsenal rely on RVP doesn't make it OK, it's not good for them either and it would be disatrous if he got injured. City, as you say, have Aguero and Tevez, as well as Dzeko so using them as an example isn't really relevant. They would have coped fine with just Aguero/Dzeko if Silva hadn't gone off the boil/been overplayed.

 

[brightn'ove]

Losing David Villa was massive for them. He was the difference, someone who could get a goal out of nothing, he was their 'different' player. Take Rooney, Ronaldo, Aguero/Tevez, Van Persie or any other key striker out of a team and they will struggle. They have Messi, but he is a floating butterfly, and that's why they've continued to search for the perfect no.9. Villa appeared to be it, his injury is probably the key reason they've struggled.

the fact that they 'struggled', even with a player who can score SIXTY goals a season, and still have a +71 goal difference, shows just how INSANELY good Real Madrid have been this season.

 

[sten_super]

Just because Arsenal rely on RVP doesn't make it OK, it's not good for them either and it would be disatrous if he got injured. City, as you say, have Aguero and Tevez, as well as Dzeko so using them as an example isn't really relevant. They would have coped fine with just Aguero/Dzeko if Silva hadn't gone off the boil/been overplayed.

You seem to be judging Barcelona on a completely different scale to everyone else. As you say, Man City struggled because Silva went off the boil. Messi has had 3 bad games and Barcelona have lost all 3. Every single club is reliant on their best players and will be worse if they are injured or out of form - it's completely facetious to say otherwise. Before that they were in with a shout of winning La Liga, the Champions League and the Spanish Cup, in a season in which they've already won the European Super Cup and the World Club Championship.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

I admit the 'clona style of play isn't one I enjoy.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

3 games which cost them La Liga and the Champions League and lets not pretend Barca haven't spent a ridiculous amount of money either. QUOTE]

NINE of the Barca team that started v Chelsea came through their youth ranks (although one was Fabregas, who they had to buy back).
Barca's net spend over the last five years can't be more than half what Real have spent.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Just because Arsenal rely on RVP doesn't make it OK, it's not good for them either and it would be disatrous if he got injured. City, as you say, have Aguero and Tevez, as well as Dzeko so using them as an example isn't really relevant. They would have coped fine with just Aguero/Dzeko if Silva hadn't gone off the boil/been overplayed.

Barcelona were in something like their 6th consecutive semi final. It is an incredible record. For anyone to suggest their style of play, or what have you is some kind of failure because of one season after 3 La Liga titles in a row, and 2 champions league victories needs their friggin heads testing! All this "they haven't got a Plan B" is irrelevant really when considering the success they've had.

They're entitled to a tough season I'd say, but I can't honestly see how anyone can criticise them too much. They've had more success than any other European Club has had as an individual team for decades playing the way they play. I hope they stick with it. It's fantastic when they are on song.

 

[sten_super]

NINE of the Barca team that started v Chelsea came through their youth ranks (although one was Fabregas, who they had to buy back).
Barca's net spend over the last five years can't be more than half what Real have spent.

I've got some numbers, but they are from that dodgy transfermarkt site, so god knows how reliable they are.

Since Guardiola arrived in 08/09, Real Madrid's net spend has been £274.2m, Barcelona's £141.8m. If you include the previous year (to make it a full 5 seasons) the numbers are Real Madrid £343.4m and Barcelona £189.7m. So just a little over 50%.

In case anyone's interested, the pages are
FC Barcelona - All transfers - transfermarkt.co.uk
Real Madrid - All transfers - transfermarkt.co.uk