Manchester City

[spud_gun]

This is my issue with it as well, especially when City folk quote Van Dijk's price or selective net spend stats

There's no jeopardy for Pep, and that's the difference - part of the reason we didn't refresh our midfield recently was that we had already spent 50m on Keita and couldn't just do that again (right or wrong). Pep just doesn't live in that world

We also opted to spend the money on Diaz, Gakpo and Nunez

[Exiled_red]

You could also argue that he just keeps buying until he gets it right.

With City alone, look at his track record of buying over and over for set positions until he gets a guy that works in that position.

Most other managers have to get it right first or second time otherwise they have to make do with who they have.

He can buy centre back after centre back, full back after full back and so on until the player works within his system.


His mistakes in the transfer market do not matter as they have no consequences. Players can flop, they can take ages to settle. None of that matters to a Pep team as he can simply replace them quickly and do so again and again.


He has had that luxury to one degree or another at every club he managed, with City being the ultimate example.

Good manager yes, great manager maybe. He has never had to build a team on finite resources, he has never had to manage against adversity as the teams he goes to are already the wealthiest and/or the best in the division.

It's true but other clubs have been able to chuck money around (not quite to the same extent) but Man Utd have spent a not too dissimilar amount of money and have had little success, you can look at Chelsea's current situation too. Their lack of success is due to poor management/planning. Guardiola obviously has a plan of how he wants to play and he has developed that in a way that the other managers elsewhere haven't. Of course he has a massive (unfair) advantage from the amount he is able to spend and the baseline city have been at is so much higher to start with. The ability to write off a £50m or £100m mistake with no consequences when it would likely cost other managers their job and other clubs financial issues is a massive safety net.

Anyway after defending him like that I feel dirty and need to go shower.

For the record I think he is a good manager probably a very good manager but for me his achievements aren't as significant as those of other managers who have achieved success in less favourable conditions

[Irishnev]

It's true but other clubs have been able to chuck money around (not quite to the same extent) but Man Utd have spent a not too dissimilar amount of money and have had little success, you can look at Chelsea's current situation too. Their lack of success is due to poor management/planning. Guardiola obviously has a plan of how he wants to play and he has developed that in a way that the other managers elsewhere haven't. Of course he has a massive (unfair) advantage from the amount he is able to spend and the baseline city have been at is so much higher to start with. The ability to write off a £50m or £100m mistake with no consequences when it would likely cost other managers their job and other clubs financial issues is a massive safety net.

Anyway after defending him like that I feel dirty and need to go shower.

For the record I think he is a good manager probably a very good manager but for me his achievements aren't as significant as those of other managers who have achieved success in less favourable conditions

Look at this and see how disingenuous he is - the guy is a prick with no class

[ame="https://twitter.com/selecaotalk/status/1661460032419147776"]https://twitter.com/selecaotalk/status/1661460032419147776[/ame]

[Doc_Piptorious]

It's true but other clubs have been able to chuck money around (not quite to the same extent) but Man Utd have spent a not too dissimilar amount of money and have had little success, you can look at Chelsea's current situation too. Their lack of success is due to poor management/planning. Guardiola obviously has a plan of how he wants to play and he has developed that in a way that the other managers elsewhere haven't. Of course he has a massive (unfair) advantage from the amount he is able to spend and the baseline city have been at is so much higher to start with. The ability to write off a £50m or £100m mistake with no consequences when it would likely cost other managers their job and other clubs financial issues is a massive safety net.

Anyway after defending him like that I feel dirty and need to go shower.

For the record I think he is a good manager probably a very good manager but for me his achievements aren't as significant as those of other managers who have achieved success in less favourable conditions

That pretty much where I am


Good but difficult to tell if he is really good/great because he only manages where he has the overwhelming advantage over other managers.

Imagine what Klopp would have won by now in his career if he had managed Bayern and then went to City instead of Pep.

I wager Klopp would have won more than Pep and by that I mean on top of all the domestic stuff, Klopp would, imo of course, have more than one CL winners medal he currently has to his name.

[S-RED]

cuntz trolling the world

Scott Carson extends contract for another year

[Cerbie]

Worth a pile on for Ake as their best player this year according to the BBC??

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65638775

[Exiled_red]

A twitter thread on Man City and multiclub organisations

[ame="https://twitter.com/sportingintel/status/1662573177782902785"]https://twitter.com/sportingintel/status/1662573177782902785[/ame]

[danperkins]

It's ridiculous but the fact it's not illegal and that these clubs can find these loopholes is the real problem. I would imagine alot of clubs do this type of thing, Chelsea were ones awhile back stock piling players but City are on a different level. City fans couldnt give two ****s, "don't be jealous because we are great at business and know how to find these loopholes", yeah that's great lads but it's nothing to be proud of you daft cunts. I don't know if they are really that deluded or they know well what they are and are once they are winning they do not care.

I genuinely hope United beat them in the fa cup and by some miracle Inter best them in champs league but I suspect not.

[peterbread]

Their team is Australia is starting to win it every year now. It took them a while as there is a salary cap but they’ve figured it out. The salary cap doesn’t stop them having the best facilities and staff plus being in the CFG is appealing for players to get a good move overseas.

They sign all the best young players and develop them well and sell them on after that.

They aren’t popular in Australia either and they do love to move their people from club to club. Patrick Kisnorbo was their coach and did great for them so they’ve moved him on to their French club.

[peterbread]

I should add that when they first took over they also tried some dodgy things. Man City signed two players from other A league teams and then loaned them to their Aussie team Melbourne City getting around any salary cap.

There is no way either of them would ever get anywhere near the City team and neither have played for the national team either. Good players for the A league but nothing more.

People weren’t happy and thankfully the league acted quickly and put in a rule to stop it. They don’t care about the competitions they’re in and what it does to local football there.

The team they took over was called Melbourne Heart who played in red and white. They were allowed to change the name, colours and badge which is something that still doesn’t sit right with a lot of people. Completely changed everything. Even with their success they have terrible support and can’t fill their stadium even when it comes to the big games and finals.

[Irishnev]

[ame="https://twitter.com/david_ornstein/status/1663967055639396354"]https://twitter.com/david_ornstein/status/1663967055639396354[/ame]

I think he’s excellent and will be a top signing for them

[Rich]

Back up to Rodri or play alongside?

He's very good but maybe a few injury worries. Must mean Phillips is getting shifted.

[danperkins]

If Gundogan leaving, that is huge imo, hope he goes as he has been outstanding for them, one of the most under rated players in the league. Kovacic is good but not on Gundogan's level imo.

[S-RED]

Phillips off to villa

[Bloodraven]

Phillips off to villa

Didn't someone on here say that would happen, and it was like 8/1??!