I just don't get why people find it so hard to just accept the fact that Pep did a brilliant job at Barca. Yes he did have a great squad at his disposal, so does Mancini, but he couldn't at least get past the group stage of the CL for two years now. Pep came in and made some very bold decisions that perhaps no manager would have ever attempted. To just walk in and sell the best player in the world takes some serious Guts. And also Deco and Eto who both were world class and crucial players for the previous manager. He didn't just take over a winning team and kept playing with it, like the Rafa case as someone mentioned. He built his very own team, So it is their current manager who seems be enjoying the work laid out for him. He brought in players through their academy and made them into top players. I read an article about Busquets, on how is one of the most important players for both; Pep and Del Bosque and How Pep had been crucial in his progress. Unlike Xavi or Iniesta, even their most ardent fans had no big expectations of him, and same was with Pedro, but they went onto become very important first team players. And not forget his role in changing Messi to the goal scoring machine he is today. No manager would ever have played a 5'7 as a striker. He re invented the False nine Position and made him the focal point of Barca. He was never going to be striker for the Rijkaard and the plan was always for him to be their winger. But well, Pep had other ideas To dismiss his work so blindly is just plain ignorance, He has done a top job at Barca and Turned them into a Power house they are today, which they definitely were't 10 years ago And to mention Pep and Rodgers in the same sentence is just a disgrace for that man. BR was not even a percentile of the player Guardiola was and not anything more as a manager either.
Guardiola is good, people who claim he already had that star team in place are just trying to make excuses not to rate him. He took over and got rid of their most influential player straight away (Ronaldinho), that's like someone coming in and shipping off Suarez imediately. He then got rid of a few other senior players and promoted alot of youth from the B team. Started to rely on players who hadn't really become big names yet (Xavi wasn't seen as anything special, nor Busquets and Iniesta). Takes some serious balls and a vision. Pep has those in abundance. I don't know why people assume he'll head off to United. What the **** is he going to achieve there? Great job Pep, you kept the top British team at...the top. Fantastic. You managed to beat Reading at home, just like they did the last 50 times. He has very little to do and all this following on from who many see as the best manager in world football (third all time, obviously behind Shanks and Paisley (). He likes youth players to build into the team (United aren't really doing that lately) to go with big names. United fans are gonna be happy with him needing time and changing lots? Doubt it. They'll turn on him because they're so used to success in the PL era. Too much pressure to follow Fergie and he'll forever remain in his shadow, too much expectation to achieve results fast, not much he can do to improve there besides conqueor Europe, but that's hard at any club. Will he go to Chelski? Haha, hell no. Unless it's for 6 months to pick up a nice pay off after being fired. City? Possible. They could offer him enough money and a few Barca staff are there, but for me the club is a little 'tainted' - just like Chelsea - for simply buying their way to the top. It's not a real challenge with unlimited money...it's a pathetic way to achieve success. Any half respecting manager would stay clear. Not sure if Pep has integrity or not...hence possible. Liverpool would be ideal for him, if we were closer to challenging. Which we're not. So he'd avoid us (If BR wasn't here or was getting fired). Massive project and I think it would take him too long to realise it. Arsenal would be my bet for his prefered option. Close enough to challenge with tweaks, strong youth setup, they have money to spend and they earn it themselves - just Arsene doesn't want to spend it. Not had much success recently so not much pressure and he'd be achieving alot if he brings them back on top. Pep is off to the arse, Wenger's getting kicked out, he's past it.
My comments do not mean I think he is rubbish, far from it. You don't win fourteen trophies in four years if you are a mug! However, I don't agree with the hype either. IMO, he is not at the same level as Jose Mourinho who as done it at several different clubs. He's won a Champions League with three of the last four teams he has managed (Chelsea being the only one he failed at ) including the unfashionable Porto! Guardiola took over a very good side that had very good foundations and some extremely talented players that had grown up playing together through the youth systems. Sure, he managed the personalities and got them fired up to chase and harass the opposition, but most of the work was already done. People say Rafa won the CL with Houllier's team. People say Rodgers didn't build the Swansea side. Why is the same logic not being applied to Barcelona/Guardiola...? I realise that you could also say that I am being hypocritical too but in the opposite way of course. But then I've never argued the Rodgers point, I'm slightly different with the Rafa point but I can understand it
So do you think he was waiting on a call from a Prem club today, that never came! Seems a bit strange. Top club he has gone to in BM will be inresting to see how he does
Who...? Man City? Chelsea? Arsenal? Or Man Utd? All have managers in place that aren't going to be changing right now (Chelsea won't change until the summer)
You've just about said what i've mentioned, only that i had posted mine a second earlier. They say great minds think alike P.S Pep does seem to have some integrity huh, i'm glad he didn't join City, which i thought he was going to.
He doesn’t start the BM job till the summer, I was thinking City or Chelsea, we have a few United fans thinking he has gone to BM as a stop gap to taking the United job in the future!
I still think he'd be an idiot to take over after Fergie...It's sink or swim from day one, and even if he swims, he'll still always be a stroke behind what Fergie managed. ...bad example, but meh.
Would you say that about Paisley with him following Shanks? It is usually a debatable point as to which one of these was better so no reason that could not happen at Man Utd IMO
Firstoff Mourinho has only two CL titles to his name. Yes he is a top manager but then again, going by your argument it's easy to dismiss his achievements too. Mourinho's only real success which highlights is the CL with Porto. But back then he did have a very good team and not to forget it was a certain 'Monaco which was in the final, so we must go find that manager aswell for leading a largely unknown french side to the finals of the CL and give him the 'best manager' crown. Mourinho joined Chelsea which was spending money unlike any other club at that point ever had, and surprisingly couldn't win the CL, which could be a big Dent in his claim to be one of the greatest. With top players and unlimited money available he surprisingly couldn't win the CL and ended up getting fired. Then joined Inter and won the CL which again could be argued the same as to what you say of Pep. He had top players at the peak of their careers(Eto,Sneijder,Milito,cambiossa,lucio,samuel). Was not really a squad full of average players. This is where i really give credit to Fergie though, to be honest, the squad he has is not really looking like a team that should be leading the PL, i'd even say overall we might probably have a better team than them. But it all goes down to the manager i guess. He somehow manages to keep winning with the likes of Carrick,Anderson, an aging Scholes and Giggs. The real big test Mourinho had was at Madrid. When he joined, i'd say on paper he had a squad as good as Barca's. But he never could get past the semi's in the CL. And currently they are in a very embarrassing 18 points behind Barca. But i'm not even trying to say he's not a top manager, just saying that it's easy to dismiss that notion if going by your argument. Besides Guardiola had only started his career in 2008, so it just unfair to compare him to Mourinho this early in his career.
Don't know why I was thinking he'd won it with Real Madrid Anyway, can't really argue with any of that but at least he's done it at four different clubs appose to Guardiola's one team. I truly hope PG is able to repeat his glory at Bayern. As I said above, I'm not making excuses, I like Pep and very much dislike Jose
People who look at things in black and white like that are ****ing stupid and not worth listening to.
Jose and Porto the only real success Coming to a new league and winning it twice, and again in Italy and topping Barca and Pepe with Real. Real never had as good a team. Topping Fergie in the prem. Beating Barca and Pepe yet again with inter in the CL was brilliant management. They clearly beat them not just scraped past them. Some real inaccurate stuff on this thread. Player sold, egos, all bollox and a natural progression in terms of where the club was at when he took over, auld frank went into meltdown tbh before Pepe came in, he had the nucleus of a fantastic world beating team that was absolutely under performing when he took over and with Eto fking off left the door wide open for Messi who it NOT a striker to say Pepe made Messi the player he is... is so far off the mark the mark is a dot to those who say it. Jose is a proven manager with a better CV by FAR, and I hate him but lets confuse respect for Pepe with facts. Mancs seem to think all managers want to manage man u, let me say this, they've got no money a few **** players and a fair few old players, when Fergie goes serious renovation will be needed as I doubt any new coach will get out of that lot what Fergie does, never mind his off field influence. I am calling it like I see it, I am not pretending I watch Laliga or know in detail, all of a sudden!! Pepe's career thughts management techniques nor am I regurgitating what i've read somewhere else, the latter makes up 99% of forum debate material
