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Mackem74 said:
I find this a very strange opinion. He's done better than any other England manager since Ramsay, has completely harmonised the squad, for first time it feels like a club, players clearly love him, no call offs, they've just battered a decent side 7.0. It's also the first time an England side dominates the ball completely in games.
They blew it against France and Italy but it was a missed penalty in both games. Fine margins. Let's forget about the wins over Croatia, Germany, Ukraine, Senegal as that was down to players and not Southgate....
England have had talent before, do you not remember Scholes, lampard, Gérard, Cole, Terry, Owen, ferdinand in same team? Awful to watch, pathetic.
I don't think this is all down to Southgate but he's part of a strategy from FA and its working. It will take a very good team to beat England in next summers euros. Yes Southgate might have his limitations but I'd be surprised if anyone would have done a better job overall
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Southgate's only clear flaw IMO is a tendency to almost freeze in the biggest games. Not so much against France, when a tight game was just out of reach.

But against Croatia in the WC semis, and Italy in the Euros, we scuttled back too early behind an early goal, and basically didn't partake in the second halves of both games until the equaliser. Both goals were invited by stasis

Easy watching from a County Durham couch, but we clearly needed a change to get some possession in both games. I always thought that he could have done at those times, with an older head with him. Especially against Italy.

The chance might not come again. But Southgate has definitely exceeded expectations, has developed many young players who would probably have been mostly ignored by others, and has consistently got results.

He does have Harry Kane mind!
 
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Mackem74 said:
A budget similar to everyone around them? Absolute bollocks. Jack grealish cost more than the entire inter Milan team. The total cost of the first 11 and subs was 850m that day. He is a good coach of elite footballers but it’s easy getting talented and engaged footballers to play certain systems and adapt. His first job he had peak Messi, iniesta, xavi etc and that gave him a great start to build his reputation so folk like you would believe the baloney said and written about him.
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Didn’t realise a team from another country are classed as a team around City.

Why don’t you compare Madrids squad, the one that got obliterated and it worth close to $1bn?

People seem to be stuck in this weird parallel universe of acting like other football teams don’t spend money.

12th for net spend in the last 5 years in the Prem. Chelsea, United, Arsenal all spent megabucks, how many years behind city are they?

What did Mancini achieve when he joined City and spent a fortune? A genuine world class manager. Finally won a league title then lost the next season to Fergies awful United squad which had Scholes out of retirement..

If it’s so easy then why are so many other big spenders so far behind? I’m not saying he’s worked with limited funds, that’s just a ridiculous statement but they’ve spent similar to plenty of other clubs lately. How anyone can every try and argue that he’s not world class is beyond me it’s laughable. When he finally leaves City and they drop off people will realise just how good he is.

Messi scoring about 15 goals across all competitions when pep joined was his peak? My bad! They must’ve just been letting other teams win the competitions they were entered in for the crack anarl so Pep looked better when he came in.
 
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WorkyTicketFTM said:
So people think Guardiola is a fraud for battering every team they come across because they have a budget similar to teams around them but think Southgate is doing a wonderful job after winning nothing with one of the best international squads in world football..

If Pep was England manager I’d eat my own ****e if we didn’t win either the euros or World Cup at the first time of asking.


Worth looking at the difference between when Southgate opts for 3 at the back and Pep does.

England v Italy in the euros final when they absolutely pummelled us and somehow we took it to penalties, we had 3 centre backs with 2 full backs and 2 defensive midfielders. Meaning the only attack minded players on the pitch were Kane, Mount and Sterling.

City v Madrid, obviously a 4-0 win for city.

3 centre backs, 2 defensive midfielders with 4 attack minded midfielders behind a striker.

That’s not having an unlimited budget, that’s having a pair of bollocks and the tactical know how to beat your opponent - which Mancini did against England.
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Pep is a very good coach, with very good coaches working with him. He is no doubtvone of the best.

But if he was the genius many have him to be, his teams would not have repeatedly imploded in the second half of so many big games in the last eight or nine years.

He's very good, and almost all players improve under him, but he is only doing what is expected at City - and that very nearly went arse up in the final - and was no better than many others have been at Munich, and poorer than his predecessor.

When he does it against the odds, we can judge him more completely then.
 
Nads said:
There’s absolutely no question about his ability and adaptability though.

This season is a prime example, changes the whole team shape and setup after 6-8 games to feed off Haaland strengths and wins a treble.

A lot of managers have shanked these kinda jobs. Look how Bayern have struggled to replace him with any level of comfort.

Mancini & Pellegrini both won things but laboured for it, players improve under Pep, nobody flatlines.

He’s also utterly ruthless like we have seen with Cancelo, Sterling and are seeing now with Walker.

I agree when folk say he’s brilliant, and I doubted him when he hit PL and had tough first season.

He seen the issue straight away and added more English to the squad and pace, and they soared. He’s a don.
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Don't quote Bayern mind in defence of Pep. The bloke took over a team that had won the quintuplet.
 
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rowley said:
Pep is a very good coach, with very good coaches working with him. He is no doubtvone of the best.

But if he was the genius many have him to be, his teams would not have repeatedly imploded in the second half of so many big games in the last eight or nine years.

He's very good, and almost all players improve under him, but he is only doing what is expected at City - and that very nearly went arse up in the final - and was no better than many others have been at Munich, and poorer than his predecessor.

When he does it against the odds, we can judge him more completely then.
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People who are brilliant in sport rarely have to battle the odds.

Wont see Klopp, or Mourinho, or Pocc or Tuchel managing Barnsley anytime soon either.
 
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Nads said:
People who are brilliant in sport rarely have to battle the odds.

Wont see Klopp, or Mourinho, or Pocc or Tuchel managing Barnsley anytime soon either.
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That’s fair enough but it only goes to show they are not as good as coaches who have managed teams like Barnsley and got them to win titles and European trophies while against managers that have everything given to them on a plate.
 
Southern A said:
Don't think its a case of not knowing we want another striker. Its about waiting to see whats available and how much we can spend.

If we end up selling Clarke as his valuation is met, it probably opens up a whole world of extra options for us.

Its good to move early, but you don't want to blow your entire load too early on and miss a golden opportunity later as a result. They're finding a really good balance to that IMO
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We tend to do out best loan business at the back end of the window so we'll waiting for the better players to be made available then. They'll know which positions they'll want to fill with quality loans and fill in the gaps around that.
 
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Nads said:
People who are brilliant in sport rarely have to battle the odds.

Wont see Klopp, or Mourinho, or Pocc or Tuchel managing Barnsley anytime soon either.
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Klopp has had to in the past though. Starting at Mainze and fighting off Bayern at Dortmund. And Liverpool have a defence with Gomez, who cost £3m, Robertson £8m . They just cannot spend like City do. That's it.

Tuchel had to work his way to where he is, as did Mourinho. Poch had two lesser jobs before getting Spurs.

Pep is very good, and the highest praise should be showered on him for his best work at Barcelona. Since then he has had huge advantages at his two clubs.
 
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Nads said:
Oh aye the team he inherited was utterly insane. He maintained the work and it’s gradually faded since he left. Repeating 5 trophies isn’t realistic for anyone.
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Getting the big one was why they hired him though. They always win the league, even this year when they shouldn't have!
 
rooch 3 said:
That’s fair enough but it only goes to show they are not as good as coaches who have managed teams like Barnsley and got them to win titles and European trophies while against managers that have everything given to them on a plate.
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Aye, I’m sure Cloughie would win the champions league with Grimsby but we’ll never know now. I’m sure one of the European cup wins Forest played a team who are now in the 7th tier of German football, some part time team from Poland and can’t remember the third. Shows you how different the game is now.
 
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rowley said:
Klopp has had to in the past though. Starting at Mainze and fighting off Bayern at Dortmund. And Liverpool have a defence with Gomez, who cost £3m, Robertson £8m . They just cannot spend like City do.
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Liverpool.

Worlds most expensive GK
Worlds most expensive CB

Diaz, Jota, Salah, Thiago, Keita (disaster), Darwin…

Hardly pennies is it?
 
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WorkyTicketFTM said:
Aye, I’m sure Cloughie would win the champions league with Grimsby but we’ll never know now. I’m sure one of the European cup wins Forest played a team who are now in the 7th tier of German football, some part time team from Poland and can’t remember the third. you how different the game is now.
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It shows it’s easier now, no playing the fourth team them days over god knows how many legs, you played the top team from each country, no room for cock ups.
So what you are saying is if Man City are in League 2 in 20 years time they are s hit now. Have I got that right?
 
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Nads said:
Aye, but who signed the players?

Pep has signed all of that squad, Arteta is gradually improving Arsenal, massively.

Facts are the ‘spend’ doesn’t wash with City, many clubs have outspent them.
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It totally does. They've doped their way to top. Don't think otherwise
 
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