Pep v Pellegrini

[Wonderwall]

Pep and Pellegrini had some very similar stats when I was having a look. Some of the things written by the media at the time are very much like what is being said now. Also some of the results we had were great too, high scoring games and beautiful football.

All the talk at the time in 2013/14 was of the quadruple. We won the league cup and then hit the buffers by going out to Wigan in the FA Cup 6th round and getting knocked out of the UCL by Barca in the round of 16.

Some nice memories here.

Pellegrini initially made a shaky start with four league losses by the end of November but big wins against Newcastle United, Manchester United and Norwich City showed the team's potential. After their fourth league loss against Sunderland on 10 November 2013, City went on 20 match unbeaten streak (in all competitions) which including a 6–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, a 3–2 win away at European champions Bayern Munich and a 6–3 win over league leaders Arsenal.

After a hectic Christmas period City's form showed no signs of abating and beat a 9–0 aggregate demolition of West Ham United in the Football League Cup semi-final (a competition record) and another 5–1 humbling against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane maintained City's average of over three goals a game. Of the 20 matches, only two were draws against Southampton and Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup – both of which ended 1–1. Some of the opponents openly described City as the best team in the world and talk about an unprecedented quadruple soon arose in the media.

Pellegrini had won the Premier League manager of the month for December 2013 and was roundly praised for his attacking managerial style, calm demeanour and man management. Such was Manchester City's ruthlessness in front of goal from all angles – intricate passing moves, crosses, solo-runs and set pieces – The Daily Telegraph likened City's style to "death by beautiful geometry".

On 18 January 2014, City surpassed 100 goals for the season in all competitions in just 34 games – the quickest century in the Premier League era beating Chelsea's 2012–13 record by eight matches. By the end of January 2014, they had scored 115 goals in all competitions – the most goals scored by any club in Europe. Maintaining such a scoring rate would see them surpass Chelsea's Premier League record of 103 goals in 2009–10, and the 143 scored by Manchester United's "Busby Babes" in the 1957–58 season.

On 2 March 2014, Pellegrini's Manchester City defeated Sunderland 3–1 at Wembley Stadium on the 2014 Football League Cup Final, giving him his first major trophy in European football. On 11 May, Manchester City became Premier League champions after beating West Ham United 2–0 with goals from Samir Nasri and Vincent Kompany at the City of Manchester Stadium, making Pellegrini the first coach from outside of Europe to win the English league title.

Come on Pep, it would be fantastic to surpass Pellegrini's achievements.

[Sideshow Bob]

this has to be a windup right??

[sheblue]

Pep inherited a squad in worse condition than MP did.
I liked MP a lot, but he did run out of steam.
MP is a very nice man.
However tactically MP and Pep are light years apart.
There is no comparison.

[Chinners]

Loved Pellegrini .... top coach & charming man

[Mikhail Chigorin]

"Death by beautiful geometry", What a wonderful way to describe it.

Thanks for posting that WW; as you say, it does bring back some nice memories.

[john68]

As good as MP was, he certainly wasn't as tactically as good as Pep, who over many years, with more than one team has proven he could be regarded as the best football coach currently operating in global football.

At the time, MP was the perfect coach, a qiet charming gentleman who knew that he was ever only a caretaker manager until City could bring in their main target, that was always Pep.
Caretaker is a hard job and one that MP handled with dignity.
In hindsight, particularly in MP's final season. it becomes quite obvious that Pep's influence increased. Players bought, a change in the tactics of our youth teams under Vieira and without doubt, this must have hamstrung MP in many ways.
All of which, I believe he fully understood and probably willingly accepted.
It is for that reason, he recieved a handsome extension to his contract financially as a thank you for a hard job well done.

To his credit, MP never once cried foul to the media, never once rocked City's boat. A top City manager who should be well remembered.

[Mase]

Pellers never had a ‘Plan B’. Pep doesn’t need one.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

As good as MP was, he certainly wasn't as tactically as good as Pep, who over many years, with more than one team has proven he could be regarded as the best football coach currently operating in global football.

At the time, MP was the perfect coach, a qiet charming gentleman who knew that he was ever only a caretaker manager until City could bring in their main target, that was always Pep.
Caretaker is a hard job and one that MP handled with dignity.
In hindsight, particularly in MP's final season. it becomes quite obvious that Pep's influence increased. Players bought, a change in the tactics of our youth teams under Vieira and without doubt, this must have hamstrung MP in many ways.
All of which, I believe he fully understood and probably willingly accepted.
It is for that reason, he recieved a handsome extension to his contract financially as a thank you for a hard job well done.

To his credit, MP never once cried foul to the media, never once rocked City's boat. A top City manager who should be well remembered.

Well said John, the lack of respect he receives from some City fans really grates on me.

[Sideshow Bob]

As good as MP was, he certainly wasn't as tactically as good as Pep, who over many years, with more than one team has proven he could be regarded as the best football coach currently operating in global football.

At the time, MP was the perfect coach, a qiet charming gentleman who knew that he was ever only a caretaker manager until City could bring in their main target, that was always Pep.
Caretaker is a hard job and one that MP handled with dignity.
In hindsight, particularly in MP's final season. it becomes quite obvious that Pep's influence increased. Players bought, a change in the tactics of our youth teams under Vieira and without doubt, this must have hamstrung MP in many ways.
All of which, I believe he fully understood and probably willingly accepted.
It is for that reason, he recieved a handsome extension to his contract financially as a thank you for a hard job well done.

To his credit, MP never once cried foul to the media, never once rocked City's boat. A top City manager who should be well remembered.

Well said John, the lack of respect he receives from some City fans really grates on me.

giving him respect is one thing, comparing him to pep is another...

[Foreverinbluedreams]

As good as MP was, he certainly wasn't as tactically as good as Pep, who over many years, with more than one team has proven he could be regarded as the best football coach currently operating in global football.

At the time, MP was the perfect coach, a qiet charming gentleman who knew that he was ever only a caretaker manager until City could bring in their main target, that was always Pep.
Caretaker is a hard job and one that MP handled with dignity.
In hindsight, particularly in MP's final season. it becomes quite obvious that Pep's influence increased. Players bought, a change in the tactics of our youth teams under Vieira and without doubt, this must have hamstrung MP in many ways.
All of which, I believe he fully understood and probably willingly accepted.
It is for that reason, he recieved a handsome extension to his contract financially as a thank you for a hard job well done.

To his credit, MP never once cried foul to the media, never once rocked City's boat. A top City manager who should be well remembered.

Well said John, the lack of respect he receives from some City fans really grates on me.

giving him respect is one thing, comparing him to pep is another...

Comparing two managers is perfectly reasonable, now if someone were to contend that he's as good as Pep then you're bordering on the ridiculous but nothing wrong with a direct comparison, especially if they've both managed the same club.

[PeterParker]

I think under Pellers, the board failed to change the players that were already getting old. After the title of 2014, they decided to keep the same squad, instead of going after some fresh and young blood.
The result, after an excellent 2014, we crashed and burned on the second part of the season 14/15 because our steam was lost.

Pep is better, but Pellers was top also.

[Chinners]

I think under Pellers, the board failed to change the players that were already getting old. After the title of 2014, they decided to keep the same squad, instead of going after some fresh and young blood.
The result, after an excellent 2014, we crashed and burned on the second part of the season 14/15 because our steam was lost.

Pep is better, but Pellers was top also.

At this moment in time Pellers is the better as he actually won us some silver shinny things! ... granted, people won't be able to dine on that stat for much longer

[john68]

I think MP had an easier job when he arrived, the Mancini pot winning side was still in its relative pomp and the squad comparatively young. He had more to work with that when Pep arrived.
Hart, Zabba, Kompany, Yaya, Silva, Aguero and others were still a useful backbone that needed a tweek and it was only in subsequent years did they begin to fade slowly.
If MP was only the caretaker, and a good one, Pep certainly wasn't (isn't). Pep's first job was to revitalise an ageing squad, move out older players getting past their sell by date and bring in and introduce a new generation without causing too much destruction.

I loved what MP brought to City and will always remember him fondly but now we are at a totally different level. Only the 2nd season of Pep's project that I fully expect to evolve and improve. Not only taking us to the top table, not only to the head of that table but hopefully to a table of our own, beyond where the current elite sit.

We have done it domestically in the Prem.....now onto doing it in Europe....if we can.

[carolina-blue]

Loved Pellegrini .... top coach & charming man

Agree wholeheartedly top bloke who never even came close to bringing the club into disrepute .And could have , he is the main reason (not the only one ) But the main one that I Fucking hate Pardew , Mancini Pellers and now Pep all awesome in their own right .

[Mikhail Chigorin]

It's not a comparison but I wish Pep had 'inherited' a younger PabZab.

If he'd been about 27 years of age and playing in the current team, rampaging down the right he would have had a field day. Moreover, given his propensity for popping up in the opposition's penalty area, he could have had quite a few goals as the recipient of some KDB wonder-passes.

This is not to denigrate Walker, who has had a fine season so far, but I would have loved to see PabZab in full flow and blossoming further under Pep's influence.

[Mase]

What else had Pellers won in his managerial career before us?

[brite blu sky]

Loved Pellegrini .... top coach & charming man

This all day, he didn't get enough credit.

Looking back he was as suggested the perfect pre-cursor to PG.

[nottsblue]

What else had Pellers won in his managerial career before us?

To be fair he was unlucky at Madrid. He got the record ever points total in La Liga. It was just a pity Peps Barca got a couple more. Fancy getting nearly 100 points and not winning the title

[mr_nool]

What else had Pellers won in his managerial career before us?

To be fair he was unlucky at Madrid. He got the record ever points total in La Liga. It was just a pity Peps Barca got a couple more. Fancy getting nearly 100 points and not winning the title

He got Malaga to punch way above their weight as well.

[brite blu sky]

What else had Pellers won in his managerial career before us?

To be fair he was unlucky at Madrid. He got the record ever points total in La Liga. It was just a pity Peps Barca got a couple more. Fancy getting nearly 100 points and not winning the title

He got Malaga to punch way above their weight as well.

even that is a bit of an understatement.

way way way i would say