Pep Has To Go The End Of This Season

[Im_Spartacus]

Mentally i think Pep is very fragile and is definitely showing signs that he is struggling to handle the job and the pressure that goes with it. Put him in a losing position or a tough game and he loses it.
There are signs that he is trying to change the way we play, speed things up, simplify our interchanges etc but then he overthinks it and fucks up team selection. Did any of his many assistants and backroom staff not have the bottle to tell him he was wrong?
We are now 9th in the CL league, a way to go but hardly impressing.

Pep needs a Messi/Iniesta, Lahm/Thiago, Silva/De Bruyne to weave his magic. He thought Foden would carry that baton, but Phil seems fragile and not up to the task every week. Don't get me wrong, Foden is a generational talent but needs to get back to his form of two years ago and it's been hit and miss for 18 months. Phil also needs help. Phil's form issues and Rodri's injury are not coincidental.

I think you're right there - the team needs someone to rally round and genuine leaderhsip on the pitch - and by that I don't mean the captain, I mean the one who digs deep when the chips are down......Kev was that guy for years, vinny and to a degree yaya before that. Haaland has the ability as we've seen now when he gets more involved, but it needs that guy in the middle, dictating play. I wonder if this isn't actually the biggest we've had from Rodri's absence.

Interesting we pulled out of the Wirtz deal, as I wonder if that was seen in him but the cost vs risk ratio became too great (and a bloody good call it was not to continue in light of his effors at Liverpool)

[nottsblue]

These last two games are very telling. All the talk that he had rediscovered his mojo has well and truly been dispelled.

Two hideous results

[PeterParker]

Cannot wait for this fucking season to end already.

[zabbadabbado]

Remember when players like Leroy Sane/Sterling getting continuously hooked for rogue passes.

wtf happened to his standards.

Now there are sloppy passes all over the field every game. Our players look the most unfit in the League. We come against any physicality we bottle out of all 50/50 Balls. Such a soft side with no leaders. Set piece Coach is shocking also.

Life on easy street for Pep since the Treble, his back room staff and most of our squad.

Liverpool already contemplating sacking Slot after a Title win with the unacceptable drop off.

We have been shit for over 18 months. And seem determined to let him destroy his lasting legacy, and leave us languishing outside the Top 4 before leaving the Club, like we owe it to him out of respect.

We need a change.

[Indianablue]

Another poor result , performance wise. A very lucky win.
Pep had absolutely zero idea in that 2nd half. We needed physicality and got none. Haaland should have been hooked at half time. For someone keen to chase personal records, his efforts were piss poor.
Last week the manager was prepared to swap every player, this week they're all glued to the fucking bench.
The result papers over some pretty large cracks.
Not changed my mind from last season Pep should go sooner rather than later

[Harry Dowd scored]

Another poor result , performance wise. A very lucky win.
Pep had absolutely zero idea in that 2nd half. We needed physicality and got none. Haaland should have been hooked at half time. For someone keen to chase personal records, his efforts were piss poor.
Last week the manager was prepared to swap every player, this week they're all glued to the fucking bench.
The result papers over some pretty large cracks.
Not changed my mind from last season Pep should go sooner rather than later

Completely agree we can all see it, why can’t the management?

[Indianablue]

All this dressing down for the players at the end of the game in full view is just embarassing to all. Haaland might well have deserved it but for fucks sake do it in the dressing room in private. Pep is just odd

[zuricity]

All this dressing down for the players at the end of the game in full view is just embarassing to all. Haaland might well have deserved it but for fucks sake do it in the dressing room in private. Pep is just odd

Which players got a dressing down after the match?

[Nick]

Looked like haaland and i was all for it because he was dogshit

[Indianablue]

All this dressing down for the players at the end of the game in full view is just embarassing to all. Haaland might well have deserved it but for fucks sake do it in the dressing room in private. Pep is just odd

Which players got a dressing down after the match?

Haaland. Middle of the pitch. Gardiola said in post match interview he needs to rest his head not just his body. Inferred he need to do more to get himself into the game

[PeterParker]

This is how you make Haaland fuck off to Madrid.

[Sparklehorse]

Why does Haaland always have this shit period every season. I know he can’t score every game but fuck me he was just lolloping around yesterday with no hunger, aggression or will to do anything. I love him to bits obviously, but his lack of effort in his last couple of games is truly baffling.

[PeterParker]

Time to go.
Win the title, the treble, the quadruple.

Don't fucking care, needs to fucking go.

[zuricity]

Why does Haaland always have this shit period every season. I know he can’t score every game but fuck me he was just lolloping around yesterday with no hunger, aggression or will to do anything. I love him to bits obviously, but his lack of effort in his last couple of games is truly baffling.

woodwork twice, an assist and his 100th goal , beating Shearer's record by many games. Poor form eh ?

[carl_feedthegoat]

Pep hasn’t changed much at all since last season - he’s still got his favourites that he will play no matter what (Savhino ) and no matter how bad or good you are in one game , you will either be out the next game or play if you played shit the previous game.

It’s Deja vu every other game.Todays result and performance was a joke - a fucking joke.

We won’t be in the top 2 for long.

[Im_Spartacus]

Pep hasn’t changed much at all since last season - he’s still got his favourites that he will play no matter what (Savhino ) and no matter how bad or good you are in one game , you will either be out the next game or play if you played shit the previous game.

It’s Deja vu every other game.Todays result and performance was a joke - a fucking joke.

We won’t be in the top 2 for long.

Savinho is a mystery, but beyond that I think other than Haaland and more recently Doku and Foden, I wonder if the biggest issue is that he doesn't know who his best team is in defence and midfield. I certainly can't figure it out - there's nobody in midfield truly standing up to be counted, John Stones coming on is evidence he thinks we're really lightweight in midfield.

Nico, Silva and Reindeers appear to be first choice, but there are times like last night and a few other times this season when they have blown really hot and cold and been close to being overrun, and the only solution at that point is to hook foden and/or doku and try and shore it up. I don't think Savinho can ever be the solution though - to any problem, and Pep is a cunt for keep playing him unless he knows somethig more than we do and is trying to play him into form.

Last night in the 2nd half was total deja vu of last season, overrun in midfield and the wings, and conceding with every attack, while Haaland wastes chances at the other end.

One consolation, it wasn't pass pass pass pass pass zzzzzzzz, I don't think it will be the last time this season we see a scoreline like this - and at 2nd in the table with 2 tight wins after a mid-game collapse, I'm just glad the rest of the league are shit........even though we are wank, we can still win the league, that's fucking insane.

[nottsblue]

Pep hasn’t changed much at all since last season - he’s still got his favourites that he will play no matter what (Savhino ) and no matter how bad or good you are in one game , you will either be out the next game or play if you played shit the previous game.

It’s Deja vu every other game.Todays result and performance was a joke - a fucking joke.

We won’t be in the top 2 for long.

Savinho is a mystery, but beyond that I think other than Haaland and more recently Doku and Foden, I wonder if the biggest issue is that he doesn't know who his best team is in defence and midfield. I certainly can't figure it out - there's nobody in midfield truly standing up to be counted, John Stones coming on is evidence he thinks we're really lightweight in midfield.

Nico, Silva and Reindeers appear to be first choice, but there are times like last night and a few other times this season when they have blown really hot and cold and been close to being overrun, and the only solution at that point is to hook foden and/or doku and try and shore it up. I don't think Savinho can ever be the solution though - to any problem, and Pep is a cunt for keep playing him unless he knows somethig more than we do and is trying to play him into form.

Last night in the 2nd half was total deja vu of last season, overrun in midfield and the wings, and conceding with every attack, while Haaland wastes chances at the other end.

One consolation, it wasn't pass pass pass pass pass zzzzzzzz, I don't think it will be the last time this season we see a scoreline like this - and at 2nd in the table with 2 tight wins after a mid-game collapse, I'm just glad the rest of the league are shit........even though we are wank, we can still win the league, that's fucking insane.

We can win the league. And so can the rags or Spurs or even Everton.

However in reality, we won't and top 5 and CL qualification, (assuming England maintains its coefficient position for an extra place), is what we are going for

[Indianablue]

Why does Haaland always have this shit period every season. I know he can’t score every game but fuck me he was just lolloping around yesterday with no hunger, aggression or will to do anything. I love him to bits obviously, but his lack of effort in his last couple of games is truly baffling.

woodwork twice, an assist and his 100th goal , beating Shearer's record by many games. Poor form eh ?

Better but the two strikes against the posts should really have been goals.

[Im_Spartacus]

Pep hasn’t changed much at all since last season - he’s still got his favourites that he will play no matter what (Savhino ) and no matter how bad or good you are in one game , you will either be out the next game or play if you played shit the previous game.

It’s Deja vu every other game.Todays result and performance was a joke - a fucking joke.

We won’t be in the top 2 for long.

Savinho is a mystery, but beyond that I think other than Haaland and more recently Doku and Foden, I wonder if the biggest issue is that he doesn't know who his best team is in defence and midfield. I certainly can't figure it out - there's nobody in midfield truly standing up to be counted, John Stones coming on is evidence he thinks we're really lightweight in midfield.

Nico, Silva and Reindeers appear to be first choice, but there are times like last night and a few other times this season when they have blown really hot and cold and been close to being overrun, and the only solution at that point is to hook foden and/or doku and try and shore it up. I don't think Savinho can ever be the solution though - to any problem, and Pep is a cunt for keep playing him unless he knows somethig more than we do and is trying to play him into form.

Last night in the 2nd half was total deja vu of last season, overrun in midfield and the wings, and conceding with every attack, while Haaland wastes chances at the other end.

One consolation, it wasn't pass pass pass pass pass zzzzzzzz, I don't think it will be the last time this season we see a scoreline like this - and at 2nd in the table with 2 tight wins after a mid-game collapse, I'm just glad the rest of the league are shit........even though we are wank, we can still win the league, that's fucking insane.

We can win the league. And so can the rags or Spurs or even Everton.

However in reality, we won't and top 5 and CL qualification, (assuming England maintains its coefficient position for an extra place), is what we are going for

My first reaction was to say fuck off, we can't turn into what arsenal were for 20 years.

But I guess the reality when you've dominated domestically, as much as I hate it, the next question for the club is about dominating Europe - which raises an interesting question.

Does a squad that dominates the premier league have what it takes to dominate in Europe the way Real Madrid have, or do we need a different squad for Europe which could cause us to lose ground in the Prem? I don't think that's where the club is going, but if they did, it's an interesting question that has implications for what we're watching week in week out in the coming years.

[nottsblue]

Pep hasn’t changed much at all since last season - he’s still got his favourites that he will play no matter what (Savhino ) and no matter how bad or good you are in one game , you will either be out the next game or play if you played shit the previous game.

It’s Deja vu every other game.Todays result and performance was a joke - a fucking joke.

We won’t be in the top 2 for long.

Savinho is a mystery, but beyond that I think other than Haaland and more recently Doku and Foden, I wonder if the biggest issue is that he doesn't know who his best team is in defence and midfield. I certainly can't figure it out - there's nobody in midfield truly standing up to be counted, John Stones coming on is evidence he thinks we're really lightweight in midfield.

Nico, Silva and Reindeers appear to be first choice, but there are times like last night and a few other times this season when they have blown really hot and cold and been close to being overrun, and the only solution at that point is to hook foden and/or doku and try and shore it up. I don't think Savinho can ever be the solution though - to any problem, and Pep is a cunt for keep playing him unless he knows somethig more than we do and is trying to play him into form.

Last night in the 2nd half was total deja vu of last season, overrun in midfield and the wings, and conceding with every attack, while Haaland wastes chances at the other end.

One consolation, it wasn't pass pass pass pass pass zzzzzzzz, I don't think it will be the last time this season we see a scoreline like this - and at 2nd in the table with 2 tight wins after a mid-game collapse, I'm just glad the rest of the league are shit........even though we are wank, we can still win the league, that's fucking insane.

We can win the league. And so can the rags or Spurs or even Everton.

However in reality, we won't and top 5 and CL qualification, (assuming England maintains its coefficient position for an extra place), is what we are going for

My first reaction was to say fuck off, we can't turn into what arsenal were for 20 years.

But I guess the reality when you've dominated domestically, as much as I hate it, the next question for the club is about dominating Europe - which raises an interesting question.

Does a squad that dominates the premier league have what it takes to dominate in Europe the way Real Madrid have, or do we need a different squad for Europe which could cause us to lose ground in the Prem? I don't think that's where the club is going, but if they did, it's an interesting question that has implications for what we're watching week in week out in the coming years.

Interesting question Sparty.

Certainly, the rags for all their domestic dominance under Bacon, never transferred that success into Europe like you say a Madrid does. But bizarrely, Madrids record domestically has not been as good with Barcelona more successful there over the last 20 or so years. Since 1998 Madrid have won 9 and Barcelona 14. I think Casillas when he left Madrid had won more CL than La Liga for example.

We are on not a dissimilar trajectory. 6 PL titles on 8 years and only 1 CL. Arguably should have been 3 with the fuck up in the final v Chelsea and the semi on Madrid where we conceded twice in injury time. In both seasons we were by far the best team in the competition. Maybe because it's a knockout Cup competition you sometimes need that bit of luck even if you are the best overall team? Certainly this century I'd suggest probably half the eventual winners weren't the best side overall, but had luck on their side. Whereas winning the league over 38 games usually is done by the best side.

PSG have found this. Bayern also. Dominating their leagues but not Europe. Certainly not year on year. I guess in a two legged tie, a poor 20-30 minute spell where you can concede 3 goals means the tie is often over, even if you dominate the remaining 150 minutes.

Remember the rags specifically bought Veron for the CL, yet he was poor in the PL. The tolerance of the officials in the CL is different to the PL. It's not as easy for players to adapt as such.

Anyway. I still stand by the point that any team CAN win the league whilst it's theoretically mathematically possible, but on our current forum I think we WON'T as we are too inconsistent. Therefore our target is CL qualification. Which realistically is the goal of most of our rivals at this point