Over the past 48 hours, we've listened to pundits and read fans comments on Pep Guardiola and how he's in some kind of meltdown, will walk away from the club or get sacked. Was Sunday a bad result? Of course it was. It was out of the blue and embarrassing for all City fans, however, in defence of Pep's position, I'd like to run through the squad and what's happened so far, to try and put another spin on things and redress the balance a little in terms of our current position, Pep's choices and where we may be going in the future. Let's start at the keeper. Yes, we were all shocked at the time that Joe Hart left. Many of us annoyed. However, none of us know why Pep truly made that decision, rightly or wrongly. It looks like a bad decision now. However, Joe Hart was told by Pep to stay and fight for his place. Joe Hart said no, and has never come out and disagreed with that rhetoric, so he wasn't pushed out by Pep. Likewise, Yaya Toure and the media was told many, many weeks before his apology, that Pep didn't agree with what his agent had said, and until he apologises, he won't be part of the squad. We know what happened there and Pep accepted his apology and he;s now back playing. As for the defender situation, we had Demichelis, Sagna, Mangala, Zaba, Clichy, Kolorov and Otamendi. Demichelis left, Mangala was on loan and Pep wanted Bonucci and Laporte, as well as Stones. For me, that would have been his back 3 and how he would have wanted to play. 3 ball playing CB's, along with the possibility of Kompany assisting them if fit. We ended up with Stones only. Laporte decided to stay for another year, Bonucci I believe was close to signing, but for personal reasons in Italy, decided to stay at the time. That would have been Pep's ideal defensive partnerships. So, to start the season, instead of trying to buy a 3rd or 4th choice CB, he decided he would give Otamendi a chance and hope that Vinny could possibly stay fit for another season. That sadly, didn't happen. So he was left with what he had. He converted Kolorov into a CB and in the first 10 games was playing really well. As for full backs, I think he could easily have bought another FB and in hindsight, it's now coming back on him that he didn't. The MF. He started without Toure through no fault of his own. His first signing was Gundogan. A player that was initially injured, but who went on to prove, for £20m, that he would have been a steal. Sadly, he's picked up another ling-term injury. And for those claiming he's a crock, he had a back injury and a dislocated knee-cap, two freak injuries. Not a ligament or calf or thigh problem that Vinny seems to have recurring. Freak accidents. Ilkey was proving to be an astute signing prior to his injury, so that's not Pep's fault. He bought one of the most coveted young players in Europe, in Leroy Sane. There were lots of top European clubs vying for his signature, but he wanted to play under Pep, so at 21, he joined us. He's had to have time to adjust with the PL and also, has picked up some niggling injuries. Again, that's hardly Pep's fault. Pep brought in Nolito. Why? I'm still not sure, but so far, he's scored nearly as many goals for City when hardly playing, as Pogba for £89m, has for United. He was peanuts in this day and age of big money transfers and is a proven Spanish international, but still in his first year of the PL. That leads us to the MF and attacking area of the team. He decided to stick with Kelechi and Aguero, so when those pundits and opposition fans claim they are the one's bringing through youth, don't forget, Pep could easily have went out and bought big, but didn't. As t turns out, Kelechi has the best goal to minute ration in Europe this season, but he's still learning. Aguero, as good as he has been and the goals he's still scored, hasn't reproduced his electric form of thee past. KDB hasn't been at the level he was last season also. Sterling has definitely improved under Pep in my opinion, but still needs further work under this system.
posted on 18/1/17
Terrible excuse. These are basic saves that a professional goal keeper should be making. He's been shiiiiiit regardless of how you've defended.
posted on 18/1/17
No he hasn't, he was fine for the first few weeks, but you're missing my point. I'm not arguing he should be saving things he isn't, I'm saying even if he was saving shots better, he isn't what we need now anyway as we've changed how we play that counters the point of him acting as an additional defender, so the one thing he was good at, we don't do anymore anyway.
Hence, he's subsequently had a crisis of confidence and become even worse at what wasn't his best quality anyway.
Laugh.....
posted on 18/1/17
Nah I get that point, just think you're trying to gloss over his shiiiiit shot stopping.
He didn't look any good doing the things he was brought in for, surprisingly. It's obviously fun seeing as he's your keeper but this is far from the Bravo that played for Barca.
Hopefully it continues, but if he does remember how to play in goal you have got the keeper to play the way Pep wants - even if he still has weaknesses.
posted on 18/1/17
I agree with that (him being far from the keeper he was at Barca).
I'm not trying to gloss over his shot stopping, I'm saying that regardless of it, he's pointless anyway considering we don't play the same way we did when Guardiola had him in mind and his other attributes are pants as well.
I'm saying we should never have bought him in the first place if this is how we are going to play and whilst we are playing like we are, then Cabalero should be starting.
posted on 18/1/17
That's fair, melts.
I guess Pep didn't expect to have to change tact?
posted on 18/1/17
I still don't think he should have done tbh and reacted too quickly to a couple of poor performances. We're looking worse now for the changes. He should have stuck to his guns. He is in a bit of a no win situation this year though!
posted on 18/1/17
Should have taken Bravo out of the equation really.
posted on 18/1/17
Definitely.
The Hart situation, I still think there was something behind the scenes which meant he wanted him out of the dressing room anyway more than just about the role he wanted. He had his mind made up already, which is odd considering players he didn't do the same with...
posted on 18/1/17
Maybe given Hart wasn't going to be his first choice he didn't want a player with his influence in the dressing room potentially causing issues?
Look what happened at Madrid with Casillias.
posted on 18/1/17
This situation with hart there's more to it but forget that Canalerro has to start