Re: Pep Guardiola appreciation thread

[Winter is Coming]

"He is the best, even if he doesn't want to admit it himself," Tuchel told reporters ahead of Sunday's fixture.

"I've always been a fan of Barcelona. Barcelona under Pep was the benchmark for me."

[zenmaster]

I didn't mean Rodgers was on the same level or close to the same level as Pep (though Rodgers also worked his way up from Chelsea youth to Swansea's promotion). I was just using the team in general as a recent example of how important the players are to being a top team and how important having WC players is.

Atlético Madrid ?

[free_cat]

He's having a fatnastic season. Hopefully he wins the CL if Barça most likely doens't.

[Curtinho]

I didn't mean Rodgers was on the same level or close to the same level as Pep (though Rodgers also worked his way up from Chelsea youth to Swansea's promotion). I was just using the team in general as a recent example of how important the players are to being a top team and how important having WC players is.

Atlético Madrid ?

What about them? You think they don't have any WC players?

[Hapless_Hans]

I didn't mean Rodgers was on the same level or close to the same level as Pep (though Rodgers also worked his way up from Chelsea youth to Swansea's promotion). I was just using the team in general as a recent example of how important the players are to being a top team and how important having WC players is.

Atlético Madrid ?

What about them? You think they don't have any WC players?

like with Kloppmund, the fact they have 'WC players' is to a large degree due to a consistent coaching achievement that makes players look, or be, (i.e. perform) at a world class level that arguably wouldn't have been on anybody's list else.

[Curtinho]

I think they have a number of players that would be considered world class regardless, or were touted as becoming WC regardless, but Simeone certainly knows how to get the most out of his players, as does Pep.

[Hapless_Hans]

Oh look, another former Bayern player talking.

Main man Mario Basler with some classy poetry
My translation..

This Bayern is like dream sex with the woman of your dreams, 34 times in a row.

This Bayern is like rivers of beer, that never end.

This Bayern is like 300 days of vacation a year, and the rest is holidays.

I like the dominance. I love the meticulousness of Pep on the sideline, of Lahm on the field. I admire the dynamism of Müller and Costa, the goal-lust of Lewandowski.

If Pep asked me if I wanted to play in this team, I'd say: "No, I just want to watch, in this instance that's much more beautiful"

http://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/mario-basler/traumsex-mit-einer-traumfrau-42900244.bild.html

inb4 Catalan paper headline "Basler: I would not want to play for Pep"

[Myesyats]

Beautiful quotes. And some pawn like Valkyrja would try to tell me Josep Guardiola is not the best coach in the world, implausible.

[Winter is Coming]

The former Barcelona coach also gave some insight into the value of training for helping players to learn new "tactical concepts."

"I like specialist players and adaptable ones too," he said. "The mental aspect is more important than the physical. What is not trained is forgotten. You learn from tactical work while playing, because the game is the real thing. The training is about making decisions. By training we convince the players about tactical concepts."

Guardiola : "Playing a match every three days, the most important thing is preparation and recovery"

Guardiola : "The best player is the one who captures the concepts very fast. The concepts are more important than the physical training"

[RealGunner]

Mundo Deportivo claims Guardiola has a verbal agreement with Txiki Begiristain to become Manchester City’s coach.

[Cruijf]

Inb4 Man City win the treble and people accuse Pep of taking a stacked team

[McAgger]

Well Bayern is the most stacked team in the world at the moment.

[RealGunner]

Would rather see Guardiola join a club like Arsenal than City.

[urbaNRoots]

Would rather see Guardiola join a club like Arsenal than City.

I think I can agree with that.

[Winter is Coming]

Didn't Pep say he likes history, tradition, historic clubs etc? I know some Barca lads are there hence he's being linked there, but I don't think City falls in the category above (no offense to them).

[Robespierre]

Bayern under Guardiola is always the best team in the world at this moment of season , I remind also when they raped the City at Eithad . The Champions Leageu counts since February so it hasn't sense to say now they are favorite for it. Now it's "another" CL.

[Cruijf]

Didn't Pep say he likes history, tradition, historic clubs etc? I know some Barca lads are there hence he's being linked there, but I don't think City falls in the category above (no offense to them).

Agreed. He should go for a real historic club. Milan for instance

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Bayern under Guardiola is always the best team in the world at this moment of season , I remind also when they raped the City at Eithad . The Champions Leageu counts since February so it hasn't sense to say now they are favorite for it. Now it's "another" CL.

I disagree tbh, they act like it true. But i rarely thought that since he's been there they had the best team.

And it often it showed when it mattered, although last year i think they would have won it all if Robben was fit. A lot of people forget Barca just won 5-3 and Ter Stegen saved Barca a lot in that second leg. If Robben was there they would have won imo.

Now they have the depth to get away with such a loss.

[McAgger]

No way Bayern would have won that semi regardless of Robben or anything. Barca was pretty dominant themselves in the first half and Suarez was pretty much the most dangerous player in that second leg. They took him out at half time when they were up 2-1 because the job was done and didn't want to aggravate his injury further. If he had played on I suspect it would have been more of the same. It was easier to handle Messi and Nerman without the grit of Suarez.

[Hapless_Hans]

No doubt our form regressed in the springs of last 2 seasons. So while we are fantastic now and thus winning the league, it indeed doesn't say anything about what will happen in the CL knockouts.

As for Pep to City, this 'breaking news' has been breaking continually since Pep joined us. Let's wait and see.
It might well be what he's going to do, but tbh it doesn't sound that convincing to me. If anything, staying another couple of years then taking over Arsenal would make more sense.

[Cruijf]

No way Bayern would have won that semi regardless of Robben or anything. Barca was pretty dominant themselves in the first half and Suarez was pretty much the most dangerous player in that second leg. They took him out at half time when they were up 2-1 because the job was done and didn't want to aggravate his injury further. If he had played on I suspect it would have been more of the same. It was easier to handle Messi and Nerman without the grit of Suarez.

Ignore the second leg, it means nothing as the tie was over and everyone knew it.

The first leg was a fairly even match though. In the end Barca were able to create more chances and finish them and Bayern couldn't, but it was certainly a small margin. If Robbery was fit it could have been a very different story.

[Hapless_Hans]

No way Bayern would have won that semi regardless of Robben or anything. Barca was pretty dominant themselves in the first half and Suarez was pretty much the most dangerous player in that second leg. They took him out at half time when they were up 2-1 because the job was done and didn't want to aggravate his injury further. If he had played on I suspect it would have been more of the same. It was easier to handle Messi and Nerman without the grit of Suarez.

Ignore the second leg, it means nothing as the tie was over and everyone knew it.

The first leg was a fairly even match though. In the end Barca were able to create more chances and finish them and Bayern couldn't, but it was certainly a small margin. If Robbery was fit it could have been a very different story.

Missing Alaba was maybe even worse.

[Adit]

First leg was no way even match. Having messi does that to you. I really don't think Barca's defense had any problem that match. On the other hand Bayern's defense got raped in the second half.

I remember the same things said about Bayern in the year we played them. How they are going to become the first team to retain it and how them finishing Bundesliga by December shows they are unstoppable and what not.
Come the business end , guardiola got absolutely outclassed by Ancelotti...both legs. We could've played 500 minutes and they still would not have created a single chance and that is with Bale,modric,Xabi,Di Maria midfield covering the defense.

[futbol]

Some lack of logic here from the usual Guardiola fanboys.

Logical fallacy 1: Barca stopped playing after 5-1. Mascherano more or less said so himself after the game. He apologized for the lack of professionalism. They dropped the intensity. So first of all 5-3 doesn't tell the story. Bayern needed 5 more goals at some point within 45 minutes. Bayern played for their pride, Barca had the next La Liga game in mind. Ya know, there are some leagues that aren't settled in October.

Logical fallacy 2: MAtS making a couple of saves doesn't mean Bayern could have actually scored all those chances. Let's say Lewandowski's shot goes in and MAtS doesn't save it. That already changes the complexion of the game. Why do you think Barca won't react and play differently afterwards? As happened after Benatia scored and Barca quickly reacted with 2 goals. All the other chances that Bayern created afterwards might not even have occured if Barca really did concede and were forced to step it up.

Logical fallacy 3: Who would Robben and Ribery have replaced in the Bayern lineup? Lewandowski? No. Müller? No. Schweinsteiger, Alonso, Thiago or Lahm? So if they have to take out 2 midfielders for 2 winger who says that the complexion of the game wouldn't have been completely different to Bayern's disadvantage with that much less midfield control against Barca? Bayern going to play with 2 midfielders? Who says they wouldn't have scored more goals but also conceded a lot more that way?

Some logic, pls.

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Yeah but the fact is you stopped playing, the reasons why are irrelevant.

Also you conveniently ignore the umpteen chances that both Lewandowski and Muller missed which Ter Stegen didn't save.... like it or not the lack of firepower was a big factor why Bayern were knocked out.

Also Alaba missing defensively which i forgot was a big factor also.... plus the first leg was close, it was 0-0 until very late when Messi turned it on it's head.

Of course it changes the complexity of the game, say they get it to 5-4 or 4-4 the momentum is already gone and spun in their favour.... football isn't a light switch you can't just turn it on and off when you feel like it. Once it's off it's very difficult to switch it back on which is what happened.... Barca tried to get back control of the tie but simply couldn't but luckily for them Ter Stegen saved multiple chances and bad finishing from their only two attacking forces saved them.

Also what midfield control

Barca never had midfield control in the entire tie, they were just able to create counter attack opportunities a lot and score when it really mattered.

You want to talk about logical fallacy? how about you completely ignoring the fact the impact of only having two attacking threats on the pitch had on the overall result.... both of which can't really create for themselves.

Of course Ribery and Robben among other injuries would have impacted the tie positively for Bayern, this midfield control stuff is nonsense as well acting like Barca wasn't through balling like prime FIFA and turning the ball over constantly.

[futbol]

I got a headache from reading that.

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