Pep Guardiola - King of the Carabao Club

The Demon of Carthage wrote:Cas, you really need to grow up and stop labeling everybody a hater just because they don't agree with you. And please stop bringing up the SAF comparison because it's completely ridiculous.

A hater would never say Pep is a very good coach. I literally said I think he's an amazing coach. What more should I say? Drop to my knees and give him head?!

Seriously, he's a very good coach, but he's lacking in certain departments, and that's a fact whether you like it or not. You don't disappear from the CL Winners list for a decade despite spending millions and you expect people not to highlight that fact when he finally comes up after the competition regressed.

He inherited treble-winning Heyneckes' Bayern and he did jack shit with them in the CL. He had a strong enough squad to go toe-to-toe with Ancelotti, yet he bent over backwards and got roflstomped 5-0 on agg. And you have the nerve to ask what he could've done against them? Then he lost to Barça, and then to Atlético, then to Monaco, then to Liverpool, then to Spurs, then to Lyon. I guess he couldn't have done anything against those as well? hein?

And now after everybody has terribly regressed, he finally makes it to the final and we're supposed to give him a standing ovation? Sorry not doing that.

You're exactly proving Cas point here. What team in the CL didn't benefit from either luck or other teams regressing?

Barcelona: In Pep era we were up against Wenger banter Aresnal, Yo-Yo Madrid spending 100s of million to get KO'ed by Lyon and Bayern who were called chokers by many people in that era, the only team I hated facing was Chelsea becuase they were are bogey team and we beat them in 09 with a lot of luck on our side. 2015 we faced City (who in one leg missed Kompany and Aguero), PSG who missed Veratti and Ibra, Bayern who were without Robben, Ribery and lewa was playing with a broken jaw, we had Juve in the final without Chellini.

Real Madrid: 2014 you faced a Bayern team who was on the downward at the point in regressing in CL even under Pep, which followed under Ancelotti and Kovac, it followed by us becoming a meme and choke masters, Juve and Atleti who are European chokers and further teams regressed.

Bayern: 2013 they took on Conte Juve just enetering CL, Wenger Arsenal, Barcelona without a manager, and Dortmund that was the start of Klopp decline with them, 2020, they took us on again chokers, Madrid were declining, City were City, and PSG were PSG.

Yet nothing? And you want to try to use it as some way to put * on Pep City CL campaign? This is Cas point goal post are moving insanely here, every CL team has benefited from teams declining, or simply with some luck be it ref decisions, key players missing, hell even this run of City is married by luck, Dortmund being denied a perfectly legal goal, questionable PK, 2 fluke goals against PSG, Mbappe not 100% in the first leg and missing the second leg, and even if they or Chelsea win the final it'll also be to some decision or one of there players having a brain fart moment.

Personally I'm one of the one that admits Pep can screw up CL ties a lot, however I also feel we do at times exggrate his CL exits, in 2012 Messi missed a vital PK which could've sent him to another CL final, 2016 they had Atleti against ropes, missed a lot of chances and Muller missed a PK, Spurs in 2019, Aguero missed a PK and Laporte made 2 defensive blunders which saw Spurs score 2 goals, hell even Llorente goal scored as a hand ball, but the ref didn't call it. This is exactly how KO rounds work, luck, decision, etc. play a role, when Varane made this mistake last year against City generally people online blamed him called him overrated. Laporte does this, Pep overthinks Even Lyon game Laporte gifted a goal, one of the goals Laporte was also clipped which should've been a foul, but the ref didn't call it and Lyon scored + Sterling missed a sitter, Pep line up was largely at fault here, but they still could've won this game. It's not surprising Pep benched those 3 and City are in a CL final.

No one is saying get up and give the man a round of appluase who gives a fck about that at the end? How about people just learn to quit moving goal post with these discussion?, he's widely regarded as one of the greatest, by many peers, he is one of the most sought after manager despite his CL showing teams, none of his teams wanted to lose him, even Rummenigge said when told him he's leaving he shed some tears, Bayern players all turned on Carlo and Kovac, so clearly Pep does something right or these management/players don't seem to blame him for all these results, as some people here do.

I don't beleive in the greatest manager in the world or history discussion Pep isn't, Fergie isn't, Mou isn't, etc. no such thing every managers has there own strength and weaknesses and they all will work in different situation, while some won't, its really that simple at the end.

Pep fans really are a "you're either with me or against me" kind of crowd. Damn. Men out here providing context to his success (which one should do anyway as it is neither a belittlement nor should one just accept things as they are) and it's hateration.

He's a great manager, one of the best in the game but when a club can sign a defender for 80 million (Dias from Benfica) without much fuss to fix their manager's issue or whatever, folks tend to keep things within reason. Well, reasonable folks anyway.