Pep's Arrival

[Shane 2,275]

Yeah, but a lot of talk about Spyda Silva vs Sonnen. I know you have a take on this, since you are Brazilian. I think this graphic perfectly will explain to Shane what happened:

Henrique notice that Sonnen has the Palmeiras jersey on remember he likes Palmeiras cause Da Spyda likes Corinthians

Gangster from West Linn Oregon against a knock off of the karate kid!

[robdog 2,084]

Gangster from West Linn Oregon against a knock off of the karate kid!

Sig bet??? PM so these good CFC fans won't get mad about our MMA talk

[Emmanuelpee 12]

Just take RDM as assistant

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

Just take RDM as assistant

You really serious........................

No words bro no words.... :'(

[The Big Drog 1,110]

Doesn't that depend on the quality of the bus as well? Not to mention that not every team is adept at parking the bus. Even parking a bus is an art in itself. A beastly, ugly, gritty art, but an art nonetheless. :eyebrows:

That said, my memory is rather short and I can only recall the biggest, latest four occasions where he faced the tactic and lost them all (well he won against Inter once..didn't matter too much as it turned out). So how does he negate the tactic in the occasions that he won against it? (sorry I don't really watch La Liga) And more importantly - is he able beat Mou's A380 yet?

Aside from being the manager of our European archnemesis of the past few years, I don't really have anything against him. Just thought he's a bit unproven still, which put him on the same page as Bobby in my book. But that's just me.

Im not saying parking the bus isn't an art, of course good defending should be appreciating and defending is every bit as much a part of the game as attacking.

Barcelona come up against it very often, teams with 9, sometimes even 10 men behind the ball, both domestically and in Europe, for the most part they succeed in breaking it down. His record against Mourinho's Madrid is excellent.

[The Big Drog 1,110]

Jason, stop with this shite that, if you don't appreciate Barca, you know nothing about football. I hate watching them. Its boring. Its like handball.

Im not saying you have to like them but there is no escaping what Guardiola brought to Barcelona and football and, in that respect, you absolutely must acknowledge them.

[The Big Drog 1,110]

Dude!, i'm just wondering!! When you are considering, RA should give the job to Guardiola. "He is the best out there" and etc despite the fact that RDM just won us the CL this called RULING OUT! Just imagening such think is disrespect and RULING OUT as well!! You necessarily don't need to say literally "I'm ruling out" you just ruled him out.

Do you ever consider supporting Barcelona?

For the job that Abramovich wants done I do think Guardiola is the absolute best around to implement it, that isn't ruling anyone out. Were Di Matteo to be appointed in the morning Id be more than happy, Im not on an anti-Di Matteo campaign here, Im simply giving reasons why I think Guardiola is a good appointment and why Abramovich probably thinks so too.

Funnily enough I actually prefer Real Madrid, I just respect what Barcelona and Guardiola has done.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,543]

Pep's is good, but with the amount of top-class players he's had at his disposal and the Spanish league's duopolistic nature, plus, Mourinho didn't take the Madrid job until 2 years ago, it's no surprise to me that he's been a huge hit for the last 4 years. I personally much prefer Dortmund's Klopp, a real, proven talent in nurturing young players who's single-handedly turned a crappy side of then nameless players such as Kagawa, Sahin, Lewandowski etc. into one of the most domestically dominating team in Germany's football history in just 4 years. His pressing style of football is also much more interesting to watch than Barca's passing style. If Pep does come to the Bridge, I hope Roman will give him enough time to adjust himself to the Premier league, 2 or 3 years at the very least probably, otherwise it's more likely than not he'll end up being a big flop like AVB.

i like Klopp too..he seems pretty happy in Dortmund tho and i want Di Matteo first of all anyway but i do think Klopp might be a better option than Pep.

[Henrique 9,133]

Even people saying RDM must stay, deep down in their hearts want Guardiola to join us.

[The Big Drog 1,110]

Wow, You don't do sarcasm do you......

He's been working with a group of players who have grown up together playing the same way for years. He was part of the system and knows the set up which is why he settled into the job so easily. It would be like JT becoming manager of Chelsea. He knows what makes us tick.

Barca have been developing that style of play for 10-15 years minimum with their current squad from youth level. That's why their youth team players can come in and slot straight into the 1st team without disrupting their rhythm. If people expect him to walk straight in and change things overnight they are very foolish. How many managers have we brought in to do this only to see them turfed out on their ear when there is no immediate transformation ?

Roman wants a more attractive style of football. That's fair enough, but he doesn't have the patience to let someone do it over a sustained period.

Therefore, it's a waste of time and money to bring him here.

No I dont.

Absolutely that helps, though by the same token you could certainly compliment him on promoting a raft of youth team players to the first team squad. While those who came through the Barcelona system obviously learned to play the Barcelona way, what you dont mention is the massive impact Guardiola has had on that Barcelona way and how he has tweaked it into the most dominating style of football anyone has ever seen.

The actual Barcelona way was developed before 10-15 years, it's generally credited to Johann Cruyff who brought a total football element to Barcelona, which Guardiola then worked off to create the most successful side in the club's history. Who expects him to change things overnight? Give him time and he will change things. Roman Abramovich is said to be a huge fan of the Barcelona way and the work Pep did at the club, he would certainly have the backing to change things. What other manager at Chelsea would have had both that power to change the entire structure of the club and also the ability to perform such a change?

Perhaps but given just how long he has admired Guardiola for, Id be fairly confident that he would last a little longer than 6 months.

[Santiago. 1,500]

Can RDM continue to perform tactically and mentally and carry on future success? Is he a great manager, or a great motivator?

That is what is bugging Roman.

[robdog 2,084]

Even people saying RDM must stay, deep down in their hearts want Guardiola to join us.

Nope, you have Pep & his tiki-taki ball. RDM is CFC through & through. I like the fact that RDM & Newton played for the club first. No merc there. They were Blue before & they are blue now. So you can have Pep coach Palmeiras. Lord knows Big Phil ain't cutting it

[bababoom 4,478]

Even people saying RDM must stay, deep down in their hearts want Guardiola to join us.

I take it you want Guardiola as our new manager...?

[Shane 2,275]

Im not saying you have to like them but there is no escaping what Guardiola brought to Barcelona and football and, in that respect, you absolutely must acknowledge them.

IMO, He has made football boring, so I hold him for that.

When the chips we're down, he walked. That is a fact.

[Kostas 1,468]

Perhaps but given just how long he has admired Guardiola for, Id be fairly confident that he would last a little longer than 6 months.

Given how both Ancelotti and AVB were meant to be Roman's personal targets (and Ancelotti was one he was supposedly chasing for years) I wouldn't hold my breath.

[The Big Drog 1,110]

Given how both Ancelotti and AVB were meant to be Roman's personal targets (and Ancelotti was one he was supposedly chasing for years) I wouldn't hold my breath.

Ancelotti is not nor was ever meant to be a visionary, just a coach. AVB was supposed to be a visionary but he was hindered by both the squad being incapable of adapting to his style of play and his destructive relationships with some of the older players. With the players we are bringing in, a change of style shouldn't be as difficult this time around while Guardiola is experienced enough not to make the same mistakes as AVB.

[Henrique 9,133]

I take it you want Guardiola as our new manager...?

Who doesnt?

This forum is funny sometimes. Same people that months ago were backing AVB, saying he was good, hot, exuberant, young, full of talent and only time was needed, right now are saying we cant take Pepe because he is like AVB.

[TacticalBlues 2,817]

Who doesnt?

This forum is funny sometimes. Same people that months ago were backing AVB, saying he was good, hot, exuberant, young, full of talent and only time was needed, right now are saying we cant take Pepe because he is like AVB.

Some people don't get that Guardiola has far better man management skills than AVB and has experienced the ultimate pressure at Barcelona. His tika tika football is honestly some of the best football I've ever seen and the 5-0 thrashing of Barca was probably the closest to a perfect game I've ever seen. It's clear Abramovich isn't going to employ Di Matteo as 1st choice manager otherwise he would've done it already.

[Sheva. 5,373]

People don't get that Guardiola has far better man management skills than AVB

Not sure about that, when i think of Guardiola's man management, all i can think of is Ibra's comments about him.

"It started well but then Messi started to talk.

"He wanted to play in the middle, not on the wing, so the system changed from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1. I was sacrificed and no longer had the freedom on the pitch I need to succeed.

"So I asked for a meeting with Guardiola - for a discussion, not an argument. I said I was being used in the wrong way and that they shouldn’t have bought me if they wanted another type of player.

"I told him what a friend had said to me - 'you bought a Ferrari but drive it like a Fiat'. The chat seemed to go well but then Guardiola started to freeze me out.

"I would walk into a room; he would leave. He would greet everyone by saying hello, but would ignore me.

"I had done a lot to adapt - the Barca players were like schoolboys, following the coach blindly, whereas I was used to asking 'why?' I like guys who run red lights, not pedantic and strict rules. So I tried to be overly nice, didn’t dare lose my temper.

[Shane 2,275]

Ancelotti is not nor was ever meant to be a visionary, just a coach. AVB was supposed to be a visionary but he was hindered by both the squad being incapable of adapting to his style of play and his destructive relationships with some of the older players. With the players we are bringing in, a change of style shouldn't be as difficult this time around while Guardiola is experienced enough not to make the same mistakes as AVB.

Your making him out to be some sort of man with super human powers. He inherited one of the best teams of all time and made them pass the ball to death, didn't have a plan b, and when RDM exposed this he walked.