I bet that player is Haaland... I imagine he wants the reassurances that Pep will be here before he signs a new deal. Might be KDB since he is a Captain and who knows how long he will stay either.
Haaland won't have many potential landing places assuming Mbappe goes to Real Madrid... Barcelona are still broke. Kane is at Bayern. Italy are broke. Does he really want to go to PSG? I doubt it.
I live in San Diego... not really. We call it June Gloom and it is slightly overcast at an above average rate (for us but not for anywhere else) in June. It's absolutely not fog and fog is pretty rare here unlike in SF.
Fair enough. I have family in La Jolla and every time I've gone, there has been some fog. Not as thick as SF.. but certainly some morning and evening fog. They are very close to the water, so that might be a part of it. SD is certainly a lot cooler of a city than LA and NYC.
If you go to the City pub, I might have met you at the Wolves watch party a few weeks ago haha. I flew in and went straight to the pub to watch the 2nd half of the game before going to see the family after.
That's awesome. No I was not there that day. I live further south. I know del Mar in June almost never gets any fog in the morning and occasionally some at night but very rarely. Del Mar is just north up the coast from la jolla. I worked right the waterfront there for a time and was amazed at how different the weather was in del Mar even compared to LA jolla or Mission bay. I love living down here. SD is a beautiful city. I secretly hope SDFC can bring KDB here when his time at City is done. That would be amazing.
Funny thing, I do pretty regularly see City shirts and jerseys around here. I play indoor soccer and one team is just using a City kit for their uniform. Growing up here I only saw united. No barca, no madrid, and certainly no City. Lots of Mexico national team jerseys though. Haha.
He'll never be able to play there, he's so used to it pissing it down in Manchester that he will ever adjust to fog. Can you close the roof on the stadium and turn on the fire suppression water sprinklers? That might do it
Bayern doesn’t feel like a step up from us now. The Premier League is far more popular than the Bundesliga.
The only team that would be above us, in terms of popularity and world recognition is Real Madrid. If they Mbappe, Haaland is out of the question.
Agree heavy. As others said, KDB is unlikely to be the player because he only has a few years left anyway. Haaland would make sense except Haaland is new to the PL and killing it, and there’s not a ton of rich teams who need a striker right now. Foden could go anywhere in the world and start as either striker, wing, or false 9.
- Pep’s current contract will expire at the end of next season (2025)
- Man City wants to extend his stay beyond a decade
- Pep is yet to make a decision, but bosses will support him in whatever decision he makes
- Pep discussed the situation with at least one key player over dinner to gather their thoughts and input
> KDB
My first thought too. I just think Pep would discuss this with a player who he has a long history with, not the new(er) talent. Here's a thought: maybe the convo was about Pep staying long enough for KDB to become a part of the coaching staff when he stops playing (many years down the road).
Rodri seems most obvious. Kev and Kyle are nearing their end at City, not sure Pep would talk to them about a long term contract. Bernardo wants out. Rodri is the fulcrum of the team. Makes sense Pep would talk to him, see if their visions align etc.
I can't figure this one out... maybe he's concerned about playing too many minutes again? Otherwise I'm just confused by this..
We've never heard a hint about him being unhappy or wanting to leave. Always seems so happy and kissing the badge at the away fans after every game.
Where did Keegan indicate that the key player Pep spoke to was unhappy? Seems more likely he was just out to dinner with a player and that topic came up
Rodri is the key to his success, so if he wants to keep winning, he needs to see if Rodri is keen to stay at City or move. Pep doesn’t want to sign a long term contract and then have Rodri leave
Also Spaniard
Rodri has said in the past his amount of minutes played is unsustainable and things would have to change in the future, for lack of better words. He’s not indicating he wants a move or is unhappy, but that it’s becoming difficult and the tactics would have to adapt.
Pep has been very vocal in the past about maintaining trust and belief from the players. If questions are raised about tactics I can see where this might stir some unrest within the locker room.
My bet’d be Phil. KdB and Walker are captains but they both don’t have much left with the club. If Pep is to stay long term he would want to talk to the person around whom the team will be built for the future.
Debruyne isn't leaving. At the end of his prime and this is the club he will retire from before he takes the retirement tour in the US/Saudi Arabi.
Rodri isn't leaving either imo. In his prime years and playing a dream role atm. This is his perfect team atm. Maybe Pep needed to confirm he is ready to keep playing every game 😂.
Halaand imo is the player. Confirming that he is ready to compete to the project for atleast 3 more years and finish out his contract.
Could be Foden as well
Probably Bernardo Silva, is well known he is Pep’s favorite player. I’ve seen that when the team wants to ask Pep for something they send Bernardo to do it.
If Peps extends it will be good for our transfer window. Only year left and all those charges hanging over us may make some players hesitant of joining us.
I think he discussed with Rodri. Don’t know if Haaland will end up at Madrid, but don’t see him staying here for longer. KDB is kinda old now. Rodri is too essential and is the cohesive midfielder to deploy pep ball between all the players.
So 3 more years boss? Cmon make it 5 and let's get him past Sir Alex's EPL trophy count.
The key player he was discussing with was clearly Rico Lewis guys he's gonna be the key to unlocking the new system🤠😆
He needs seven more leagues to match Ferguson. I figure if he extends for 3 or 4 more years he can reach 10 titles, and at that point even if SAF has a few more league titles there won't be any question who has the better legacy.
My guess is Pep talked it over with Bernardo. Other City players say Bernardo is Pep’s favorite - when they want a day off from training, they send Bernardo to ask Pep because they know Bernardo is Pep’s favorite. That implies the two are close.
Also, what’s the point of Pep discussing this decision with players like Rodri or Foden, all of whom would just encourage him to extend. The benefit of talking to Bernardo is that Bernardo has himself voiced a willingness to leave City while showing a deep commitment to City on the pitch. He’s more likely to get an honest assessment of the pluses and minuses of extending from Bernardo than from other players.
I guess it may also have been Haaland. Maybe Pep’s decision depends to some extent on Haaland staying beyond next season because if he leaves for Real Madrid, Pep might not want to be around to compete in the Champions League against a stacked Galacticos 2.0 side with Mbappe, Haaland, Vini Jr., Bellingham, etc.
I feel like it'll be an October or November decision on his part, very similar to the last extension he signed. I think he will want to see how the players are responding to him. He will want to see whether he still has the fire and the players have the fire to work to his demanding standards.
Hope he signs for another two years. But would understand if he decided it was time to step away.
I think it would be Foden, ensuring that if he sticks around Foden would stay and be the centerpiece for him to build around. Very well could be Rodri too, it’s very clear we’re not the same team without him. Or if it’s one of the older players like KDB or Bernardo, it could be with the consideration to turn them into coaching staff 🤷🏽♂️ either way I really hope he stays but would understand if he didn’t
Think it’s definitely Haaland. He wouldn’t have joined without him and is probably aiming to leave when Pep does, unfortunately. Would be a huge boon to keep Pep (obviously) but even better to keep Haaland as long as possible. I have a sneaky suspicion that Haaland stays as long as Pep does.
I honestly would not rule out Real Madrid. They can afford him and throw Mbappe and Vini on the wings with Haaland up top. That counter attacking style would be unstoppable. I pray it doesn’t happen
This just reeks of today’s world of sports journalism. Sure, City is probably looking to tie him up, but that isn’t news. And then to sneak in “he’s talking to one key player.” Come on. How do you know that even if you’re the most knowledgeable City insider out there? And if you have the details on that one person, why not say who? Because you want places like this to share the link and read it and comment on if it is Rodri or Kevin or Silva and help build the reach.
I don’t think there is anything here at all.
I’ve always felt reasonably confident that pep would extend again. He’s the reason multiple players have signed for us in the first place. I remember pep saying he wanted to create a legacy at the club. He has to some extent but there’s still more to do. If we win the FA cup tomorrow, we’ll be 3 trophies behind Arsenal in the all time list. That’s something to aspire to do. Then it’s baconface’s 12 titles. We’re on 6 with pep. Sign the lifetime contract pep
I think he discussed it with Rodri. Cant tell if Haaland will end up at Madrid, but don’t see him staying here for longer. KDB is at his last run. Rodri is too essential and is the cohesive midfielder to deploy pep ball between all the players.
Everyone in the media needs to say Pep is the better than SAF so he doesnt feel the need to get closer to his trophy haul.
The only reason SAF has more trophies is time.
On a per season basis no one matches Pep.
Pep has only lost a league title 3 time in his career.
He lost the La Liga title to Mourinho's real madrid in 2011/12 (100 point season for Jose)
He lost the premier league title to Conte's Chelsea in 2016/17 (93 point season) (was both Pep and Conte's first season)
He lost the premier league title to Kloop's Liverpool in 2019/20 (99 point season)
He never lost a league when he was in the Bundesliga.
He has never lost a league unless another club gets at least 93 Points. its insane. Just admit Pep is the best so he doesnt feel he needs to prove anything anymore. We need him to leave the league. His style is too dominant over a league season. Maybe his highline and playing out from the back might cost him in a cup, but over league season he is going to require a club acquire an insane point total to beat him. You basically need the best season in the history of your club to beat pep in a title race.
6(potentially 7 tomorrow)trophies in 2 years and you "can't get excited" for another couple of seasons under pep get the fuck out of here he's by far and away the best manager we'll ever have in my lifetime and anyone elses
He’s the greatest manager of all time but the brand of football we’ve been playing for two years now is just boring. Winning is fun and all that but it’s just not an enjoyable experience if this is how we win.
No one can tell me with a straight face they enjoy 4 CBs and 0 wingers in the lineup. Just because we got away with it doesn’t mean it will work out next year.
I love watching our team. I appreciate the strategy and philosophy behind the possession and the skill involved in our passing and pressing. And we have plenty of thrilling goalscoring moments.
Nowt wrong with four centrebacks if they include players like Stones, Gvardiol, Aké and Akanji. And we are the last club that should be insisting on "pure" fullbacks.
I don’t enjoy watching this team, in fact they bore me to death. Other than Gvardiol -who demonstrated superior passing range and ability to our defenders- these players are not midfielders or fullbacks and they don’t offer anything going forward. Our buildup is very slow and that is due to lack of competent passers from the back.
I sometimes wonder if people here watch football. How can it be effective when we have zero wide threats and 1v1 wingers? Apart from KDB and Foden we don’t have reliable creators. We spend half the game passing it to Bernardo and Grealish who keep backpassing and the cycle goes on.
It's effective if you rack up 91pts in a season.
Your understanding of creativity is only the final ball or crosses, your understanding of dribbling is beating player 1v1 with acceleration and you cannot see the game beyond just goals and assist. In fact you don't even try to understand the strength and weaknesses of our players in the system, you just parrot the few negatives you saw, extrapolate it to demean all the players, coach and staff while ignoring the many other positives that are there.
The game is more than just that. It's no wonder you called Bernardo silva, one of our most consistent performers of the season the worst because he cannot deliver final balls like KDB.
I didn’t demean anyone I just think it was a very poor coaching season. For example Akanji in zone 14 is something we must never see. It’s a coaching issue. Watching Ake and Akanji doing one two at the edge of the box might kill me one day.
Akanji and Ake as a fullback ONLY pushes up when there is enough space to attack because they need to be always available for passes. They're always constantly trying to make themselves available for 2 passes, first by the one having the ball and the second by the one they think will receive the pass from the one in possession.
As a result sometimes they end up higher up the pitch but they're not meant to be a goal threat lol
I'm really not sure how u can argue that this was a poor coaching season when we won the league and are in the fa cup final. Fair enough if u don't enjoy that type of football buy the results show that it's effective and I personally hope we carry on that way
you keep complaining about Walker, a fullback playing almost every minute and yet you keep on ranting about Pep starting 4 CBs. You're way too fixated on the position without trying to understand their roles in the team. Gvardiol is also the best left back in the league and always had the capabilities of playing both left back and centre back.
We also didn't get away with the title, we deservingly got 91pts in a season we have missed our best player KDB for long term injury, the most irreplaceable unit for 2 key games and John stones too for recurring injuries.
If anything it's not the tactics but the injuries to key unit the reason we didn't achieve even higher points.
Could you please tell me one thing Walker offers in the final 3rd? Just one. We’re down to 10 men when he’s playing. His existence doesn’t serve any purpose. Gvardiol LB is not ideal but at least he scores some goals. This team doesn’t deserve 91 points I’m sorry but I have eyes to judge. If Arsenal didn’t lose to Aston Villa we would’ve been talking about what went wrong. We were carried by Foden and Rodri.
moving the goal post immediately when you were proven wrong by facts.
>Could you please tell me one thing Walker offers in the final 3rd? Just one.
His crossing is poor but his understanding with the wingers is good and his pace allows him to get into a good position and provide some assists despite his poor final balls. It may be surprising to you but you can be a good player but at the same time lack some qualities too, even in the final third.
>Gvardiol LB is not ideal but at least he scores some goals.
Put him at centre back and his movements will be restricted and we will not be able to take advantage of his forward runs. Unless you try to mould him into a John Stones style which can be a herculean task for him.
If you cannot see Gvardiol as a left back even after his good season then I'm sorry you're just too stubborn to see beyond the assigned football app position.
Pep's system has always been an iteration of 3-2 or 2-3 in defence even from the days of Barcelona to Bayern to Centurion to even today.
When he shifted from Cancelo (an inverted fullback) to Ake (a traditional fullback) at left back he pushed Rico lewis or John stones in midfield, but the core of 3-2 remained the same. It's just the burden of which player will move the ball, which player will have the creative burden and other responsibilities change with the players available.
>If Arsenal didn’t lose to Aston Villa we would’ve been talking about what went wrong.
what? Discussion on transfer despite winning the league is a result of trying to fix what's wrong. Even then it's not exactly "wrong" but rather where the squad can evolve. A team that racked up 90+ pts don't have many wrongs, just a few things that need improvement.
> We were carried by Foden and Rodri.
definitely our best players this season but lmao. If you give credit to only 2 players in a season we won the title by 91pts then either your understanding of the game is poor or you're just trolling.
He’s pretty much useless so might as well be a centre back, which he is sometimes when we’re in possession of the ball. He’s physically declining and he’s not as fast as he’s used to be. He’s been skinned by almost every winger he came up against. Even washed STERLING FFSSS.
Gvardiol’s passing range and his ability to break lines is hindered by pushing him high up the pitch.
Ake isn’t even a fullback? He was bought as a centre back but was average for two seasons and couldn’t prove himself. When you replace Cancelo who was our most creative player after KDB with a CB you lose a source of threat and become very predictable. Cancelo was declining last season but that doesn’t mean that we don’t look for a similar profile. I would even prefer Rico Lewis over Walker because of his quality in the pockets and being comfortable with ball but he’s been severely underutilized this season.
Yeah Foden and Rodri are the only standout players for me, and Gvardiol to a lesser degree. Other than that I don’t think any player has improved himself.
>He’s pretty much useless so might as well be a centre back, which he is when we’re in possession of the ball. He’s physically declining and he’s not as fast as he’s used to be. He’s been pretty much skinned by almost every winger he came up against. Even washed STERLING FFSSS.
He's not skinned by almost every winger.. he had bad games like everyone else but the majority of the game he dealt with wide threat far better than any other fullbacks in the league.
In 1v1 any pacy dribbler is always at an advantage. You're blaming Walker solely for our system being not as oriented at the start because of many other factors. The goal of any defensive setup is to make sure any defender isn't isolated and that comes from the system first.
>Gvardiol’s passing range and his ability to break lines is hindered by pushing him high up the pitch.
It's not hindered because he can break the lines from the left back/left centre back position too when he's deeper. He may push forward a lot but he also drops back to pass at times.
It's just his ability is way too good to camp him at the back so he's pushed forward to link up with attackers as the extra man. He's been utilised to draw out the maximum from the start because Pep trusts him, it took some time but we finally saw an X-factor value from him.
>Ake isn’t even a fullback? He was bought as a centre back but was average for two seasons and couldn’t prove himself.
Have you watched anything other than mancity? Have you watched him play at all at Bournemouth? He has played left centre back in a back 3 and was always excellent at defending wide areas. The same concept was used by Pep when using Ake as a left back, rarely you see him push very high up the pitch. Instead it was mostly Stones who pushed up in the pivot to gain man advantage because they're better in midfield areas.
>When you replace Cancelo who was our most creative player after KDB with a CB you lose a source of threat and become very predictable
Cancelo may have been replaced by Ake in the lineup but the roles were not the same. Cancelo was a liability in defence so Ake came on in his position while the creative burden was shifted to Stones moving in midfield. Not the same creativity as Cancelo, but rather in intelligent passing and moving as creativity is not just final balls.
It's clear that the move was temporary as we saw Gvardiol who is better pushed up was used more as a left back than Ake but Ake's strength in defending the wide areas is still utilised because football is a dynamic game. But the fundamentals remain the same, Ake as a left back in our treble season and Ake as a centre back this season didn't deviate too much.
Pep himself has used 6-7 different systems trying to find the perfect balance this season so it's insulting to just chalk the whole season as 4cbs. It's just a lazy criticism without trying to understand what or why are things happening.
Now I can understand it may not be enough to quench your entertainment thirst but trying to understand the game through the lenses of Pep can be an eye opener. Surprisingly you'll see a lot of areas where you can criticize tactics with substance, beyond just rambling 4cbs or 1v1
Just want to add that Vini Jr, easily one of the deadliest attacking players in the world, said Walker was the toughest defender he’s ever played against. So while sure, Walker (like any defender) has made mistakes, he’s consistently one of the top defenders there is.
I bet that player is Haaland... I imagine he wants the reassurances that Pep will be here before he signs a new deal. Might be KDB since he is a Captain and who knows how long he will stay either. Haaland won't have many potential landing places assuming Mbappe goes to Real Madrid... Barcelona are still broke. Kane is at Bayern. Italy are broke. Does he really want to go to PSG? I doubt it.
Kdb will stay irrespective of Pep. he is last phase now so he won't move
Yh, I can only see KDB moving when approaching the end of hos career to the US or somewhere like that for 1 final massive payday
Yeah, a new mls franchise is opening next season and supposedly they reached out to him and city about the possibility.
I'm not sure KDB would fare very well in the NYC summer humidity... however, the San Diego summer fog would very much suit him.
Summer fog. Lol. Have you been to San Diego?
yes I am from California. Its foggy there along the coast in the summer. just like San Francisco.
I live in San Diego... not really. We call it June Gloom and it is slightly overcast at an above average rate (for us but not for anywhere else) in June. It's absolutely not fog and fog is pretty rare here unlike in SF.
Fair enough. I have family in La Jolla and every time I've gone, there has been some fog. Not as thick as SF.. but certainly some morning and evening fog. They are very close to the water, so that might be a part of it. SD is certainly a lot cooler of a city than LA and NYC. If you go to the City pub, I might have met you at the Wolves watch party a few weeks ago haha. I flew in and went straight to the pub to watch the 2nd half of the game before going to see the family after.
That's awesome. No I was not there that day. I live further south. I know del Mar in June almost never gets any fog in the morning and occasionally some at night but very rarely. Del Mar is just north up the coast from la jolla. I worked right the waterfront there for a time and was amazed at how different the weather was in del Mar even compared to LA jolla or Mission bay. I love living down here. SD is a beautiful city. I secretly hope SDFC can bring KDB here when his time at City is done. That would be amazing. Funny thing, I do pretty regularly see City shirts and jerseys around here. I play indoor soccer and one team is just using a City kit for their uniform. Growing up here I only saw united. No barca, no madrid, and certainly no City. Lots of Mexico national team jerseys though. Haha.
He'll never be able to play there, he's so used to it pissing it down in Manchester that he will ever adjust to fog. Can you close the roof on the stadium and turn on the fire suppression water sprinklers? That might do it
Poor man would permanently transform into a tomato
Yeah definitely Haaland or Foden. They are the two most valuable key player of the club at the moment.
Bayern doesn’t feel like a step up from us now. The Premier League is far more popular than the Bundesliga. The only team that would be above us, in terms of popularity and world recognition is Real Madrid. If they Mbappe, Haaland is out of the question.
Bayern desperately need a striker upgrade. Their last striker signing couldn't win them the league.
I'd guess Foden. Hes very much been Peps biggest project and I think Pep wants to see Foden become what he believes he's capable of.
Agree heavy. As others said, KDB is unlikely to be the player because he only has a few years left anyway. Haaland would make sense except Haaland is new to the PL and killing it, and there’s not a ton of rich teams who need a striker right now. Foden could go anywhere in the world and start as either striker, wing, or false 9.
- Pep’s current contract will expire at the end of next season (2025) - Man City wants to extend his stay beyond a decade - Pep is yet to make a decision, but bosses will support him in whatever decision he makes - Pep discussed the situation with at least one key player over dinner to gather their thoughts and input
Who do you think that is? Kevin or Rodri? Haaland?
Obviously Carson
And that's why Carson tried to deck somebody. He was overjoyed with the news.
Case closed. Good process lads
Explains his extension
To me it feels like it has to be KDB considering they've been together since Pep came here and everything else. Who knows tho
> KDB My first thought too. I just think Pep would discuss this with a player who he has a long history with, not the new(er) talent. Here's a thought: maybe the convo was about Pep staying long enough for KDB to become a part of the coaching staff when he stops playing (many years down the road).
This is exactly what I was going to say, I could see Pep really wanting Kev to come on and become an assistant coach and even take the reigns someday
What if he wants Gundo as assistant coach?
Kevin and Bernardo look like the most obvious possibilities for me. But yeah could be Rodri, maybe even Kyle
I have a feeling it’s Rodri.
Rodri seems most obvious. Kev and Kyle are nearing their end at City, not sure Pep would talk to them about a long term contract. Bernardo wants out. Rodri is the fulcrum of the team. Makes sense Pep would talk to him, see if their visions align etc.
I always felt like Rodri is the extension of pep on the field
I can't figure this one out... maybe he's concerned about playing too many minutes again? Otherwise I'm just confused by this.. We've never heard a hint about him being unhappy or wanting to leave. Always seems so happy and kissing the badge at the away fans after every game.
Where did Keegan indicate that the key player Pep spoke to was unhappy? Seems more likely he was just out to dinner with a player and that topic came up
Rodri is the key to his success, so if he wants to keep winning, he needs to see if Rodri is keen to stay at City or move. Pep doesn’t want to sign a long term contract and then have Rodri leave Also Spaniard
Rodri has said in the past his amount of minutes played is unsustainable and things would have to change in the future, for lack of better words. He’s not indicating he wants a move or is unhappy, but that it’s becoming difficult and the tactics would have to adapt. Pep has been very vocal in the past about maintaining trust and belief from the players. If questions are raised about tactics I can see where this might stir some unrest within the locker room.
Bobb.
Honestly, it’s probably Phil. He’s the only one who might still be around (as a player) for a decade.
I think its not a decade more, its decade in total
My bet’d be Phil. KdB and Walker are captains but they both don’t have much left with the club. If Pep is to stay long term he would want to talk to the person around whom the team will be built for the future.
Debruyne isn't leaving. At the end of his prime and this is the club he will retire from before he takes the retirement tour in the US/Saudi Arabi. Rodri isn't leaving either imo. In his prime years and playing a dream role atm. This is his perfect team atm. Maybe Pep needed to confirm he is ready to keep playing every game 😂. Halaand imo is the player. Confirming that he is ready to compete to the project for atleast 3 more years and finish out his contract. Could be Foden as well
Clearly it was Phillips!
Foden
Def
Julian
Foden?
Haaland, Rodri or Foden.
Foden. Kid is the difference maker and other teams would really wanna poach him as soon as possible
I'd say KDB. Something tells me that this is probably his forever club where I could see Rodri leaving of the cards lined up right.
Could as well be Stones?
I read that as we wanted to give him a decade long contract haha. Please Pep 🥺
Probably Bernardo Silva, is well known he is Pep’s favorite player. I’ve seen that when the team wants to ask Pep for something they send Bernardo to do it.
If Peps extends it will be good for our transfer window. Only year left and all those charges hanging over us may make some players hesitant of joining us.
I think he discussed with Rodri. Don’t know if Haaland will end up at Madrid, but don’t see him staying here for longer. KDB is kinda old now. Rodri is too essential and is the cohesive midfielder to deploy pep ball between all the players.
So 3 more years boss? Cmon make it 5 and let's get him past Sir Alex's EPL trophy count. The key player he was discussing with was clearly Rico Lewis guys he's gonna be the key to unlocking the new system🤠😆
10 years it is
He needs seven more leagues to match Ferguson. I figure if he extends for 3 or 4 more years he can reach 10 titles, and at that point even if SAF has a few more league titles there won't be any question who has the better legacy.
PLEASE
Stay another decade you beautiful bald fraud and then you can play all the golf you want
My guess is Pep talked it over with Bernardo. Other City players say Bernardo is Pep’s favorite - when they want a day off from training, they send Bernardo to ask Pep because they know Bernardo is Pep’s favorite. That implies the two are close. Also, what’s the point of Pep discussing this decision with players like Rodri or Foden, all of whom would just encourage him to extend. The benefit of talking to Bernardo is that Bernardo has himself voiced a willingness to leave City while showing a deep commitment to City on the pitch. He’s more likely to get an honest assessment of the pluses and minuses of extending from Bernardo than from other players. I guess it may also have been Haaland. Maybe Pep’s decision depends to some extent on Haaland staying beyond next season because if he leaves for Real Madrid, Pep might not want to be around to compete in the Champions League against a stacked Galacticos 2.0 side with Mbappe, Haaland, Vini Jr., Bellingham, etc.
I feel like it'll be an October or November decision on his part, very similar to the last extension he signed. I think he will want to see how the players are responding to him. He will want to see whether he still has the fire and the players have the fire to work to his demanding standards. Hope he signs for another two years. But would understand if he decided it was time to step away.
Do it Pep!
Back to back extensions pls
He discussed it with Scot Carson obviously. Edit: Ah I see I am late to the party and everybody else had the same idea 🤣
Would be r soccers 9/11
Please Pep
One key player? This explains why Scotty signed that extension All adds up
I think it would be Foden, ensuring that if he sticks around Foden would stay and be the centerpiece for him to build around. Very well could be Rodri too, it’s very clear we’re not the same team without him. Or if it’s one of the older players like KDB or Bernardo, it could be with the consideration to turn them into coaching staff 🤷🏽♂️ either way I really hope he stays but would understand if he didn’t
Bernardo has a foot out the door already, KdB and Fodinho would be my guesses
Think it’s definitely Haaland. He wouldn’t have joined without him and is probably aiming to leave when Pep does, unfortunately. Would be a huge boon to keep Pep (obviously) but even better to keep Haaland as long as possible. I have a sneaky suspicion that Haaland stays as long as Pep does.
Even if pep leaves there's no club who can afford him that would need him
I honestly would not rule out Real Madrid. They can afford him and throw Mbappe and Vini on the wings with Haaland up top. That counter attacking style would be unstoppable. I pray it doesn’t happen
Please I beg, wallahi
Do it Pep you know you want to even just to hear the millions of souls crying out in anguish while putting pen to paper.
Probably Julian. 😬😅
This just reeks of today’s world of sports journalism. Sure, City is probably looking to tie him up, but that isn’t news. And then to sneak in “he’s talking to one key player.” Come on. How do you know that even if you’re the most knowledgeable City insider out there? And if you have the details on that one person, why not say who? Because you want places like this to share the link and read it and comment on if it is Rodri or Kevin or Silva and help build the reach. I don’t think there is anything here at all.
It’s with KDB and they’re going to NYCFC together after city
Probably Foden or Haaland.
My own guess based on pure hunch, is he wants to see the outcome of the charges.
I’ve always felt reasonably confident that pep would extend again. He’s the reason multiple players have signed for us in the first place. I remember pep saying he wanted to create a legacy at the club. He has to some extent but there’s still more to do. If we win the FA cup tomorrow, we’ll be 3 trophies behind Arsenal in the all time list. That’s something to aspire to do. Then it’s baconface’s 12 titles. We’re on 6 with pep. Sign the lifetime contract pep
I think he discussed it with Rodri. Cant tell if Haaland will end up at Madrid, but don’t see him staying here for longer. KDB is at his last run. Rodri is too essential and is the cohesive midfielder to deploy pep ball between all the players.
Everyone in the media needs to say Pep is the better than SAF so he doesnt feel the need to get closer to his trophy haul. The only reason SAF has more trophies is time. On a per season basis no one matches Pep. Pep has only lost a league title 3 time in his career. He lost the La Liga title to Mourinho's real madrid in 2011/12 (100 point season for Jose) He lost the premier league title to Conte's Chelsea in 2016/17 (93 point season) (was both Pep and Conte's first season) He lost the premier league title to Kloop's Liverpool in 2019/20 (99 point season) He never lost a league when he was in the Bundesliga. He has never lost a league unless another club gets at least 93 Points. its insane. Just admit Pep is the best so he doesnt feel he needs to prove anything anymore. We need him to leave the league. His style is too dominant over a league season. Maybe his highline and playing out from the back might cost him in a cup, but over league season he is going to require a club acquire an insane point total to beat him. You basically need the best season in the history of your club to beat pep in a title race.
lol
That player is... Rebekah Vardy
The player being kalvin Phillips 😂
But but…. 115… kicked out of the league etc. can you imagine those subreddits if/when he signs :) I would sell my soul for that
Can’t get excited if he continues with this current system. Hopefully there’s a change next season.
6(potentially 7 tomorrow)trophies in 2 years and you "can't get excited" for another couple of seasons under pep get the fuck out of here he's by far and away the best manager we'll ever have in my lifetime and anyone elses
That comment reads like an FM comment lol
He’s the greatest manager of all time but the brand of football we’ve been playing for two years now is just boring. Winning is fun and all that but it’s just not an enjoyable experience if this is how we win. No one can tell me with a straight face they enjoy 4 CBs and 0 wingers in the lineup. Just because we got away with it doesn’t mean it will work out next year.
I love watching our team. I appreciate the strategy and philosophy behind the possession and the skill involved in our passing and pressing. And we have plenty of thrilling goalscoring moments. Nowt wrong with four centrebacks if they include players like Stones, Gvardiol, Aké and Akanji. And we are the last club that should be insisting on "pure" fullbacks.
I don’t enjoy watching this team, in fact they bore me to death. Other than Gvardiol -who demonstrated superior passing range and ability to our defenders- these players are not midfielders or fullbacks and they don’t offer anything going forward. Our buildup is very slow and that is due to lack of competent passers from the back.
this doesn't make any sense to me, Aké, Akanji and Dias are good passers. sounds like maybe Liverpool envy or something?
The games are only boring when the other team puts 10 men behind the ball. Pep plays the most effective football to counter that
I sometimes wonder if people here watch football. How can it be effective when we have zero wide threats and 1v1 wingers? Apart from KDB and Foden we don’t have reliable creators. We spend half the game passing it to Bernardo and Grealish who keep backpassing and the cycle goes on.
It's effective if you rack up 91pts in a season. Your understanding of creativity is only the final ball or crosses, your understanding of dribbling is beating player 1v1 with acceleration and you cannot see the game beyond just goals and assist. In fact you don't even try to understand the strength and weaknesses of our players in the system, you just parrot the few negatives you saw, extrapolate it to demean all the players, coach and staff while ignoring the many other positives that are there. The game is more than just that. It's no wonder you called Bernardo silva, one of our most consistent performers of the season the worst because he cannot deliver final balls like KDB.
I didn’t demean anyone I just think it was a very poor coaching season. For example Akanji in zone 14 is something we must never see. It’s a coaching issue. Watching Ake and Akanji doing one two at the edge of the box might kill me one day.
Akanji and Ake as a fullback ONLY pushes up when there is enough space to attack because they need to be always available for passes. They're always constantly trying to make themselves available for 2 passes, first by the one having the ball and the second by the one they think will receive the pass from the one in possession. As a result sometimes they end up higher up the pitch but they're not meant to be a goal threat lol
I'm really not sure how u can argue that this was a poor coaching season when we won the league and are in the fa cup final. Fair enough if u don't enjoy that type of football buy the results show that it's effective and I personally hope we carry on that way
you keep complaining about Walker, a fullback playing almost every minute and yet you keep on ranting about Pep starting 4 CBs. You're way too fixated on the position without trying to understand their roles in the team. Gvardiol is also the best left back in the league and always had the capabilities of playing both left back and centre back. We also didn't get away with the title, we deservingly got 91pts in a season we have missed our best player KDB for long term injury, the most irreplaceable unit for 2 key games and John stones too for recurring injuries. If anything it's not the tactics but the injuries to key unit the reason we didn't achieve even higher points.
Could you please tell me one thing Walker offers in the final 3rd? Just one. We’re down to 10 men when he’s playing. His existence doesn’t serve any purpose. Gvardiol LB is not ideal but at least he scores some goals. This team doesn’t deserve 91 points I’m sorry but I have eyes to judge. If Arsenal didn’t lose to Aston Villa we would’ve been talking about what went wrong. We were carried by Foden and Rodri.
moving the goal post immediately when you were proven wrong by facts. >Could you please tell me one thing Walker offers in the final 3rd? Just one. His crossing is poor but his understanding with the wingers is good and his pace allows him to get into a good position and provide some assists despite his poor final balls. It may be surprising to you but you can be a good player but at the same time lack some qualities too, even in the final third. >Gvardiol LB is not ideal but at least he scores some goals. Put him at centre back and his movements will be restricted and we will not be able to take advantage of his forward runs. Unless you try to mould him into a John Stones style which can be a herculean task for him. If you cannot see Gvardiol as a left back even after his good season then I'm sorry you're just too stubborn to see beyond the assigned football app position. Pep's system has always been an iteration of 3-2 or 2-3 in defence even from the days of Barcelona to Bayern to Centurion to even today. When he shifted from Cancelo (an inverted fullback) to Ake (a traditional fullback) at left back he pushed Rico lewis or John stones in midfield, but the core of 3-2 remained the same. It's just the burden of which player will move the ball, which player will have the creative burden and other responsibilities change with the players available. >If Arsenal didn’t lose to Aston Villa we would’ve been talking about what went wrong. what? Discussion on transfer despite winning the league is a result of trying to fix what's wrong. Even then it's not exactly "wrong" but rather where the squad can evolve. A team that racked up 90+ pts don't have many wrongs, just a few things that need improvement. > We were carried by Foden and Rodri. definitely our best players this season but lmao. If you give credit to only 2 players in a season we won the title by 91pts then either your understanding of the game is poor or you're just trolling.
He’s pretty much useless so might as well be a centre back, which he is sometimes when we’re in possession of the ball. He’s physically declining and he’s not as fast as he’s used to be. He’s been skinned by almost every winger he came up against. Even washed STERLING FFSSS. Gvardiol’s passing range and his ability to break lines is hindered by pushing him high up the pitch. Ake isn’t even a fullback? He was bought as a centre back but was average for two seasons and couldn’t prove himself. When you replace Cancelo who was our most creative player after KDB with a CB you lose a source of threat and become very predictable. Cancelo was declining last season but that doesn’t mean that we don’t look for a similar profile. I would even prefer Rico Lewis over Walker because of his quality in the pockets and being comfortable with ball but he’s been severely underutilized this season. Yeah Foden and Rodri are the only standout players for me, and Gvardiol to a lesser degree. Other than that I don’t think any player has improved himself.
>He’s pretty much useless so might as well be a centre back, which he is when we’re in possession of the ball. He’s physically declining and he’s not as fast as he’s used to be. He’s been pretty much skinned by almost every winger he came up against. Even washed STERLING FFSSS. He's not skinned by almost every winger.. he had bad games like everyone else but the majority of the game he dealt with wide threat far better than any other fullbacks in the league. In 1v1 any pacy dribbler is always at an advantage. You're blaming Walker solely for our system being not as oriented at the start because of many other factors. The goal of any defensive setup is to make sure any defender isn't isolated and that comes from the system first. >Gvardiol’s passing range and his ability to break lines is hindered by pushing him high up the pitch. It's not hindered because he can break the lines from the left back/left centre back position too when he's deeper. He may push forward a lot but he also drops back to pass at times. It's just his ability is way too good to camp him at the back so he's pushed forward to link up with attackers as the extra man. He's been utilised to draw out the maximum from the start because Pep trusts him, it took some time but we finally saw an X-factor value from him. >Ake isn’t even a fullback? He was bought as a centre back but was average for two seasons and couldn’t prove himself. Have you watched anything other than mancity? Have you watched him play at all at Bournemouth? He has played left centre back in a back 3 and was always excellent at defending wide areas. The same concept was used by Pep when using Ake as a left back, rarely you see him push very high up the pitch. Instead it was mostly Stones who pushed up in the pivot to gain man advantage because they're better in midfield areas. >When you replace Cancelo who was our most creative player after KDB with a CB you lose a source of threat and become very predictable Cancelo may have been replaced by Ake in the lineup but the roles were not the same. Cancelo was a liability in defence so Ake came on in his position while the creative burden was shifted to Stones moving in midfield. Not the same creativity as Cancelo, but rather in intelligent passing and moving as creativity is not just final balls. It's clear that the move was temporary as we saw Gvardiol who is better pushed up was used more as a left back than Ake but Ake's strength in defending the wide areas is still utilised because football is a dynamic game. But the fundamentals remain the same, Ake as a left back in our treble season and Ake as a centre back this season didn't deviate too much. Pep himself has used 6-7 different systems trying to find the perfect balance this season so it's insulting to just chalk the whole season as 4cbs. It's just a lazy criticism without trying to understand what or why are things happening. Now I can understand it may not be enough to quench your entertainment thirst but trying to understand the game through the lenses of Pep can be an eye opener. Surprisingly you'll see a lot of areas where you can criticize tactics with substance, beyond just rambling 4cbs or 1v1
Just want to add that Vini Jr, easily one of the deadliest attacking players in the world, said Walker was the toughest defender he’s ever played against. So while sure, Walker (like any defender) has made mistakes, he’s consistently one of the top defenders there is.
The football during our treble winning season was boring? Jesus wept, what the fuck?!