1.) 18 Jun 2021
18 Jun 2021 10:49:25
Sounds like Barcelona are getting a few free signing then. Who would you say would be the best fit for a striker then eds1?

{Ed001's Note - someone like Isak would probably be a good fit.}

2.) 18 Jun 2021
18 Jun 2021 10:58:02
do you not think harry kane would be perfect? surely he leaves spurs its now or never. also anyone have any reason why son has signed a new contract? seems a massive waste of his career he's absolutely top class and one of the best in the world in his position and he tries his best and tracks back which most players don't but plays for a mid table team who won't be back in the champions league for years.

{Ed001's Note - not convinced Kane is perfect for City. He doesn't press.}

3.) 18 Jun 2021
18 Jun 2021 12:40:07
Ed, another great read, so thanks for that.
In your opinion, where does Pep fall short tactically? To me he is a much better Brendan Rodgers, to make a very simplistic comparison - excellent at coaching players, deficient tactically.

{Ed001's Note - the edge over Rodgers is more in discipline, Pep's teams will keep on trying his way, even when it is falling apart they keep going as they are disciplined. Mostly anyway. Whereas when things go against a Rodgers team, they collapse, similar to Pochettino. They will just start diving and kicking, rather than dig in and up their intensity.

As a tactician Pep is awful. Every time he fiddles with his team they struggle. What he does is has a style of play that he coaches his team to play to a very high level. He also, in large part due to the discipline, gets them to work extremely hard. So he doesn't really need to fiddle with tactics, as he has better players, usually, that understand what he wants from them and work at least as hard as the opposition.

For me Pep's biggest problem is that he doesn't just make slight tweaks when he changes tactics, he makes wholesale changes in system and personnel. It is very rare that works, no matter how good the players. I think he often sees weaknesses that are there when a team plays against someone else that he looks to exploit, without considering if those weaknesses were there because of who they were facing. Teams alter the way they play to face a Pep team, and he never seems to have taken that into consideration.

Thank you for the compliment, glad you enjoyed.}

4.) 18 Jun 2021
18 Jun 2021 13:04:13
Thanks a lot, Ed. No need to thank me, the analytical articles on here are miles ahead of anywhere else.

5.) 18 Jun 2021
18 Jun 2021 13:31:12
I accidentally shut down the box with my reply, sorry Lowe. I am really glad you think that. I find I enjoy that aspect more and more these days, rather than the transfer stuff.

6.) 18 Jun 2021
18 Jun 2021 13:57:09
Oh definitely, I imagine a lot of the posters do as well. Ed002 clearly knows his stuff with regard to transfers and the workings of football, but the player/ team analysis on here is the main thing for me. I guarantee you very few analysts/ journalists from wherever have noted that Kane doesn’t press and so might not be the best fit for City. They are all busy imagining him tapping in 900 defence-splitting De Bruyne passes a season.

7.) 18 Jun 2021
18 Jun 2021 13:38:17
Many thanks, ED01 for your response to LoweLFC. These flaws in Pep's repertoire are what the media and many of his so called admirers, like to gloss over or conveniently overlook. When you point them out, they call you bitter and a hater whereas the proof is right in front of us.

Like you, I agree that Pep does not seem to care what or how the other teams play against other teams and how they play against him. Vs Chelsea and vs LFC are good examples of this. Klopp battered him in the 4-3 game in 17/ 18 cos LFC did not press City that much and we went long and won the second ball for the most part, IMO. In the CL game at Anfield right afterwards, he benched Sterling and played Gundogan on the right and we pressed them high and battered them 3-0. This is where he fails.

I have always maintained that Pep likes to make things or football, about himself so IMO, when he changes tactics as drastically as he does (not just at City BUT at Bayern as well in the CL), he seems to be trying to reinvent football so when it works, he or it can be said that he changed things and won based on some innovative decision (s) he made. Whereas, he has FAILED each time he as done so. He is a great manager BUT a genius? He is nowhere near being one, sorry.

{Ed001's Note - he didn't fail every time to be fair. The first time he made a big tactical switch it paid off spectacularly. The problem is that he is looking to repeat that one-off constantly, rather than realising it was a one-off.}

8.) 18 Jun 2021
18 Jun 2021 13:57:00
Another brilliant article Ed001, have to say I love this site and I fully agree with Lowel, the analysis you provide us lucky folk with is streets ahead of anywhere else. Keep them coming please.

{Ed001's Note - thank you Robbie, I will certainly try to keep them up.}

9.) 19 Jun 2021
18 Jun 2021 20:04:21
Ed, I can agree with your response there. It just seems like he tries to reinvent the wheel often and for now at least on the CL, he is failing and needs to just coach the games, make the necessary adjustments when required and move on.