Guardiola to be offered coaching deal next season...

with view to becoming Fergie's successor?

Another non story, no doubt:

PEP GUARDIOLA is being sounded out about taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United within two years.

The Barcelona boss has a contract at the Nou Camp until June but is content to let it run down as he awaits the outcome of the Spanish giants' presidential elections.


United have asked Guardiola's agent about bringing him to Old Trafford in a coaching role next season, with a view to succeeding Fergie 12 months after that.


"A club has contacted me but there have been no discussions over money or the sporting project. Anything like that is up to Pep," said Guardiola's agent Jose Maria Orobigt.


Guardiola, 38, has been reported as Fergie's preferred choice to take over at United when he finally retires within the next couple of years.


The former Barca and Spain midfielder has remained silent on his plans for next season even though the club have made it clear that they want him to stay.


He has proved a huge success by guiding the Catalans to an historic La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey 'Treble' in his first season, and has been free to talk to other clubs since January 1.


Fergie, 68, revealed in May 2008 that he does not expect to be managing by the time he reaches 70 and even predicted that he might go at the end of next season.


Guardiola would represent an acceptable choice to most United fans. His entertaining Barca side outclassed United in last year's Champions League final in Rome.


United have long held concerns over who should be their next manager and believe that Jose Mourinho's abrasive style and conservative football would not sit well with supporters.

Can't see it happening myself. He has only been at Barca for 18 months and he inherited the team anyway.

Originally Posted by koppas

with view to becoming Fergie's successor?

Another non story, no doubt:



Can't see it happening myself. He has only been at Barca for 18 months and he inherited the team anyway.

Just lazy journalism. Probably the crappest most made up story of the year. Why would a guy with Barca in his blood having just won the treble leave to go to another club to be a coach. This is Barca we're talking about ffs.

Originally Posted by wee man

Just lazy journalism. Probably the crappest most made up story of the year. Why would a guy with Barca in his blood having just won the treble leave to go to another club to be a coach. This is Barca we're talking about ffs.

I know. It's ridiculous. Why would he want to leave Barca with the side he has, with the money he has and the lifestyle he has to come to come to Manchester and manage a side that that is, by all accounts, in trouble financially.

Would be an extremely risky appointment. Wouldn't be in favour of it tbh.

Would prefer the black Diouf to take over.

Originally Posted by Switching Off

Would prefer the black Diouf to take over.

i do wonder with guardiola - whether he's actually much cop as a coach or if he just lucked out with a team that was just approaching its peak as he took charge. messi, xavi and iniesta were all there long before he came in, and i'm not sure how much input he had in getting the team to knit together as well as it does. there's the inevitable galvanising effect of having a barca old boy in charge, but that's more to do with his heritage than expertise.

it'll be interesting to see what happens a few years down the line once this current team's star has faded - whether he'll prove adept in building another one - or if he moves on somewhere else in the meantime. might be that it's downhill from here.

He'll be the next manager of Liverpool.

YHIHF.

Can see it happening.

The draw of working alongside Mickey Phelan on a day to day basis has got to be too much for any true football man to turn down.

Originally Posted by John Blazini

Can see it happening.

The draw of working alongside Mickey Phelan & Diouf on a day to day basis has got to be too much for any true football man to turn down.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by taff

i do wonder with guardiola - whether he's actually much cop as a coach or if he just lucked out with a team that was just approaching its peak as he took charge. messi, xavi and iniesta were all there long before he came in, and i'm not sure how much input he had in getting the team to knit together as well as it does. there's the inevitable galvanising effect of having a barca old boy in charge, but that's more to do with his heritage than expertise.

it'll be interesting to see what happens a few years down the line once this current team's star has faded - whether he'll prove adept in building another one - or if he moves on somewhere else in the meantime. might be that it's downhill from here.

Guardiola was fortunate that he has the best group of home grown players that barca have had in decades. Messi, xavi, iniesta, puyol, piqué (yes he counts), bojan, valdes.... But let's not detract from what he achieved.

Fwiw I can't see him ever taking over at united. Can you imagine him trying to get Gibson and carrick to play like xavi and iniesta?

FFS Sparky, I know Carrick isn't in great form recently, but lumping him in with Gibson is a bit bloody much

(even wonky seems to have given up on the latter since the Leeds disaster)

So why all the stories linking him with a move away from Barcelona?

I've read everything from stress, concern over presidential elections and a desire to coach in the greatest league in the world (© skysports) are the reasons behind it.

Think the bloke would be £#%&!ing mad to walk away tbh.

I heard he was allergic to salted fish

hope he brings iniesta with him

Originally Posted by waynes ear's

hope he brings iniesta with him

and Messi

Originally Posted by Bral

and Messi

But not Zlatan, he's £#%&!ing shit

Originally Posted by Bral

and Messi

and pique

Good article on him here - not exactly ground breaking but a good insight.

He knows football, he's also (it appears) a well rounded man. You'd say he was more Wenger than Fergie, but then you can't follow like for like.

You'd look at the (original in the OP) article initially & scoff, just a 'coach' at United... yeah, OK then. But Fergie's the last of a dying breed, the continental approach of having a manager is less full on, & Fergie himself has managed to drag United into the realms of having a structured youth development all the way through to the Stiffs. Pep himself started out with the youth / or the 'B' side, got promotion, was a man who knew the club from top to bottom. Barca forver has the shadow of Cruyff looming over it, ever decision, player, formation & transfer seemingly relies on him giving a nod to it, so following up with Fergie still around here wouldn't be the crushing weight it could be on others, especially if Fergie goes upstairs as it were.

You'd want to hand him a huge transfer budget though... anyone who takes over from Fergie has to have fortunes or they'd shit themselves.

So, you'd likely say with our financials that it clearly rules him out. & anyone else worth their salt in the market tbh.

It's not currently the most inviting job in europe