Today's football 31.03

How many shots ?

Advantage Liverpool. Great stuff

https://x.com/jimmystirling/status/1774482918947106931?s=46&t=l_IDjZwQTig51Y-d5izVYA

x isn't an app
but yes it was £#%&!

would love to see a manager play 4 - 4 -2 morphing to 4-2-4 and attack this awful type of football.

Pep playing up for the cameras again at the final whistle, the try-hard #@&%!.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

https://x.com/jimmystirling/status/1...Tig51Y-d5izVYA

Spot on.

Originally Posted by Jack Duckworth

Pep playing up for the cameras again at the final whistle, the try-hard #@&%!.

Yep. He made sure everybody knew that it wasn’t his fault they were toothless, it was Jack Grealish’s fault.

Fair play, didn't think Arsenal would seriously challenge this season after their meltdown last year.

In fact, they are probably the most in form of the 3 contenders going into the run in - maybe 20 years is indeed long enough?

Originally Posted by Dacter

Yep. He made sure everybody knew that it wasn’t his fault they were toothless, it was Jack Grealish’s fault.

He’s a horrible horrible little man. All pomp and grandstanding to perpetuate this idea that he has ridiculously high standards

Actually felt for Grealish there. For all his laddy antics, seems like a nice quiet lad, who was just in the wrong place for Pep’s narcissism

As annoying as Arteta is, there’s really no contest as to which of the three is rather win the league. Arsenal gate crashing those two in Klopp’s last season would be great 👍

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

As annoying as Arteta is, there’s really no contest as to which of the three is rather win the league. Arsenal gate crashing those two in Klopp’s last season would be great 👍

100%, goes without saying.

Still hard to get over this though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whYj9kIhZXA

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

He’s a horrible horrible little man. All pomp and grandstanding to perpetuate this idea that he has ridiculously high standards

Actually felt for Grealish there. For all his laddy antics, seems like a nice quiet lad, who was just in the wrong place for Pep’s narcissism

As annoying as Arteta is, there’s really no contest as to which of the three is rather win the league. Arsenal gate crashing those two in Klopp’s last season would be great 👍

Pretty much spot on.

Seems he also set about making an arsehole of himself in a variety of interviews afterwards

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

He’s a horrible horrible little man. All pomp and grandstanding to perpetuate this idea that he has ridiculously high standards

Actually felt for Grealish there. For all his laddy antics, seems like a nice quiet lad, who was just in the wrong place for Pep’s narcissism

As annoying as Arteta is, there’s really no contest as to which of the three is rather win the league. Arsenal gate crashing those two in Klopp’s last season would be great 👍

He's ruined Grealish as a footballer. Trained every bit of expression out of him and just turned him into another wide cutback merchant.

That's why when people start comparing Ferguson to Guardiola they need to just stop. There is no comparison apart from they both won loads of stuff. Completely different ideas about the game. Ferguson embraced maverick players and understood that you had to let certain players express themselves. It's why we scored a multitude of classic, never to be forgotten goals under him. Can anyone really remember many City goals from last season? 90% of which were just 6 yard tap ins from haaland. I mean if you wanted a perfect poster boy for 2024 football, then it's haaland isn't it. The £#%&!ing Ivan Drago of footballers, a great big physical specimen who just kicks the ball in the net.

Guardiola has drilled all the £#%&!ing romance, joy and spontaneity out of football in favour of robotic ball-hogging and stat driven methods of ensuring that a competitive game of football doesn't break out in amongst his tedious spells of possession. Guardiola doesn't trust any footballer (aside from maybe Messi) to do anything unless he has specifically instructed them to do it. It's why Zlatan £#%&!ing hated playing for him.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

He's ruined Grealish as a footballer. Trained every bit of expression out of him and just turned him into another wide cutback merchant.

That's why when people start comparing Ferguson to Guardiola they need to just stop. There is no comparison apart from they both won loads of stuff. Completely different ideas about the game. Ferguson embraced maverick players and understood that you had to let certain players express themselves. It's why we scored a multitude of classic, never to be forgotten goals under him. Can anyone really remember many City goals from last season? 90% of which were just 6 yard tap ins from haaland. I mean if you wanted a perfect poster boy for 2024 football, then it's haaland isn't it. The £#%&!ing Ivan Drago of footballers, a great big physical specimen who just kicks the ball in the net.

Guardiola has drilled all the £#%&!ing romance, joy and spontaneity out of football in favour of robotic ball-hogging and stat driven methods of ensuring that a competitive game of football doesn't break out in amongst his tedious spells of possession. Guardiola doesn't trust any footballer (aside from maybe Messi) to do anything unless he has specifically instructed them to do it. It's why Zlatan £#%&!ing hated playing for him.

He’s Mourinho 2.0. His football is just as negative too. Hold onto the ball until you bore the opposition into leaving an opening. If they have a chance to counter then immediately commit a snide foul to stop them. Rinse and repeat.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

He's ruined Grealish as a footballer. Trained every bit of expression out of him and just turned him into another wide cutback merchant.

That's why when people start comparing Ferguson to Guardiola they need to just stop. There is no comparison apart from they both won loads of stuff. Completely different ideas about the game. Ferguson embraced maverick players and understood that you had to let certain players express themselves. It's why we scored a multitude of classic, never to be forgotten goals under him. Can anyone really remember many City goals from last season? 90% of which were just 6 yard tap ins from haaland. I mean if you wanted a perfect poster boy for 2024 football, then it's haaland isn't it. The £#%&!ing Ivan Drago of footballers, a great big physical specimen who just kicks the ball in the net.

Guardiola has drilled all the £#%&!ing romance, joy and spontaneity out of football in favour of robotic ball-hogging and stat driven methods of ensuring that a competitive game of football doesn't break out in amongst his tedious spells of possession. Guardiola doesn't trust any footballer (aside from maybe Messi) to do anything unless he has specifically instructed them to do it. It's why Zlatan £#%&!ing hated playing for him.

Van Persie:

"Fergie always made you express yourself. Sometimes he’d come in and say, ‘Boys, where do I start? It’s boring! Imagine me, 72 years old, watching this kind of game?’

He’d say, ‘Excite me. Try a pass over 40 metres. Try a dribble. I don’t care if it goes wrong. I want to sit on the edge of my chair. Please excite me. And make the game quicker, please.’ He was a genius."

Originally Posted by Zorg

Van Persie:

Originally Posted by Sparky***

He's ruined Grealish as a footballer. Trained every bit of expression out of him and just turned him into another wide cutback merchant.

That's why when people start comparing Ferguson to Guardiola they need to just stop. There is no comparison apart from they both won loads of stuff. Completely different ideas about the game. Ferguson embraced maverick players and understood that you had to let certain players express themselves. It's why we scored a multitude of classic, never to be forgotten goals under him. Can anyone really remember many City goals from last season? 90% of which were just 6 yard tap ins from haaland. I mean if you wanted a perfect poster boy for 2024 football, then it's haaland isn't it. The £#%&!ing Ivan Drago of footballers, a great big physical specimen who just kicks the ball in the net.

Guardiola has drilled all the £#%&!ing romance, joy and spontaneity out of football in favour of robotic ball-hogging and stat driven methods of ensuring that a competitive game of football doesn't break out in amongst his tedious spells of possession. Guardiola doesn't trust any footballer (aside from maybe Messi) to do anything unless he has specifically instructed them to do it. It's why Zlatan £#%&!ing hated playing for him.

Spot on.

Originally Posted by Zorg

Van Persie:

Whilst I would agree with the overall sentiment around Fergie, it has to be said that from the outside it looked like he (United) coached a lot of flair out of Rooney. I’d argue Ronaldo became far less expressive by the time he had left also in 09, when offset against the way he played in Madrid.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

He's ruined Grealish as a footballer. Trained every bit of expression out of him and just turned him into another wide cutback merchant.

That's why when people start comparing Ferguson to Guardiola they need to just stop. There is no comparison apart from they both won loads of stuff. Completely different ideas about the game. Ferguson embraced maverick players and understood that you had to let certain players express themselves. It's why we scored a multitude of classic, never to be forgotten goals under him. Can anyone really remember many City goals from last season? 90% of which were just 6 yard tap ins from haaland. I mean if you wanted a perfect poster boy for 2024 football, then it's haaland isn't it. The £#%&!ing Ivan Drago of footballers, a great big physical specimen who just kicks the ball in the net.

Guardiola has drilled all the £#%&!ing romance, joy and spontaneity out of football in favour of robotic ball-hogging and stat driven methods of ensuring that a competitive game of football doesn't break out in amongst his tedious spells of possession. Guardiola doesn't trust any footballer (aside from maybe Messi) to do anything unless he has specifically instructed them to do it. It's why Zlatan £#%&!ing hated playing for him.

You’ve probably seen it, but there’s a clip of Henry talking about playing under him for Barca.

His job was to stay on the left and let Messi do his thing on the right. He wasn’t allowed to even cross over onto the right hand side of the pitch.

One sunny day in Spain, Barca were struggling and Henry wasn’t seeing any of the ball, so he had a “sod this!” Moment. He went over to the right, combined with Messi and Barca scored (I think it was him. He either scored or assisted)

Half time comes and Pep takes him off. Henry goes nuts claiming he changed the game. Pep told him he wasn’t allowed to go to that side of the pitch, so he was subbed for that.

Pretty much sums him up

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

You’ve probably seen it, but there’s a clip of Henry talking about playing under him for Barca.

His job was to stay on the left and let Messi do his thing on the right. He wasn’t allowed to even cross over onto the right hand side of the pitch.

One sunny day in Spain, Barca were struggling and Henry wasn’t seeing any of the ball, so he had a “sod this!” Moment. He went over to the right, combined with Messi and Barca scored (I think it was him. He either scored or assisted)

Half time comes and Pep takes him off. Henry goes nuts claiming he changed the game. Pep told him he wasn’t allowed to go to that side of the pitch, so he was subbed for that.

Pretty much sums him up

Players seem to love him though, and his methods clearly work.

I don’t think anyone has changed the game the way he has, certainly not in modern times.

Originally Posted by Hans Rimmer

Players seem to love him though, and his methods clearly work.

I don’t think anyone has changed the game the way he has, certainly not in modern times.

He is clearly a fantastic manager and players will buy into your methods as long as you're winning. He's laid down the law and any player that even shows the slightest bit of dissent is instantly jettisoned (see Cancelo), which is easier when you're only ever managing hugely successful clubs that have more money than any other team in your league. A £50 million full back gone after one season because he questioned the manger. If that was United he'd still be here and we'd have gone through 3 more managers.