Guardiola

[Sproggy]

City are the new Utd. Tourists watching them, a horrible self-entitlement that they should win every game and petulant manager, players and fans when they don't.

[KRBFC]

Not particularly a ding dong, just blinkered views from KRBFC who's probably busy sucking his dummy sat in the corner crying to himself that City lost and we're all horrible nasty Pep haters

Why would I be crying that City lost? Somehow I always end up in a debate with you about Pep, why is that? Why are you so bothered that I like him? there's nothing blinkered at all to suggest the 1st goal in the 1st leg shouldn't have stood and the one City scored should have stood. That's a 2 goal swing in a Champions League quarter final but you're acting like it's not important at all. The 1st goal in the 1st leg was so important, I believe fully in momentum in football, the 2 wrong goal decisions not only stopped City's momentum in the 2nd leg but started Liverpool's in the 1st leg. To suggest the decisions weren't important is just blinkered stupidity to discredit Pep.

I don't know why you keep trying to make out i'm an upset City fan when i've openly admitted to liking Pep from day 1. You are actually the one who admitted to being a Liverpool fan all of your life until you chose to hop on the Burnley bandwagon following promotion a few years ago. How hilarious is that?

[Darthlaw]

What Klopp has done with players like Salah and Firmino this season is amazing. The fact he could win the Champions league (I can see it happening with Liverpool's cup mentality) with yet another team of also-rans, similar to his time at Dortmund, is very impressive.

It's just a shame he's doing it with Liverpool.

Is he the new Pep? Not a chance. Is he the new Sean Dyche though..?

[TVC15]

Klopp is an exciting manager to have at your club for sure. United fans would be much happier in my view if they had appointed Klopp rather than Moaningrinho - especially if they would have signed Salah.
Just like his Dortmund side you get the impression that in a one off game they could beat anyone but over the course of a season his teams are too gung ho to win the league.

Pep’s teams seem the opposite - over a season much more consistent but in a Cup game can get found out.

Both teams are great to watch and both managers are up there with the best in the world - partly because their style of play is so great to watch.

As for the game Liverpool were better over both games. City definitely got the worst of the decisions but Liverpool still would have won IMHO.

That does not make Liverpool a better team than City - very clearly the table tells you they are not.

[KRBFC]

Now Liverpool will be looking to get some cup competition luck, and not draw Bayern/Real in the semis and have to play them both to win the trophy.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

I think Liverpool are the side most likely to challenge City next year, VVD is one of the best central defenders in the world and Naby Keita who's joining in the summer is very very good. 2 or 3 players short but Klopp is fantastic.

Or could Sean emulate both Jurgen and Pep? Not forgetting Jose of course.

[Hbclaret007]

I think Liverpool are the side most likely to challenge City next year, VVD is one of the best central defenders in the world and Naby Keita who's joining in the summer is very very good. 2 or 3 players short but Klopp is fantastic.

Disagree completely about VVD, but agree Liverpool could be very strong next year.

[cricketfieldclarets]

When I saw Pep marching on to the pitch at HT I thought "good on you, get your players away from the ref, get them in the changing rooms, calm them and plan on winning the game" but, no, he had his hissy fit which will have passed on to the players around him. It would have affected the players composure and, as a manager, that has to be an error by Pep. He is a very, very good manager and his team have been unbelievable to watch this season but he does have a little "spoilt brat-iness" about him, especially when he's only lost about 5 games all season.

With regards the game itself, I thought Liverpool were fantastic. Got the 3 goal lead in the first half of the first leg then defended very well. They did ride their luck a little last night but saying the disallowed goal was an easy call isn't true in y opinion. Chris Foy was the studio ref and, having watched the replays a a few times he agreed the offside was correct. It was only after another 10 minutes or so that Foy realised the ball had come off Milner so the goal should have stood. Longest VAR decision ever!

Exactly what i thought was happening.

[tiger76]

Now Liverpool will be looking to get some cup competition luck, and not draw Bayern/Real in the semis and have to play them both to win the trophy.

Are Bayern the force they once were Robben et al are ageing.Liverpool's pace is always going too trouble defenders.

A quick point for all those bemoaning Serie A,Juventus have reached the final twice recently and Roma are in the Semi's this year.

Could be a George Orwell final (1984)

You could argue Liverpool have been lucky with the draw but you still have too win the ties.

It says a lot for our season that we have drawn with both these sides in the league.

[chekhov]

When I saw Pep marching on to the pitch at HT I thought "good on you, get your players away from the ref, get them in the changing rooms, calm them and plan on winning the game" but, no, he had his hissy fit which will have passed on to the players around him. It would have affected the players composure and, as a manager, that has to be an error by Pep. He is a very, very good manager and his team have been unbelievable to watch this season but he does have a little "spoilt brat-iness" about him, especially when he's only lost about 5 games all season.

With regards the game itself, I thought Liverpool were fantastic. Got the 3 goal lead in the first half of the first leg then defended very well. They did ride their luck a little last night but saying the disallowed goal was an easy call isn't true in y opinion. Chris Foy was the studio ref and, having watched the replays a a few times he agreed the offside was correct. It was only after another 10 minutes or so that Foy realised the ball had come off Milner so the goal should have stood. Longest VAR decision ever!

Yes! I agree, good post!

[bob-the-scutter]

Citeh & Pep have been sussed. Go at them from the start and dont pay them any respect.

[KRBFC]

Or could Sean emulate both Jurgen and Pep? Not forgetting Jose of course.

A little perspective is needed, as good as Dyche has done for us, please don't mention him in the same sentence as serial winners at the highest level. There is levels to the game, similar to players, Paul Cook about to record 3 successive promotions, do we also talk about him on Jose's level?

[KRBFC]

Are Bayern the force they once were Robben et al are ageing.Liverpool's pace is always going too trouble defenders.

A quick point for all those bemoaning Serie A,Juventus have reached the final twice recently and Roma are in the Semi's this year.

Could be a George Orwell final (1984)

You could argue Liverpool have been lucky with the draw but you still have too win the ties.

It says a lot for our season that we have drawn with both these sides in the league.

Agreed, cup competitions are always about the luck of the draw though. The longer you avoid the better teams the easier it technically should be.

[TVC15]

A little perspective is needed, as good as Dyche has done for us, please don't mention him in the same sentence as serial winners at the highest level. There is levels to the game, similar to players, Paul Cook about to record 3 successive promotions, do we also talk about him on Jose's level?

Why ?
It’s all about the here and now.

The one good thing about last night is that Dyche has a chance of manager of the year.
Lots of pundits / ex players have already said they think Dyche should get this award and that was before last night.
Paul Cook has nothing to do with it - Dyche is in the same league as Pep, Jose etc and with a fraction of the budget he is doing arguably better than both.
To compete in this league like we have this year is amazing. Ranieri was not a better manager than Poccetino, Jose etc - but a couple of years ago for one season he was.
Ashley Barnes is clearly not a better player than Wayne Rooney - but this season he is.

It’s fine for us and others to talk about Dyche in the same breath as anyone at the moment - it might never happen again !

[levraiclaret]

Refereeing decisions tend to even themselves out of the course of a Season.

That is just not true.

[KRBFC]

Why ?
It’s all about the here and now.

The one good thing about last night is that Dyche has a chance of manager of the year.
Lots of pundits / ex players have already said they think Dyche should get this award and that was before last night.
Paul Cook has nothing to do with it - Dyche is in the same league as Pep, Jose etc and with a fraction of the budget he is doing arguably better than both.
To compete in this league like we have this year is amazing. Ranieri was not a better manager than Poccetino, Jose etc - but a couple of years ago for one season he was.
Ashley Barnes is clearly not a better player than Wayne Rooney - but this season he is.

It’s fine for us and others to talk about Dyche in the same breath as anyone at the moment - it might never happen again !

Yeah but doing well with a smaller club on a smaller budget doesn't make you automatically able to step up a level, similar to scoring goals in the Championship doesn't automatically make you good enough for the PL. People seem to think, well Dyche has got results with Burnley on a small budget so would easily get results at a big club with a big budget when it simply doesn't work like that. Moyes/Rodgers/Martinez are a few that spring to mind who did well at a midtable side, stepped up and were found out.

Does Dyche's ability to spot a bargain player with a £10M budget help him at a top 6 club with a £200M budget? A completely different transfer market.
Does Dyche's defensive organisation work with a top club where the opposition would park the bus game after game? the emphasis would change, he'd be expected to attack teams and break them down, where as here we're the ones defensively trying to nick something.
Could Dyche motivate world class players? can he handle the big egos?
Can Dyche handle the pressure effectively 1 game from the sack?

There's so many unanswered questions, Dyche may be good enough but until he's proven it at that level you can't put him at that level.

[Sidney1st]

Even the top managers struggle with the egos of players at times.

As for the spending ability, managers at top clubs can afford to make mistakes and not worry about it, lesser clubs can't, so which manager does better with their money?

The one who buys a £30 million player, then replaces them with another when it doesn't work out or the manager who buys a £3 million player and makes them better to the point they get an international call up?
That isn't a dig at Pep either, we can use Soldado at Spurs for the purpose of this exercise if needs be.

[Lord Beamish]

KRBFC. Does Marco Silva know how you feel about Pep Guardiola?

[BurningBeard]

KRBFC. Does Marco Silva know how you feel about Pep Guardiola?

You're on form today.

[TVC15]

KRBFC - I could ask a load of similar questions about Pep or Jose in the context of whether they could lead a team to 7th in the Premier League with a budget the size of ours or whether they could have the 4th best defence in the league with a defence that cost less than £10m etc etc

I am not saying Dyche is a better manager than Pep - i’m saying that arguably he has had a better season in what he has achieved taking into account the respective circumstances and budgets of all the clubs

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

If Sean had those Mediterranean looks and trendy fashion sense Saturday nights would be a lot more pleasurable experience in the KRBFC household.

[Caernarfon_Claret]

That is just not true.

Either way unless referees are corrupt which does happen from time to time their "mistakes" are because they are human beings - even the best will make mistakes, just as the best managers and the best footballers make mistakes.

The system we have in place is the system most people want as it doesn't interupt the flow of the game, therefore managers and players need to respect the officials.

[bfcjg]

Take the money away and he's like all top European managers over rated .