Throughout the time we mostly talk about players. Be it football or any other sport. Little do we talk about the guy on sideline. The animated characters who jump left right and center making weird movements and hand gestures. Yes, the coaches. And football coaches are arguably the most celebrated coaches around the world. Speaking of football coaches, one debate remains on everyone's head. Who's the best coach in the world? And why is it not Pep Guardiola? Well, there are some proper logics to that debate.
Let's dissect about what type of a coach Guardiola is. Pep is a brilliant coach. There is no doubt in that. He has a very coherent system that works flawlessly against almost everyone. He is a one trick pony. No matter what happens, Pep's system might change in the minor details, but the broader approach has always stayed the same. So that isn't an argument. Pep Guardiola is a pragmatic coach. Pep has learned his skills from the great himself. The father of Tiki Taka, Johan Cruyff. And just like him, Pep's coaching career started at Barcelona too. He didn't had to go through the pains of promoting a lower league team. Or he didn't have to manage a below par team at the start of his career.
I'm saying these things because you wouldn't expect a newbie coach to get appointments from the biggest clubs in the world. They aren't dumb to bet their money on someone unproven, especially when the stakes are at the highest. But Pep has been one of their own, also he has been recommended by Cruyff himself. Who would turn him down now? Barcelona took him in. And Pep, mixing his ideas with the base Tiki Taka style, had made a formidable team that was feared by everybody. After that he went to Bayern. Won the league multiple times. Now in England. Turning the premier league into a farmers league. All that is good. But the problem starts when you see his expenses. Guardiola is the coach with the second most highest spendings in his career, at 1.44bn pounds. Trailing Mourinho at 1.54bn pounds. Here Mourinho actually has signed way more players for that money than Pep, mostly because Mourinho has been around in coaching for almost a decade longer. So price per player wise, Pep spends the most. But where's the output? Pep wins the league yes, but the champions league? That's something he hasn't seen since he left Barcelona.
Guardiola spends so much yet his achievements outside the league is next to none. Why? It's because how he is as a human. Pep does not communicate with players like other coaches. He treats them like pawns in his system. There are several reports of several players claiming the fact that Guardiola may be a very good man tactics wise, but he isn't one human wise. And not letting players make decisions on the field, and playing their game for them by binding them to a set of instructions, is where Pep Guardiola fails.
To win at the big stage you need kings, not pawns. So when the king's moment arrives, the players fail. Guardiola is arguably the best tactician on earth right now. But there's more to coaching than just tactics. A coach is like a teacher. You have connect too as well as teach. Guardiola has never had to produce something out of nothing. And whenever he did, he failed. It's because of how ruthlessly he treats his players. The motivation isn't just there.
But I'm sure he will come around. I plan on dissecting other coaches in a similar fashion as well.
Yes he wins the league but with the amount spent on players surely he would have won a Champions League for City, if with that amount of money spent he can only secure the league title then surely he has failed City.
I don't really know how his relationship is with his players but I got a glimpse of it because of the YaYa Toure issue.
Yaya Toure is just the tip of the iceberg. Yaya Toure has been ousted twice by Pep. Zlatan spoke publicly too. Eto'o is also a name. Alexis Sanchez has been abused by his mother's name too.
He only wins the league because the tactics matter more here. If he knew how to treat the players, he would've won the champions league too.
Unlike other coaches who treat some of their players as friends, Pep sees everyone as a tool, that's why he can dispense of anyone without remorse and still maintain momentum.
This, just as you stated is where he fails as a manager because when the going gets tough, the players don't have an extra motivation to give more, they just stick to the system and it's limits. Pep's players rarely see the game as a game of life and death.
Personally I don't see him changing
Yes, you get the point. Pep needs to build the character in his team if he has any intention to win the mental game.
No Doubt, Pep is a good coach but I would rather say most of the time that he's a kind of coach that gets players to play for him.
I do not agree with anyone that he's a manager that can reform a player of build one out of his initial position or comfort zone like Mourinho does but nevertheless, he's one of the best still.
Well, pep actually can reform players, we've seen how he has made Messi a false 9 from a right winger, and Joao cancelo from right back to left back. Currently he's also working on Julian Alvarez. But yes, he always prefers players that fit to his 'system'
Yeah quite true but he wouldn't play those players if there aren't strong enough before for the positions.
Yes a manager needs more than just tactical skills as man management skills are what gets the extra out of players. I don't know Pep how he treats the players but all the players want to learn from him so that says something. Please I cannot forward your post for extra curation as you don't engage enough. I look at the number of comments you have done and it has to increase. Just highlighting trying to help as it is costing you rewards.
Yeah, players do want to learn from him because he is simply the best out there in term of tactics. but the problem arises when his players don't perform to his required levels. the internet is filled with players addressing the fact, even videos and press conferences too.
Also the fact that he can just buy another player and replace him without any backlash, gives him the extra temper. And about engagement thing you mentioned, actually I am quite active in background works like moderating community, keeping an eye on abuses etc but it is true that my on-chain engagement rate is low. I'll definitely try to work on it. Thanks for your comment & suggestion.