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Originally Posted by The Soup Nazi
Speaking of, has the predicted quantum quality leap in Manchester City from Pellegrini to Guardiola really happened? I'm not trying to be a dick; I'm posing the question honestly. Me, I preferred it when Touré and Silva were in clear charge of the attacking midfield instead of this intermitent mess.
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I'd say they're worse under Pep. They've lost focus in attack and they're definitely weaker in defence. They're less than the sum of their parts, which is the opposite of what I'd expect from one of his teams.
I ultimately think he's baffled by the sheer relentless intensity of the Prem. The way teams he probably assumed he could stroll past show him no respect. I also think he's a bit rattled by the quite confrontational nature of the British press.
I'm not getting into the whole 'Prem is the best league' argument but I always thought it would be his biggest challenge, not for its quality, necessarily, but for its utter competitiveness. And right now I don't think he's coping with it very well at all.
But we can only really start to judge him next season, when he has the players he wants in place, better suited to his ideas. I'm having my doubts though.