15 Nov 2023 08:24:19
Now that we’ve caught up with them on points, don’t underestimate the Spaniard going into his ‘second guessing himself’ mode.

The way I see it the pressure on City is greater than on us. Dropped points for City at home will dent their confidence more than ours.

Get stuck into them at the start and keep in their faces for the entire game. As has been said, they can get rattled when put under pressure.

1.) 15 Nov 2023
15 Nov 2023 10:40:28
Aren't we a point behind them? Is this the same Spaniard that won the treble last season and has won 5 of the last 6 PL titles? Bit early for this talk I think, let's just focus on being there at the business end of the season.

2.) 15 Nov 2023
15 Nov 2023 11:08:51
West Derby Wanderer3, I think he already galaxy-brained it vs Chelsea by playing Rodri on his own in midfield with Siva and Alvarez bombing forward and leaving him exposed and even inverting Akanji (to have Rodri drop into CB) was another galaxy-brain fart from Pep.

Now could he do the same thing vs LFC? Of course he can cos there are too many recepts to prove it. Le'ts wait and see.

3.) 15 Nov 2023
15 Nov 2023 11:12:34
@Stuie_boy, Pep is known for galaxy-braining stuff and this for years now. I mean, who was the genius who thought it was a good idea to play DM-less vs Chelsea in a CL final? Who was the genius who thought it was a good idea to come to Anfield and play with no width on the right and played Gundogan instead of Sterling in the the Q-final clash with LFC in 17/ 18 and got battered 3-0? Yeah, that guy.

Oh, and there is a lot more where all the above came from, as well. Now will he outsmart himself again like he did even vs Chelsea at the weekend, next Sat? We shall see BUT it is not out of the realm of possibility, IMO.

4.) 15 Nov 2023
15 Nov 2023 13:27:21
Guardiola has a history of over thinking things, and tinkering with his team for no apparent reason. And it goes back a long way. As early as 2010, his Barcelona team (the same one that wiped off ManU and became UCL champion the previous year) was expected to comfortably beat Mourinho's Inter Milan in the UCL semi-finals, and yet was soundly beaten.

They say genius involves a lot of eccentricity. Guardiola has it apparently.

5.) 15 Nov 2023
15 Nov 2023 13:28:48
I wish Klopp would do more galaxy braining, seems to be working pretty well for City!

6.) 15 Nov 2023
15 Nov 2023 17:38:51
Agreed Stuie ??.

7.) 15 Nov 2023
15 Nov 2023 17:57:26
Pep really messed up his thinking getting a draw at Chelsea. You won't catch us getting a draw at Stamford bridge in the league this season.

8.) 15 Nov 2023
15 Nov 2023 18:20:32
Bloody hell lads, we're 12 games in and you are already talking about mind games and pressure. Just enjoy the ride.

9.) 15 Nov 2023
15 Nov 2023 21:31:36
What total nonsense Olired. Par for the course with you.

10.) 16 Nov 2023
16 Nov 2023 07:38:44
I don't have anything meaningful to contribute, but just reading Pep being labeled as an 'over-thinker' who messes things up, is hilarious! That guy has won every freaking trophy to be won in the world of European football and that too repeatedly. Before anyone says "it's all about the money", I shall remind you that many many clubs have pumped a lot of money, namely ManUtd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton and many other European teams but none have been able to exhibit the repeated success and consistency that Pep has achieved throughout his career. That man is a freaking genius and sure gets the odd game wrong due to over tinkering, but mann, you can't help but admire what he has been able to deliver.

11.) 16 Nov 2023
16 Nov 2023 14:10:00
So, him being an "over thinker" is hilarious, but you admit that he's a tinkerer, at the same time. And who said he is not all those superlative things you have said about him?

I see it quite often. Some people just need an outlet (namely, here) for all that natural gas building up inside.

12.) 16 Nov 2023
16 Nov 2023 17:32:17
We all are tinkerers. It's just how well we are able to tinker, learn and re-tinker. The comment about 'over-thinking' was made earlier on the thread in a negative connotation that's why I am calling is out as hilarious. Pep IMO is the most complete Football manager of the recent generation who is able to deliver outcome and trophies consistently. Yes, money plays a role but also brings a lot of added pressure and scrutiny and being able to manage that well makes him a much more supreme manager. If Klopp is unable to perform, usually it can be chalked off to lack of resources or not enough support from ownership etc. but Pep has had to deliver constantly without being able to fall back on any excuses and that IMO is an amazing mental strength and quality, along with the obvious footballing brain he has.

13.) 16 Nov 2023
16 Nov 2023 21:45:17
It is universally acknowledged that all geniuses always have a tendency to have a "fatal flaw" or even make mistakes. One of the best known, Albert Einstein, is known to have gotten the nature of the Universe completely wrong. By tinkering and over thinking his own calculations, and concluding that the Universe was static, when it is in fact expanding. Something he accepted later on.

In other words, I am sticking to my premise that Guardiola is an overthinker. Nowhere did I say he is not a genius or one of the best in the World.

You see overthinking as denial of his genius. I am saying he is an overthinker because of his genius. I'll happily provide you with a list of historical figures afflicted with the same issue. Steve Jobs being the most recent one.

14.) 17 Nov 2023
17 Nov 2023 07:16:38
Thanks. I am quite enjoying this dialogue with you. Fair point. If the over-thinker comment was not meant in a negative shade, then that's fair. I am a technology practitioner (by profession and interest) and your mention of Steve Jobs just piqued my interest, but I will keep my thoughts in check here and not let this conversation turn into an ode to geniuses. Steve Jobs was NOT an over-thinker in my mind. He on the other hand did have a major flaw, which was, he always thought he was right about everything (which from a business point of view, he was more often than not) .

{Ed001's Note - I would have said knowingly exploiting child slave labour to make himself incredibly rich was far more of a flaw than thinking he was right.}

15.) 17 Nov 2023
17 Nov 2023 20:29:16
True that Ed001. Infact the same thing can be said about all the industrialists of the late 1800's and early/ mid 1900's (which exploited labor if not entirely child labor) . It's amazing how we as humans tend to focus on the end results at the cost of completely disregarding all that went into getting there (including both the good and bad) .

Well hope things are well on your end, Ed001 and your internet is no longer the arch enemy from allowing you to make progress on those amazing articles.

16.) 17 Nov 2023
17 Nov 2023 21:00:21
What’s the “world of European football”? Wouldn’t it be the “Europe of European football”?

17.) 18 Nov 2023
18 Nov 2023 09:57:57
Just like only American teams playing in the NBA World Championship. You Sir, are out of this world, for taking away that from this whole thread!