Perhaps Pep Guardiola's Biggest Flaw...
Big Games
One thing I don’t like about Pep Guardiola’s playing philosophy and character as a manager is that he always seems to overcomplicate and micro-manage big games. He seems to give very specific instructions and I don’t like that. One instance where Pep Guardiola’s tactics were considered overcomplicated was during the FA Cup final defeat by Manchester United, where he admitted to making a mistake with his tactical choices. There have been other occasions where his tactical decisions have been scrutinized, such as using Bernardo Silva in a left-back role which was a position that he wasn’t fit to play in, and during his time at Bayern Munich where the accusations of overthinking began. A final is always about which team wants it more, who is up for the occasion the most, not who has better tactics. You see amazing managers such as Carlo Ancelotti who expects that his players will give it their all and don’t try to overcomplicate things because in a final, things don’t go your way and the special thing about these very important matches is that we can see which team can take responsibility and improvise. Real Madrid is a great example, they always fight until the end and leave it all on the pitch. Them scoring late goals in big games isn’t a coincidence as they have done it multiple times such as: beating Man City (2021-22) in the Champions League Semi-Finals as they scored twice in the dying embers of the game and eventually won in extra time and even this season scored twice versus Bayern Munich to win and make it to the Champions League Final against Dortmund. A manager needs to be able to trust that their players will get the job done, these Man City players are the best in the world, they don’t need to be baby-fed.
Congratulations on creating your blog! The entire setup is very professional and impressive!
Your post was very interesting. Obviously, Pep is one of the all-time great managers--and I know you agree. However, I think you raise some constructive points, especially on big matches. Perhaps, there is a fine line between micro managing and simplicity and allowing world-class players to see/feel the match. Every manager needs constructive feedback that comes from the community with good intentions and should reflect on the comments and his/her performance to learn and improve (which is continuous / life long process). I look forward to learning more in your next post.
Congratulations on your blog! I enjoyed reading your post about Guardiola’s approach to big games. Your analysis is insightful, and raised some interesting points about his tactics. I agree, he may be overcompensating for lack of trust in his players. Keep up the great work. Looking forward to your next post.