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These guys won't need long to work out their best systems and even if they do, Wenger is still working out his system 10 years and counting. He's found it difficult enough to remain competitive over recent years when the quality of competition hasn't been as intense but now it looks like that window of opportunity has firmly closed.
At worst we'll still find our way to 4th though, of course.
This is my thinking, come what may....Wenger will always get 4th place because that's the only thing he's under any pressure to attain.
It's not that he doesn't personally want to achieve more, but hes given too much freedom to prevaricate and be stubborn and inflexible.
I genuinely think if he was put under pressure to win the title than he'd probably find a way of doing it...Provided he spent.
Conte and Pep are in for a nasty shock. They won't have encountered anything like the PL before and it will take them time to lower themselves to the required level. Wait until they experience their first punch up at Stoke :haha: Those sharp suits won't stay unruffled for long. Pep will have it harder. Everyone will be out to beat him. He's going to start the season with 18 cup finals in a row. I think he might struggle initially.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
Maureen at Utd is the one to watch. He's supposedly being given £200mill to spend and he'll be back to prove a point. I don't agree that he doesn't learn his lessons. He won't make a stupid mistake with the staff again. I do agree he's got a 3 year life expectancy though. Utd will be back to square one once he's blown through and out the other side.
Don't know anything much about Conte. He'll be surprised how many hyped up pubbers he's got in his squad so I guess he'll be hitting the transfer market hard too.
Wenger won't spend what's needed. That's about the only thing we can be sure of.
I hope Pep has a hard time. Highly rated as a coach but I don't think he's been tested at all. He has his history with Barca but Luis Enrique has a treble and just done the double with them for pete's sakes! It's not as if he didn't inherit a CL winning, title winning team at Barca.Quote:
Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn
Bayern - I'm not impressed. Inherited a terrible winning team in a league where nobody comes close to Bayern's financial might. To top it off, they decimated their closest rivals team. Winning domestic titles and trophies with Bayern is nothing to brag about.
City will be more of challenge but he's still gone for the team with the biggest wallet and spending power.
I don't agree that Mourinho will learn his lesson, his time at both Real Madrid and Chelsea evidence that this is a man with an acute personality disorder, and the way he is revered by the English media only serves to exacerbate his ilness.
What happened at Chelsea was so predictable, you combine mercenary players with a scumbag like Terry as the captain and place in a clinical narcissist who is unwillingly and unable to accept responsibility or fault for anything the only outcome is the brinksmanship that occurred in which Mourinho almost tried to engineer his own sacking rather than attempt to salvage the damage he helped create.
Man United will not tolerate the kind of behaviour from Mourinho if it turned inwards against the club. And they will be rid of him at the first sign of him getting up to his old tricks. Can you imagine the reaction from Mourinho to someone like Paul Scholes who has been very outspoken of his criticism of the type of football played by LVG.
Mourinho can't handle criticism, he will just respond with ad hominem remarks....it will all end in tears because it cannot be any other way with a man like that.
It's quite unbelievable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
I can see why Guardiola's ability is doubted but for Barca, he didn't inherit a CL winning, title winning team or at least not in the way it is portrayed. They were trophyless for two seasons, finished third in the league in Rijkaard's last season and it was a lazy, disinterested non-functioning mess.Quote:
Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory
He got rid of Deco and Ronaldinho and from that the team really began to focus on Xavi, Iniesta and Messi (plus brought in Pique and Dani Alves along with Busquets being promoted from the B team). Of course having those first three is greatly going to enhance your chances but it's from Guardiola's management that team took shape - it was not left to him by Rijkaard; Messi was a winger for Rijkaard. In fact he was for much of the 08/09 season until the winter when he moved inside and what happened...happened.
What I mean is it wasn't a long climb to the top. Two seasons without a trophy but finishing 2nd and 3rd isn't far fall from grace. He still inherited a very good side. They had Henry, Xavi, Messi, Eto'o, Puyol, Abidal, Iniesta.....enough there before him to mount a title challenge and not a lot of ground to make up from after Rijkaard. You should be able to make something of a team that good. I think the football he produced and the discipline he got at of that bunch is something special but if he didn't have those players or the funds, could he produce that level of football?Quote:
Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...
I don't really like 'inherited' because to me it's used as a wiper to take away a lot of the skill management requires.
Also he then went on to win without having Henry, Eto'o, Puyol and Abidal (though due to cancer treatment in the latter's case).
And no he can't produce that level of football but that should be no slant against him because for me, I don't think it possibly can be topped or equalled (thinking 10/11).
I think it's only right to acknowledge that factor. What do you make of Luis Enrique's dominance?
I'll give Pep is credit for his innovation and the level of dominance he displayed with that team. But I'd have way more respect for him if he were able to do what Wenger, Simeone and Klopp have done. Taken teams that were not considered to be title contenders and turned them into just that.....and actually winning the title.