Activate Another Lever and Still Lose to a Madrid Remontada - The Small Teams Thread

Sevilla finishing 14th this season and 12th last season. What a downfall after finishing 4th in 2021-22.

 

It's probably a multitude of things that's driving him towards stepping down at City. It would be 9 years by the end of next season, that's unprecedented in the more recent footballing generation.

I can see him doing a Zidane, and taking a couple of seasons as a break.

 

4 points gained in the last 2 matchdays

The title fight is on!! Be afraid!!

 

Would be interesting to see how he compares to other strikers in these "big games" (I'm being genuine here). I just think those stats nit pick to some extent.

 

Thousands of Sevilla fans are outside the stadium protesting against the board as they want change around club. 🪧❤️

They’re chanting “Get out of Sevilla, we don’t want you anymore.”pic.twitter.com/5jQ8bacaUw

— LaLigaExtra (@LaLigaExtra) May 26, 2024

 

A man trully ahead of his time.

Long before Xavi began his research in the bio/molecular sciences Carlo was playing 4-D chess taking home hard data on filed conditions while others struggled to put together a game plan or earn enough points to advance.

 

🚨🔵 Napoli sent contract proposal to Antonio Conte for deal valid until June 2027 for club record salary.

Key details to be discussed next week with de Laurentiis, still in Napoli on Monday for public event.

Conte, always been open to Napoli job and excited by the project. pic.twitter.com/jNF6LazRcW

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 26, 2024

La Liga legend Ronaldo Nazario is celebrating with the Real Valladolid players as his club has been promoted back up to La Liga for next season. 🥳🇧🇷pic.twitter.com/CUTfQQgKYn

— LaLigaExtra (@LaLigaExtra) May 26, 2024

 

Fenerbahce registered 99 points, were beaten once and DIDN'T win the league. pic.twitter.com/riJ8DOXYjv

— John O'Sullivan (@NotoriousJOS) May 26, 2024

 

McKenna rejected Boehly clown show. Smart dude. He has strong connection with Man Utd as well.

🚨 EXCL: Chelsea no longer considering Kieran McKenna as next head coach. 38yo an early favourite + admired by #CFC but not among final candidates as process approaches conclusion. Enzo Maresca & Thomas Frank now only known options remaining @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/XDrrNDuIyh

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) May 26, 2024

 

He's already won the CL and dominated the PL, what's left for him to prove at City. Might as well go to a real team and get recognition for his victories instead of getting 115 asterisks on all his PL wins.

Pep going back to Barca or taking one of the vacant jobs in Italy would be good for his legacy and for football, I really hope he actually does it.

 

Pep can't win without tinkering incessantly with a squad and spending hundreds of millions of dollars. If he leaves City he'll probably take a break while someone deals with the consequences of his transfer policies.

 

That's true for his teams so far, but come on the guy is clearly a phenomenal coach, if he takes over Barcelona today or Napoli/AC Milan he would turn them to contenders. He has developed a lot of excellent players who werent expensive buys (Busquets, Pique, Kimmich, Foden) and tbh many of the expensive players he bought were only expensive because it was City buying them, he has made them WC tier in his system.

I don't like the guy, but I also don't like Messi, both are generational.

 

If Pep took over Farca today, he’d get exposed for the fraud he is. Same for any Italian team.

We’ve gone over this before and exposed his track record. Either your part of the Kool aid crowd or not. Most here are not.

 

I didn't say he's not a good coach; in fact, I've repeatedly posted that he's very good. The issue is his tactical inflexibility, which rightly puts an asterisk by his success.

We're not talking about a hundred-million-dollar signing to get the project over the finish line; we're talking about over a billion at City.

At Bayern, he won the league with a team that wins before the Christmas toys start getting left in the corner.

Pep has clear ideas and philosophy, which are great for putting out an entertaining brand of football. However, he's managed some of the greatest squads of all time, including Barcelona, which was in the top 5 best teams ever when he was there, and City, where spending has been astronomical, violating FFP in the process.

So yes, there's a big asterisk next to his name.

 

This has gone beyond the love for the game. Iniesta needs to be saved from the game. pic.twitter.com/RwnTP5dnUN

— WelBeast (@WelBeast) May 25, 2024

 

Is Zidane regarded as being in the same category as Pep? This is a serious question, I know we rate Zidane very high but I see a lot of people down playing his success, especially in CL.

I'd probably say Zidane is a little better than feedback I get and Pep is probably little less super human than the rhetoric. But that's just me, both coaches are very very good.

 

Villarreal wants to retain Alexander Sorloth and not sell him.

Dovbyk is an option for Atlético de Madrid. The player has a termination clause of 40 million euros.

The Ukrainian forward wants to continue in Spain and in a club that plays in the Champions League.

@MatteMoretto

💣🚨| El Villarreal quiere retener a Alexander Sorloth y no venderlo.

💰 Dovbyk es una opción para el Atlético de Madrid. El jugador tiene una cláusula de rescisión de 40 millones de euros.

✔️ El delantero ucraniano quiere seguir en España y en un club que juege la Liga de… pic.twitter.com/KXTwyE2xl9

— Víctor_ATM (@_soy_rojiblanco) May 24, 2024

Atlético de Madrid is very interested in Artem Dovbyk.

He is Cholo Simeone's favorite striker to be Álvaro Morata's replacement. The Ukrainian wants to continue in Spain, it is his priority.

Viktor Vatsko - Ukranian journo.

[ ÚLTIMA HORA ]:

El Atlético de Madrid está muy interesado en Artem Dovbyk.

Es el delantero favorito del Cholo Simeone para ser el sustituto de Álvaro Morata. El ucraniano quiere seguir en España, es su prioridad.

Viktor Vatsko (🇺🇦🎖 - muy fiable). pic.twitter.com/11GtpCjsWM

— Atletico Design ® 🇺🇦 (@AtleticoDesign_) May 20, 2024

 

If it isn’t big brother to tell us what the chocolate ration is for today. How’s the war with East Asia going?

 

Yup, I agree about his legacy, but I disagree about what that means about his ability.

 

Frosinone relegated. Reiner finishes the season with 3 goals and 2 assists. How could we have been so wrong

 

I have more respect for Klopp who punched above his weight at Dortmund and knocked us out of the semis in 2012 and made
Liverpool competitive after inheriting a dumpster fire. Yes, he spent money but not the billions Pep sent nor inherited the KDB, Aguerro or Silva level players.

No one is arguing Pep is a decent manager, but acting as if his resources don’t have significant impact is neglectful of reality.