Is Pep a genius?

[South Coast Royal]

Today Graeme Souness (top player but not too successful a manager) has come out to say that Pep Guardiola is not a genius.

He makes the case that when Pep took over at Barcelona he already had Messi, Xavi, Iniesta & co.
When he took over at Bayern Munich they had just won the quadruple.
When he took over at City they had already won the title twice under different managers and had the deepest pockets in the world.

As with Mourinho I do feel that their successes have mainly come through having top and often very expensive players but that doesn't automatically mean success does it?
Look at Man Utd.
What would be interesting but won't ever happen is to see what Pep could do with run-of-the-mill players and a low budget.

He has been great for football, his teams are entertaining , he is an innovator and a winner but does all of that make him a genius?

I do feel that genius, extraordinary, unbelievable, world class etc. are all overused in these days of mega hype in football and elsewhere so for me I am with Souness (not because he lives down the road and is a Liverpool great) and feel that Pep has been a very good manager of predominantly very good players, many of whom have been improved as well by him and our game has been better for him being around.
But "genius"?

[Winston Biscuit]

no. He is one of the best managers of his generation.

[Dirk Gently]

Genius is a very over-used word, so I'd say "No, he's not". I'm not sure anyone in football is (apart from SSC...!)

He's simple a very good manager, especially at the really difficult skill of managing a set of highly-paid star with big egos all competing to be included in the same team. That's about the most important skill for a top-level manager these days.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

He is an excellent manager

Having a world class squad helps too

[Snowflake Royal]

No, of coursehe isn’t a genius. He hasn’t brought any spectacular new innovations to football, or out thought his opposition.

He's been bankrolled to success and built a reputation that allows him to manage huge egos successfully.

[Franchise FC]

No, of coursehe isn’t a genius. He hasn’t brought any spectacular new innovations to football, or out thought his opposition.

He's been bankrolled to success and built a reputation that allows him to manage huge egos successfully.

How do you think he’s built that reputation ?

[Snowflake Royal]

No, of coursehe isn’t a genius. He hasn’t brought any spectacular new innovations to football, or out thought his opposition.

He's been bankrolled to success and built a reputation that allows him to manage huge egos successfully.

How do you think he’s built that reputation ?

By being bankrolled and winning games. That's not genius.

[Franchise FC]

No, of coursehe isn’t a genius. He hasn’t brought any spectacular new innovations to football, or out thought his opposition.

He's been bankrolled to success and built a reputation that allows him to manage huge egos successfully.

How do you think he’s built that reputation ?

By being bankrolled and winning games. That's not genius.

To quote you … built a reputation that allows him to manage huge egos successfully
So how did he get on with Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Valdes, Puyol, Pique, Henry, etc. ?
From what I recall he hadn’t built the reputation at that point
Oh, and he managed them to a treble in his first season

[URZZZZ]

No, of coursehe isn’t a genius. He hasn’t brought any spectacular new innovations to football, or out thought his opposition.

He's been bankrolled to success and built a reputation that allows him to manage huge egos successfully.

Not a Pep fan but not sure I agree

Tactically, his understanding of the game is top notch and his “tika-taka” at Barcelona certainly created somewhat of a transformation in the game

Money has helped of course, but you still have to be smart in signing players and the right characters for the squad, and when you compare it to some of the dross that the likes of Chelsea and United have spent, I’d still say a fair amount of credit has to be given to being fairly successful in the transfer markets, even with billions to spend!

Mentioned this one or thirty times before but still maintain the way he sets his team out to play is extremely dull. The element of control, control, control rather than any spontaneity takes away a fair amount from the game, especially when others are then set on copying. But then he’s won trophy after trophy so he won’t care what a random nobody on the internet thinks!

[Sanguine]

Was having a chat with a family member at the weekend. Massive City fan who through work contacts has had a few opportunities for private conversations with people high up the chain there.

In short - Pep more than happy for the media to create their 'Pep', and for fans to think he just inherits super teams.

Reality is that Pep is heavily involved behind the scenes, more of a 'general manager' than many of his contemporaries, in particular has keenly driven changes to off-field activities that complement his strategies and playing style. Was interested to hear about a near 'classroom' approach for injured players, who are expected to learn and study tactics and strategies during their rehabilitation.

Example. I found this fascinating. City analysts noticed that Rodri was slower moving the ball right to left than he was left to right. He could receive the ball on his right and switch play or move it forward in something like 1.2 touches per possession. Receive it from the other direction, and it would take him an average of 1.8 touches, or whatever. So he studied body positioning, City's predominant transition patterns from right to left, and took time off the field, and then 1-to-1, to improve his efficiency and touch moving the ball the other way.

There was something else he told me the detail of which I don't really recall around City's formations, driven by Pep, in the two or three passes after a possession starts. It's a mind-boggling amount of science in football, and Pep is at the centre of it at City.

Bit of a tangent there, but in the eyes of a City fan, and one who has some insight into the club, Pep is a genius, and not just a poster boy for big money.

[paultheroyal]

He is a brilliant manager, if geniuses are allowed in football then he is one.

Look at all the managers who have been at big clubs and failed. Albeit, style of play but more importantly man management. Players want to play for him, you never hear a bad word. He has the utmost respect from within the clubs he has been at. He is innovative, he leads where others follow, turns a player from one position into another successfully. Greatest managers go to the greatest clubs, fact of life. He is up their with the worlds best, certainly this generation, whether genius is the right word, i dont know.

[South Coast Royal]

Was having a chat with a family member at the weekend. Massive City fan who through work contacts has had a few opportunities for private conversations with people high up the chain there.

In short - Pep more than happy for the media to create their 'Pep', and for fans to think he just inherits super teams.

Reality is that Pep is heavily involved behind the scenes, more of a 'general manager' than many of his contemporaries, in particular has keenly driven changes to off-field activities that complement his strategies and playing style. Was interested to hear about a near 'classroom' approach for injured players, who are expected to learn and study tactics and strategies during their rehabilitation.

Example. I found this fascinating. City analysts noticed that Rodri was slower moving the ball right to left than he was left to right. He could receive the ball on his right and switch play or move it forward in something like 1.2 touches per possession. Receive it from the other direction, and it would take him an average of 1.8 touches, or whatever. So he studied body positioning, City's predominant transition patterns from right to left, and took time off the field, and then 1-to-1, to improve his efficiency and touch moving the ball the other way.

There was something else he told me the detail of which I don't really recall around City's formations, driven by Pep, in the two or three passes after a possession starts. It's a mind-boggling amount of science in football, and Pep is at the centre of it at City.

Bit of a tangent there, but in the eyes of a City fan, and one who has some insight into the club, Pep is a genius, and not just a poster boy for big money.

Just on Rodri, he is such a similar player to Busquets who Pep managed at Barcelona with both of them knitting the side together and very much under-rated by football fans.

Add Ya Ya Toure to this type of player list who also played for both clubs and was a massive influence although he got further forward generally than Busquets.
I don't know whether Busquets or Toure were better receiving and playing to and from the right though.

To me it is surprising that Rodri has not been the Player of the season for these past 2 seasons; such a good player who can do the lot.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Not sure Yaya Toure is a good shout. Pep wasted him at Barca as a physical DM, it was only at City where they let him take off the shackles and he became a magnificent player who could do just about anything.

[BRO_BOT]

and to think he's done it all on a shoestring budget

[Sutekh]

and to think he's done it all on a shoestring budget

and with no hint of any shenanigans either.

[NathStPaul]

I think Pep is a motivational genius, yes.

It is the old chestnut with him, I want to see him at a mediocre club with a tight budget. Everything he has ever had has been handed to him on a plate. Not his fault of course but he has had it easy.

[Winston Biscuit]

I don't like how he seems to sometimes pick an opposition player to approach at full time and give some kind of motivational talk to, and the player reacts like they have been touched by the hand of god.

[WestYorksRoyal]

I think Pep is a motivational genius, yes.

It is the old chestnut with him, I want to see him at a mediocre club with a tight budget. Everything he has ever had has been handed to him on a plate. Not his fault of course but he has had it easy.

I don't buy this. When Barca appointment him they were at a low ebb and crossroads, and chose Guardiola over peak Mourinho due to the job he did with their B team in the 2nd tier. It was then Guardiola who made bold decisions to ship out big names like Ronaldinho and Eto'o while promoting the likes of Busquets from the reserves to make the team we all eventually recognised.

Granted managing Bayern in Germany is a piece of piss - your standard football manager player could probably win the Bundesliga with them for real.

But at Man City he has spent money well and improved players. Look at what he achieved with the much derided Sterling or John Stones. And while they have FFP breaches, that is because their income wasn't as naturally high as United and Liverpool - their transfer and wage spending is very much in line with their peers and they have dominated them on the pitch. The only superstar signing I can think of is Haaland, the rest has just been clever recruitment. Even KDB was not a big name when City bought him; he was a Chelsea flop who did well at Wolfsburg. Admittedly he is helped by a club hierarchy who operate very well and identify the right players for him.

[Winston Biscuit]

Even KDB was not a big name when City bought him; he was a Chelsea flop who did well at Wolfsburg

€75M. 2nd most expensive signing ever in the PL at the time

[Franchise FC]

I think Pep is a motivational genius, yes.

It is the old chestnut with him, I want to see him at a mediocre club with a tight budget. Everything he has ever had has been handed to him on a plate. Not his fault of course but he has had it easy.

I don't buy this. When Barca appointment him they were at a low ebb and crossroads, and chose Guardiola over peak Mourinho due to the job he did with their B team in the 2nd tier. It was then Guardiola who made bold decisions to ship out big names like Ronaldinho and Eto'o while promoting the likes of Busquets from the reserves to make the team we all eventually recognised.

Granted managing Bayern in Germany is a piece of piss - your standard football manager player could probably win the Bundesliga with them for real.

But at Man City he has spent money well and improved players. Look at what he achieved with the much derided Sterling or John Stones. And while they have FFP breaches, that is because their income wasn't as naturally high as United and Liverpool - their transfer and wage spending is very much in line with their peers and they have dominated them on the pitch. The only superstar signing I can think of is Haaland, the rest has just been clever recruitment. Even KDB was not a big name when City bought him; he was a Chelsea flop who did well at Wolfsburg. Admittedly he is helped by a club hierarchy who operate very well and identify the right players for him.

Not quite right.

He shipped Eto’o out after having him be top scorer in Pep’s first season … a treble winning season