Man City pays a high price because Pep thinks too much

Pep's Manchester City will be empty-handed in the 2024/25 season.

Once hailed as the innovator of modern football, Guardiola has once again fallen victim to his own problems. What happened at Wembley on 17 May was not just a defeat, but the perfect summary of his first failed season at Man City since 2016/17.

Pep thinks too much

Crystal Palace were excellent, there was no denying that. But at the heart of that surprising scenario were the strange decisions from the Manchester Blues bench. Guardiola made too many changes, too deep and unnecessary - in a game that required consistency and precision.

A month ago, Manchester City easily crushed Crystal Palace 5-2. After that match, manager Oliver Glasner declared that if they met again, he would neutralize Guardiola's system.

That statement seemed like a tactical courtesy, but it became the spark that ignited Pep's instinct for "control" to the extreme. In the final, Pep changed the entire structure of the team, to the point that only three players kept their positions from the previous match - Nico O'Reilly, Rúben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.

Pep pulled Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva back into a defensive midfield pairing, a risky choice with predictable consequences. Faced with Crystal Palace's speed and directness, Man City became vulnerable every time the opponent counter-attacked.

The lack of a true holding midfielder left their defence often in a state of passive defence. And it happened. Palace scored the winning goal from a perfect counter-attack - a punishment for Pep's perfectionism.

Manchester City lost 0-1 to Palace in the FA Cup final.

Not stopping there, Guardiola's use of people also raised many doubts. Savinho was chosen despite having only scored 1 goal in the domestic league this season. Jeremy Doku - who only knows how to score against lower-ranked opponents like Ipswich or Salford - was also given a chance.

When Manchester City ran out of ideas in the second half, no one was surprised. A team that once terrified Europe had become predictable, lacking in sharpness and fighting spirit.

With the attack deadlocked, the midfield lacking control, the defense being beaten, Man City lost not only in terms of score. They lost in the battle of identity - which used to be the biggest weapon under Guardiola.

Although Dean Henderson was lucky to escape a red card in the first half, and although the goalkeeper made excellent saves to deny several dangerous shots, including Omar Marmoush's penalty, in the end those factors still could not cover up the fact that Man City put themselves in a losing position.

The introduction of Claudio Echeverri, a 19-year-old who had never played for the first team, in the 76th minute was a clear indication of the tactical instability. It was a bold gamble, not appropriate for the tense context of a final.

When the young Argentine missed two clear chances, the perception was that Guardiola had gone too far with his tactical experiments. Jack Grealish’s lack of use only reinforced the theory that his role at the Etihad was all but over.

Question mark for Pep

This defeat was not only limited to the technical aspect. The image of Pep getting angry with Dean Henderson after the match, along with his tense attitude in the press conference afterwards, clearly showed the pressure he was facing.

Guardiola is no longer the inspirational figure on the pitch. He is now a coach full of worries, struggling with decisions beyond his control, and sometimes, beyond his reason.

Pep faces many challenges in the coming time.

Manchester City end the 2024/25 season without winning a trophy – something that has not happened since Guardiola’s first season in charge. And for the first time in years, there are serious questions about his ability and desire to keep fighting. Guardiola is a genius – no one denies that – but like all revolutionaries, he is subject to decline.

Guardiola is not the only problem for City this season. The decline of key players, the absence of Rodri and the signings that have not lived up to expectations have all contributed to a disappointing campaign.

But it will be Guardiola who has to rebuild. And the hardest thing for him right now is not to find titles, but to inspire confidence - from himself, from his students, and from those who love Man City.

In football, nothing lasts forever. Summer always gives way to autumn. The sunshine is still there, but the intensity is different. For Guardiola, this may not be the end - but it is certainly a sign of change.

The question is no longer "who wins" or "who loses", but who has enough strength to continue fighting, to recreate, and to win in their own way. And for someone who has changed the face of modern football, that is the toughest challenge.

Source: https://znews.vn/man-city-tra-gia-dat-vi-pep-suy-nghi-qua-nhieu-post1553814.html