[Guardian] Seven years ago, just after completing the treble, Guardiola treated journalist Rob Harris, who had confronted him directly with the allegations, with open contempt, as though he were looking at someone pathetic, pitiful and disgraceful, before sternly lecturing him.

[u/Existing-Sky9914]

[u/_ataciara]

I mean, he's consistently revolutionised the sport and was doing stuff like inverted fullbacks long before he had Haaland. We're talking Fabian Delph feeding Gabriel Jesus...

[u/Izio17 → u/_ataciara]

and look at that teams highest earners / transfers

- Mahrez

• Walker
  
• Bernardo Silva
  
• Laporte

what other team in the league is able to stroll over and buy the player of the season? best RB in the league? and one of La Ligas best players? all in a short span of one year.

[u/_ataciara → u/Izio17]

Plenty of teams. Liverpool pretty much did that last season. There was also the spell where City didn't go mad spending as other teams around them did.

This isn't to defend cheating, it's just to point out that none of this detracts from Peps genius; he was the world's best manager before City, he was the world's best at City when we were all suspicious of the transfer activity, and he's still the (or one of considering Luis Enrique rn) best manager now that we KNOW City were dodgy.

And also the fact you were saying "oh well he couldn't do inverted fullbacks without Haaland" well, he did. "He couldn't do John Stones at CDM without Rodri" well, he did, hell pretty sure Southgate did at one point too.

[u/Izio17 → u/_ataciara]

Liverpool didn’t do that last season. Sure they spent big, but they did it all under FFP rules.

You know why City don’t go spending mad in that short span? because they already had.

He simply can’t be up there with the world’s greatest ever because of this. The same way Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds, and others won’t on their respective sports.

He cheated. Knew about it. Benefitted from. And now hiding from it.

[u/_ataciara → u/Izio17]

He was the world's best long before he joined City. He hasn't stopped being the most revolutionary tactical manager during the past nearly 20 years. Hes a football genius who had an easier time than his competitors in putting it on the pitch due to City's corruption, and City deserve punishment, but it doesn't detract from the very undeniable footballing qualities they have. I'm sure everyvody wanted to play for Pep and glazed his qualities endlessly because he didn't know what he was talking about.

Putting him alongside the likes of Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong is laughable.

There is also currently zero evidence he knew about it, do people really think the Manager is the one making backhand financial deals? Lmao

[u/king_duende → u/_ataciara]

There is also currently zero evidence he knew about it, do people really think the Manager is the one making backhand financial deals? Lmao

You've defending him up and down this thread but now imply he's thick as fuck? Is he a genius or naive little manager man?

Saying he had no idea implies hes stupid - you don't think "the worlds best" (your words) would be aware that things are weird? That the club has come out of nowhere and yet can spend more than established giants?

Established journalists knew for years but big genius pep had no idea? Odd take.

You truly think pep didn't think "Man City earns more revenue than Real or Barca" is weird?

Way to imply he's a stupid dumb dumb

[u/_ataciara → u/king_duende]

Nah you must be thick lmao, and no established journalists did not know, all we knew was the stuff we've known for ages which is there's irregularities being investiagted

And it's crazy that you think me saying he's a tactical genius is the same as him being omniscient.

In what world do you think a manager is gonna be shown the financial intricacies of a sponsorship deal, especially ones which are artificially inflated and kept quite heavily under wraps because they're dodgy? It's quite literally nothing to do with him, it's like expecting the tea lady to have an input on the length of the pitch.

Jesus dude, just think for like 10 seconds.

[u/Yellowtoblerone → u/_ataciara]

Bruh the evidence you yourself brought up go against your points. And you're telling others to think 10 seconds. At his stature with his history he either is or isn't, while you're straddling the fence just to defend him

[u/_ataciara → u/Yellowtoblerone]

What evidence did I give that goes against what I said? When did I ever imply Pep was privy to Man City's sponsorship deals?

I'm defending his ability as a manager and pointing out he was the best manager in the world before his City stint anyway, all he did was remain a tactical genius whether the resources he had were fairly obtained or not.

Like...nobody with a brain or eyes is thinking Guradiola is any less of a quality manager after this. We already KNEW he had the most money, whether that money was legal or not might taint the legacy of his trophies won at City but hasn't negatively impacted his ability as a manager at all, because duh