Misread the goal column as points - did think it was strange!
Point stands though. Pep took a club that was on its knees with no identity, no professionalism and no direction. In his first job in senior management he overhauled the whole club and won its first treble playing the best football in Barca's history. In Rijkaard's last season, players were partying most nights, some were overweight, not turning up to training and when they did not even trying.
Maybe we just have different standards.
Barca won the Champions league, and two league titles, and followed it with two seasons without a league title, and a semi final champions league finish. If that's a team on its knees than I shudder to think what 3 seasons without a title means for you.
It was Pep's decision to sell Deco and Ronaldinho, two idols of Barcelona but who had let their standards slip below what Pep demands from his players. It was Pep's decision to give control of the team to Xavi, someone who had been given little responsibility prior to his arrival. It was Pep's decision to enhance Iniesta's role in the team. It was Pep who took Pique from being 4th choice at United to being one of if not the best centre backs in the world. It was Pep who moved Messi from right wing to the 'false 9' position. It was Pep who promoted Busquets and helped him become one of the best midfield pivots in the world.
Do you think all of these things were easy? Or obvious? If you do you're either ignorant or an idiot. Both are bad.
I think they were vital moves that needed to be done. You just mentioned in the previous paragraph that "
In Rijkaard's last season, players were partying most nights, some were overweight, not turning up to training and when they did not even trying". According to the rumours, both of them were the main culprits in this. The issue wasn't so much as if it was obvious or not, but whether the next manager would ahve the balls to pull the plug.
As for the rest, these were smart moves, and that's why Pep is a top manager. I don't think deciding to move Messi more central, and promoting Busquets, were outrageous moves at the time. I'm sure Barca fans that followed the youth teams would have expected the likes of Busquets and Pique to eventually make it on the team. Pique being 4th choice at United is more of an indictment of Fergie, than it is a measure of genius from Pep.
And if you find it hard to debate without silly statements like "if you don't agree with my point you must be an idiot", maybe take a break. Go read a book or go for a walk. We're not changing the world with this debate, so it's certainly not worth insinuating insults and the likes. (I'm actually supposed to be reading several articles, and once again RAWK has taken my time
)
At Bayern, if you define success by whether you win the Champions League or not, you're really not doing it right. Most of Bayern's senior players have said Pep is the best manager they've ever worked with - taking them to another level in terms of preparation, training and versatility. He won 3 Bundesliga titles with Bayern, which they hadn't done for 15 years and back then their club was nowhere near the level it is now and they lost 9 games in the season they made it 3 in a row. Pep's side has accrued the 2nd, 3rd and 4th highest point totals for Bayern since 95/96. That. Isn't. Easy. Added to a Pokal cup and another final to come.
If you think Pep has made it this far through merely having good players then you need to go do some research and educate yourself a bit.
He joined a team that had just won the treble. Think about that for a second. This was already a well oiled machine with most of the key players young and experienced enough to have been favourites the following season. And as I keep repeating, a team that snatched the best player from their biggest rivals two seasons running, soon to be three players, (with little or no compensation).
People keep bringing up his champions league failures with Bayern simply because he joined a team that had already won it the season before he joined. In fact, Bayern had reached
3 finals in the 4 seasons prior to Pep joining them. Yet in his three seasons with Bayern, his team were thrashed 0-5 by Madrid (0-4 at Bayern), lost 3-5 against Barca (0-3 in the first leg), and lost 1-2 to Atletico. In 6 matches in the Championsleague semifinals, his team has scored a grand total of 4 goals and conceded 12.
Getting all those points records with Bayern only further illustrate his failures in failing to take them to a final, and especially losing in the manner they've done.
I'm surprised he didn't move to PSG where he could break their league points total, such is his genius.
The big question for me is how long will it take for the majority of English fans to realise that Pep's preferred brand of football is often boring as fuck to watch?
Barca play a more exciting game at this moment than when he was there, and Bayern were more exciting before he joined them. And they've won trophies as well.
