GWT: Champions League Final | June 10, 2023 | Istanbul | Manchester City-Inter Milan

[al secord]

City played absolutely terrible in that final.
Looked off at every single thing they tried -- from basic passing to any kind of pressure.
Inter wasn't much better -- but they were better.

Outside of goals of course.

If Inter had anyone who could hit a barn door, the result might have been different, but such is life.

 

[robertmac43]

Dude, we have a Nation's League to win.

Yeah this is true. I got Nations League, Gold Cup, and Forge for the summer. Maybe a little TFC but I'm struggling to enjoy that team right now.

 

[blkhawk]

Imagine not watching a game because lets see i am not interested in the teams
Then spending 24 hours giving an opinion on a game i did not watch

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Seriously?
Zidane was called lucky for 3 in a row here in this board for ages by the Pep lovers.
Pep is called for shitting the bed in yet another final and getting away with it. Big deal.

How many finals has that been?

 

[KJS14]

Happy to see Guardiola win it again as he often times doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

For starters, I’m not cherrypicking. I didn’t search them out or ignore others in the media that I encountered praising him. Furthermore, I mentioned this forum of which there have been multiple posters over the years including literally now. He just achieved his second treble and because they don’t steamroll Inter in the final his team “shit the bed”. Where was this commentary when other CL winners had lackluster finals?

I am in no way remotely making Guardiola out be some plucky underdog. If you actually read what I’ve written it’s nothing of the sort.

Again, you're just focused on a small minority of pundits or Evilo's posts because god forbid anyone say something negative about him. You are indeed acting like Pep never gets any credit despite him being widely regarded as the top manager.

Maybe someone will write a headline to appease you: "World's top manager finally overcomes the odds to win UCL after 13 years of disappointment with 3 super teams and endless money."

Life advice for you -- ignore the vocal minority.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Again, you're just focused on a small minority of pundits or Evilo's posts because god forbid anyone say something negative about him. You are indeed acting like Pep never gets any credit despite him being widely regarded as the top manager.

Maybe someone will write a headline to appease you: "World's top manager finally overcomes the odds to win UCL after 13 years of disappointment with 3 super teams and endless money."

Life advice for you -- ignore the vocal minority.

I for one won’t be happy until they anoint him man of the year.

 

[KJS14]

I for one won’t be happy until they anoint him man of the year.

Maybe if they have a bald subcategory. But even then, they'll probably give it to some schmuck like Bezos or the Rock.

 

[Peen]

Haaland’s post game interview was impressive

 

[Live in the Now]

Yeah frankly I'm not giving him any credit because I didn't watch the match so that's really all I have to say about the subject. I do not think you deserve that much credit for beating Inter either. What they did is pump the sport so full of bullshit money I didn't watch either CL Final they were in, I did something else with my day both times. Simple as that. If you win finals that disillusion people from the sport, what do they mean

 

[Peen]

pep’s right btw these finals are all dumb coin tosses

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Yeah frankly I'm not giving him any credit because I didn't watch the match so that's really all I have to say about the subject. I do not think you deserve that much credit for beating Inter either. What they did is pump the sport so full of bullshit money I didn't watch either CL Final they were in, I did something else with my day both times. Simple as that.

I mean that's your prerogative but he would've been castrated for not winning, he finally won with playing the heavy hitters in the lead up. "Bull shit money" ( its just as real as any other teams) aside look at the others who are just as bad Chelsea, PSG and United, Pep won more this year than they all have combined. Sometimes its best to tip your hat and say GG.

 

[Live in the Now]

I mean that's your prerogative but he would've been castrated for not winning, he finally won with playing the heavy hitters in the lead up. "Bull shit money" ( its just as real as any other teams) aside look at the others who are just as bad Chelsea, PSG and United, Pep won more this year than they all have combined. Sometimes its best to tip your hat and say GG.

It's still bullshit money nothing will ever change that. Teams like Inter and Barcelona get hamstrung by bullshit restrictions while these guys spend billions on players. It's bullshit. They've won a competition where the teams are no longer made to play by the same rules. I suppose that it's fitting they won but you can't blame anyone for not caring or being mad that a nation-state won a club competition.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

It's still bullshit money nothing will ever change that. Teams like Inter and Barcelona get hamstrung by bullshit restrictions while these guys spend billions on players. It's bullshit. They've won a competition where the teams are no longer made to play by the same rules. I suppose that it's fitting they won but you can't blame anyone for not caring or being mad that a nation-state won a club competition.

Teams like Barca get hamstrung because of their own stupidity and the stupidity of their own leagues rules. If im crying over this then I would have to cry when any team wins it, when has their ever been a level playing field? The rules are the same for a team like Sevilla compared to say randomly LFC. EPL teams have long benefited from more money than other leagues. Them crying because another team is outspending rings hallow. (this goes double for United fans).

I dont expect anyone to care or be happy about it but to downplay Pep's achievement... I'll call that out.

 

[Live in the Now]

Teams like Barca get hamstrung because of their own stupidity and the stupidity of their own leagues rules. If im crying over this then I would have to cry when any team wins it, when has their ever been a level playing field? The rules are the same for a team like Sevilla compared to say randomly LFC. EPL teams have long benefited from more money than other leagues. Them crying because another team is outspending rings hallow. (this goes double for United fans).

I dont expect anyone to care or be happy about it but to downplay Pep's achievement... I'll call that out.

The rules are not the same for Inter and Barcelona that they are for City, and if you think they are you are absolutely crazy. I know you're getting mad because people are always racist towards Arabs on here and they get away with it. Coming from me I assure you it has jack shit to do with that. City's dominance is illegitimate because they have not been forced to follow the same regulations as everyone else. I'm talking about regulations here and not solely money. They have not had to follow them in any sense at all. It's hurting the sport badly, the achievement is downplayed on its own because nobody cared about the final. That alone downplays it.

In light of that, people don't have to view these finals wins with the same legitimacy as if other teams won them,. This is the lowest turnout ever for a CL Final on here, I've never seen people this disinterested about such a big game. If you think everyone is going to treat Pep winning it the same as if any other manager winning it, you're out of your mind. Nor should anyone treat it the same because it isn't. The hell did you think people are going to say? They spent so much money at City that the minimum expectation for Pep was that he should have won one of these and he should have won it long before now. There's no achievement here. He was given infinite money to rectify his own failings as a coach. Nobody else is given such allowance. Nobody's gonna line up to give Pep credit because he won a final against a team they're far superior to. They spent more on one terrible player than Inter's entire starting XI.

 

[Live in the Now]

Also, the part where you have to defend Pep reeks of insecurity, pumping up his win reeks of there being some truth in people's criticisms. People don't do this constantly for managers who actually deserve plaudits. An achievement is when you do something against the odds and that is absolutely not what happened here. Achievement is my god you win more than once in ten years with Bayern and Man City now that's an achievement.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

The rules are not the same for Inter and Barcelona that they are for City, and if you think they are you are absolutely crazy. I know you're getting mad because people are always racist towards Arabs on here and they get away with it. Coming from me I assure you it has jack shit to do with that. City's dominance is illegitimate because they have not been forced to follow the same regulations as everyone else. I'm talking about regulations here and not solely money. They have not had to follow them in any sense at all. It's hurting the sport badly, the achievement is downplayed on its own because nobody cared about the final. That alone downplays it.

In light of that, people don't have to view these finals wins with the same legitimacy as if other teams won them,. This is the lowest turnout ever for a CL Final on here, I've never seen people this disinterested about such a big game. If you think everyone is going to treat Pep winning it the same as if any other manager winning it, you're out of your mind. Nor should anyone treat it the same because it isn't. The hell did you think people are going to say? They spent so much money at City that the minimum expectation for Pep was that he should have won one of these and he should have won it long before now. There's no achievement here. He was given infinite money to rectify his own failings as a coach. Nobody else is given such allowance. Nobody's gonna line up to give Pep credit because he won a final against a team they're far superior to. They spent more on one terrible player than Inter's entire starting XI.

They are not because Inter is broke and Barca is broke for other reasons. It doesn't change the fact that they also dont play by the same rules as smaller teams. Nah, not talking about city or their disgusting owners. Im simply saying Pep deserves credit for building this dynasty of a team and winning it all. You cant just throw money and hope it works see the others who tried to do the same.

Well city aren't popular here and neither are Inter. I dont disagree with the rest of your post.

Also, the part where you have to defend Pep reeks of insecurity, pumping up his win reeks of there being some truth in people's criticisms. People don't do this constantly for managers who actually deserve plaudits. An achievement is when you do something against the odds and that is absolutely not what happened here. Achievement is my god you win more than once in ten years with Bayern and Man City now that's an achievement.

I pump up wins of the people Im a fan of chalk it up to insecurity or fandom.

 

[Live in the Now]

They are not because Inter is broke and Barca is broke for other reasons. It doesn't change the fact that they also dont play by the same rules as smaller teams. Nah, not talking about city or their disgusting owners. Im simply saying Pep deserves credit for building this dynasty of a team and winning it all. You cant just throw money and hope it works see the others who tried to do the same.

Let's put it this way. City also was supposed to ran foul of UEFA and the EPL and were never punished meanwhile Inter have to count pennies every day to bring someone in on loan. I'm sure you can see how someone would find this absolutely ridiculous and how it would immediately devalue someone's achievement of barely winning in that game. If something happens and nobody's around to see it what does it mean? It's like Phil Jackson. It doesn't matter that he won 1 with having the best resources at his disposal. In Pep's case he's won 3. It matters that he won 11. The achievement though was that Pep won 2 in 3 years, not 1 in 10, he already had his big achievement and short of doing what RM did year by year, it won't compare to the achievement he had before.

City was also an asshair away from the CL Final the year before Pep got there. It's not like they were paupers. He inherited a lot of great players and had a truckload of money to replace them when they got old. Worrying about them leaving because they wanted too big of a contract was never a concern to him the way it is to other teams. Worrying about replacing them with infinite money was never a similar issue. You can see how all this stuff adds up into devaluing that achievement.

 

[Live in the Now]

My last word on the subject is that it would also be grossly unfair to compare what Pep did to Barcelona to what he's done with this team, the achievements are not even remotely similar in scope.

He built that Barcelona team, he inherited an amazing team at City and went through Europe using trial and error buying big money players. There were some great players at Barcelona, it's still not even slightly the same thing. I think he spent something around 50m net over a 3 year period. But I will also point out he didn't even win a league at City until he spent 350m net, on top of the massive pile of players he was already handed. It's hard to even judge if another manager could do the same with these resources because nobody else has been handed them. All their players cost an utterly massive amount of money and all but Stones were the finished product when they were purchased. There's nothing to be said for scouting bargains or developing homegrown players when it comes to this team. There's some achievement here but everyone can judge for themselves what that achievement is, or if it means anything, and pretty much any opinion on this subject has some validity from where I sit. If you think it means a lot that's fine but I sure don't.

 

[KJS14]

You can hate City and their ownership but still respect Pep's managing prowess. I'm not saying he can't be criticized (in fact I've said the opposite in this thread), but he does play the most attractive style of football and has been very innovative in his tactics. There's been numerous other managers that have had bank rolled teams that play boring football.

 

[LOGiK]

If Inter had anyone who could hit a barn door, the result might have been different, but such is life.

Or if Inter had a player who weren't barn doors themselves.

 

[LOGiK]

Teams like Barca get hamstrung because of their own stupidity and the stupidity of their own leagues rules. If im crying over this then I would have to cry when any team wins it, when has their ever been a level playing field? The rules are the same for a team like Sevilla compared to say randomly LFC. EPL teams have long benefited from more money than other leagues. Them crying because another team is outspending rings hallow. (this goes double for United fans).

I dont expect anyone to care or be happy about it but to downplay Pep's achievement... I'll call that out.

Sevilla will play City for the Super Cup...
Then... does that winner matter or will City regardless of that outcome play for the FIFA club world cup later this year. Yeah, right? That is for CL winning teams in their own region. Super cup is its own thing yeah?

 

[al secord]

I for one won’t be happy until they anoint him man of the year.

Evilo?

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Sevilla will play City for the Super Cup...
Then... does that winner matter or will City regardless of that outcome play for the FIFA club world cup later this year. Yeah, right? That is for CL winning teams in their own region. Super cup is its own thing yeah?

I read this three times and still haven't a clue what is being said.

Evilo?

lol

 

[al secord]

Maybe if they have a bald subcategory. But even then, they'll probably give it to some schmuck like Bezos or the Rock.

Bald is best.

 

[LOGiK]

I read this three times and still haven't a clue what is being said.


lol

Mentioned Sevilla and I said City will play them in the Super Cup.
Then it was question of the super cup having anything to do with fifa club world cup, say City lost to Sevilla would City still play in the club world cup.
I think Super Cup is its own thing and City still play in the club world cup later this year.

Just thinking aloud (typed aloud) and asking and answering my own thinking.