Manchester City survived a scare to see off Sunderland on Saturday afternoon but how did Twitter judge Pep Guardiola’s first game in charge?
The reign of King Pep was supposed to be heralded in with a procession of goals, swaggering attacking vigour and tactical innovations us mere peasants had never witnessed before.
A nervy, disjointed performance, sealed by a fortunate 87th minute own goal, then, was hardly the picture book way to welcome one of the game’s greatest minds into the rough and tumble of the English game.
But what’s the point of a dream ending if there isn’t a little conflict for contextualisation?
Yes, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City start the season with a 100 per cent win record. One out of one, if anyone’s counting.
Not even that was enough to pacify some supporters, however. The expectations are rather high if you’re managed by Pep Guardiola it seems.
Are Man City fans taking part in a sponsored silence at the Etihad? Would explain total lack of atmosphere echoing around the stadium #MCFC
— Kevin Palmer (@RealKevinPalmer) August 13, 2016
Football is about winning games, not trying to force half of your players into unfamiliar roles.#MCFC
— Michael Yokhin (@Yokhin) August 13, 2016
Slow start for Pep Guardiola. 5 minutes played and @ManCity are only one up.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 13, 2016
Now, back to those tactical innovations: hands up who posted a Gael Clichy – Bacary Sagna midfield partnership into their pre-season predictions?
Sagna, Clichy step into midfield and tuck in when City have the ball. Fernandinho drops between centre-backs. Guardiola’s Bayern method.
— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) August 13, 2016
Guardiola trying to use Clichy as some sort of poor man’s Alaba. I mean, it’s actually not that bad of an idea.
— Jonas Giæver (@CheGiaevara) August 13, 2016
Spending mental effort trying definitively categorize a Guardiola lineup as either 4231 or 4141 is kinda silly.
— Mike L. Goodman (@TheM_L_G) August 13, 2016
Undoubtedly, Pep’s decision to drop Joe Hart for the eternal flapathon that is Willy Caballero will have every gossip collumn busy over the next two weeks. But what did the all-knowing Twitterverse make of Guardiola’s first headline-grabbing decision in the City hotseat?
And, yes, Pep v Jose has very much begun.
Can understand Guardiola wanting a keeper with better feet than Hart, but until he gets one, is Caballero really the answer over Hart?
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) August 13, 2016
Hart finished, Kompany always injured and Toure finished. Looks like Guardiola has a new spine of the team to create at City.
— Scott Patterson (@R_o_M) August 13, 2016
So Guardiola sends out messages to both Touré and Hart by leaving them out of the squad. If that was a certain Portuguese manager – UPROAR.
— Liam Canning (@OffsideLiam) August 13, 2016
Your move Jose…
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