Quote:
Originally Posted by !@#$%!
at bayern he got all the easy victories but not the hard ones.
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The interesting thing with Pep's experience of the Prem is that he's generally ok against the big teams but struggles against more mid-table ones. Even if he beats them he really has a hard time against them. Apart from all the big money hype, I'd say the Prem is really defined by teams like Stoke or West Brom, who aren't particularly easy on the eye but are very well organised, and will often bully 'better' teams with their sheer doggedness and physicality. Mourinho's initial success here was largely due to him recruiting premium players to play mid-table style football. Something Pep will never do. It's telling that Man City have arguably played better in the Prem this season when Yaya Toure (probably the least Pep-like player in their squad and who he sold from Barcelona after his 1st year in charge) has been involved.
When you think about Pep's club career, it's interesting the amount of players he marginalises who are known for their strength and physicality: Toure, Alexis Sanchez, Zlatan, Schweinsteiger, Ribery. Admittedly Schweinsteiger had massive injury problems but as player types, they represent exactly the kind of player who thrives in the Prem.