Maybe itโs just me, but Pep is starting to wear a little thin.
I get all the bits about revolutionary, expansive football. The off-kilter formations and high pressing. At times, watching Manchester City play football it seems that Pep Guardiola has somehow changed the rules. I get it. Itโs a good thing.
But for us Fantasy Football managers, Pep’s visionary methods are problematic.
Iโd quite like to back Cityโs exciting and modern take on attacking football with a few of their players. Certainly Sergio Aguero, maybe even Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne or even John Stones.
But Pep is not our friend.
When Yaya Toure stroked home his brace at Crystal Palace, it would have been nice to have looked upon the Ivorianโs return as a gift: another legitimate midfield target to consider.
Instead, Pep immediately moved to douse those possibilities, rolling out the โRโ word minutes after the final whistle to make it abundantly clear where we all stand.
This very morning a report hammers home the latest chilling chapter from Guardiola, featuring a quote that no Fantasy Football manager wantโs to readโฆ
โEveryone is droppableโ
This is all kinds of bad.
With doubts currently swimming around our heads on Sergio Agueroโs minutes at Burnley, we do not need Pep reminding us of his ruthless approach to rotation.
I found yesterdayโs comments on Agueroโs โfoot problemโ troubling.
Pep avoided stating that Aguero was injured, and yet went on to build a scenario which created doubt surrounding the availability of a key player.
Foolishly, I have been lured into trying to second guess his intentions.
I fail to see anything to be gained from this latest move.
Perhaps itโs just honesty โ a policy of truth. Or perhaps, like Arsene Wenger and Theo Walcottโs toe, Pep is creating a scenario which legitimises limiting Agueroโs pitch time.
Sergio needs to play and score today, but with the Chelsea fixture beckoning and Pep sewing seeds, I wonder if heโll be given the opportunity.
That would be the latest chapter in my turbulent affair with Pep.
Already betrayed on Stones and Sterling, should Guardiola curtail Agueroโs Turf Moor appearance, heโs in danger of forcing me into a bold and brave decision.
I donโt want that. I want an easy ride. I want Aguero to get his goal and provide me with a reason to keep him forever locked in my squad, sitting there as my captaincy comfort blanket.
Pepโs own dicey decision making with his rotating teamsheet could yet force us to follow suit โ to take undesirable risks.
We donโt want everyone to be โdroppableโ. Certainly, we want and need Aguero to be untouched.
I was already toying with the idea of shunning the Argentine in a weekโs time, now, thanks to Pepโs latest intervention, Iโm teetering on the edge a week early.
This modern football, with its high energy pressing and data analysts warning of players in the red zone is rubbish.
Where’s the 4-4-2 and the “untouchables” when you need them?

