Quote:
Originally Posted by
benecios 
Hate to say I called it (because I don't believe I called it here), but I foresaw this happening from day one. It was only a matter of time before the obvious debauchery going on in the Qatar victory was going to get blown wide open, and people were going to look back and say "Well, we really should have voted for the US in the first place."
Interestingly I believe this does make the Pep to Qatar move a bit shakier. One of the primary reasons that Qatar is so desperate for a top-class coach is because they'll be hosts of the 2022 WC as it stands, and it would be a huge embarrassment for a country of such wealth to get knocked out of the competition early, a prediction that I don't believe many would disagree with.
Pep may be well-suited to a national team. His strength seems to be in putting team members in their best positions to exploit their creativity and helping them develop as players. His work in the transfer market has been largely abysmal - getting rid of Eto'O for Ibra, then subsequently getting rid of Ibra for Villa, who only scored two more this season than Ibra did. He would do well in a situation where he had players to select and call up (similar to an academy), or if at a club, at least a Director of Football in a more prominent role to help with the transfer market.
As for him wanting to leave Barcelona, I believe it. Every single week is another potential heart attack when you've got the weight of the soccer world on your shoulders. Of course, having guys like Messi and Iniesta around no doubt alleviates some of that. Then you have the rivalry between Spanish clubs spanning far beyond the club itself so the pressure becomes even greater as you're no longer just the pride of your club, but also your city, and in the case of Barca, all of Catalonia.
I could see Pep at an English club, and it would be hard to see him anywhere but one of the top. Obviously, stylistically he matches up well with Arsenal. Many see him at Chelsea or Manchester United - personally I think it'd be a pity for him to become Abramovich's shiny new toy and thrown out after a year like many others. As for Man United, I think Mourinho is a better fit, but I don't think there's a club in the world who wouldn't want a class-act like Guardiola at the helm. I actually think Liverpool has a suitable culture and system for someone like him. We even have our youth academy and teams being run by former Barca coaches. It'd be a dream come true for him to inherit the crown from Kenny when he steps down eventually, but there really are quite a few exciting young couches available who I'd love to have as well (Klopp, Deschamps, Villas Boas)
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