Lyle Taylor explains why he feels that “Pep has ruined English football”, and how he wants to see PROPER long ball football back in the EFL.
The 35 year old footballer opened up to the BBC’s EFL podcast 72+ podcast, saying he doesn’t like how the English game has adopted the European play style.
Lyle said: “Everyone’s playing out from the back. Pep has single handedly ruined football. English football. Because it’s not English football anymore. We’ve now adopted this European, like, I suppose, mishmash almost because we still wanna play channel balls because it’s what we grew up doing.
“As soon as we get to 11 aside, the full-back curls one down the side. The winger comes short checked, and he gets in behind. They don’t do that in on the continent.
Aaron Paul said: “And, Lyle, for the first time in the 2025/26 season, I will appeal to everyone and say, make long ball sexy again. There’s nothing wrong with it.
Sam Hutchinson: “Come down to Plough Lane, you’ll see a few long balls down there.
Aaron Paul: “I love it. I love it””
“Pep’s ruined football!” 🧠❌
🚀 Lyle Taylor says it’s time to bring back PROPER long ball football in the EFL#BBCFootball #EFL pic.twitter.com/dx5cmFjt5b
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) July 30, 2025
Lyle Taylor also said he thought about ending his playing career but, 12 months later, he’s keen to continue, though is on the search for a new club.
There hasn’t been a new deal offered to him at Colchester United, having scored 10 goals in 27 League Two starts last season, making him the club’s top scorer.
“Currently I am jobless – as it stands I am working on getting better,” Taylor told the BBC’s EFL podcast 72+.
“I am working on not being jobless in the very near future.
“I was in a position a year ago looking at it and thinking ‘if I don’t enjoy this season then I’m probably going to call it a day’,” he said.
“Fast forward a year to where we are now and I want to carry on playing.”
He made 40 games across all competitions, scoring 13 goals, heloing fuie Colchester to a 10th place finish, and were just three points away from making the play-offs.
However a calf injury ended his season early than expected.
“I’ve been trying since December to stay at Colchester but as it stands it’s still not done and I don’t know where I’m at,” he said.
Here’s how fans reacted after Lyle Taylor explains why he feels that “Pep has ruined English football”…
@JamesSaintLatic: Amen, find a lot of football boring now and watching L1 and lower sides try to play out from the back makes me ill.
@FrankyRN51: He learned it from Johan Cruyff
@BirdsTheWord__: Spot on. You’ve got teams in league 2 and even lower down the pyramid playing out from the back who clearly aren’t capable of playing that way. But because Pep did it it’s the only way to play? More than one way to skin a cat.
@FodenPalmer: “We still wanna play channel balls” then do it you fucking idiot. Pep’s too worried about how he can keep his relationship with Bernardo a secret to care about how you play in League 2
@theskybluetimes: The real question is, how does Guardiola have the time to coach over 1,400 English clubs each season?
@joshwlees: I must have missed the part where Pep went into all 92 dressing rooms and told them NO MORE LONG BALLS! Interesting that Pep’s goalkeeper has more assists than any GK in PL history too. I imagine that came from playing one-twos out from the back?
@coachqueeley: Each to their own, but nah… not for me, i prefer Cole Palmer and Foden behind the strker than Duncan Ferguson and Dion Dublin next to the 9 winning flick ons..
@KloppWorld: He’s right. In the same way Pep has ruined the unpredictably of football in England, I have similar feelings about Messi and Ronaldo ruining the number 9 position. Everyone wants to be an inside forward these days that’s why there’s no good number 9’s left
@RCMCFCX3: Translated as… Lower league plodder likes to play a certain way & wouldn’t last 2 minutes training with Pep never mind play for him. Also not Pep’s fault the fa & many other clubs looked at the blueprint & thought they could replicate or better it
@MattyClarkson1: Nothing to do with pep…. It’s the idiots copying it
@mcjjwpfc: Lazy stuff. Pep doesn’t ask you to play his style. You just wanted to because it’s both effective and entertaining. If Lyle Taylor can’t keep the ball then yeah go long and accept your lack of ability for that type of football.
@mcfcben__: I see this as a massive win given that when pep rocked up everyone said he couldn’t do it in here and English football is too physical but now apparently everyone has copied him
@MancityGP: The only reason these lot are seeing quality ball is cuz of a manager who changed the sport in the country instead of praising him these guys are blaming him you know how many pep’s disciples succeeded in coaching rn how many top managers in premier league alone lmao
@JBrogzz: Can anyone tell me what “English” football is?
@ScottyTMJ2: I agree. Football is so boring now and as well as this it’s become a non-contact sport.
@ClaireMulcahy17: That’s an issue created by the managers that copy him not pep. Pep has only managed one team in England
@WileECo15656054: Please show me where it says it is a law to play the same as a Pep Gaurdola team ?? 🔔🔚
@Tetleynick7: Pep hasn’t ruined football. The managers who insist on trying to copy his style of play without the talent to do it have.
@mancityneil: @lyletaylor90 is moaning because he isn’t captor playing football. Quite simple really. He plays where he is because that’s his level. Kick and chase is what he is.
@Andy_Leonard01: How are people still running with this take? Pep hasn’t ruined football. It’s the divs replicating his style with bang average footballers
