Has Manchester City’s stature finally reached the Champions League level?

Fernandinho

Fernandinho is what you can call the ‘holy grail of midfield’, or rather a complete midfielder. He has the ability to play anywhere in the middle of the pitch and will do what ever you want him to do in that position. He can break up the opposition attacks and launch swift counters. His passing range is fantastic and there is also this long range shooting in his bag of tricks. He has good pace and stamina and is quick in possession. While he is not as burly a figure as Yaya Toure, he comes in with a good level of physicality.A new hope for City?

It is evident from the Champions League games how important Fernandinho was for Shakhtar’s midfield in countering the likes of Juventus, Chelsea and Dortmund. Though his domestic league in Turkey is way off compared to the EPL in terms of quality and intensity, his performances in Europe have caught more than an eye and Man City didn’t waste any time in seizing the opportunity to bring the Brazilian to England.

Man City has been playing 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2 and 3-5-2 over the past few seasons. The present set of players they possess is versatile enough to be adjusted into any of these three, but there is always a weak link which can be exploited by the opposition. That is where Fernandinho comes in. His ability to play in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 or rather in any midfield, gives any manager that freedom to tinker with the formation and tactics with other players. With the likes of Yaya Toure and Javi Garcia already in the squad, the Brazilian’s signature will not only provide competition for starting places but also tactical versatility for the manager.