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The blue part of Manchester does not have a rich history. Five years ago Manchester City's season objectives included qualifying for the Champions league and winning the EPL was written under the bonus clause for the manager. Manchester City are no longer the same tame squad with some boring strategy. In the 16 games played, Man City have 46 out of the possible 48 points. I am not describing the German or the French League, this is the most competitive league in the world or should I say 'was'. Man City dropping points is now as rare as Iniesta finding the back of the net. Pep Guardiola is the 'Christopher Nolan' of English Football and Man City is now the 'Bruce Wayne' of EPL. Let us analyze the tactics he has applied.
- Effective use of full backs: Full backs are one of the most creative players of a team. They boost the attacking as well as the defensive prospects. Ever since his golden days at Barca, Guardiola is known for optimizing the use of his full backs. Players like Éric Abidal and Dani Alves have set a high benchmark for the likes of Fabian Delph and Kyle Walker but it seems that they are ready for it. It has been observed that the Man City lineup which initially looks like a 4-3-3 often converts into a weird 2-5-3. This is unlike the previous season when the full backs weren't allowed to move forward until the team entered into a favorable crossing position. This is most likely the reason why Man City invested so heavily in the transfer window on Walker. This forces the opposing midfielders to get stretched wide open and this provides Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva the golden chance to show their magic. Let's discuss in detail the impact of this 2-5-3 formation on the midfielders.
- De Bruyne and David Silva in the free role : Remember that goal Lionel Messi scored in the UCL Semifinal against Real Madrid in 2011? "A near Supernatural goal from Lionel Messi" described Peter Drury. The goal looked like a complete solo effort but actually it wasn't. Have a look at this snap:
Some of the Madrid players were busy marking the Blaugranas on the wing. This provided more than enough space for Messi to express his skills. This is what Guardiola is trying at Man City. De Bruyne and Silva are currently the most skilled players on the Citizens' team sheet. The perfect example of this free role was displayed in the 1-0 win against Chelsea with De Bruyne's screamer against Courtois, as the full backs drifted up the field to distract the Chelsea mid field which opened space up for De Bruyne. Have a look:
Last Season, the City team weren't prepared for this big change and thus this 'free role' strategy of Pep failed at various instances which cost them dearly at the end of the season. But now, the team is used to the tactics of the mastermind and thus things are going smoothly so far!
3. Extracting the best out of Leroy Sane : Sane is among the few players who won Pep's trust by their commitment and skill. Sane is the new young prospect for the EPL. He is comfortable with the ball and makes life difficult for the centre backs with his lightning fast speed. He is desperate to win the ball back if the ball is in the opponent's possession, and this is what has helped him to earn Guardiola's trust. Man City press high upfield and thus Guardiola encourages only those players who have pacy feet. This is the reason why he often snubs Toure. Sane along the left wing is clinical with his finishing, provides perfect crosses and he has improved these skills in the past few months. In the previous Season Guardiola did not have enough players who were fast with the ball at their feet. This season each and every positon in the City lineup is occupied by the players with this attribute.
4. Just Guardiola things! : Guardiola has inherited his footballing principles from the man who invented the concept of total football, Johan Cruyff. He was an integral part of the 1996 Barcelona squad. Guardiola is the man who prioritized the concept of Tiki-Taka. Yes, all the principles he used at Barca are not applicable here at City but he is trying his best to slowly embed those principles in the team. It has been observed that whenever a City player gets trapped on the touchline with 2-3 opponents then a quick one-two with a nearby teammate is all City requires to get out of the situation. This seems quite similar to Tiki-Taka. Not only this, at Barcelona, Iniesta is known for his defense-splitting passes and now it seems Silva has learnt a lot from his national team mate. Fernandinho is no different, his long passes up the field are enough for Aguero or Jesus to convert the half-chance. One major attribute which differentiates the City of this season from the previous one is the "Never Say Die Attitude". City never give up until the last minute. In the West Ham game, City had fallen behind by one goal but they were simply not ready to give up. The players want to enjoy the ball possession for each and every minute of the game.
So, the moral of the story is that Pep is trying to induce the concept of Total Football at City and the results of the season so far, show that City may become unstoppable in the near future and for sure City are going to make life difficult for the favourites of the Champions League!
Image Credits : Youtube football channels
