Fortuitous win but City already 'Pepped' up

Andy West 00:30 14/08/2016
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  • Lucky Escape: Own goal saves Pep's blushes

    It hasn’t taken long for Pep Guardiola to make his mark at Manchester City, but Saturday’s fortuitous opening day victory over Sunderland will make the Spanish coach fully aware that the process of turning his new team into a world power has only just started.

    Despite his nice guy image, Guardiola has always been a ruthless operator and he has already taken some big decisions at the Etihad Stadium.

    For starters, Samir Nasri and Yaya Toure, two mainstays of the team during their two title triumphs in 2012 and 2014, appear to have bleak futures at after being omitted from Guardiola’s plans so far.

    Even more high-profile was Guardiola’s decision to leave out Joe Hart, with the England goalkeeper replaced by 34 year-old Willy Caballero – who had made just five league appearances in the last two seasons – to further fuel rumours that Barcelona’s Marc-Andre Ter Stegen could be on the way to England.

    Guardiola has also made several new signings, with Nolito and John Stones making their debuts yesterday and plenty more – including injured duo Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan – set to follow soon.

    But rather than his favouring or jettisoning of specific personnel, the aspect of Guardiola’s management that has always been the most intriguing – the reason he has become such a coaching icon – is his tactical mastery.

    This is the man who, at Barcelona, sparked a global tactical revolution by implementing a passing-heavy approach which even earned its own nickname, tiki-taka, and propelled Guardiola to managerial superstardom.

    Guardiola’s reputation and his aura have not been built upon his buying and selling of players or his man-management, but upon his unique perception of how the game can be played.

    His understanding of football is the thing that makes him special, and his ability to just do things differently is the reason why his arrival in the Premier League could prove so significant.

    And there was plenty of Guardiola’s tactical subtlety on display in his City debut, starting with his decision to play Alexander Kolarov, who has spent his entire career at full back, in the centre of defence when two fully fledged central defenders – Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala – were also available.

    Even more fascinating was the manner in which City alternated between two formations from the opening whistle, with a 4-2-3-1 formation when Sunderland had possession quickly switching to a 3-2-4-1 shape when City had the ball.

    That involved Fernandinho dropping back from his starting position in the centre of midfield to form a three-man defence alongside Kolarov and debutant John Stones, while full-backs Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna adopted even more unusual roles in the centre of midfield, supporting an attacking midfield quartet of David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Nolito and Raheem Sterling.

    The sight of full backs Clichy and Sagna spraying passes from the centre circle, positioned a few yards ahead of full back Kolarov and central midfielder Fernandinho in the middle of defence, might have been a disorientating one for seasoned City-watchers…but welcome to Pep’s world.

    In truth, the plan was only partially successful, with City looking increasingly confused and tentative the further the game progressed, with Guardiola’s players perhaps not entirely adjusted to their new roles and unsure of exactly how the system could work.

    But these are early days, and a diet of half-paced pre-season friendlies combined with thousands of air miles is no preparation for serious competitive action.

    With real games under their belts, allowing Guardiola to learn far more about what his players can and can’t do, City will improve quickly. Saturday was something of an experiment, and the approach will be tweaked and modified in the weeks to come.

    In his post-game press conference, Guardiola was repeatedly at pains to point out that his decisions for the Sunderland meeting applied to one game only, refusing to rule out the possibility that Hart, Nasri and Toure will battle their way into the team.

    But we have already seen evidence – as if we needed it – that Guardiola will continue to try the unexpected. A left back and a midfielder playing at centre back and full backs in the centre of midfield is only the beginning.

    He might not always win, but he will never be predictable.

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