Pep’s brain is whirring again!
Why the experiments never stop for City’s Tinkerman
PEP GUARDIOLA has been here so long t hat his s easons are now f ollowing patterns. Doubt is cast over Manchester City before Christmas, they roar back around New Year and in February, the manager starts trying new things.
This time last year came the inventive switch of John Stones i nto midfield, which became the cornerstone of their run to the Treble. Stones has had a troubling season with injuries this time though and City largely ditched that in his absence.
But Guardiola is always searching for new ways to stay ahead. At times Kyle Walker has been told to stay high and wide, more so than ever before, and the past seven days have brought another couple of tweaks which could suggest Guardiola is feeling his way into a new innovation.
At Brentford last Monday, City effectively went without a left winger. Phil Foden was named out there yet spent most of his night in the middle and ended up with a second career hat-trick. Josko Gvardiol roamed backward and forward almost alone.
And on Saturday, in the opening exchanges of what proved a tricky assignment against a stubborn Everton, came something else new. Manuel Akanji was named at left back for his comeback from injury and Stones stationed himself at right back. City are adept at one defender jumping up alongside Rodri in possession, but here Guardiola asked both full backs simultaneously. It is rare.
The experiment was only brief, in the opening 15 minutes or so, before Akanji and centre back Nathan Ake switched places, but points to Guardiola’s willingness to try fresh ideas. Other than the element of surprise at this stage in a season, it also serves to keep his players engaged and with something to think about.
‘We tried but it didn’t work for the way Everton defended,’ Guardiola said. ‘ Manu didn’t feel comfortable so we changed our structure.’
City had anticipated a five-man defence rather than the four Sean Dyche picked. There had been some uncertainty, especially with Akanji, on when and where to force the issue in possession. ‘The system changed on the ball,’ Ake said. ‘ Everyone i s capable of playing any position.’
And there, i n that second sentence, Ake nailed why City will feel confident of adding more silverware this season. Guardiola’s brain is whirring and he benefits from a pool of players who seem instantly capable of adapting to different tactical instructions.
To fully go for a system that has two absolute defenders and then three in front on the ball, City need to be secure with their defensive record, which has not been at its usual level.
This was only a second Premier League clean sheetheet in 13 matches, but thereere still came a suggestion stion that a new system, em, with its s l i ght ht subtleties, could d be something to watch for.
‘Manu suffered the lack of rhythm and John a bit too,’ Guardiola said. ‘When t h e yy moved inside last st season they were re incredible, now it is not so fluid.
‘Why? It is becauseause you are injured and then don’t have the rhythm they need. But still they compete.
‘We won all the games and now are there. How much we want it will be a problem for opponents.’ Everton appeared comfortable managing City for large parts, with James Garner and Idrissa Gueye near-nea perf e c t in choosing when to mix it in the areas Guardiola wantedwan hi s f ul l backsba to exploit. ThenT Kevin De BruyneB came on and Erling Haaland di d his thing. ‘ We got punishedp off a dubiousd corner,’ EvertonE defender JamesJa Tarkowski said.said ‘ Once again, anotheranot decision goes aagainst us, but there’s nothingnot we can do about that. ‘You go and speak to the ref and it’s like, “We’ll look at it”. Well, it’s no good looking at it now, is it? We need you to look at it on the pitch and get it right. They say we apologise for this, we apologise for that, but it’s not good enough.
‘I didn’t think they (City) were creating much. I didn’t feel we were in loads of danger.
‘Don’t worry about us, we’re ready to go no matter what. It’s been a good season. I’m not disappointed. We’re going well.’
Despite Tarkowski’s optimism, Everton are seven without a win. MANCHESTER CITY (4-1-4-1): Ederson 7; Stones 7, Dias 7, Ake 8, Akanji 6 (Walker 57min, 7); Rodri 7; Foden 7, Nunes 5 (De Bruyne 57, 7.5), Alvarez 6 (Silva 77), Doku 6.5 (Grealish 87); HAALAND 8.5. Scorer: Haaland 71, 85. Booked: None. Manager: Pep Guardiola 7. EVERTON (4-4-1-1): Pickford 6; Godfrey 5.5 (Coleman 56, 5.5), Tarkowski 7, Branthwaite 7, Mykolenko 7; Young 6 (Onana 78), Gueye 7.5 (Chermiti 89), Garner 7, McNeil 6 (Dobbin 88); Harrison 6; Calvert-Lewin 5.5 (Beto 78). Booked: Gueye, Garner. Manager: Sean Dyche 7. Referee: John Brooks 5. Attendance: Not provided.