City’s tackle masters up for the challenge
PEP Guardiola was the subject of much sneering derision when he said that he did not coach tackling.
Manchester City had just lost 4-2 at Leicester, a scoreline that could have been far worse, and the critics were declaring that he was, in fact, Pep Fraudiola.
The following season, his nontackling Blues stormed to the Premier League title in record-breaking style, and no-one was talking about his players’ tackling ability.
Even this season, when Guardiola’s City have become a more formidable defensive unit, to add to their attacking brilliance, tackling is not a thing. And yet on Monday night, against a Spurs side packed with midfield brutes - 6ft 1ins Eric Dier, hulking six footer Moussa Dembele and 6ft 1ins Mouss Sissoko - and on a pitch suited to the agricultural, City won the battle.
In the thick of it, as always, were David Silva and Bernardo Silva, both 5ft 6 ins and of waifish build.
On the face of it, that might back up Gary Neville’s controversial comments that Spurs have been spineless and soft for the last 30 years. But that would be unfair on that trio, who were not holding back.
They were beaten by sheer skill, and by the natural talents of the two Silvas, both worth their inconsiderable weight in gold.
Neither of them are tacklers, in the true English understanding of the word, although they are both fierce, brave competitors who put themselves in harm’s way for the team.
What they do execute, brilliantly, is the art of taking the ball from 50-50 challenges against much bigger men.
They do not employ the old blood and thunder techniques so loved by English football fans.
They use subtlety, touch, poise and balance to win those challenges, and it is a joy to behold.
Silva has long mastered the art of winning the ball in challenges against bigger men, absolutely necessary for a player like him to survive and thrive in Europe’s most physical league.
He uses an opponent’s weight against them, leaning into the challenge and then bouncing off the player’s weight, trusting his perfect touch to take the ball with him as he ricochets away.
Bernardo has also started to do that, but he has a few tricks of his own. If anything, his touch is even better than that of his Spanish namesake, and you frequently see him dink the ball, or flip it to one side, when a hefty challenge comes in rather than trying to meet force with force.
Like David, his balance and supple strength ensure that he stays on his feet, and he pirouettes away with the ball, leaving the opponent off-balance or prostrate. It is a thing of beauty, to be enjoyed and celebrated every bit as much as the attacking skills those two deploy.