‘FIXER’ Smiling assassin Fernandinho puts it right on the pitch when things go wrong
The 33-year-old is a key component in Guardiola’s attacking philosophy, doing the dirty defensive work that allows stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Co to glitter. Fernandinho calls himself “a fixer”. And when he addressed the accusation that he has become an expert in committing tactical fouls to halt opposition counter-attacks, he was not afraid to put his foot in.
“I am a nice guy,” insisted the man from the city of Londrina in southern Brazil.
“Look, I have heard what has been said. But most of the time I recover the ball without making a foul. And I smile because I am a happy guy!
“Football is a contact sport, especially in England.
“Sometimes you get players who are faster than you or who can trick you with some skill.
“So sometimes you make the foul.
“The important thing to understand, from my point of view, is that, if the opponents break our lines and they are attacking our box, something has gone wrong – and it is me who has to fix it.”
Fernandinho will be looking to “fix” Manchester United when Jose Mourinho’s men arrive at the Etihad for today’s 177th Manchester derby.
But the Brazilian bristles at suggestions he is nothing more sophisticated that an old-fashioned midfield muscle man.
He said: “In my country, they used to call players in my position a defensive midfielder.
“But it is not defensive. I try to win the ball high up the pitch to start attacks. And I know I have enough quality to play in a team that likes to play attacking football.
“Even in an attacking team like City, a big part of the game is to know also how to defend. It isn’t just me. When the other team has the ball, we are all under instruction to win it back. We defend with 10 outfield players.
“The key is to be compact going both ways, when we are attacking and defending, because this is how to keep control. “When we press high, everyone – including the strikers, the wingers and the attacking midfielders – tries to recover the ball.”
Regular one-on-one coaching sessions with Guardiola and his right-hand man Mikel Arteta have enabled Fernandinho to get a better grasp of what they want him to do. But he admitted that it wasn’t always easy for the City boss to get his message across.
Fernandinho said: “This is the third season of Pep and we all have more understanding of how he wants us to play. It’s not like the first season, when it took him more time to make us understand his ideas.
“I would compare it to being a father. When you talk to your son or your daughter for the first time, they don’t understand you.
“Of course, you have patience because they are your kids. You keep talking to them and eventually they understand.
“You tell them, ‘You have to do this, you cannot do this’ and, as they grow, they start to get it.
“That is what it was like with Pep. At first, you don’t understand. But then you grow and you work and you understand. Now, it only takes a gesture from Pep and we understand.”
Fernandinho added: “My role is to fix things, especially in the middle of the pitch.
“We have Benjamin Mendy on one side, who is an attacking player, and sometimes I have to block that left side when he goes forward.
“On the other side, Kyle Walker (inset) also likes to go forward, so I have to watch that space. It’s a synchronisation, you know. And that synchronisation has to be precise.
“The responsibility on me is big. But I feel great, because I know how important I am for the team.”