Playing it clever is key to success under Pep
BERNARDO Silva says intelligence is the main quality required to thrive under City manager Pep Guardiola, so players can understand what is needed in different positions.
The Portugal international’s adaptability has seen him become one of the Blues’ most valued players this season, offering the manager plenty of options in his attack.
And Bernardo says players need the intelligence to appreciate the intricacies of each position in order to effectively play in different roles when asked. He said: “I like to believe that I understand the game.
“The most important thing in a football player is to understand the game. To understand that each team plays in a different way, each manager has his philosophy, each team has different players so you have to adapt to your team-mates. So if you understand the game and everything around it, you can play not only in one position but in many different positions.”
Bernardo was City’s Player of the Season in 2018/19, operating mainly from a central position in the absence of Kevin de Bruyne. This season, though, with the Belgian ace back, Bernardo has been deployed across the front line.
He said: “You are better in some position more than others. But if you are intelligent, and I like to believe I understand the game and I am an intelligent player, I think you can do it in different positions.
“It takes time to adapt, to understand what your new manager wants. In this case what Pep wants is very complex because he goes to the little details. It took me some time as well.”