PEP’S HOLY GRAIL
Guardiola eyes Champions League glory for City
Pep Guardiola only spent a quarter of an hour working on his tactics to beat Manchester united in their own back yard a few months ago.
Manchester City went there with two false No 9s, riyad Mahrez and Kevin de Bruyne, and comfortably saw off their rivals. a 15-minute sermon on the morning of that Carabao Cup semi-final was enough to drill down into specific instructions.
They had played similarly before, most notably at real Madrid in last year’s Champions league, but in January, with both senior strikers recovering from injury or coronavirus, the need was more pronounced.
Guardiola liked what he saw and City have operated with a false nine in a healthy portion of games since then.
Certainly it was the manager’s club of choice for victories over Borussia dortmund and paris Saint-Germain and plays to the idea that his perfect Xi is one almost entirely made up of midfielders.
Men like Bernardo Silva, whose utility has sometimes been to his detriment yet now makes him invaluable in this version of Guardiola’s City. Silva has been used as a false nine, central midfielder, quasi-full-back and on both wings since January. Sometimes all in the same fixture.
even for truly top players it can take a little time to adjust. Knowing the exact timings of Guardiola’s dance takes a serious amount of concentration. if opponents are left dizzy by the constant movement and variations during games, then so too are Guardiola’s players.
‘it’s tough,’ Silva says. ‘it’s easier to just play in one position! Then you know everything you have to do in each situation. When you play on the left or right, then through the middle, it’s a bit tougher. But you grow as a player. it has made me a better player but sometimes it is not easy. We keep changing and switching through games.
‘imagine i play ten games as a centre-right midfielder, i start finding my routines. Then if pep plays me as a false nine, i need to find new routines because the game demands different things in that position. You adapt as fast as you can. it’s worked this season. Sometimes we don’t play with a striker, but i always say we play with four or five strikers, because everyone can finish the moves and everyone can start them too.
‘i’ve had some very good dressing rooms and some very bad ones. This Manchester City dressing room is really, really good. There is no jealously. We compete to keep the standards and intensity high, but we are happy when our mates do something well.
‘Now we want to get that Champions league trophy back to Manchester. That would be very special.’
City’s list of top scorers this term in the absence of a fully-fit Sergio aguero is telling. ilkay Gundogan leads the way on 17 and another six have reached double figures.
it is striking therefore that, while Gundogan took the public plaudits for his contribution in redefining City’s season after new year, Silva was earning internal praise. The 26-year-old was only rested for three of City’s astonishing 21-match winning run.
When de Bruyne was missing through injury for a month, it was Silva and Gundogan who took creative responsibility.
‘January and February were great. i had a few months in my second season that were good as well!’ Silva is right, he was often unplayable off the right in that second season when City became the first team to defend a league title for a decade. life was good and he felt at home in a citycentre apartment. But football can change.
City staff noticed an alteration in his mood and performances dipped. Guardiola consistently maintained that Silva would come again and has been proved correct.
‘pep was always honest with me,’ Silva says. ‘He knows i’m always honest with him. We have a great relationship and that helps. He just kept telling me where i had to improve. Sometimes it doesn’t happen as fast as i want. Sometimes physically you’re not as good as you want to be. Sometimes emotionally you’re a little bit tired of football. ‘When you win, it’s always easier, right? i’m a bit of a sore loser. i’m not used to it. The reality is i’ve got used to winning a lot.’ The point Silva makes regarding his physicality is salient. it’s not as if he will ever grow taller than 5ft 8ins and his height hampered him when coming through Benfica’s academy..
‘i’ve always been energetic, but i remember when i was younger, i could run with this intensity for 60 or 70 minutes and then i was tired. over the years, i started getting a bit stronger and now i can go like this for 90 minutes. i’m a better presser now.
‘i’ve had some managers that, because of my qualities, said i shouldn’t defend as much as others. But i always thought that was a mistake. i have to work as much as everyone else. i grew up a lot at Monaco and with pep as well. at City, if you don’t run, you don’t play.’