Is there a case for recalling Fernando

[teddykgb]

I can't believe this thread is as long as it is. Absolutely crazy. To propose this is to not understand the role Yaya plays. Fernando can't pivot, so others have to alter position to come get the ball. They then have fewer options forward and the whole system breaks down. There's a reason why the pivot is such a vaunted position in Peps system, it's an incredibly demanding position that requires a highly technical footballer. Playing Fernando essentially puts us back into 4-2-3-1 with 1 fewer player joining in the controlling the possession.

 

[HelloCity]

Is there a case for recalling Fernando?

No.

 

[Marvin]

I can't believe this thread is as long as it is. Absolutely crazy. To propose this is to not understand the role Yaya plays. Fernando can't pivot, so others have to alter position to come get the ball. They then have fewer options forward and the whole system breaks down. There's a reason why the pivot is such a vaunted position in Peps system, it's an incredibly demanding position that requires a highly technical footballer. Playing Fernando essentially puts us back into 4-2-3-1 with 1 fewer player joining in the controlling the possession.

Absolutely crazy is to continue to dominate possession to the extent we do and concede goals like mugs to the the first serious counter-attacks

Don't think that just because we are on a mini-run the problem has gone away. It wont until we have defensive midfielder(s).

But the injury to Jesus means for me that there will be no evolution of this team this season. We'll have to work harder for goals now.

 

[teddykgb]

Absolutely crazy is to continue to dominate possession to the extent we do and concede goals like mugs to the the first serious counter-attacks

Don't think that just because we are on a mini-run the problem has gone away. It wont until we have defensive midfielder(s).

But the injury to Jesus means for me that there will be no evolution of this team this season. We'll have to work harder for goals now.

There is no "defensive midfielder" role in this system. This is total football, everyone has to be able to play. This idea that we can dedicate one player of ten players (excluding GK, obviously) to just a very specific defensive role does not fit with the idea that we're trying to find fullbacks who can be midfielders and CBs who can pass between the lines and hit long diagonals. The idea is defensive solidity through fluidity, suffocate the opponent out of the match and give them just a few scraps to feed on, then have enough talent to kill those few scraps of attacks. Adding a player into the mix who can't keep the ball moving, who can't identify and execute the correct pass, simply because he's a hard man who will run hard at someone on the counter and tackle him is to ignore the idea that adding this player creates far more of those situations in the first place.

There's a reason why our manager is giving a world superstar like Kun Aguero some relatively rough treatment over his commitment to what is essentially total football principles. There's a reason why we have found form as we've gotten young, agile wingers onto the pitch to give us a more effective press and speedier counter...I can do this all day, these players are all linked to one another. When you swap in a player like Fernando with real limitations, especially in the pivot, you have knock on effects that are going to create far more danger. The ideal player for us can do the defensive side of the match and still have the passing range of a Yaya Toure. This is, obviously, an incredibly rare player. But to err on the defensive side will be to remove the fluidity we need.

To try to state it another way, the whole system is tuned to attack. The defensive nous you gain with Fernando isn't enough to overcome the pressure you put on everyone else by his inclusion. We're already sold all out to press, control the ball, play on the front foot. No one player can patch that back together if the other team finds its way through, it requires the entire team. In fact, I think when a player like Fernando is included (or we play 4-2-3-1) we create this mentality of "attackers" versus "defenders" and we see players like KDB and Silva not doing as much work tracking back and ensuring we have players at every layer available to challenge the ball or be an outlet for a pass. One of the revelations of this 4-3-3 we have been playing has been the ability to play KDB and Silva centrally and deeper. They are handling the additional responsibility of playing as an 8 incredibly well (and aren't receiving enough credit for this) and because they are proving (thus far) that they aren't going to be overrun we then have the ability to connect them to Yaya easily and get moving forward quickly. When we played other systems, Silva and KDB often had to abandon their forward position to come receive the ball, so when they turned, they had fewer options ahead of them. With them playing from a deeper starting position, we are free to have Sane and Sterling on the pitch with a striker, all ahead of them positionally, and it's a matter of giving the two of them a little space to pick an option to launch a dangerous attack. If you remove Yaya from that triangle, then the ability to feed these two will break down, and thus our attack.

 

[Rolee]

Absolutely crazy is to continue to dominate possession to the extent we do and concede goals like mugs to the the first serious counter-attacks

Don't think that just because we are on a mini-run the problem has gone away. It wont until we have defensive midfielder(s).

But the injury to Jesus means for me that there will be no evolution of this team this season. We'll have to work harder for goals now.

Just to be clear here Marvin, are you proposing that Yaya is dropped in favour of Fernando? or keep his place in the XI but play a different role? If it's tightening up that concerns you then why Fernando and not Fernandinho?

 

[City_Sean]

Fernando is very good at shoring up a game, but his collecting and distributing of the ball is absolutely nowhere near good enough. He's another who should be moved on this summer for the evolution of the side.

 

[jimharri]

Fair play to the OP. He seems to have reeled a few in with this one.