Pep's tactics

[Hungarian blue]

The only problem with this, is that's not the shape we actually played in the first half!

We had 3 centre backs.
Clichy and Navas as wing backs.
A central midfield 3 of Fernando, Fernandinho and Delph.
Zinchenko pushed right up alonside Kelechi.

It was pretty fluid so it's tricky to put a telephone number on it, but it certainly wasn't 343. It was more like 352 if you had to pick one.

I think the only confusion comes from defining Delph's position, otherwise what you state is the same to what he does. And Delph clearly was the furthest forward of our CMs, he basically occupied the same space as Silva did in the second half.

 

[bobom]

I had been skeptical about us going after Stones AND Laporte but now... Looking at how Pep had us passing of defence was impressive, but I can see us needing a big turnover in players to get in people who can play this way without it being quite risky (Lots of misplaced passes yesterday and lucky not to get punished).

If I look over our squad, defenders/goalies are either technically decent but getting a bit long in the tooth (Kompany, Sagna, Clichy, Caballero, Zab), with technical question marks (Hart, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov) or unproven (Maffeo, Angelino, Tosin, Denayer, Gunn). Not one player I could pen into the team sheet for the next 3-5 years with real confidence.

I'm sure some of those unproven players will establish themselves, but I can see having a major turnover of defensive players over the next 12 months.

 

[cibaman]

After watching yesterday, I was impressed with us without the ball, already good signs of us being able to press high up the pitch without leaving gaps that teams can cut through us with a couple of direct balls and it will only get better.
However with the ball I don't think we look anything like a pep team yet. His teams always have at least 2 or 3 pass options, always. I thought yesterday we mostly had just 1 option, sometimes 2 and we're very predictable with our build up play.
But it's still early doors and things will get a lot better and fast
We have some exciting times ahead

Its Catch 22 at the moment. In order to play like a "Pep team" the players need to be super fit. While they're being flogged to become super fit they're less likely to look like a "Pep team".

 

[mekonmcfc]

I would rather this wasn't posted here for all to look at, prefer if you did an analysis of Conte at Chelsea or Cunte at the rags!

is that a serious reply ??? I reckon Mourinho logs on here every 10 mins just check what City are doing

 

[MerlinsBeard]

I had been skeptical about us going after Stones AND Laporte but now... Looking at how Pep had us passing of defence was impressive, but I can see us needing a big turnover in players to get in people who can play this way without it being quite risky (Lots of misplaced passes yesterday and lucky not to get punished).

If I look over our squad, defenders/goalies are either technically decent but getting a bit long in the tooth (Kompany, Sagna, Clichy, Caballero, Zab), with technical question marks (Hart, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov) or unproven (Maffeo, Angelino, Tosin, Denayer, Gunn). Not one player I could pen into the team sheet for the next 3-5 years with real confidence.

I'm sure some of those unproven players will establish themselves, but I can see having a major turnover of defensive players over the next 12 months.

You make some excellent points here and I agree to a large degree. But 3 years is a long time in football, and consider this - 3 seasons ago we had Nastasic, Maicon, Richards, Kolo Toure, Lescott, Pantillimon, Wright in our squad and even Javi Garcia played CB on occasion too!

Plus, I'll be optimistic and say we bring in John Stones, Kompany makes an outstanding return to full fitness, Hart proves his worth, Otamendi becomes more disciplined, Fernandinho is our Mascherano and Denayer wins world player of the year with Angelino and Maffeo a close 2nd and 3rd (it's amazing how highly valued defenders become in the near future)

 

[MadchesterCity]

is that a serious reply ??? I reckon Mourinho logs on here every 10 mins just check what City are doing

Have you even travelled on the river?

 

[1961_vintage]

Yes, because the top clubs around the world rely on social media to get an insight into the tactics of opposing managers instead of employing well paid professionals to do it for them.

GPC was well known for it - he even has an account on here.

I think he goes by a 3-letter username just to make it easy to remember as he's usually shit-faced when he's on here.

Does a lot of anti-rag stuff too so that no-one gets suspicious.

 

[kippaxwarrior]

It was interesting to see in the Dortmund game that every time our defence pushed up or when Dortmund attacked down the wings Dino dropped back as another centre back and he did a really good job at it. He made a few important clearances

 

[mekonmcfc]

Have you even travelled on the river?

that makes as much sense as your original reply

 

[bobom]

I've not seen this posted elsewhere yet - apologies if so.

Here is an amazing, in depth analysis of our tactics last season and what Pep will want to change.

Previewing Pep Guardiola's Manchester City reign