West Ham game was slow as well. But it was the first round of the season under extreme hot weather. Both teams did not want to play too quick.
Wolves, Utd, Sevilla, and Chelsea (cup game) are 4 typical games we play with fullbacks providing the width (instead of inverted fullbacks). And the games were entertaining. No one complained about the speed or pace even Grealish X Mahrez started vs Chelsea.
It is not really about the winger combination but actually about how to use the fullbacks. If Pep wants a pacy and interesting match, Pep put the fullbacks back supporting the wingers to be closer to the half space. However Pep does not do that often. He plays inverted fullbacks more often.
Quoted:
"
City’s current shape effectively uses two of these (10s) in advance of a double pivot, which acts as central security if they do lose possession but also helps to overload the midfield and allow the No 10s to play high in the half-spaces.
"
In all these matches wingers hugging the touchline. Without the fullback support behind they had to be extreme careful of not losing the ball. One miss pass (Rodri trying to find Mahrez) and the result was a goal by Everton. If you see Foden also passes it back all the time like Grealish, it must be the same set up. The wingers are the necessary sacrifice in this system. The benefit is our attacking midfielders closer to the goal and our fullbacks don't need to run as much. Arsenal also plays inverted fullbacks at times but their fullbacks also overlap at times because they are much younger and they have backup fullbacks on the bench available.
In this sense I sometimes feel bad for the wingers at City, not only for Grealish, but more for the likes of Mahrez Foden and so on. They are sacrificed and get the most sticks at the same time. In a game like vs Everton, the wingers are not the ones the system designed for but they got most criticism. The system was designed to max KDB and Bernado's freedom but sadly they both were off on that night.
General rule of football - the closer you to the center of the pitch, the more attacking influence you have. It is not a coincidence those were also Foden's best games when the fullbacks were not "inverted".
I suspect that it is the argument between Foden and Pep. Grealish and Mahrez are yes man as we all know... They do whatever Pep asks.
I think that Leão is better suited for this system. The idea of a Grealish and Leão swap sounds really interesting to me. However will a player like Leão accept to be sacrificed for the system like what Grealish and Mahrez accept? I doubt it.