#9 | Gabriel Jesus - 2020/21 Performances

[Akira]

Since he came back from his injury earlier this season he's barely been used as a typical lone forward. It's been as a deeper defensive forward or false 9, or in today's case on the left.

I've been trying to figure out if this is Pep seeing Jesus in a different capacity, or whether the false 9 thing is a tactical shift that he was always working towards. I have felt that for a while Pep has been aiming to have a very fluid attacking unit. Sterling, Foden, De Bruyne, and Torres all can provide that on paper with Jesus.


What's difficult is that Aguero's been unavailable, and how he'd play would help us understand a lot of this.

False 9 has always been a hallmark in Guardiola's tactics. He first played Messi there and I think he tried Fabregas there too. When he was at Bayern, he sometimes played Muller, and I think tried to play Gotze there. Less of the idea of having to have a False 9, Pep has always favored his frontman to be mobile, hard working, fluid - to make space & create for his David Villas, Pedros, Muller, Sterling, etc. The outlier he had I guess would be Lewandowski, who is so good as a centre forward, that it makes sense to not push him too far away from the box.

Pep focuses alot on Jesus' work rate as his most outstanding attribute, in my opinion. Jesus employed on the wings has the capability and willingness to track back, whilst having the instincts of a striker to break into the box (all these seen vs Real Madrid last season). Whether Jesus playing more on the left will be something Pep is working on remains to be seen, but I feel it wouldn't be such a bad idea.

 

[Larry Stranger]

I think the players available partially dictated Pep's formation. I feel the reason Pep played Jesus left yesterday is that he wanted someone who could cut in from the left onto his right foot with Torres and Sterling both out. We already had Bernardo filling in the left mid position and putting Phil wide would mean 2 left footers along with Mendy at LB who also provides width on the left. Kev more or less had to provide the width out right because Cancelo was playing the inverted fullback while Mahrez was on the right wing. Considering it was the FA cup against Birmingham, Pep could afford to experiment.

 

[BlueTG]

Missed the first effort when he should have squared it, so he has to square to the second opportunity when it was on again.

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

Pep brought him on to play left midfield ? Why ?

 

[kaz7]

Really bad cameo

 

[01cravend]

Pep brought him on to play left midfield ? Why ?

Energy. Won the ball back a bunch of times and one of the few players capable/willing to take someone on.

 

[mosssideblue]

Off the pace when he first came on but once he moved further forward, was much better

 

[OrigamiNinja]

I’m a huge fan of his but his cameo was awful. Kept losing the ball and mostly in our own half. I don’t mind him playing on the left but I thought it was a mistake not to stick him up front tonight. We were crying out for a proper striker on the pitch.

 

[Ban-jani]

Pep brought him on to play left midfield ? Why ?

He was playing left forward, out of our front three, which is arguably his best position. But we were playing like tossers so he needed to defend a lot.

Bad cameo but I’ll let him off as he’s been out longer than some of the others.

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

Energy. Won the ball back a bunch of times and one of the few players capable/willing to take someone on.

You were watching a different game to me