How do we fit Kun in this team?

[Sheikh rattle and roll]

Injury to someone will allow him to regain his place or alternatively a rescue act from the bench
Then it is up to Aguero to keep it and make himself un-droppable

 

[franksinatra]

Nothing remains the same for ever. Inevitably Gundogan scoring rate will drop off, injuries or we may face sides with a low block where playing an additional offensive player will be required. False 9 might suit some matches an out and out striker another.

Having a fully fit firing Aguero is another massive bow in our armoury. Cannot wait to see him over the nxt few mths.

 

[decmancity]

Aguero spent all his career playing on the shoulder of the last defender and measuring his performance in goals until Pep came along.
Pep asked him to play in a different way. Which involved a lot more work and selfless running.
Aguero buckled down and did it.

I have said that Aguero did adapt and has had good seasons but hes now 33 coming off the back of a big knee injury. You can't reasonably expect hes going to keep doing the work he was before.

As I said, the current team is the pure football that Pep has been striving for. Players are moving all around the pitch, goals of all types and from different players and so on and the proof is in the most recent run we have been on.

 

[Sir peace frog]

we don't have to fit Sergio into the team, he has to fit himself into it, he's done it before when pep first arrived, he's a clever player he will do it again just hope he gets the chance too, with all his injuries his brain might be willing but his body might not be. fingers crossed.

 

[Dobsy]

A big part of why we're doing so well and keeping so many clean sheets is the intensity of the targeted pressing up front.

People will say Alisson gifted City two goals with those mistakes. Well, he was bottle necked into them by the pressure.

Jesus, Bernardo, Foden, Sterling in a front 4 is very fast, agile and high energy and that physical element is playing a big part. Aguero now isn't able to do that pressing the same as those 4 so I wonder how his presence will affect the press.

On the other hand you can always see that defenders shit themselves against him and stay tight up to him so I reckon he could open up space for the others just from that threat.

It's a nice problem to have. Fwiw I think Pep will go with Foden dropping central for Gundo, Sterling-Jesus-Mahrez across the front 3. Personally would prefer Torres on the right but Pep seems to be sticking by Mahrez.

 

[Gingers Dad]

I have said that Aguero did adapt and has had good seasons but hes now 33 coming off the back of a big knee injury. You can't reasonably expect hes going to keep doing the work he was before.

As I said, the current team is the pure football that Pep has been striving for. Players are moving all around the pitch, goals of all types and from different players and so on and the proof is in the most recent run we have been on.

Aguero always takes a few games to get back up to speed. And like you say a 33 year old Aguero may never be a good fit for the current team. Possibly why the management appear to have let him take his time to return? Most teams would try to have somebody of Aguero's undoubted ability back as soon as possible especially if there is no one similar to do the same job

 

[dajd1984]

I’ve already said I’d have Cancelo as LB and Walker on the right. Agree with the rest except I couldn’t really leave Sterling out and it’s difficult to drop anyone else. Before this season I’d have dropped Gundo but he’s our best player now so I guess it would have to be Bernardo missing out with Sterling on the right and Foden on the left but they’d all have licence to switch it around.

Kun still one of the first on the team sheet though.

I see what you’re saying but it misses the point of how successful the 6 man midfield has been, and suddenly putting a striker in changes that. It’s not just personnel - of which I agree that Bernardo (after Mahrez obviously) is sadly the least effective at the moment - islets about systems.

 

[dajd1984]

some really constructive and insightful replies you've prompted, especially the first three or four. doesn't sound to me like you're questioning the manager. or writing off the player. but sometimes people like to put words in other people's mouths.

to be fair aguero's actually a pretty versatile forward. his link-up play, pressing and recovery of possession all improved a lot in the 100 pts season when he managed to adapt his game to suit guardiola's tactics, something i think he's capable of doing again. i don't think we'll have to completely overhaul the system to accommodate him, and i think his all-round game is strong enough that he'll be an improvement on jesus in the role that jesus currently offers.

the midfield will probably be a bit less fluid, and gundogan and foden will probably play a bit more conservatively and chip in with fewer goals. on the other hand, we'll benefit from aguero's goal return and the different sort of threat he offers (obviously assuming he's fit and in form), as well as his wider contributions as a hardworking team player and complete centre forward. so my ill-informed guess would be that we'll be able to fit him into this year's system a bit more seamlessly than you're suggesting.

then again, we might have to change everything to accommodate him. or change nothing, and he barely plays for the rest of the season. ever since stones turned things round and made himself undroppable, i've stopped making grand predictions about this side with any great confidence.

That sits well with me. For Gundogan and Foden to just tone it down a bit, alternate who sits with Rodri and the inverted-full-back and Kun to be a more constant presence at the front of our current shape as he poses such a threat to the opponents goal. I’m happy to give that a try ;) thanks

 

[dajd1984]

Aguero spent all his career playing on the shoulder of the last defender and measuring his performance in goals until Pep came along.
Pep asked him to play in a different way. Which involved a lot more work and selfless running.
Aguero buckled down and did it.

I definitely think Pep compromised on that too. I think he saw that Sergio was one of our very best, and losing his goals in order to stick to his system more rigidly was going to backfire.
My question is rooted in the idea that our current system is actually what Pep wanted all along, it works without a striker, it’s working very well, and so how far will Pep compromise for Aguero this time.
I definitely don’t think Aguero bent over backwards for Pep, just agreed to do a slight bend to the side.

 

[bluealf]

Gundog not hampered by injuries, you sure about that. He was injured most of his first two seasons with us.

Maybe you need to check how many games he played in the 2nd season (48 btw) he was injured the first season that is pretty much all for big injuries.

Games
S1 16
S2 48
S3 50
S4 50
S5 26 and counting.

Injuries taken off https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ilkay-gundogan/verletzungen/spieler/53622

20/21	Corona virus	Sep 21, 2020	Oct 1, 2020	10 days	4
19/20	Influenza	Sep 7, 2019	Sep 12, 2019	5 days	-
18/19	Hamstring Injury	Sep 28, 2018	Nov 6, 2018	39 days	8
16/17	Cruciate Ligament Rupture	Dec 15, 2016	Aug 13, 2017	241 days	31