Inverted Wingers

Del_Bosque

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Joined
27 Aug 2008
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2,773
Anyone else think a lot of our problems come from the move to inverted wingers?



Most of our best football under Pep was based on moving the ball quickly behind the defence for Sane and Sterling to get behind the full back, Silva and De Bruyne regularly having space to find the right pass.



Opposition teams were constantly stretched as the wingers hugged the touch line, it gave far more room in the middle of the park for our midfielders to pick passes.



The chances we created were so much easier to finish, cut backs across the goal for Sane, Sterling Jesus or Aguero to tap in.



Now we seem to rely on players cutting in from out wide or crosses, when it doesn’t work we just try and force more and more through the middle overcrowding the space. Opposition defences can set up knowing they don't have to worry about us regularly trying to get to the byline.



The CM’s get pulled further up the pitch trying to break teams down, then get caught out with the counter attack leaving the defence exposed. Pep alluded to this in his post match interview, over committing and getting caught.


All seemed to start with bringing in Mahrez and side lining Sane, not that he’s not a good player but it changed our system for the worse and nudged Sane towards Bayern. Even if Sane ended up leaving the replacement should have been like for like.

We can run riot when the oppositions heads drop, but it's made us a much slower side and easier to defend against and I think caused issues further back on the pitch as well.
 
Anyone else think a lot of our problems come from the move to inverted wingers?



Most of our best football under Pep was based on moving the ball quickly behind the defence for Sane and Sterling to get behind the full back, Silva and De Bruyne regularly having space to find the right pass.



Opposition teams were constantly stretched as the wingers hugged the touch line, it gave far more room in the middle of the park for our midfielders to pick passes.



The chances we created were so much easier to finish, cut backs across the goal for Sane, Sterling Jesus or Aguero to tap in.



Now we seem to rely on players cutting in from out wide or crosses, when it doesn’t work we just try and force more and more through the middle overcrowding the space. Opposition defences can set up knowing they don't have to worry about us regularly trying to get to the byline.



The CM’s get pulled further up the pitch trying to break teams down, then get caught out with the counter attack leaving the defence exposed. Pep alluded to this in his post match interview, over committing and getting caught.


All seemed to start with bringing in Mahrez and side lining Sane, not that he’s not a good player but it changed our system for the worse and nudged Sane towards Bayern. Even if Sane ended up leaving the replacement should have been like for like.

We can run riot when the oppositions heads drop, but it's made us a much slower side and easier to defend against and I think caused issues further back on the pitch as well.
I agree 100 per cent. We were at our best when we stretched defences on the flanks. We don't even vary it enough these days. It's strange watching City because virtually every goal we concede looks exactly the same. The penalties on Sunday all came from identical moves through the huge gap in our back line. It's like Groundhog Day.
 
“Most of our best football under Pep was based on moving the ball quickly behind the defence for Sane and Sterling to get behind the full back, Silva and De Bruyne regularly having space to find the right pass.”

Teams are aware of this. Leicester played a nominal 5-4-1 yesterday, for example. Teams also know Guardiola will try to break this formation playing a high line and front foot football.
 
Surely with two holders and inverted wingers the full backs should have been bombing on providing width. There was none of that.
We complain when don’t break down side sitting so deep. Playing through the middle won’t get round it
 
Surely with two holders and inverted wingers the full backs should have been bombing on providing width. There was none of that.
We complain when don’t break down side sitting so deep. Playing through the middle won’t get round it
Think that's the point fullbacks should be getting forward better.We played inverted wingers when we won everything so it works if done right.
 
Surely with two holders and inverted wingers the full backs should have been bombing on providing width. There was none of that.
We complain when don’t break down side sitting so deep. Playing through the middle won’t get round it
Unfortunately Walker's crossing is inconsistent (that's being kind) and Mendy's loss of pace means he can't get clear enough of his man to deliver the sort of crosses he was doing when he first arrived, so the advantage of inverted wingers and overlapping FBs is much reduced.
 
Inverted wingers mean we have the full backs too high and wide an then when we lose the ball we're in trouble. Far better to have classic wingers and then the fullbacks alongside the DM to provide cover against counter attacks. Makes us more solid defensively and greater more space for our creative players to play.
 
Yep.

The amount of balls Sane used to put in the box for Sterling or Aguero to tap-in was a big reason for our success.

Now we've got utter, Division 1 garbage crosses coming in from Mendy.
 
We need to do a 360. Let teams come onto us. Play a stable back 4 of walker, Dias, Laporte,Ake. Instead of getting caught trying to pass through a congested area and losing the ball to give the opposition 1v1. Soak it up and hit on the counter.

Play them at their own game. Drop deep they won’t know wat to do. Once we 1 or 2 up revert back to possession. Something is needed against this type of football.
 

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