Is Pep a defensive genius?

[yerwot?]

There are some subtle tactics at play in our excellent defensive league-leading performances. As has been pointed out previously, the way we try to get possession back is not just chasing the ball, it is intended to reduce the options of the opposition, which in turn blunts attacks. Defenders are rated, by some, on the last-gap sliding tackles often high-lighted by pundits , Pep though, prefers that the situation does not arise. Marking of the man and the space is how we stop it before a tackle is needed. Stand too close, prone to getting turned, or the ball in behind; too deep , may as well not be there. The best defenders get it just right most of the time. For my money Lahm made it look easy, obviously it isn't or they would all do it. Awareness and anticipation can be improved by coaching and playing with top players, and imho is the root of Pep's genius.

 

[yeseye]

No hes a football genius

There’s a song in that somewhere .

 

[Neville Kneville]

Well said. I’d say that doggedness was actually in evidence quite a lot on Monday night in terms of heading balls clear from corners and free-kicks. Neville touched on it afterwards, saying that even though we have a lot of midgets in the team the ball tends to be like a magnet to a City head, just as it was at Barca when Pep was manager there. Sure, there were the individual fuck-ups that put us under a fair bit of pressure against Spurs but when it came to the basic defending I’ve referred to above I thought we were fantastic and every bit as good at it as teams managed by some of the famous defensive minded managers.

What I liked about it, was that I don't think we pressed as well as we can, later in the game especially, but we harrassed & blocked well when the ball reached our half & the centre of defence, so often the area which has led the occasional calamities in recent years, was the most solid area.

As you say, that was much more like a 'proper' defensive team rather than the 'defend by attacking' method Pep is famous for.

On Pep's worst nights in football, at all his clubs, it's been his teams' inability to dig out a result when the possession game hasn't worked so well, which has been his downfall, sometimes even ending with chaotic humiliation as the players fell apart.

This team right now, is looking the least likely to be on the end of such results & showing a totally different backup method to what we've seen from Pep's teams in the past.

And imo, we have nowhere near hit top form in Pep's preferred 'defend by attacking' method yet. When we do, things could get very interesting.

 

[trotsky]

It's killing the media and the cult of scousers that everytime they wax lyrical about Liverpool's defence they have to mention our superior record.
Pep can not be called a 'defensive genius' as his true title trumps it - Pep is a 'Football Genius'.

 

[journolud]

Football is basically a game of human error. The team that makes the least errors usually wins the game, city make the least errors and therefore score more goals and concede the least goals.

Think there is a little bit more to it than that

 

[Thomas Hearns]

Conjecture, like your second paragraph ?

It’s not conjecture to say our defence is brilliant, the goals conceded column tells us that.

 

[mosssideblue]

It’s not conjecture to say our defence is brilliant, the goals conceded column tells us that.

You stated you knew why Kane had a bad touch, unless he personally told you then, conjecture

 

[Thomas Hearns]

You stated you knew why Kane had a bad touch, unless he personally told you then, conjecture

Ok, one nil to you Mr Paxman

 

[mosssideblue]

Ok, one nil to you Mr Paxman

:)