Pep is about controlling the ball, and thus the tempo of the game. When Sane came on, it was about spreading the play, which is why he was TOLD to hug the touchline so we had a defensive out. Nolito the same. Once he got the ball, if he was the furthest forward, it was about controlling the ball, not giving it back to United, and to wait for support to KEEP THE BALL.
Like everyone else, I saw a player coming back from a long layoff with orders not to give the ball back to United after we had just won it. However, even in his late cameo, we saw a player willing to take on Shaw, even though he didn't beat him often, by pushing it one side and going around the other. Against lesser defenders, and with some match fitness, he is going to fit in just fine into a City team that is going to explode with counter attacking goals this season.
Having listened to Pep after the match, it is clear to me that he is not happy we did not put this one to bed with the counters we had today. I would expect training to include a lot of 3 on 3, 3 on 4, 4 on 3, etc.. counter attacks for the rest of the season. Players need to have an idea what run is going to be made, so they know where the space will be and who is going to open up. That takes some time, but it also takes quick thinking while running at full speed. I think we all saw how mad Pep was with Kelechi when he tried to thread the needle to Sterling, when the pass that was on was the open pass to KDB. United got the ball and countered, with two of our four midfielders now caught up ahead of the ball.
It is clear to me that Pep is trying to teach players where, when and how to play football so that it helps THE TEAM, not just their little patch of grass. This "Total Football" approach has been talked about many many times, but I think what we are starting to see is that he is teaching players what it is like for the right back when the left winger loses the ball...THAT kind of total football! I think he enjoys showing players how to play different positions, because they are FOOTBALLERS FIRST, not a right back or left winger, and that it is a team game. This is why he plays players out of position in training, so they get an understanding of what it means when the left midfielder rallies on the ball and it creates a problem for the right back, because his winger is then off to the races, etc, etc, etc...
Sane is just getting a taste of that, but I think he did a decent job of holding his space and then exploiting it, given his fitness levels. There is so much more to come from him, to be sure, so I'm certainly not going to say he could have done better. As for the poster who said Navas would have burned them down the line, the game was getting stretched, so it was IMPERATIVE not to give the ball back to United for nothing. I think we are all familiar with Navas success rate at that!
