Nottingham Forest (H) | PL | Post-Match Thread

What a great result and performance from everyone including the subs who all looked good . Cole palmer can go really this season as he just beats defenders did fun and Gomez and Lewis were spot on aswell but haaland and Alvarez are on another level to anything in the premier league and will destroy teans . Thought Mahrez looked pissed off especially when he missed that sitter he is gonna find it very hard to get a starting spot in this team .
 
Not a thing to moan about after that performance. Even Gomez, Palmer and Lewis came on and looked like they have been playing for City for years. Gundog oozes class, Haaland is another level and Alvarez is going to be a big favourite.
 
What's the story with Grealish? Cos if he isn't back soon, then this team is going to evolve without him.
 
My tactical take, don't know how many will find this interesting, but every now and then Pep amazes me.

1. Default Formation Set-Up

We setup in a 442 with Alvarez and Haaland up top with Foden and Bernardo on the wings. This is Pep's go to default formation even though most outlets will claim we play 433, we really don't. Pep also defends in a 442 block which he really likes as well.

2. The Press (which we didn't need much tbh)

From the 442 formation, Gundogan split the strikers and pressed in a 4312, Pep has also done this alot in the past, and it makes sense to have Gundogan do this and have Rodri stay back.

3. The Attacking transition (Forest pinned back)

This is the most interesting to me. The back 4 tilted left, to let Cancelo wide left and Bernie wide right. Foden drifts in the left half space, Alvarez just behind Haaland, Gundogan in the right half space, almost becoming like a 3151 in attack.

The middle 3 (Foden, Alvarez, Gundogan) was dangerous and the key was Alvarez imo, his goal was to be the free man.

If we build up on the left, it would be Cancelo-Foden, on the right it is Gundogan-Bernie. And since Haaland was occupying both Center backs, Alvarez' role was basically to become the free man on whichever side we built up on, and since he never stops running it was so effective in pulling Forest out of position to find spaces (Literally the goal in how Pep sets up his team to score goals).

Haaland was so effective in his few touches, but alot of space is afforded to him through a combination of his clever moment and in how we moved the ball around effectively like this, it's unstoppable, especially when the personnel are all on it.

4. The Backline

This is the perfect role for Walker, the inverted fullback position puts his weakness (on the ball) too exposed, in the back 3 he can just act an anchor to the midfield and stop counters.

Stones so much more comfortable in this game than others, remember he came back from an injury so not surprising that he needed time.

Dias was perfect, can't say much tbh, didn't put a foot wrong, I just think the other 2 needed more accolades.


5. The midfield

Rodri perfectly anchored Foden and Gundogan, and I think this is Forests biggest mistake, you CANNOT let us have free reign in finding Rodri, they could have caused more problems in there press but perhaps the 3151 caught them off guard.

Foden and Gundogan in the half spaces were deadly as there ball control meant our attack kept ticking and did not slow down.

Want to give special praise to Gundogan, while Foden was great, Gundogan clearly showed veterans experienced and even slotted in Rodri's role after he was subbed and perfectly understood how to manage it.

Cancelo and Bernie had the clear goal to basically be wingers and drive at them, they were very aggressive in this.

Gonna stop here, there is probably more that could be said, but those are my main points.
Loving this post btw
 
and 3 extra added on at anfeild
Liverpool won't be anywhere near us if current form is anything to go by. Scabby last second goal, but they didn't look impressive for the last 1/2 hour I saw, considering Newcastle were playing crap.
 
Only 2 mins added it’s fucking bent to fuck! Just because we winning by 6 doesn’t mean the referee should cheat! There was 8 subs at least second half!

Someone should call them out on it!
Same thing happened against Bournemouth. With the three goals, countless subs etc there should probably have been at least five minutes added. Timekeeping needs to be independent especially since I have just read the murderers scored in the 8th minute of the five added on.
 

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