We’ve won nothing yet this season but, if we do, Pep’s tactical innovation will be the primary reason and it’s likely it still won’t get the acknowledgement it deserves. He’s turning things upside down. At one point, he would drop the DM in between the CB’s to make a virtual back three, and push FB’s forward (wide and inside). Now he’s using 4 CB’s and pushing on forward as a 2nd DM and then basically playing a front 4 or 5. He’s been using a front 4 for ages and very few people comment on it.
The criticism of him overthinking is as stupid as people saying: “well, he couldn’t manage Burton Albion (or similar” as if:
I) that has any relevance to the fact that he gets hired to manage elite squads because he is the best at that job and so why should any give a fuck that he is not Neil Warnock;
II) he would probably do a better job of managing a lower level team than anyone else because he has proved time and again that he can adapt to the resources he has and produce a winning team and that his understanding of the game and ability to analyse opponents is such that the advantage he’d give a team would probably increase the lower down the leagues you went.