Pep Guardiola - 2025/26

[ninjamonkey]

Spot on today, finally! Been asking for that exact setup all season. Has to avoid the temptation to deviate from it especially when managing the squad, we have to have a 2 man midfield base at all times. Love the freedom he gave the front 3, cherki and foden will thrive off spontaneity, doku looks a level above when he is allowed to roam across the pitch with his ability to go either way. Please keep it going against the dippers.

 

[jamielowndes]

Actually applying some urgency and utilising Haaland in counter attacks.

Hes starting to find his groove with this set of players. After new year, we could be a scary prospect for a lot of teams.

 

[The Blue Eh]

Got it spot on today. Made a decent team look ordinary at times.

I agree. Noticed a number of positive tactical tweaks:
Picked a younger, higher energy starting 11 possibly with instructions to gegenpress and cause chaos when Bournemouth pressed aggressively.

Put Gvardiol in his favored CB position and an actual (well, er) LB.

RB/LB made overlapping runs, helping the wingers not have to solely deal with 2 defenders.

Gave Doku a relatively freer role vs. “hug the sideline”.

Had Bernardo help Nunes close down the dangerous Semenyo when Bournemouth had the ball, and to be a pass option for Gonzales when he was closed in.

Employed a specific pattern of play to advance the ball up quickly -- jury’s out on this one.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Yet another formation change from “No plan B” Pep. Fullbacks operating as wing backs, Bernardo a second holding midfielder, Dokub roaming free and Cherki and Foden playing right behind Haaland.

 

[Dazzle84]

Actually applying some urgency and utilising Haaland in counter attacks.

Hes starting to find his groove with this set of players. After new year, we could be a scary prospect for a lot of teams.

I've been saying the same thing for a while - the New Year has the chance of being really special with this team. Some players improving all the time and a few more months for Rodri to get to full fitness

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

Spot on today, finally! Been asking for that exact setup all season. Has to avoid the temptation to deviate from it especially when managing the squad, we have to have a 2 man midfield base at all times. Love the freedom he gave the front 3, cherki and foden will thrive off spontaneity, doku looks a level above when he is allowed to roam across the pitch with his ability to go either way. Please keep it going against the dippers.

It worked because of the shift the front four put in, on and off the ball.

Constant interchange and movement when we were attacking but equally good pressing and tracking back when we turned the ball over.

They won more tackles between them than our back four did today

 

[alexmcity]

Looked at times like Cherki was a hybrid 7/10, Doku a hybrid 11/10, arguably Foden a hybrid 8/10. Tactical masterclass.

Think Liverpool won't be as brave as Bournemouth and will try the classical tactic vs City: sitting deep and countering.

 

[shemnel]

all 4 wide players contributed (at times) to playing centrally, which was unusual but it worked.

 

[come-on-barney]

Excellent lineup and tactics. Pep on the transition :). There have been a few strange team selections and tactics this season, but you can see what he is trying to build. Enjoyed that performance yesterday, excellent tactics and players beginning to settle.

 

[.db.]

So far this season, Pep has probably played more different tactics and formations than he’s ever done before with us in the same stretch of games.

Yesterday, Iraola’s side had no idea how to pick up and defend against our rotating midfield which at times was a 7 man midfield, even an 8 man midfield when Haaland dropped deep.

I thought he showed an up-and-coming coach (who’s done excellently with Bmouth and who did play well yesterday themselves) what an elite coach can have in his locker.

Takes some doing for a coach who’s been found out that!

 

[OB1]

Yet another formation change from “No plan B” Pep. Fullbacks operating as wing backs, Bernardo a second holding midfielder, Dokub roaming free and Cherki and Foden playing right behind Haaland.

Yeah, not bad for a guy who some think is finished or should not have renewed at City.

Yesterday’s formation tweaks were much more obvious than some but if you look carefully, you can, as you know, see them in many games. I’m not smart enough to always see them in games (or all of them) but I always look at the average positions of the players after a game and the variation is fascinating. I used to do that at one point for Bayern games when Pep was there, even though I’d not watched the matches.

Yesterday’s average positions were interesting because the map was far less of an immediately obvious structure than usual.

Michael Carrick did a nice analysis on MotD.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Yeah, not bad for a guy who some think is finished or should not have renewed at City.

Yesterday’s formation tweaks were much more obvious than some but if you look carefully, you can, as you know, see them in many games. I’m not smart enough to always see them in games (or all of them) but I always look at the average positions of the players after a game and the variation is fascinating. I used to do that at one point for Bayern games when Pep was there, even though I’d not watched the matches.

Yesterday’s average positions were interesting because the map was far less of an immediately obvious structure than usual.

Michael Carrick did a nice analysis on MotD.

Yes, there's a thread on it in the main forum actually. I commented that Carrick called it correctly on MOTD, which is rare.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Looked at times like Cherki was a hybrid 7/10, Doku a hybrid 11/10, arguably Foden a hybrid 8/10

I'm guessing you drive a hybrid car?

 

[TurboDuo]

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

So much going on

O’Reilly into the middle to create the overload so Gvardiol holds the width on that side

Nunes pushes up high so Truffert has to stay wider than he would like

And who’s that dropping in to make the back three in case we turn the ball over? Bernardo Silva, who spent all game making intelligent, selfless moves like that

 

[.db.]

Yeah, not bad for a guy who some think is finished or should not have renewed at City.

Yesterday’s formation tweaks were much more obvious than some but if you look carefully, you can, as you know, see them in many games. I’m not smart enough to always see them in games (or all of them) but I always look at the average positions of the players after a game and the variation is fascinating. I used to do that at one point for Bayern games when Pep was there, even though I’d not watched the matches.

Yesterday’s average positions were interesting because the map was far less of an immediately obvious structure than usual.

Michael Carrick did a nice analysis on MotD.

Depending on where you sit in the stadium, it’s not always easy to spot positional tactics live at the game. I’m on Level 0 on the halfway line but the stand is shallow and quite far away from the pitch so, even on the halfway line, the view isn’t great.

I always have to watch back the full 90 minutes on tele to get a better view of what’s gone on.

 

[blueparrot]

Depending on where you sit in the stadium, it’s not always easy to spot positional tactics live at the game. I’m on Level 0 on the halfway line but the stand is shallow and quite far away from the pitch so, even on the halfway line, the view isn’t great.

I always have to watch back the full 90 minutes on tele to get a better view of what’s gone on.

Yes, was in the front os ES 3 on Saturday, amazing just how much more of the tactics and off ball stuff you notice,compared to the bottom tiers.

 

[King Jay]

Reminds me of conte Chelsea where Hazard, Oscar and Pedro/ Willian always overloaded one side to attack

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Depending on where you sit in the stadium, it’s not always easy to spot positional tactics live at the game. I’m on Level 0 on the halfway line but the stand is shallow and quite far away from the pitch so, even on the halfway line, the view isn’t great.

I always have to watch back the full 90 minutes on tele to get a better view of what’s gone on.

On the occasions I've sat on the bottom tier I don't feel I've understood the game. It goes on in front of you but you can't read it. That tier's camber is way too shallow because of the way it was built underground originally, to squaeeze as many seats in as possible.

I think the best view is the side stands, at the front of the top tier.

 

[Blue warrior]

Pep got that glint back in his eyes and a more chilled body language smiling. He knows something is cooking.