Sergio Aguero - 2016/17 performances

[mrtwiceaseason]

Interesting to see on the Inside City this week that all the players who didn't start against Barca trained on Thursday in Barcas mini stadium. No sign of Kun though. Am I reading too much in to that? Clichy, Willy, Sane, Navas, Maffeo, Fernando, Kelechi and Gunn but no sign of Aguero (or Kompany for that matter).

Also his girlfriend drove him to training yesterday ,seems to be protecting an injury maybe ?

 

[Terra Passenger]

Here is the philosophy ( at least as I understood it.) To have a chance against Barca we needed to control possession and at the same time limit Barca's build up.

Now , controlling possession required our best passers on the field, and limiting their build up also required our best pressers on the field.

Those were the keys to the game in Pep's mind. Knowing the above, who of our front 6 is weakest on the press and and who were the weakest at keeping possession.

The answer to the above questions was why Aguero was on the bench. It isn't particularly complexed.

You're somewhat on the right track. But off course in other points.

Barca is a better team - better players. And they play a similar system.

Still, pressing Barca whenever possible to gain possession was absolutely part of Pep's plans. At best, I think Pep hoped for 50-50 possession.
==========
Attackers we had available and their ability to press::
Silva, very weak. Also tires as the game goes on.
KDB, not great. And seems to tire even more than Silva.
Kun - actually pretty good when he puts a shift in.
Gundugan - no problem, but might not last a full 90 if asked to press contently.
Sterling - OK. Great stamina and would at least shadow press when necessary.
Nolito - probably more than satisfactory. Doesn't seem to tire.
'Nacho - also probably OK. Good stamina.
=======
So, of the above to start, pressing full-time as very important and yet ability to score when in possession also important, I'd have started, in order of preference:
Gundugan
Nolito
Kun
Sterling
KDB
'Nacho
Silva

Kun is far up that list. That he didn't actually start either means that:
1) my assessment of Kun's pressing ability is off; or
2) Pep was sending a message - Kun needs to follow instructions, pressing whenever the ball turns over, staying up front, and moving to create passing opportunities and to move defenders out of possession.

In my book it's 2 (yes there are other reasons why Kun might not have started... possible injury concerns which we're not aware of.. etc. Nonetheless, several posters have pointed to a possible dissatisfaction with Kun's recent performances on the part of Pep - not pressing and drifting back to get the ball - that Kun then doesn't start in our biggest game of the season suggests that Pep is indeed not satisfied with Kun's performances of late.

 

[Brendan110_0]

You're somewhat on the right track. But off course in other points.

Barca is a better team - better players. And they play a similar system.

Still, pressing Barca whenever possible to gain possession was absolutely part of Pep's plans. At best, I think Pep hoped for 50-50 possession.
==========
Attackers we had available and their ability to press::
Silva, very weak. Also tires as the game goes on.
KDB, not great. And seems to tire even more than Silva.
Kun - actually pretty good when he puts a shift in.
Gundugan - no problem, but might not last a full 90 if asked to press contently.
Sterling - OK. Great stamina and would at least shadow press when necessary.
Nolito - probably more than satisfactory. Doesn't seem to tire.
'Nacho - also probably OK. Good stamina.
=======
So, of the above to start, pressing full-time as very important and yet ability to score when in possession also important, I'd have started, in order of preference:
Gundugan
Nolito
Kun
Sterling
KDB
'Nacho
Silva

Kun is far up that list. That he didn't actually start either means that:
1) my assessment of Kun's pressing ability is off; or
2) Pep was sending a message - Kun needs to follow instructions, pressing whenever the ball turns over, staying up front, and moving to create passing opportunities and to move defenders out of possession.

In my book it's 2 (yes there are other reasons why Kun might not have started... possible injury concerns which we're not aware of.. etc. Nonetheless, several posters have pointed to a possible dissatisfaction with Kun's recent performances on the part of Pep - not pressing and drifting back to get the ball - that Kun then doesn't start in our biggest game of the season suggests that Pep is indeed not satisfied with Kun's performances of late.

Kun has been below what he can be, he should never have games with no influence which happens from time to time. Harassing players like Tevez/Suarez would catapult Aguero to the Ballon'dor and us to multiple pots.

 

[SWP's back]

I don't think it was as good as any of those performances. Didn't think it was bad by any means but it wasn't quite up to those standards IMO. If it had have been we would have created more clear cut chances from open play, as it is I think some of the final balls weren't good enough. Mind you I missed the first 12 mins due to the turnstiles so maybe the first 12 mins were especially brilliant.

I genuinely thought it was the best football we played. We had total control.

 

[Terra Passenger]

Kun has been below what he can be, he should never have games with no influence which happens from time to time. Harassing players like Tevez/Suarez would catapult Aguero to the Ballon'dor and us to multiple pots.

Agreed.

And too bad Tevez was such an emotional time bomb - not just for us but for the Argentinian national side as well.

Tevez was nearly as skillful as Suarez at breaking sides down singlehandedly and had an engine that just would not stop.

Tevez tended to drift all over the field though, interfering with other offensive players. And his emotional instability was off-scale.

Tevez was one of the best (if not the best) players we ever had - and easily the most frustrating.

 

[SWP's back]

Here is the philosophy ( at least as I understood it.) To have a chance against Barca we needed to control possession and at the same time limit Barca's build up.

Now , controlling possession required our best passers on the field, and limiting their build up also required our best pressers on the field.

Those were the keys to the game in Pep's mind. Knowing the above, who of our front 6 is weakest on the press and and who were the weakest at keeping possession.

The answer to the above questions was why Aguero was on the bench. It isn't particularly complexed.

Yep. He got his tactics spot on and I'm still not quite sure how we lost 4-0. We were the better team up to the stupid sending off.

 

[SWP's back]

so all in all it was a pretty stupid idea no ?

No.

I asked you what Aguero had done wrong as your implied that our new tough manager picked players on merit.

I don't think you understand what merit means. He can score goals but he doesn't help dominate possession and press. So on those merits, whilst he hadn't" done anything wrong", he wasn't selected.

 

[Terra Passenger]

Yep. He got his tactics spot on and I'm still not quite sure how we lost 4-0. We were the better team up to the stupid sending off.

That's it in a nutshell.

Messi was off-scale brilliant, and would likely have beaten us no matter what - coupled with a very unfortunate mistake by our excellent keeper. Result: 4-0.

A combination of tremendous play by the world's best footballer and a bonehead error by our keeper. The best manager in world football with an excellent side at his disposal could not overcome Messi followed by Bravo's error.

 

[quiet_riot]

I can't believe anyone thinks the best football we've played this season was v Everton.

I think it was some of the best football played anywhere ever.

 

[Terra Passenger]

I think it was some of the best football played anywhere ever.

It was indeed very good. Very unlucky not to have won that game by 3 or 4 goals (missed 2 penalties, should have had a 3rd penalty awarded, missed numerous opportunities to score). We were by far the better side.