OB1
Well-Known Member
No you're right we dont attack as quick, but that's by design, we often end up on a counter and have 3 on 3 or 3 on 4 and we slow it down and build at a steady pace. Bernardo does it all the time. It's clear we are playing to the tactics Pep wants. It's probably not as exciting but Pep must believe it's the best way to win games.
We often see our wingers double marked, there was times today where Savinho got the ball and had 3 players in front of him, bringing the ball out with defence means we have an extra attacker in a forward position and brings extra defensive players out to meet our defender with the ball, we just need our forwards to find the space or drag players out of position and leave the defenders in space (Gvardial as a good example)
Someone sat near me yesterday said take your man on when one ball went to one of our wingers and I bemoaned but it’s two men.
Almost every team we play doubles up on our wingers the moment they get the ball, and so they often pass inside to the full back (or…). This is where City need to move the ball laterally very quickly to try and find a space caused by the opponents going two on one but they move across quickly. Eventually, City often tire teams out and get more goals simply through attrition but yesterday, Southampton kept the ball well and our overworked players were very tired by the end. Haaland was visibly knackered and Duracell Bernie was sat on the pitch after the game.