Against Arsenal his city closed on 1-1 with 32% of ball possession: “We were tired we had to invent something”. A choice of a less rigid technician than it is painted that has often been able to change his creed. Haaland and Donnarumma demonstrate this
There is nothing to be ashamed of defending, even if you call you Pep Guardiola and you are recognized as the prophet of the attack. If for once you close the game with 32% of the ball possession and put the bus in front of the door to bring home a draw at the Arsenal house, it is because perhaps at this moment Manchester City cannot do more. In England they compared him to the defensive matches of Josè Mourinho, but Guardiola himself did not deny the evidence of the facts as many technicians often do. “We were tired, we had to invent something. I would prefer to never close myself in defense, but at this level, it is necessary. In some games we have to adapt. When the opponent is stronger, we defend deeper and we counterattack, even if this is not our intention. Arsenal has fought for the title in the last two editions of Premier and has reached the Champions Semifinals: it is a team that can force you to force you to close you “.
evolution
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Guardiola’s is not a renunciation of her attack, rather an evolution, in every season the Catalan technician experiences and puts in place something different demonstrating a mental elasticity that is missing from many of his (presumed) disciples, too often slaves of extremisms that pepper shocks. This is the level of today’s City and Guardiola adapts, without being ashamed to close with a 5-5-0, with five defenders and not even a tip on the pitch. A race plan that remained standing up to 93 ‘, until Martinelli drew for the Gunners and the City perhaps even went well. There is not only one way to play football and win (or not to lose the games) and PEP that has sailed on many stormy seas knows it well.
Inventions and rejection
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At Barcelona it was he who invented the false nine, a fashion that for years many have tried to imitate not always with good results. It seemed that Guardiola had something personal with the role -playing center forward, rejected one after the other Eto’o, Ibrahimovic, Aguero and Julian Alvarez. Until the day when he showed the world that he did not hate the center forward, as long as he could have someone like Erling Haaland, around which he built the Manchester City that has won six times the Premier League and the Champions League of 2023. There are many ways to travel, the full -backs that go to midfield, the rotations of the half and the goalkeepers who must be good especially with his feet. Real? Yes, but not forever. If there is the possibility of having the strongest goalkeeper in the world Guardiola, he can also endure that some postponement is wrong. That’s why this year he enthusiastically embraced the arrival of Gigio Donnarumma, already decisive in some games.
Changes
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Pep always changes and is not ashamed of playing defensive games. Because there is not only one way to play and try to win football games. And he always understands things before the others. Then many try to imitate him and as Fabio Capello has repeatedly remembered: “They do things that Guardiola did ten years earlier”. Because the difference is all there: there are those who try to copy and those who carry on his ideas that are almost always winning. And it’s not ashamed even to put the bus in front of the door. If needed.
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