Pep is still a genius.

Manchester City's season hasn't gone as expected, but Pep Guardiola's creativity in the final stages could help the team achieve their Champions League goal.

Pep Guardiola saved Manchester City's season.

Pep Guardiola has developed many winning strategies, some admired, some copied. But his plan for the 2024/25 season has not gone as expected.

“If at the start of the season someone said that by the end we would be competing for a Champions League spot or reaching the FA Cup final with Nico O’Reilly and Matheus Nunes playing at full-back, I would ask: ‘What the hell are you talking about?’” Guardiola shared after the dramatic 2-1 victory against Aston Villa in the 34th round of the Premier League on April 23.

Patching up

Pep's initial plan was to rely on Josko Gvardiol and Kyle Walker – the most expensive left-back in history and the best right-back of his generation. However, a wave of injuries and tactical issues have forced Pep to use Nico O'Reilly – an attacking midfielder from the club's youth academy, and Nunes – a central midfielder whom the manager once criticized for being "not very intelligent".

When the season started, neither O'Reilly nor Nunes were the kind of players who regularly came on as substitutes. They were substitutes of the substitutes. In attack, Pep's initial plan revolved around a top-class number 9, someone capable of breaking goalscoring records.

But Erling Haaland was injured during a crucial month, Kyle Walker was loaned to AC Milan, and Gvardiol had to play at centre-back. While Pep's teams usually transform over a season, the current squad seems like a step backward in evolution.

Pep frankly admitted that this has been a terrible season for Manchester City, even if the team wins the FA Cup, finishes in the top 5, or wins the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.

Pep always sets very high standards for the teams he manages, but sometimes he himself admits to making mistakes. Pep underestimated the need for a squad overhaul last summer, overestimating the ability of some older players to maintain their form, leaving the team short of defensive midfielders and strikers, in addition to the back line.

Therefore, he now has to adapt. Pep used to be famous for his "false nine" tactic – but now he doesn't even have a player like that in his squad. For the past month, Manchester City have played without a striker, but they haven't used a false nine either; instead, they've played with two "number 10s" and two wingers up front.

Pep adapts

It was truly a unique innovation. And Pep's efforts paid off. The victory against Villa propelled Manchester City to third place, giving them a significant advantage in the race for the top five. Since the beginning of March, young talent O'Reilly has scored four goals, becoming the team's leading scorer.

Manchester City had a very difficult season.

Nunes' 94th-minute goal against Aston Villa midweek could be the club's most important Premier League goal of the season.

The full-backs had to take on the responsibility of scoring goals in the absence of a central striker, with Haaland sidelined for the rest of the season. Pep adjusted by using Omar Marmoush – a January signing, who was seen as a backup option for Haaland. Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan played the number 10 role in a 4-2-2-2 formation, where the highest-positioned players were the wingers.

This tactic is temporary: De Bruyne is playing the final games of his illustrious career at City, with a midfield consisting of four players over 30. Using both Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic in midfield could be Pep's way of compensating for their declining fitness.

In defense, Rico Lewis has now been replaced by Nunes and O'Reilly, who have improved recently. Man City's last 10 goals have come from eight different players, a pattern Guardiola probably favors, although his greatest successes have often been based on the incredible number of goals scored by Lionel Messi or Haaland.

This model isn't sustainable, especially with De Bruyne about to leave, and Haaland and Rodri expected to return fit next season. But that's all Pep needs. In a difficult season, Man City needs to survive before thinking about overhaul.

This also demonstrates Guardiola's creativity, a coach who sometimes seems to have too many ideas, causing things to get chaotic. Guardiola remains excellent with his tactical innovations.

Witness the free-kick that sank MU. On the evening of April 20th, Sarabia unleashed a free-kick that nestled into the net, helping Wolves defeat Manchester United 1-0.

Source: https://znews.vn/pep-van-la-thien-tai-post1548720.html