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 saves Manchester City's season.

Pep Guardiola has developed many winning strategies, some admired, some copied. But his plans for the 2024/25 season are not going to go as planned.

“If at the beginning of the season someone said we would be in the Champions League or in the FA Cup final at the end of the season with Nico O'Reilly and Matheus Nunes at full-back, I would say: 'What the hell are you talking about?'” Guardiola shared after the dramatic 2-1 win over Aston Villa in the 34th round of the Premier League on April 23.

Patchwork

Pep's original 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 storm of injuries to his players and technical problems forced Pep to use Nico O'Reilly - an attacking midfielder from the club's youth academy, and Nunes - a central midfielder who the coach once criticized as "not intelligent".

When the season started, O'Reilly and Nunes weren't even regular substitutes. They were the substitutes' substitutes. Up front, Pep's original plan was to have a top-class No. 9 who was ready to break scoring records.

But Erling Haaland was injured in the peak month, Kyle Walker was loaned to AC Milan, and Gvardiol had to play at centre-back. If Pep's teams have often transformed over the course of a season, the current squad looks like a retrograde evolution.

Pep frankly admitted that this was a bad season for Manchester City, even if the team won the FA Cup, finished in the top 5 or won the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.

Pep has always set high standards for his teams, but he has admitted that he has made mistakes. He underestimated the need to restructure the club last summer, overestimated the ability of some of his older players to maintain their form, and left the squad short in defensive midfield and centre-forward positions, in addition to defence.

So now he has to adapt. Pep was once famous for his “false nine” tactics – now he doesn’t even have one in his squad. For the past month, Manchester City have played without a striker, but also without a false nine, instead playing with two “10s” and two wingers up front.

Pep adapts

It was a truly unique idea. And the results have come. Victory over Villa has lifted Manchester City into third place, giving them a huge advantage in the race for the top five. Since the start of March, youngster O'Reilly has scored four goals, making him the team's top scorer.

Manchester City had a very difficult season.

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

The full-backs have had to take on the goalscoring responsibilities in the absence of a striker, with Haaland out for the rest of the season. Pep has adapted by playing January signing Omar Marmoush as Haaland’s back-up. Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan have taken on the No. 10 role in a 4-2-2-2 formation, where the most advanced players are wingers.

The tactic is temporary: De Bruyne is playing the final games of his illustrious City career, with a midfield 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.

At the back, Rico Lewis has now been replaced by Nunes and O'Reilly, who have improved over time. City's last 10 goals have come from eight different players, a model Guardiola would probably love, even though his greatest successes have often been based on the incredible goals scored by Lionel Messi or Haaland.

This model is unsustainable, especially with De Bruyne set to leave and Haaland and Rodri set to return fit next season. But that’s all Pep needs. In a difficult season, Man City need to survive before thinking about reform.

It is also a testament to the creativity of Guardiola, a coach who sometimes seems to have too many ideas, making everything confusing. Guardiola is still excellent with his tactical innovations.

Admire the free kick that sank MU On the evening of April 20, Sarabia fired a free kick that sent the ball into the net, helping Wolves defeat Manchester United 1-0.

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