How a change in Fernandinho explains Man City’s recent evolution

And as City moved away from regularly playing him as their single holding midfielder, problems began to arise.

A long-awaited successor was eventually signed in Rodri, but he initially struggled with the intense defensive workload that Fernandinho had made seem second nature. A switch to playing two holding midfielders – with Rodri protected by either Fernandinho or Ilkay Gundogan – was a departure from a key tenet of Guardiola’s philosophy and unbalanced City’s attack.

Now, a compromise appears to have been found. Since Christmas, City have returned to the single-pivot 4-3-3 system that served Guardiola so well in the past.

And to make up for the fact that there is no longer one midfielder able to cover every blade of grass going backwards and forwards, the intensity has been dialled down.

“When we have the ball, we run less,” Guardiola revealed before this game, in an illuminating answer on City’s recent evolution. “I think with the ball now we are more calm, more patient, we have more passes.” This more considered style in possession has helped to prevent counter-attacks and keep all those clean sheets.

Out of possession, Guardiola insists nothing has changed – “running without the ball is in our DNA,” he said on Saturday – but the numbers suggest otherwise. City’s number of pressures-per-game is down by 15 per cent compared to last year. Leeds, Liverpool, Southampton and Chelsea are all pressing more than City this season.

Thanks to this new, slower style, City can rest Rodri every now and again, play Fernandinho as their only holding midfielder against the likes of Sheffield United and Crystal Palace and be confident that things will not fall apart.

“He knows perfectly his role,” Guardiola said on Saturday. “With 34, 35 years old, he cannot play three games a week like Rodri and like Fernandinho could do before. He knows it but he is always ready and hopefully the players can learn off him.

“You cannot imagine the respect that I have for him, it’s something that is special for me from day one until today,” he added. “It is not only on the pitch but also off the pitch, he is just thinking what’s best for the team.”

Fernandinho’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, he has already had one single-year extension and there is interest from clubs in Europe and his native Brazil. This will be his farewell year as it stands, but a change in style means that City are finally ready to cope without him.

Source: Read Full Article