Skoorb
Alert Team
Having attempted to consolidate these profile threads and failed miserably I will have to revert to re-posting them independently.
The time is near. Pep Guardiola will soon be making his first team selection for Manchester City F.C. and so here, posted earlier in the close season, are the series of threads on the background of our new manager.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pep Guardiola - a profile
Part 4.2- Playing football the Guardiola way
Bayern Munich - The evolution continues
The application of the term ‘philosophy’ to how a manager gets his team to play has been somewhat overdone, but it does fit with a band of managers whose brand of football is recognisable, regardless of results. Few would disagree that Guardiola is undoubtedly such a manager. Whether you subscribe to his footballing ideas or not, you can identify a Guardiola team.
When he arrived at Bayern, Guardiola could have faced significant problems - Bayern had just won the treble, under the management of the widely respected and popular Jupp Heynckes. Probably a pretty good definition of a being on a potential hiding to nothing: keep things ticking over and he could be accused of dining out on his predecessor’s hard work, but attempt to stamp your own authority on the team and he could face criticism for being foolhardy by trying to change a winning formula. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Guardiola didn’t try to fix it, or dismantle it piece by piece; he tuned it.
It soon became clear that the level of fluidity and fluency had been so recognisable at Barcelona was neither chance nor solely down to the graduates of La Masia that were in the team. In his first season in Munich, it was apparent that Guardiola’s influence was visible throughout the team.
Unsurprisingly, the focus remained upon possession, but it could by no means be dismissed as tiki-taka. Bayern used their possession to move the opposition around the pitch, luring them into chasing or watching the ball being transferred, and then, when the time was right, the play would be switched to the opposing wing and they would go for the jugular. That type of domination requires serious effort from all the players - and it is something that can potentially lead to a lot of injuries. Given City’s recent experience with how injuries have affected their season they will need to be very mindful of this - especially the medical team.
When Guardiola took over Bayern it was assumed that he would enforce his Barcelona style on the team. In his first press conference as Bayern manager, he emphasised that the Barcelona players had different qualities to those now at his disposal, and that it was he who had to adapt. Nevertheless, he stayed true to his principles and laid down his known blueprint to how a team should play. Which worked to relatively good effect that year - with Bayern retaining the the Bundesliga title in his first season.
But Guardiola’s coaching is not just about systems. As at Barcelona he not only improved the players, but also challenged them tactically and physically. Experienced players such as Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Rafinha, and even those approaching the end of their playing career such as Claudio Pizarro all grew as players. Lahm’s development under Guardiola’s tutelage is a prime example. He evolved from a versatile and consistent full-back to something close to a complete footballer and one of Europe’s finest midfielders (and one of my favourite players). As Guardiola developed his team at Bayern he added Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman, two young, dynamic wingers who love to put defenders on the back-foot. Stripped of the power and influence of Lionel Messi the concept of the ‘false nine’ was supplanted by the creativity of the wingers. Rather than dally on the ball trying to break down defenders with passing moves, he looked more to the ball up to the best attacking players as quickly as possible to isolate and beat defenders one-on-one. Both have been hugely successful, not only domestically but in Europe as well & added to the existing threat offered by Robben and Ribery.
Indeed Guardiola’s time in the Bundesliga altered Germany’s footballing culture. In recent years, Bayern have provided the core for the national team and his work with players such as Neuer, Boateng, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, and Thomas Müller has benefitted Joachim Löw into the bargain. Lahm’s increased exposure to midfield roles and has seen him undertake similar duties when on international duty illustrating that this improvement had not gone unnoticed. Rafinha, too will have appreciated the way he has been revitalised under Guardiola. He had mainly served as a back-up to Lahm at right-back, but the Brazilian, alongside David Alaba, thrived under Guardiola, whose interpretation of the modern full-back is more of an auxiliary central midfielder who sits either side of a deep-lying pivot, usually Lahm or Thiago. Guardiola adapted to his best players rather than trying to mould them into pawns on his chessboard.
What this means for Manchester City is that, first of all, everyone will have to work hard. Guardiola’s template is based on a highly possessive and aggressive style of play, that is nevertheless strict in the sense of positional awareness, pressing cues, off-the ball movement and communication. It requires discipline and application.
Secondly, it is clear that possession will be emphasised which will run counter the recently developed model which Ranieri employed so successfully at Leicester City where the work ethic to deny space and recover the ball is followed by deploying it quickly and accurately forward where the receiver isolates defenders. An interesting clash of styles may emerge next season with the defending champions - I expect the media to make much of these differences. Guardiola’s version of possession though is not just as a tool for creation but also a defensive one. Bayern have been one of the best defensive teams in Europe because they keep the ball away from the opposition, and when they lose it, the opponents are isolated and under too much pressure to create much from it. City’s players can expect to work as hard without the ball as they do when they have it.
It is up to the players at City to show that they deserve a place in the team under the new coach. In Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne and Kelechi Iheanacho, there's a wealth of young attacking talent. Sergio Aguero is also in the mould of forwards that Guardiola appreciates, those who can create and finish well, and David Silva is a master of possession who should fit seamlessly in the system and Fernandinho, VMC’s Player of the Year has shown the work ethic which could see him become a key player under the new coach. Clear concerns have been raised about the future of Yaya Toure, such a key component in the successes at City over recent seasons given that he was man that Guardiola sold to accommodate Sergio Busquets. The style of play required by Guardiola requires effort, an area where Yaya has often been the subject of criticism. But Guardiola is also the same man who managed to squeeze a few more years out of the ageing body of Xabi Alonso by using his deep passing to feed the wingers during transitions so it's not far-fetched to assume that Yaya could play the same role. Watch this space on that one.
Already we have the addition of the versatile German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. Arriving from Borussia Dortmund, Bayer’s close rivals, I would not be surprised had our new coach had some say in this acquisition. His injury record does present a concern (he is out of the Euro’s having dislocated his knee cap) but he appears to be a good addition - quick feet, an eye for a pass, an unselfish player who seems to find his reward in providing opportunities for others……… Sergio Aguero, so deprived of the service through he absence of Silva or Nasri last season, could thrive once again.
There's also the issue of defenders. Vincent Kompany’s injury record especially last season will present Guardiola with a conundrum as the frequency of his absences undoubtedly did not help defensive stability. On top of this the remaining defenders are ageing and have suffered their own injury problems (e.g. Zabaleta) or were still not looking totally secure in their duties. If the City midfield can apply the sort of vice-grip on possession seen in previous Guardiola teams then that may relieve the pressure to some degree. Often last season VMC members commented on the lack of protection the back four received - under Guardiola the defenders should not often find themselves isolated against an attacker. Though it is to be seen how they will play with the ball at their feet since, in this system, they will be asked to be part of the play and creators from deep, rather than just a shield for the keeper.
Once again at City we will be stepping out into the unknown but we will have one of the most coveted and skilled coaches in the world in charge of the team and all Blues will be eagerly anticipating what the future may hold under Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola. The effort and planning which commenced once the takeover was completed in 2008 is now moving into it’s final phase. They have their man, the final piece is on the board and exiting times are ahead. The City fans will undoubtedly give Guardiola the reception he deserves - he has delivered success at two of the biggest clubs in Europe. His job now is to move Manchester City up another level.
Let’s hope we have some fun and see some great football as he does so.
The time is near. Pep Guardiola will soon be making his first team selection for Manchester City F.C. and so here, posted earlier in the close season, are the series of threads on the background of our new manager.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pep Guardiola - a profile
Part 4.2- Playing football the Guardiola way
Bayern Munich - The evolution continues
The application of the term ‘philosophy’ to how a manager gets his team to play has been somewhat overdone, but it does fit with a band of managers whose brand of football is recognisable, regardless of results. Few would disagree that Guardiola is undoubtedly such a manager. Whether you subscribe to his footballing ideas or not, you can identify a Guardiola team.
When he arrived at Bayern, Guardiola could have faced significant problems - Bayern had just won the treble, under the management of the widely respected and popular Jupp Heynckes. Probably a pretty good definition of a being on a potential hiding to nothing: keep things ticking over and he could be accused of dining out on his predecessor’s hard work, but attempt to stamp your own authority on the team and he could face criticism for being foolhardy by trying to change a winning formula. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Guardiola didn’t try to fix it, or dismantle it piece by piece; he tuned it.
It soon became clear that the level of fluidity and fluency had been so recognisable at Barcelona was neither chance nor solely down to the graduates of La Masia that were in the team. In his first season in Munich, it was apparent that Guardiola’s influence was visible throughout the team.
Unsurprisingly, the focus remained upon possession, but it could by no means be dismissed as tiki-taka. Bayern used their possession to move the opposition around the pitch, luring them into chasing or watching the ball being transferred, and then, when the time was right, the play would be switched to the opposing wing and they would go for the jugular. That type of domination requires serious effort from all the players - and it is something that can potentially lead to a lot of injuries. Given City’s recent experience with how injuries have affected their season they will need to be very mindful of this - especially the medical team.
When Guardiola took over Bayern it was assumed that he would enforce his Barcelona style on the team. In his first press conference as Bayern manager, he emphasised that the Barcelona players had different qualities to those now at his disposal, and that it was he who had to adapt. Nevertheless, he stayed true to his principles and laid down his known blueprint to how a team should play. Which worked to relatively good effect that year - with Bayern retaining the the Bundesliga title in his first season.
But Guardiola’s coaching is not just about systems. As at Barcelona he not only improved the players, but also challenged them tactically and physically. Experienced players such as Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Rafinha, and even those approaching the end of their playing career such as Claudio Pizarro all grew as players. Lahm’s development under Guardiola’s tutelage is a prime example. He evolved from a versatile and consistent full-back to something close to a complete footballer and one of Europe’s finest midfielders (and one of my favourite players). As Guardiola developed his team at Bayern he added Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman, two young, dynamic wingers who love to put defenders on the back-foot. Stripped of the power and influence of Lionel Messi the concept of the ‘false nine’ was supplanted by the creativity of the wingers. Rather than dally on the ball trying to break down defenders with passing moves, he looked more to the ball up to the best attacking players as quickly as possible to isolate and beat defenders one-on-one. Both have been hugely successful, not only domestically but in Europe as well & added to the existing threat offered by Robben and Ribery.
Indeed Guardiola’s time in the Bundesliga altered Germany’s footballing culture. In recent years, Bayern have provided the core for the national team and his work with players such as Neuer, Boateng, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, and Thomas Müller has benefitted Joachim Löw into the bargain. Lahm’s increased exposure to midfield roles and has seen him undertake similar duties when on international duty illustrating that this improvement had not gone unnoticed. Rafinha, too will have appreciated the way he has been revitalised under Guardiola. He had mainly served as a back-up to Lahm at right-back, but the Brazilian, alongside David Alaba, thrived under Guardiola, whose interpretation of the modern full-back is more of an auxiliary central midfielder who sits either side of a deep-lying pivot, usually Lahm or Thiago. Guardiola adapted to his best players rather than trying to mould them into pawns on his chessboard.
What this means for Manchester City is that, first of all, everyone will have to work hard. Guardiola’s template is based on a highly possessive and aggressive style of play, that is nevertheless strict in the sense of positional awareness, pressing cues, off-the ball movement and communication. It requires discipline and application.
Secondly, it is clear that possession will be emphasised which will run counter the recently developed model which Ranieri employed so successfully at Leicester City where the work ethic to deny space and recover the ball is followed by deploying it quickly and accurately forward where the receiver isolates defenders. An interesting clash of styles may emerge next season with the defending champions - I expect the media to make much of these differences. Guardiola’s version of possession though is not just as a tool for creation but also a defensive one. Bayern have been one of the best defensive teams in Europe because they keep the ball away from the opposition, and when they lose it, the opponents are isolated and under too much pressure to create much from it. City’s players can expect to work as hard without the ball as they do when they have it.
It is up to the players at City to show that they deserve a place in the team under the new coach. In Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne and Kelechi Iheanacho, there's a wealth of young attacking talent. Sergio Aguero is also in the mould of forwards that Guardiola appreciates, those who can create and finish well, and David Silva is a master of possession who should fit seamlessly in the system and Fernandinho, VMC’s Player of the Year has shown the work ethic which could see him become a key player under the new coach. Clear concerns have been raised about the future of Yaya Toure, such a key component in the successes at City over recent seasons given that he was man that Guardiola sold to accommodate Sergio Busquets. The style of play required by Guardiola requires effort, an area where Yaya has often been the subject of criticism. But Guardiola is also the same man who managed to squeeze a few more years out of the ageing body of Xabi Alonso by using his deep passing to feed the wingers during transitions so it's not far-fetched to assume that Yaya could play the same role. Watch this space on that one.
Already we have the addition of the versatile German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. Arriving from Borussia Dortmund, Bayer’s close rivals, I would not be surprised had our new coach had some say in this acquisition. His injury record does present a concern (he is out of the Euro’s having dislocated his knee cap) but he appears to be a good addition - quick feet, an eye for a pass, an unselfish player who seems to find his reward in providing opportunities for others……… Sergio Aguero, so deprived of the service through he absence of Silva or Nasri last season, could thrive once again.
There's also the issue of defenders. Vincent Kompany’s injury record especially last season will present Guardiola with a conundrum as the frequency of his absences undoubtedly did not help defensive stability. On top of this the remaining defenders are ageing and have suffered their own injury problems (e.g. Zabaleta) or were still not looking totally secure in their duties. If the City midfield can apply the sort of vice-grip on possession seen in previous Guardiola teams then that may relieve the pressure to some degree. Often last season VMC members commented on the lack of protection the back four received - under Guardiola the defenders should not often find themselves isolated against an attacker. Though it is to be seen how they will play with the ball at their feet since, in this system, they will be asked to be part of the play and creators from deep, rather than just a shield for the keeper.
Once again at City we will be stepping out into the unknown but we will have one of the most coveted and skilled coaches in the world in charge of the team and all Blues will be eagerly anticipating what the future may hold under Josep ‘Pep’ Guardiola. The effort and planning which commenced once the takeover was completed in 2008 is now moving into it’s final phase. They have their man, the final piece is on the board and exiting times are ahead. The City fans will undoubtedly give Guardiola the reception he deserves - he has delivered success at two of the biggest clubs in Europe. His job now is to move Manchester City up another level.
Let’s hope we have some fun and see some great football as he does so.
