Pep did it for 30 minutes against Palace when he brought on Julian Alvarez. He put him up top and Haaland went ham bone
Bayern Munich done it the last time they won the cl
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Brentford did it to United too now I think of it, it’s not completely gone.
I’ve been watching City for a few years under Pep now and I still can’t figure him out.
Sometimes the full backs go in to midfield and it’s kind of like a 2-2-2-2-2 with each line getting wider, like an upside down cone. When he got width and a floater around Haaland it actually worked.
Pep seems a very stubborn guy. I wonder will he stick with it or force his system
Yep like at times when Barcelona were at their peak they were swapping between 4-3-3 and 3-4-3 very easily. Busquets would drop back and the full backs would push on.
Saw an interesting piece here on city’s full backs a few days ago. They are running into the middle of the field to and drawing men in with them to create space for a ball down the line.
I notice man united doing it on Saturday too. Dalot just randomly running into the mid field of the field while the centre back was on the ball.
Walker and Cancelo at times will both play in holding midfield and Rodri and De Bruyne will play like old outside halves. It’s unreal
Yep it was focused on Trent too for Liverpool who was constantly standing in the middle of salah and a centre back and he was blocking the pass almost.
I don’t like watching Liverpool, I only see them when they play City
Excellent shout. If Pardew had an iota and played him, there would’ve been no trouble with relegation.
Most English football people from that generation are clueless, simply didnt understand what they were looking at. Harry Redknapp knew a player and blagged a career without ever actually coaching.
How you could coach Javier fucking Mascherano among that rabble, and not pick him. By god, a particular type of stupidity. That was that era of English coaches really. Lampard and Gerard presently, inability to coach a coordinted press, shows how it has carried over.
Potter at Brighton is a brilliant coach.
Fabio Cannavaro is probably as good a centre back as there ever was. World Player of the Year, particularly well suited to the modern inside forward that cuts in on his good foot. Light on his feet. The cross is no longer the main threat in modern football.
Its the counter, cut back and good wingers cutting in on their strong foot and shooting. A centre back quick on his feet is imperative. Martinez is that, as well as a terrific footballer.
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What do they say about self-praise…
Absolutely no need for the word probably there.
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Baresi, Nesta, Chiellini, Maldini
Would the Italians have 5 of the best 20 centre halves to ever play the game?
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Costacurta
Cannavaro still better than that lot (Baresi maybe before my time) but yeah, they’ve had a lot of greats.
Probably outside the top 20, but yeah, another great
Was nesta not better than canavarro but canavarro had the incredible World Cup ?
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They were incredible. Nesta had a way better club career but Cannavaro reached levels of performance I’d never seen from a centre back in that world cup. Greats are judged on World Cups
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Yeah Cannavaro went beserk at that World Cup. He couldn’t be beaten.
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Wow. The one where he headed it out 30 yards chased it and then won the next header. Thats heart.
If that happened now, the instant gratififation, everybody is a winner fuckers would be saying he was on peds.
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