I don’t think the alarm bells will be ringing too loudly at Manchester City despite them losing three consecutive games.
There are two very obvious reasons for me that stand out. One is their most creative player, and arguably their best, Kevin De Bruyne, has not been fit. Secondly, and not far behind in terms of value to the team, has been Rodri‘s absence.
If you didn’t know the scoreline from their Champions League defeat to Sporting Lisbon, you would evaluate the statistics after the game and say City should have won. There’s not a lot wrong. But by their incredibly high standards there is a fundamental flaw: their midfield is not pressing as a collective.
The major issue is that Mateo Kovacic, though a very good footballer, does not have a defensive thought in his head.
On the eve of the season, knowing that Rodri was going to miss a few games, Kovacic talked about how he was going to have to take on more responsibility, adjust his game and how Pep had been showing him DVDs of the positions Rodri takes up. I’d suggest he does a lot more homework.
Man City have lost three straight games to leave Pep Guardiola with plenty to ponder
City are not doing a lot wrong, but Mateo Kovacic’s lack of defensive awareness is a problem
I feel Kovacic needs to learn from Rodri on how to master the No6 role to help City recover from their slump
I played that position and it goes against all your natural instincts because, as a midfielder, you want to be involved all the time. Kovacic is drawn to getting on the ball, but that’s not his priority now.
My thought was always to protect my two centre halves. My two full backs, Alan Kennedy and Phil Neal, were invariably ahead of me – as City’s full backs are. Kovacic is not repeatedly thinking: ‘What if it breaks down? What if it breaks down? Where are we vulnerable?’ What he should be doing is: support the play but seldom be in front of the ball, and sense where that vulnerability is.
The problem is Kovacic is replacing a man in Rodri, who is best in the world at that role and before him they had Fernandinho, who was also the best around.
Rodri is on a different level for sensing danger. I can guarantee in 90 minutes he will be asking himself 1,000 times: ‘where is the problem if we lose the ball?’ That’s his level of concentration. City have been the best at the high press and all of a sudden, because that press is not at the same intensity in Rodri’s absence, it is causing many problems.
There was a statistic this week that City have faced the most shots from fast breaks (28) of any Premier League team. That underlines my point. Teams are finding a way to break through that press.
It’s one thing to have the desire to press but you need the football brain to do it too.
This isn’t something new. As I’ve said before, at Liverpool, Joe Fagan and Ronnie Moran would always say the team that ‘closes down the best’ or, in layman’s terms, ‘works the hardest’, wins the league. Now, it’s referred to as ‘pressing’.
Liverpool’s mantra was defend from the front. Ian Rush would start the press, chasing down the defender, trying to force him to pass to where he didn’t want to go. Then we would move in as one collective unit. Your football brain ensured you would read the bodyshape of your opponent then try to corral them into an area where they made mistakes and you regained possession.
For Kovacic to play as the holding midfield player, he has to sacrifice his natural urge to want to be involved in every bit of forward play. He must learn to delay the play when they lose possession to allow his team-mates to get back into their defensive shape. At the moment, City’s centre backs are getting exposed on too many occasions, hence the statistic on shots from fast breaks.
Rori is brilliant at sniffing out danger, and Kovacic must try to develop these instincts
City have also missed the creative influence of Kevin De Bruyne, but he is back from injury and if Kovacic can learn from his mistakes City can still go on to have a strong season
I learned my lesson the hard way. In Liverpool’s European Cup defeat at Nottingham Forest in 1978, we were 1-0 down and I’d emptied the midfield chasing an equaliser. Forest broke away for Colin Barrett to score their second. In the dressing room afterwards, Fagan gave me an almighty rollicking in front of everyone.
The next day at Melwood, he took me out onto the training ground on my own, talked me through what not to do and I got it.
There’s was no soft-soaping at Liverpool then, it was very much: ‘I’ll tell you once, I’ll tell you twice, but, if the penny doesn’t drop, it means you won’t be a Liverpool player.’
There was no Human Resources department at Anfield in those days but it did the trick and I learned from my mistake. Kovacic would do well to do the same.
Noel offered refreshing change
Noel Gallagher suffered an early dose of the commentator’s curse this week when he said ‘I wasn’t expecting this to be so easy’ just prior to Manchester City’s capitulation at Sporting Lisbon.
However, I can sympathise as I was thinking exactly those thoughts – only, he was the one unfortunate enough to utter them live on air. His appearance, instead of the usual football pundits, has caused a bit of an outcry but I didn’t think he was out of place at all.
I quite enjoyed his views. He obviously knows his stuff as he follows City everywhere. There’s a danger of viewers becoming bored with some of the monotonous voices we have on TV. I don’t care who it is as long as they have enthusiasm and knowledge for what they are talking about.
It has become the norm these days on co-commentary to talk too much, offering opinions on everything. Their job is to dip in and out with expert opinion not offer 90 minutes of continuous talking for the sake of it. What Noel offered was a pleasant change.
Noel Gallagher spoke too soon when he said Man City were finding it ‘easy’ against Sporting
But his commentary stint on Tuesday night was a pleasant change and I enjoyed his views
Clubs will be queueing up for real deal Gyokeres
I sense Manchester United fans will be getting very excited about Ruben Amorim on the back of Sporting Lisbon’s result against Manchester City.
Unfortunately, for them he won’t be able to bring 11 new players with him. I liked the way they played with aggression and pace and in Viktor Gyokeres, what a striker they have.
You have to wonder why no Premier League side stuck their neck out to sign him for £20million from Coventry City a year ago. He may have struggled before at Brighton and on loan at Swansea City but what a shining example he is for hard work.
Up and down the country, any striker on the fringes should be looking at him, saying ‘look what I could do’. He runs like the wind, has great technique. He is the real deal. For £63million in the summer, there will be plenty trying to sign him now.
Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres has all the qualities you’d want in a striker
Ruben Amorim may want Gyokeres to follow him to Man United but the forward is set to have his pick of the top clubs next summer
Only one reason for Edu’s Arsenal exit
Edu’s departure from Arsenal came as a surprise this week, especially when reasoned that it was due to an ambition to work in a multi-club project.
My view is it must be about what he is going to get paid. You don’t leave Arsenal if it’s about ambition.
They are in an excellent position, he had a seemingly good relationship with the manager and it appears a well-run club. I know Forest are third in the Premier League but I don’t see how the prospect of looking after Forest, Olympiacos and Rio Ave for example would be more appealing than taking Arsenal forward.
Edu leaving Arsenal has come as a surprise and must be due to the money he has been offered to front a multi-club project
Jones has found a new gear
Watching Liverpool dismantle a very good Bayer Leverkusen team this week tells me they have no one to fear in the Champions League.
Curtis Jones has taken his game to a new level this season, ensuring Liverpool are still thriving after missing out on Martin Zubimendi in the summer
I say that in the knowledge they face Real Madrid next but Arne Slot’s side are playing with their tails up, full of confidence.
I have been impressed by Curtis Jones who has certainly stepped up a gear. Liverpool tried to sign Martin Zubimendi in the summer and I for one thought they needed something else in midfield but Jones has come to the fore.
He played a big part in Luis Diaz getting his hat-trick and is earning his place, hence his England call-up.
PS: A little quiz question for you, more than 20 players have scored hat-tricks for Liverpool in Europe, but do you know the only one to have scored two trebles in one European Cup campaign? (A clue: the answer is talking to you now)
