WORLD CLASS COACHING
Pep Guardiola Defending
By Luca Bertolini
Table of Contents
PART THREE
2017/18 Team, Data and Key Players
The 2017/2018 team, data, defense principles of play, key players
"It is important that the tackle belongs in your team as a skill, but the tackle is the last choice; I don’t train tackles. I train to keep the ball and defend as well as possible". This what Guardiola often talks about defending tackles to counter the opposition possession and finishing phases.
These are the basic data of the Man City defense phase data of the last 2017/2018 winning season:
And these are the basic data of the first season with Guardiola as manager (2016/2017) COMPETITION
These are the main points to be underlined, to understand the improvement of the team from the first season:
1) 14 conceded goals less
2) 22 more scored goals
3) 26 goal more as difference then
4) 12 won games more
These data can be considered good enough to realize as the better attacking shape helped the transition to defend and defense phase and the same better shape helped the team in scoring more goals; team shape and positioning are clearly more important than the individual duels from a defense point of view. The duels percentage is the proof how Manchester City is not a "fighting team”, but it's also a proof of what Guardiola says and how it's carried out on the field; it's a team which is organized through the ball and the ball is the first and most important key element of the structure.
As the main opposition tactics against Man City, as transition to attack, is to play long ball behind the defense line, since the first season, and as it was one of the main issue then, Guardiola's team improved the ability to defend the volley and long balls, being able to limit the opposition counter attacks, which was the most difficult issue of the first season.
The tackles percentage is very explicative of their main objective: they are used to recover the possession and not just to block the opposition possession phase.
Looking at the players data, the main defense principles of play can be called out and it's again possible to understand how the positioning on the field, the defense transition process, the connection among the sectors and the players and the defense phase was considerably improved.
The center forwards were not asked to put pressure all around the final third but only on the opposition goalkeeper and the center backs if the move was not a transition to defend and if they didn't lost the ball directly.
Aguero was then often available for a quick transition to attack and for a fast finishing of the moves.
Gabriel Jesus has different skills and he is naturally talented at running without the ball more than Aguero and he played as advanced winger also as replace.
The wingers had to put pressure to counter the opposition build up phase while starting new moves or when the possession was lost in the final third. They had to try to force the direction of the opposition possession phase wide or backwards and to follow closely behind the fullbacks if they ran or dribbled forward. The defense tasks of the forwards are very important for Guardiola, as they can be key players for a fast recovery of the possession.
The midfielders usually have completely different tasks if they are advanced midfielders or balance midfielders, but they have common objectives:
1) Immediate recovery of the possession
2) To force the direction of the opposition possession phase out wide
3) Creation of numerical advantage on the ball
4) Closure of forward of near passing lanes for the opposition
5) Wait for the team to be balanced when the first pressure phase didn't work
6) Slow down the rhythm if a quick recovery of the possession is not possible
These are the data of the midfielders of the team who played the most during last season; let's compare them to find out the main principles of play without the ball:
The average data of Silva, De Bruyne and Gundogan show how often they played as second pressure players to double the mark and to help the wingers, creating numerical advantage on the ball, if they didn't put direct pressure because they lost the possession.
They were always just behind the center forward when pressing the opposition center backs or the goalkeeper. Looking at the average of the duels, it's clear how De Bruyne and Gundogan were the players who looked for the recovery of the ball through them, more than Silva, who was often the first player in possession after the recovery.
Gundogan was on the ball here, just behind the center forward and on the same line of the wingers; De Bruyne was ready to close a forward passing lane or to press higher after a back pass of the opponents.
The defense midfielder, but it's better to consider them as balance player, was always placed behind the second line of pressure, which was shaped by the advanced players. Fernandinho was placed behind the advanced midfielders and wingers to give balance, to close forward passing lanes or to counter the nearest receiver of the opposition...
...or anyway behind the first block of pressure. Fernandinho was a key player in this role, more than Tourè. Aguero, Gundogan, De Bruyne and Sterling were shaping a 4 v 3 duel near the ball and Fernandinho was placed just behind them to give balance and covering the space in the middle third.
If we overview the defense squad, one main theme is very clear; all the defenders are very strong in pressure and in duels against the opponents; duels, not tackles, as Pep Guardiola defenders must play to recover the possession and to build up new attacking moves and not just to counter the opposition to clear the opposition attacking area.
Stones, the center defender of the line of three at the back, when City was in possession, didn't play to counter the opposition forwards as first task, but to cover the deep spaces from long balls of the opposition. This was one of the most important improvements from defense point of view, which helped City in conceding fewer goals and less counter attacks.
Walker and Otamendi played usually as marker against the opposition forwards; Fernandinho and the “inverted fullbacks”, Delph moreover, saved the center spaces to cover the through passing lanes; this way Stones had to cover the depth from the opposition long balls.
The key role for City defense phase was the inverted fullback and Fabian Delph; he had the highest average of duels for each game and the highest average of recovered balls of the whole team together with the center balance midfielder Fernandinho.
The inverted fullbacks were able to man-mark the opposition's forwards, moving inside during the previous building up phase, and this placement of the formation reduced the risk of being caught out on the counter attacks, when they were on time, as we saw before.
This was the second tactical improvement to avoid counter attacks, condensing the center since the possession phase of play, keeping the same position during the transitions to defend and leaving the opposition as far as possible from the own goal.
The high pressure with equal number of players and the counter pressing are the main principles of play that allows Pep's Manchester City to play with inverted fullbacks and to revolutionize the idea of defense phase and of players positions.
1) Press high the opposition center defenders and playmakers while building up with the center forward and the advanced midfielders.
The wingers must cover the half spaces and the chance of vertical passes together with the center balance midfielder (Fernandinho).
These positions and pressure tactic couldn't be possible without the support of the inverted fullbacks inside the center spaces of the middle third.
2) Equal number of players near the ball in the middle third. The concept of balance for Guardiola is again very revolutionary, moreover during these seasons as Manchester City manager. To be balanced means to have the same number of players near the ball and another one (the balance player) near it, but out of the highest density area.
In this footage of a Champions League rounds up match against Naples, Delph (18) could mark the direct opponent Callejon or even close the center passing lane to the ball carrier. This way Fernandinho could move wide on the right to cover another forward passing lane option.
In these kinds of duels, the inverted fullbacks became very important. A 3 v 3 duel was played on the right side of Man City here, and the right fullback Danilo took part as third player on the ball, together with Sterling and De Bruyne.
Fernandinho was just out of the ball's area and he could create a bigger 4 v 4 duel, if the opposition midfielder would have received the ball.
The opposite fullback Delph could cover the space against the nearest forward of the opposition, being already placed in the center of the middle third. The inverted fullbacks usually become balance players in this defense tactical idea.
3) Counter pressing phase. As the inverted fullbacks are often placed in the middle third and high on the field, they also take active part to the transition to defend phases. These phases for Guardiola teams mean moreover counter-pressing actions. They can play as balance players, if the first or the second opponent in possession is already under the pressure of a teammate, like Delph in this move, where Sanè is already on the ball and two other midfielders, De Bruyne and Gundogan, are very closed to the ball as well.
Or they can press the opposition midfielders to send them backwards and to avoid them from playing out, like Delph is in this second example.
