Pellegrini - "we'll always play the same way"

Interesting article from The Telegraph - A point to prove to Real Madrid


Manchester City have become a club associated with big numbers: from Abu Dhabi’s eye-watering investment, to transfer fees to financial results.
Here is a flurry of other figures: on Sunday, if City score at Newcastle United, they will have scored more times already this season, in all competitions, than the whole of the last campaign. If City continue at this prolific rate they will beat Chelsea’s record in a Premier League season - 103 goals - and they will also surpass the tally of 102 achieved by Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Madrid in his one remarkable campaign at the Bernabéu.
The City manager offered up the first and last of these remarkable statistics himself on Friday lunchtime, which for a man who professes not to be interested “in the past” was telling.
Records evidently do matter for Pellegrini. So does reputation - and philosophy. He is keeping a reckoning, especially when it comes to scoring goals and proving to Madrid that they were wrong to sack him after that season in charge, in 2009-10.
That year not only saw Real achieve a century of goals, but also accumulate an extraordinary points total of 96, the highest the club had ever achieved at that time, only to still finish second to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

It is why it still hurts Pellegrini that he was sacked by Real. “Well, whatever I think, we did pretty good work there,” he said. “We just had an incredible Barcelona team against us at that time and needed to do better.”
So much is made of City’s Barca links, with their axis of chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain. Pellegrini name-checked the pair as he explained why he had chosen to join City ahead of other clubs who had made him offers last summer.
“It was a very important part of the decision because Manchester City went for me to come here,” Pellegrini said. “It was not my agent touting me. I was very happy at Malaga and I always said if I couldn’t carry on at Malaga I would study where I can go.
“I had also other options with important clubs in different countries, but the most important reason why I came here was because Manchester City wanted to play the way I wanted.”
That attacking, possession-based style of play has been portrayed as a desire to emulate Barcelona. For Pellegrini, it is the galacticos of Real Madrid that he wants to recreate and improve - to show that they were wrong to jettison him so prematurely.
“Yes, very similar,” Pellegrini said, when asked if he was adopting the same playing style that he had used in Madrid.
“It was a big shame that I just had one season at Real Madrid. In that season we scored 102 goals in the whole season and 96 points. It was the best record in Real Madrid for that moment [since surpassed by Jose Mourinho with 121 goals and 100 points in 2011-12].”
Pellegrini’s one campaign also forced him to integrate £250 million worth of talent - players bought for him rather than by him - at one time: players that included Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema. He had to do so knowing that he was not the first choice as coach. He was always on borrowed time; time he will be afforded at City.
City also spent lavishly on their forward line last summer with Alvaro Negredo, Jesus Navas and Stevan Jovetic, who is still injured, augmenting an attack that already included Sergio Agüero, who should return from injury in midweek, and Edin Dzeko.
A goal at St James’ Park today would be their 93rd in only 33 matches - bettering last season’s total of 92, which included the Community Shield, and which was accrued over 52 games.
City have 57 league goals, from 20 matches, at a rate of 2.85 goals a game - Chelsea’s record, set under Carlo Ancelotti in 2009-10, of 103 would be beaten by five if Pellegrini’s team continue at that rate. “There are lots of ways to play and I chose a creative way,” Pellegrini said. “I want to have a good team playing the way that I want.”
Indeed, the manager recalled a conversation he had with his players earlier in the season when they lost to away to Cardiff City and then drew at Stoke City. “We are going to play the same way,” Pellegrini said. City then lost away to Aston Villa. “We are going to play the same way,” the manager repeated.
They lost to Sunderland and Chelsea. The style stayed the same and City have not lost since, having won eight of their last nine league games, only dropping points with the draw at Southampton. In that time they have scored 29 times as their strike-rate has accelerated.
Tellingly, they also sit top of the form table for matches between the top 10 clubs - having collected 22 points from nine matches; four ahead of second-placed Everton.
City’s free-scoring football, the improvement of their form and the return of Vincent Kompany to the defence - “I think we are a different team when Kompany plays,” Pellegrini conceded - has added to the belief that this campaign cannot only end in silverware but in gaining it in more than one competition.
“It’s impossible to know,” is Pellegrini’s circumspect response. “But I think you have more chances if you continue playing the same way - I think you have chances to do it.”
Neither will Pellegrini compromise that attacking, “creative” style – even if the occasion suits. After all, even a purist such as Arsène Wenger turned pragmatic to win a trophy in the way he chose to stifle Manchester United in the 2005 FA  Cup final.
“You can change. Of course, you can,” Pellegrini said. “Because during that game you might not be doing things well. But you cannot change the style when you have to play an important game. You must tell the players: ‘No, we are not going to change’ or you work every day and you play a different way.
“I repeat, for me, in my evaluation of what I did in my career is exactly the same even if I have one title more or one title less. But I am absolutely sure I’ll be very happy here if I can win a title in England with Manchester City - but not just to win the title, but win how I win it all my teams, play the way I want.”
The flipside – especially when it comes to the crunch matches away from home, such as today’s trip to St James’ Park - could be a vulnerability in defence and City have conceded 23 goals in the league, only 10 fewer than the whole of last season.
Kompany admitted that it is a calculated trade-off for the attacking style.
“The reality is that we have six offensive players starting every game,” the City centre-half said. “When you score that many goals and win that many games it is sometimes hard for a defender to make a case that we should be doing this or that in terms of tactics.”
Pellegrini said that his aim was “not just attacking football but complete football”. It is a bold wish especially with the business end of the season to come.
However, it is one that he might just be on the verge of fulfilling with City. And, in doing so, proving Real wrong.

I'm not a fan of the rigidness of the same tactics away from home
Idont think weve played anywhere near the level of our home form in any away game this season,we always look like conceding.
Much rather we go 1 up top away and play 5 in midfield to give the high line a bit of cover

Could it not simply have been the players were getting used to that style of play early doors, it seems to be working ok at the minute....although Pplf, you can argue that he did go to 4-5-1 after an hour yesterday to shore things up a little.

I think yesterday was proof of that. Pardew said prior to the game on SSP exactly what he was going to do...play 3 in MF and get in between our MF and back 4. And after we scored, that's what they did....pretty much all of the game.

They were playing little triangles around Yaya and Fenandhino and allowing the likes of Cabaye to get into shooting areas near the penalty area or look to thread balls through our defence.

I think if MP is going to stick with 2 up front....then as you said, we will always look like conceding, so as long as we out score the opposition, that's fine, but there's always a chance of a bad day and it all coming undone.

I think if their goal would have been allowed, then we could've been under more pressure, which may in turn have made MP swap it around.

shakencity wrote:Could it not simply have been the players were getting used to that style of play early doors, it seems to be working ok at the minute....although Pplf, you can argue that he did go to 4-5-1 after an hour yesterday to shore things up a little.

I think that was more out on necessity through injuries and not so much tactical. Dzeko had a calf injury, Yaya hurt his back....we had nobody else on the bench, otherwise, I think we may have seen the usual Garcia on for Dzeko, Yaya pushed further forward....as he seems to go for that when things are a little tough.

Paulpowersleftfoot wrote:I'm not a fan of the rigidness of the same tactics away from home

I am. Only weak teams turn up at their opponents with a different game plan.

Arsenal play the same home and away - which is mainly why it was such a goal-fest. Chelsea don't deviate from the plan either. Nor the rags under Taggart. Bayern don't change the plan either and I expect Barca to turn up and play how they usually do.

We're a strong team now, we shouldn't have to adapt. We should make other teams fear us and change THEIR game to try and stop US. And if they succeed, like Newcastle were doing, THEN we change things about to unsettle them.

We haven't lost a game in two months and I'd argue we've not deserved to lose any game apart from the cock-up against Bayern. The plan appears to be working.

leopold wrote:

Paulpowersleftfoot wrote:I'm not a fan of the rigidness of the same tactics away from home

I am.  Only weak teams turn up at their opponents with a different game plan.

Arsenal play the same home and away - which is mainly why it was such a goal-fest.  Chelsea don't deviate from the plan either.  Nor the rags under Taggart.  Bayern don't change the plan either and I expect Barca to turn up and play how they usually do.

We're a strong team now, we shouldn't have to adapt.  We should make other teams fear us and change THEIR game to try and stop US.  And if they succeed, like Newcastle were doing, THEN we change things about to unsettle them.

We haven't lost a game in two months and I'd argue we've not deserved to lose any game apart from the cock-up against Bayern.  The plan appears to be working.

Like I said Leo, as long as we outscore the opposition, then it's hard to argue against. I think when we play 'lesser' teams, 4-4-2 should always blow away the opposition, however, when we play some of the better teams away, 4-4-2 can leave you a little limited if things aren't going so well (as in, teams playing like they did yesterday) as it means removing one of the strikers and bringing on another MF player....and that won't happen until half-time or later.

With Dzeko and Negredo up front, it's difficult to change to a 4-5-1 or a similar formation, as neither of them are naturally wide players or playmakers. However, with Aguero playing up front with either Dzeko/Negredo, he has the ability to drop deeper or play wider, just like Tevez did, therefore giving us a greater degree of flexibility to change the formation during a game, rather than making a substitute.

As you said though, it's working and I can't see him changing it.

Newcastle don't have a lot of natural playmakers, they tend to play wide, but against the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, changing the formation may be the best way to go.

I always maintain that we look different away from home because at home teams come to the Etihad & try to defend, they are more adventurous in front of their own fans at home & so they come at us a bit more, That in turn will always mean our defense is under more pressure, On the flip side it does also create holes for us to counter attack.

blueboy wrote:

Like I said Leo, as long as we outscore the opposition, then it's hard to argue against. I think when we play 'lesser' teams, 4-4-2 should always blow away the opposition, however, when we play some of the better teams away, 4-4-2 can leave you a little limited if things aren't going so well (as in, teams playing like they did yesterday) as it means removing one of the strikers and bringing on another MF player....and that won't happen until half-time or later.

True, but I'd argue we don't really play a 4-4-2 style strategy, as that uses a flat back four and we don't really do that. It's more like a 2-2-4-2 formation with the full backs being used to generate more width, which goes some way to explaining why we play with two CDMs.

I expect, like you, we will come unstuck at the Emirates and Anfield, but if we can find a genuinely workable plan B (and we're not far off, in reality - the 4-5-1 we changed to at Newcastle seems pretty solid) then I think we could be good enough to win both of those games.

And on the plus side, we've already scored more than 40 points, so we aren't going to get relegated   

leopold wrote:

blueboy wrote:

Like I said Leo, as long as we outscore the opposition, then it's hard to argue against. I think when we play 'lesser' teams, 4-4-2 should always blow away the opposition, however, when we play some of the better teams away, 4-4-2 can leave you a little limited if things aren't going so well (as in, teams playing like they did yesterday) as it means removing one of the strikers and bringing on another MF player....and that won't happen until half-time or later.

True, but I'd argue we don't really play a 4-4-2 style strategy, as that uses a flat back four and we don't really do that.  It's more like a 2-2-4-2 formation with the full backs being used to generate more width, which goes some way to explaining why we play with two CDMs.

I expect, like you, we will come unstuck at the Emirates and Anfield, but if we can find a genuinely workable plan B (and we're not far off, in reality - the 4-5-1 we changed to at Newcastle seems pretty solid) then I think we could be good enough to win both of those games.

And on the plus side, we've already scored more than 40 points, so we aren't going to get relegated   

I think it's more of a:

2-3-1-1-2-1....    

and thank god we're safe!  

We play 2 up top in barcelona,particularly if one of them is Dzeko,and we get destroyed

I'm even happy with 4-5-1 at home depending on the personnel. A 5 man midfield with Yaya, Fernandinho, Nasri, Silva and Milner/Navas with Aguero or Negredo up top will do for most teams.

Paulpowersleftfoot wrote:We play 2 up top in barcelona,particularly if one of them is Dzeko,and we get destroyed

I'm with you on this, however, it's still difficult to argue against at the moment with the run we're on.

I just look at yesterday and if Tiote's goal would have stood, with their crowd behind them, it may have become even more difficult than it was.

I think Pardew got his tactics spot on yesterday, trying to play around and beyond Yaya and Fernandhino. I think early on in the campaign, Fernandinho pretty much sat deep, but lately, he seems to want to get into the final third a bit more, which leaves Yaya sitting, and to be fair, I think Yaya looks pretty easy to play around and struggles to get back once the ball gets past him. That's what Newcastle exposed yesterday, and I think a lot of that was from our poor passing at times, with attacks breaking down quickly, rather than us keeping the ball a little longer allowing players to be in the right places. We seemed to be playing too many hopeful balls, rather than using Negredo and Dzeko to hold the ball up.

I'd be happy starting with Aguero and Negredo in a 4-4-2 against Barca.

I'd even go as far as to say, against Liverpool and Arsenal, who can pass quickly from MF and use the pace of Gnabry/Ox or Stirling/Sturridge, Aguero/Negredo may be OK, but otherwise, and additional MF and one up front may allow more possession...

Also, yesterday, how lucky was Zaba with that flying tackle that just missed their player on the break? Any touch and he would've been off after the ridiculous Santon dive that got him a yellow.