Pep Guardiola is currently enduring the first rocky patch of his time at Manchester City. And it might just be time for another first: Guardiola compromising on his philosophy.
Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City claiming that he understood he was undertaking the biggest challenge of his career. Just 15 games into the Premier League season, it’s obvious that Guariola was right to think as much.
City currently sit in the top four of the Premier League, but are now seven points behind leaders Chelsea. A shock 4-2 defeat at the hands of Leicester City on Saturday the latest in a recent run of poor results. At this point, each City game is beginning to look just like the last.
Guardiola’s men enjoy much of the possession, only to waste chances and concede goals at the other end. The Pep Guardiola story usually is repetitive, too. However, winning, winning and more winning is usually the crux of the plot.
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Now at City, things are getting repetitive for the wrong reasons. Defensive errors, an inability to defend counter attacks and a tendency to waste goal-scoring opportunities are all common occurrences at the Etihad Stadium these days.
So, after the horror show against Leicester, where does Guardiola go next with his City team? Nowhere, according to the City boss himself. Guardiola is not one to change or deviate from his philosophy. The Spaniard is stubborn about his beliefs if nothing else.
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But at City, for now, it’s time for Guardiola to finally compromise. This City team cannot hold possession as efficiently as his previous Barcelona or Bayern Munich teams. Which means they have to defend more counter attacks, and they can’t defend them, either. They’re too slow.
Turnovers are killing Manchester City so far this season, and many of them also come from playing out from the back. Does the team have the ball-playing defenders to play this way yet? Nicolas Otamendi doesn’t seem totally comfortable playing passes around his own 18 yard box.
Neither does Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy or Aleksandar Kolarov. John Stones seems comfortable enough. Maybe too comfortable. An experienced center-back, who suits Guardiola’s way of playing, still needs to be signed in order to guide the 22-year-old.
This City squad in it’s current state, is not made to play Guardiola’s system. Or to even defend the counter attack that is so often employed against a Pep Guardiola team. The Spaniard has to realize that.
Unfortunately, there is no in between with the philosophy Guardiola favors. You’re either going to look like a million bucks or a rusty old penny. And right now, City’s value in the Premier League title race is falling with each game.
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Guardiola is absolutely right to stick by his beliefs when times get tough and he has the right pieces at hand to play his way. That’s just not the case right now. Both results and performances speak for themselves.
For once, Guardiola needs to compromise on his beliefs. For now, at least.