Manchester City’s Defense- Problems and Flaws
Pep Guardiola may have won his first ten games in charge of Manchester City, but finds himself in a tough spot. The Citizens are win-less in 6 and their defense in particular has come under scrutiny.
Pep Guardiola’s Tactics
Pep Guardiola is known for his odd tactics. His tenure at City thus far has been no less with the likes of Zabaleta and Kolarov playing as midfielders and center backs. Guardiola has implemented a 3 man defense with wing-backs given the license to drift towards the middle. However, considering the lack of pace in City’s defense, this may not seem like a viable option. Zabaleta, Kolarov and Sagna are not the fastest and when made to drift inwards they leave wide spaces vulnerable. Pacy wingers like Nathan Redmond and Heung Min Son have used this as an outlet. Opponent managers have also earmarked wingers as the focal points of their game plan.
Sub-Par Defenders
With no offense meant towards the players, Guardiola definitely needs reinforcements in defense. Vincent Kompany is the club captain and top center back but his injury problems have kept him largely on the sidelines in recent years. John Stones arrived from Everton in the summer for a phenomenal price tag. The Englishman has slotted in decently but still remains prone to errors until he matures. Nicolas Otamendi offers a physical presence but is rogue in terms of his slide tackling which Guardiola definitely does not like. Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna are experienced, but way past their primes. The lack of pace can be easily exploited by opponents.
Aleksandar Kolarov is a decent left back with attacking nous but defensively remains a liability, especially when playing as a center back as he has recently.
Lack Of Depth
As mentioned, Guardiola definitely needs defensive reinforcements before he can implement his style at Manchester City effectively. Furthermore, if Pep does plan on playing a 3 man defense, he definitely needs to bring in a top center half. With Kompany’s injury problems, City are more often than not left with a less than recommended number of defenders. This requires players like Kolarov and Fernandinho to fill in which may be counter productive as they aren’t natural center halves. The Premier League season is difficult and injuries are something every team should cater to. Considering City also compete in 3 other competitions, a busy transfer window should be something City should focus on. A marquee signing is much-needed and a couple of young wing-backs being introduced would help the cause, whether homegrown or as a signing.
Goalkeeper Issues
The goalkeeping position at City has become a bit of a joke. The Joe Hart saga ended with the Englishman being sent on loan to Torino. Claudio Bravo was brought in from Barcelona hoping that he would keep the goals out. The Chilean has been far from impressive making high-profile errors and looking uncomfortable. With a makeshift defense, a commanding goalkeeper is essential. Willy Caballero, the second choice isn’t much better either. Talk of a move for Marc Andre Ter Stegen has been going around but City should look to sign a top custodian if Bravo does not adapt to the rigors of the Premier League.
Putting the fantastic start to life aside, Pep Guardiola has not looked as sharp as he was at Barcelona or Bayern Munich. Whether it is a result of the high voltage intensity of the premier league or something else cannot be said for sure. But, given the record he has enjoyed with both his past employers the Manchester City bosses as well as the fans would be looking at Pep with a close scrutiny unless he makes things right for them.