Chaos vs Control: Balance is key to Guardiola's City
- William Russell
- Apr 1, 2023
- 10 min read
Many City fans aspire to see a front 3 of Julian Alvarez, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland for the big upcoming games, with Kevin de Bruyne behind them in midfield. It is logical to see why; between them, they have a combined total of 109 goals and assists this season, with Haaland's contribution of 47 goals and assists being the most in Europe out of any other player.
But, ultimately, Manchester City have never been a team based on individual success. They have achieved all their success by being a well oiled machine, where each player offers their own individual impact.
For Jack Grealish, this is his ability to win fouls, and retain the ball under pressure. For Riyad Mahrez, it's his immense first touch, and his ability to cut inside and shoot from the edge of the box. And for Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva, this is their ability to go on a mazy run, leaving defenders in their wake.
They need to contribute their own input, whilst also contributing to the success of the whole team by doing the "dirty work," such as tracking runners, pressing hard, sticking rigidly to their position if required to do so and, in Haaland's case, dropping deep to receive the ball.
All of this is in the name of one thing, and it's the most important thing to the success of Guardiola's system. Control.
Guardiola's biggest fear are transitions. He dreads and fears them to the highest level, and looks to minimise them to the extreme. That's why every single one of his teams that he's managed is built around possession and "a thousand million passes," to quote the man himself.
But he needs players who can flip the switch and make something happen. Otherwise, every City game will be 0-0, 1-1 or 1-0 either way, as they would have no other option but to hope they can wear down the opposition with their continued moving of the ball.
So Guardiola needs to find a balance, as the more chaotic players tend to be the fans favourite too. So, here's an analysis of the two groups of players; which player belongs in each group, what each player provides and how does Pep Guardiola strike the necessary balance?
Team Chaos
A player who is going to take risks and pose a direct threat to the opposition is a valuable asset for any side. A player who does this consistently and effectively is a weapon, and can be considered amongst the greatest players in the world.
Manchester City have a few of these players in their ranks. Here are the best examples...
Erling Haaland
The obvious answer on the list. Haaland causes mayhem in every single game with his dynamic movement, bulldozer like strength and blistering pace.
The vast majority of City fans have called for the Blues to play a more direct style, with a greater quantity of balls knocked over the top for Haaland to chase. His numbers, whilst still being ridiculous at the rate of 42 goals before April, could certainly be higher. Every single one of City's midfield and forward players have been guilty of not playing the ball to Haaland when he seems the best option at least once this season, but this is natural when City haven't played with a proper centre forward for 2 years.
Haaland's main weakness (and this doesn't stand out much in this City team, as he has the players around him to help with this) is that he relies on others to create chances for him. He doesn't quite have the capability to create a chance out of nothing with his sole individual brilliance,, in a way that the truly great all round players, such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo, can do. He needs others to provide the "chaos" in this City side that allows him to score so many goals.
Phil Foden
Youngster Phil Foden has often been dubbed "the next David Silva" for Manchester City's midfield, or, as he's more colloquially known, "The Stockport Iniesta." In terms of his playing style, the fact is: he's nothing like that.
Looking at recent Manchester City players, Leroy Sane is the first player that comes to mind when comparing someone with Foden's playing style. Fast, skilful, direct and with mesmerising ball control, both of these players have sparkled on the left wing for City.
Many thought the natural adaption for Foden was to slot into the left sided 8 position vacated by David Silva. But stylistically, that would never work. Silva was the master of control; he'd receive the ball in tight spaces with his back to goal, and almost never lose the ball. As well as this, he knew when to slow the game down, and when to speed it up, something which, according to Guardiola, hasn't been discovered yet by Foden.
Foden is direct, dynamic and always forward thinking, very much like Kevin de Bruyne, and is the perfect player to fit into the "chaos" category. But, there is only enough room for one player like that in a midfield trio, and currently, De Bruyne's skills usurp those of Foden.
That is not to say Foden is useless to City - far from it; he's the perfect winger to supplement Haaland's style of play, by exploiting the spaces provided by Haaland's movement and positioning. But City would be constantly losing possession in the centre of midfield with both Foden and De Bruyne starting, which, as we know, is a fundamental "no no" in Guardiola's philosophy.
Kevin de Bruyne
"He is the best in the world in this kind of running and transition."
This is a quote from Pep Guardiola, before the 4-0 victory over Leeds United at Elland Road, about Kevin de Bruyne. When there's space in front of De Bruyne to be exploited, then he will exploit it.
There have been numerous occasions of nasty challenges on De Bruyne as he charges through midfield, carrying the ball forward on a counter attack. 2 examples which come to mind both occurred in the 2017/18 centurions season, where a nasty studs high challenge from McClean (which De Bruyne gracefully rode as he went on to put City 2-0 up) left him lucky to get away with only a yellow card. The other one, from Jason Puncheon, led to both players going off on a stretcher. Puncheon was out for the rest of the season, whilst De Bruyne played 3 days later.
When he's in full flight, De Bruyne is superhuman, and everything comes off for him. But City can't have 11 players like him.
De Bruyne plays the sort of pass that only needs to be pulled off 1 out of 10 times to lead to a certain goal. When that happens, he looks majestic. However, for the other 9 times, City have conceded possession, and face a counter attack from the opposition.
This is a perfectly acceptable risk to take for a player of his quality. You could perhaps get away with 2 or 3 of these, due to the qualityof the other players in City's team. It's the unpredictability of the forward play that has made De Bruyne's "chaos" so valuable during his 8 years at City.
Julian Alvarez
If you're looking for a player to play next to a superstar, then Alvarez is the man you're looking for.
Not afraid to do the dirty work, the Argentine will happily run all day. He is like a puppy; he has bounds around the pitch pressurising defenders, running in behind, chasing back for the team and he can even drop deep and provide space for others, in the same way a false nine can.
But as well as being selfless, Alvarez is a talented footballer in his own right. He is an excellent finisher, and he has a low centre of gravity and powerful shot. In this respect, he is very reminiscent of one Sergio Aguero, whom he claimed to model his game on when joining City.
Alvarez is the perfect "destroyer" in the City team, especially when playing in the same side as Haaland. He buzzes around, speeding the game up, creating space for Haaland and entering into the box himself to score goals. This is very similar to the role he plays for the Argentina national time, alongside Lionel Messi, only that he plays slightly deeper for the Blues.
The 23 year old certainly has the potential to be City's next striker, and is an excellent swuad option. His aggression and dynamism causes opposition defences to panic, and this is perfect in creating chances and speeding up City's attack.
Team Control
Ultimately, keeping possession is the key to Pep Guardiola's system working. It allows them to dictate the game, and, ultimately, allow the "chaos" players the opportunity to work their magic.
Here are a few of the "control" players that City have in their ranks.
Jack Grealish
City's record signing has come under immense scrutiny from City fans and opposition fans alike since his £100 million transfer from Aston Villa in 2021. "What does he offer?" many fans would say.
Grealish does, in fact, offer a lot. He draws defenders close to him when he has possession of the ball, which means he can slip a pass sideways to Rodri, who can then switch the play over to the other side and create a chance. The best example of this comes away to Sevilla in the Champions League this season.
In the picture above, Grealish has just driven from the centre circle and is surrounded by 4 players. He slides the ball sideways to Bernardo Silva. Notice the space Kevin de Bruyne is in...
Bernardo carried the ball inside before playing it out to Cancelo. De Bruyne is in a little pocket of space, with Phil Foden out of picture on the right hand side.
Foden received the ball from Cancelo out wide, and there was now a clear path to goal for City. De Bruyne and Haaland are in position...
... Foden slides the ball into De Bruyne, who slams it across goal for Haaland to slide in from close range.
This is clear evidence of what Grealish provides for City. By choosing not to take a risk, it led to a goal for City just 13 seconds after he moved the ball on.
This control is exactly what Guardiola needs from Grealish: he allows others to thrive.
Riyad Mahrez
Mahrez, when at his best, is almost unplayable at times. His silky smooth first touch, matched with his ability to take on any defender in world football one on one, means he is a valuable asset to City.
He also loves to score goals in important moments, he's been dubbed "Mr Champions League" by the supporters, what with the way he contributed to City's Champions League Final run in 2021. He scored in both legs against PSG, plus away to Borussia Dortmund. He scored in the second leg at the Bernabeu last season (sigh) and in the final game of the 2018/19 season against Brighton.
But the quality that Guardiola admires the most from the 32 year old Algerian is his ability to know exactly when to speed the tempo of the game up, and when to slow it down.
He is the perfect player "Guardiola" player, and is a perfect suit for City right now, as he can provide both control and chaos. Guardiola likes to pair him with Jack Grealish, as he think they provide the perfect blend in a front 3 with Haaland: one control, one chaos, one both.
Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva to Pep Guardiola is what James Milner was to Manuel Pellegrini. The only difference being Bernardo is 100 times more talented than Milner ever was.
Bernardo has had a top notch performance in all of these positions:
Right Wing - Contributed greatly to the Blues' 6-0 win over Chelsea in 2019
Left Wing - Scored a hattrick against Watford in 2019, in a stunning 8-0 win
Right sided 8 - Liverpool. The Etihad. 2019. 13.8km. Enough said.
Left sided 8 - Scored twice (and had a third ruled out) in a 5-0 away victory against Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Champions League 2022. Round of 16 last season
False 9 - Played alongside Kevin de Bruyne in a double false 9 role against PSG at home in the Champions League Semi final in 2021, in arguably City's best performance since the takeover.
Holding midfield - Played alongside Ilkay Gundogan in a holding role against Leicester City in the 2019/20 season. Helped to defend the transitions admirably
Left back - Played against Aston Villa in a surprise decision even for Pep Guardiola, and excelled, as always.
Bernardo, like Milner, wants to leave City, as he wants a new challenge and, ultimately, a move to a warmer climate.
But, unlike Milner, Bernardo Silva loves the club, and has fought like he's the happiest man on earth. He is such a useful player for the club, and the day where he leaves, whether that be this summer or further in the future, will be a sad day for all associated with Manchester City.
Bernardo's "pausa," (a Spanish word meaning the ability to put your foot on the ball to slow the tempo of the game down) is vital to the way City play. Bernardo acts as the perfect stabiliser in City's midfield, as a way of allowing both Rodri and De Bruyne to play their natural games, whilst also providing his own unique skillset.
Ilkay Gundogan
Manchester City's captain is the epitome of control and composure in the centre of midfield.
Gundogan can receive the ball in tight spaces, turn 180 degrees and play the ball forward, which is a skill that is commonly associated with David Silva. Gundogan is a similar player, as he can take risks on the ball, but chooses to do so only rarely, and leaves that to the remarkable Kevin de Bruyne.
His ability to arrive late in the box is valuable, and something that no other midfielder at City has. What with Haaland making most of his runs to the far post, that would naturally leave space for Gundogan available for a pull back, which is where he got a lot of his goals on his ridiculous mid season run at the start of 2021.
The 32 year old German is vital cog in the City machinery, and he'd be sorely missed if rumours linking him with a move to Barcelona at the end of the season are true.
How does Pep Guardiola strike a balance?
Balance is key to City's success. Guardiola wants City to keep the ball at all costs, as this helps them both with their attack and with their defence. But, by playing his best players at keeping the ball, he'd lose a lot going forwards.
Usually, Guardiola, plays 2 chaos players, with one of them being a centre forward. It is also not uncommon for him to play 3 chaos players - for example, Foden, De Bruyne and Haaland.
When just 1 chaos player plays (just Haaland or Alvarez) City often look slow and lethargic, and struggle to play the ball forward efficently. An example of this is the 1-1 draw away to RB Leipzig, where City just seemed to be content with keeping possession.
Perhaps that was a match strategy, as Leipzig away is a tough game, and one where Guardiola will have dreaded the fast, fluid counter attacks from Leipzig's forwards. Although, it did make for a turgid match, that led to frustration amongst the fanbase.
Recently, Guardiola went the opposite way, starting all 4 of Haaland, De Bruyne, Foden and Alvarez in the FA Cup tie against Burnley. City eventually took control, and emphatically won 6-0, but for the first half hour, it was evident that City were missing someone in midfield to put their foot on the ball and help dictate the tempo.
So balance is necessary for City. If Foden can learn how to play a tad more conservatively, then perhaps we'll see him appear more often in the same side as Foden and Haaland. Or, if not, then he could slot into Kevin de Bruyne's position, when the 31 year old eventually leaves City.
Guardiola has had success with this system for his entire managerial career. If the players remain ambitious, and stick by Guardiola's philosophy, then the success will continue for many years to come.
Comments