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I'll start off by answering the question. I am beginning to lean towards no.

I posted a response to a question raised by Doomie of why some are thinking Pep will use 3 at the back, since he did not at Barca, and replied suggesting that I suspect he may even go with 2 at the back, so NO FULLBACKS AT ALL:

http://www.mancityfans.net/mcfnet/viewtopic.php?f=119&t=51168&p=790961#p790914

This could very well be why we are hearing so little about our pursuit of fullbacks in the transfer market that sound like they will get into the first eleven. Even Bruno Peres, who sounded like he would be coming, City have now publicly denied interest in -- which seems to generally mean the current pursuit this window is off.

I suggest reading this article and see if one can begin to understand what direction Pep may be going in:

http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/tac ... ern-munich

I speculated in the post linked to at the top, that this is also why we are not pressing for Zaba or Kolarov to leave because they stand to have a very good chance to not play at all and we won't mind having them as backups for now. That may push them to leave on their own (i.e. take a wage cut or something of that nature). And according to a new CityWatch article posted today we are not pushing for them to leave, which could be an indication of our lack of concern filling this role under Pep this season.

http://www.mcfcwatch.com/2016/07/13/mar ... nd-no-one/

I suspect in possible order of who Pep would select (if fit) for 2 or 3 places to make up "the back line":

Vinnie, [Stones], Nico, Sagna, Clichy, Mangala, Zaba, Kolarov

Angelino I think has a real chance to make it into the team as a backup midfielder since he won't have to play as a fullback.

Pep wants 1000 midfielders for a reason, he has shown it works, ESPECIALLY against teams that "park the bus," and look to hit on the counter, which is the most common tactic for lower quality clubs that find success. This is why he has increasingly moved away from traditional defensive philosophies. You are wasting players who you could be using as a NUMERICAL ADVANTAGE against clubs that try to use the same advantage with players of lower skill level but determined and organised in defence. Joe's place is in trouble because Pep needs his keeper to be good with the ball at his feet to start the attack through the defenders who also need to be so.

I know traditionalists don't seem to like this, but there is evidence it has worked last season with Bayern, and now he can begin to show it works in the Premier League, where the traditionalists seem to always want to tell the attacking football lovers that they can't have their cake and eat it too. I think that's partly why he came to England, and also with our club who will 100% let him do things his way, as we are also already a hated club by traditional football fans in England, and we provide him with the resources to let his ideas be put into reality.

"Fasten your seatbelts..." - Pep Guardiola

Don't know dont care. I seem to have the patience that not too many have judging by all I see on here,twitter etc.

Just can't be doing with all the speculation going on. I am excited Pep's here and can't wait for the season to start or even the pre season but let's just wait a few days more and we will see.

Great post.

Cheers

I generally agree with you Doug, I am mostly just curious more than concerned, and wanted to raise the idea because this seems like a real possibility.

I'm actually not worried either, and quite excited about what we are going to see, but it seems that some of our fans seem quite anxious about either finding fullbacks to "replace" those expected to no longer be in the team anymore, as well as notice a lot of expressed feelings of anger about pursuing Stones. Replying with desires to want some big, traditional Premier League physically imposing defenders who are good in the air.

This post was very much to show why we can be excited about what we may be soon seeing to deal with some of the problems we have seen under Pellegrini, who is not the only manager to struggle with the issue of organised defences that play off the counter (Wenger, for example).

Gringo Twatburger wrote:Great post.

Cheers

+1
I also suggested a while back we could go three at the back and wondered whether Navas might be a good wingback.

It certainly seems a possibility, however it seems all well and good in a 2 horse league where most other clubs aren't competetive. I would be concerned with this approach in the PL, as most teams have the firepower these days to smash you to bits if you get something like this wrong.

I'm all up for innovation though. If we try it and it doesn't work, I'm sure we will figure something else out.

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Don't know dont care. I seem to have the patience that not too many have judging by all I see on here,twitter etc.

Just can't be doing with all the speculation going on. I am excited Pep's here and can't wait for the season to start or even the pre season but let's just wait a few days more and we will see.

Same here.
I've no idea what he'll do with us, but whatever his plan is I just hope it gets full backing from the club and the fans.
Don't care who we bring in. Would prefer if he got what we have playing properly.

Pep can and likely will play any system that can be played. He needs to see what players he has got and assess the best way of playing against premier league opposition etc etc. When we score 6 in the first 10 minutes against Sunderland we will know he has got it sorted..... at least for that game.

As long as we score a shit load of goals and don't concede too many jobs a good un ! It's the premier league though isn't it and that doesn't happen very often does it ? Pep will be on a learning curve for the first month or so as the premier league is totally different to anything he has experienced , he will sort it though that is for sure . Give him a little time and no point whatsoever in speculating IMHO .

thanks joey

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Pep can and likely will play any system that can be played. He needs to see what players he has got and assess the best way of playing against premier league opposition etc etc. When we score 6 in the first 10 minutes against Sunderland we will know he has got it sorted..... at least for that game.

I believe he will play a lot of different systems depending on who we are playing and how the game goes. It will be vastly different than Pellegrini. That I feel is certain.

PrezIke wrote:

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:Pep can and likely will play any system that can be played. He needs to see what players he has got and assess the best way of playing against premier league opposition etc etc. When we score 6 in the first 10 minutes against Sunderland we will know he has got it sorted..... at least for that game.

I believe he will play a lot of different systems depending on who we are playing and how the game goes. It will be vastly different than Pellegrini. That I feel is certain.

Doesn't it make speculation like the one in your opening post void though? If he is going to play a lot of different systems, why focus on a 2-3-5 with no fullbacks?

I am really tired of these speculative articles, however well articulated and researched they are, because they always seem to focus on what Pep has done at his last club and how that can be carbon copied to his next destination. Before he started his first season with Bayern everyone was sketching up some Barca-like systems with Götze in the false nine position, but then he finds sth much better suited to the players at his disposal and the opposition he faces in the league, i.e. this weird 2-3-5.

Before making any judgements or even thinking about a system or formation that will be deployed next season, I want to see some hard evidence (pre-season games) and shaping of the squad (transfers!). So far, everything else is plucked from rather thin air imo.

Look at any football program even into the eighties and you got a 2-3-5 line up . The two at the back were left and right backs, there was a left half, right half and a centre half.

Then the five at the front were from right to left, right wing , inside right , centre forward , inside left and finally, left wing.

Then, along came the fcukign Dutch with total football!

I think that just about sums it up.

Im_Spartacus wrote:It certainly seems a possibility, however it seems all well and good in a 2 horse league where most other clubs aren't competetive. I would be concerned with this approach in the PL, as most teams have the firepower these days to smash you to bits if you get something like this wrong.

I'm all up for innovation though. If we try it and it doesn't work, I'm sure we will figure something else out.

Wouldn't you also say though that Schalke, Wolfsburg and Leverkusen are infinitely better sides than Leicester?

i'm interested in a conversation about Pep and his tactics. It's what the cunt does, so why wouldn't we talk about it?

Stop being weird people. Not you Spartycunts...you keep being weird.

cheers

Im_Spartacus wrote:It certainly seems a possibility, however it seems all well and good in a 2 horse league where most other clubs aren't competetive. I would be concerned with this approach in the PL, as most teams have the firepower these days to smash you to bits if you get something like this wrong.

I'm all up for innovation though. If we try it and it doesn't work, I'm sure we will figure something else out.

Interesting topic.. I was going to respond but basically I was going to say the same as Sparty.

Nigels Tackle wrote:thanks joey

Match day threads start in a few weeks , until then shut the fuck up ! ;-) :-D

South Stand Balti wrote:

Im_Spartacus wrote:It certainly seems a possibility, however it seems all well and good in a 2 horse league where most other clubs aren't competetive. I would be concerned with this approach in the PL, as most teams have the firepower these days to smash you to bits if you get something like this wrong.

I'm all up for innovation though. If we try it and it doesn't work, I'm sure we will figure something else out.

Interesting topic.. I was going to respond but basically I was going to say the same as Sparty.

Thank fuck you didn't respond then.

cheers

in a 2-3-5 who are the 3? is that a Fern1, Fern2, Delph situation? those types of player?

Reading the book about his first season at Bayern, I'm expecting Pep to have about 8 different formations. And even more in the second half.

He adapted his style at Bayern, not least to deal with all the counterattacking teams in Germany. What he'll do in the Premier League is therefore unknown and I suspect it'll adapt as it goes along and he learns about teams and our players.

I'll therefore give it 15 minutes of the Sunderland game before someone is on here claiming he's clueless

Blue Since 76 wrote:Reading the book about his first season at Bayern, I'm expecting Pep to have about 8 different formations. And even more in the second half.

He adapted his style at Bayern, not least to deal with all the counterattacking teams in Germany. What he'll do in the Premier League is therefore unknown and I suspect it'll adapt as it goes along and he learns about teams and our players.

I'll therefore give it 15 minutes of the Sunderland game before someone is on here claiming he's clueless

Almost nailed on who that 'someone' might be...