Is this just the start of something special?
Pep Guardiola is no stranger to a unique tactical tweak.
The Man City manager has already tried to convert Fabian Delph to a left-back and previously dabbled with Bacary Sagna at centre-back.
SIGN UP – WIN £5k BY PLAYING DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER THIS WEEKEND
PA:Press Association Famously better than Roberto Carlos[/caption]
Guardiola’s latest experiment involves John Stones, a man widely regarded as the best English centre-back around.
It seems however that the City boss has other ideas for his usual ball-playing defender.
During the Premier League champions’ clash with Oxford United in the Carabao Cup third round, Guardiola unleashed his latest creation on the world.
PA:Press Association Doctor Frankenstein[/caption]
Stones was deployed in a central-defensive-midfield role in the first-half of the cup tie, leaving everyone baffled.
The 24-year-old has struggled to nail down a regular starting birth at centre-back this season, with Guardiola’s rotation policy stretching to his defenders.
This seems as though it could be the only way that Stones is going to break into the City first team, for now
Stones playing CDM is your new oxygen…
City’s No5 looked very composed in his midfield role
The former Everton man was spraying passes and hovering outside the box for much of the first-half
A back four + Stones
The Barnsley Beckenbauer kept things ticking over nicely
Stones almost popped up with an assist, laying off a pass for Riyad Mahrez to unleash a powerful strike just moments before half-time.
A deeper-lying midfield role is not completely alien to Stones, having filled in there occasionally for short-spells this season.
This is however his first start in the position and it could be a significant moment in City’s season.
Has Guardiola just given us the clearest indication that Fernandinho’s time is coming to an end?
READ MORE FROM THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL WORLD OF DREAM TEAM:
The weird and wonderful tale of Pinto, Lionel Messi’s best mate at Barcelona Mohamed Salah’s Puskas Award winner didn’t even win Premier League Goal of the Month Who voted for whom in FIFA’s The Best Men’s Player Award? WATCH: Love Of The Game: Leyton Orient (Episode 1)
0 comments :
Post a Comment