Can this Manchester City squad play as Pep Guardiola demands? | OneFootball

Manchester City picked up a 4-1 win over West Ham yesterday at the Etihad Stadium. In truth, the scoreline flattered Pep Guardiola’s side. As the statistics show West Ham had their moments at the Etihad. On another day the game could’ve finished 4-all. Following his team’s win Pep Guardiola wasn’t pleased with his team’s performance. Following his post-game statement, it did leave a question: Can this current Manchester City squad play in the way Pep Guardiola demands? That appears to be the question following yesterday’s match.

While Pep Guardiola was happy to see his team win he was less than pleased with their performance. Speaking about the game Guardiola said: “You judge the results. We saw in many years our level. We are not at our level, we won, we are so happy. But you judge results, the performance wasn’t good. When we play good we know. The first minutes deserve to be 0-1, 0-2. We were lucky in the first goal. We are a strong team because we run a lot and have the composure but now we don’t have it. Very pleased for the result but you can’t ask me if the old Manchester City is back. If you saw the game we are not. You saw many times what we have done with the opponents.”

Pep Guardiola also went into detail about the tactical failings of his team. He further explained: “When we attack quick, the opponent attack quicker. So we have to make a build-up, drop them and after make two thousand million passes. We don’t pass the ball. That’s why we suffer. We lose the ball too easy, that’s why they can run. The opponents are good, and when that happens, we are miles distant. We need to find our tempo, the quality of the players.”

Can this current City squad play in the way Pep Guardiola demands?

It’s hard to disagree with Pep Guardiola’s assessment of his team’s performance against West Ham. The 4-1 scoreline flattered Manchester City. West Ham had more than enough moments throughout the game to make it a closer contest. But watching Manchester City’s ageing midfield yesterday it doesn’t appear that the current City players can play the way Pep Guardiola demands.

When Manchester City attacks, they are vulnerable to the counter. That isn’t an issue that is exclusive to Pep Guardiola’s side. But City’s ageing legs make it hard for players such as Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan, for example, to get back defensively. Manchester City’s defence is also too open to prevent swift and quality counterattacks. We have seen that all season. The image below perfectly highlights the issue at hand.

The way Pep Guardiola demands his team play is well-established. It has led Manchester City to an unprecedented era of dominance. But looking at yesterday’s match you get the sense that Guardiola doesn’t have the cattle to play the way he explained post-game. It does appear to be an issue that must be addressed in the January transfer window. But for now, Pep Guardiola must work with what he has, and those players don’t look to be capable of playing the way Guardiola demands as age, fatigue and injury have hit City this season .

Pep Guardiola wasn’t wide of the mark with his post-game assessment of Manchester City’s performance against West Ham. But you do get the sense that this current City squad minus Rodri can’t play the way he’s is demanding. That’s an interesting topic to monitor in the coming weeks and the solution to the issue may only be found in the current transfer window.