Manchester City: Silva's out; Kolarov the answer to Pep's midfield dilemma
With David Silva unavailable for Manchester City’s match against Bournemouth, the solution to the question about who should replace him is not the player you’d think.
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On Friday, Pep Guardiola confirmed midfield playmaker David Silva is not expected to play this weekend against Bournemouth.
Manchester City’s boss’ informed the press, “I don’t think tomorrow will be enough [time]. I didn’t see the doctor or David. I don’t think it’s a big, big problem but it happened two days ago so I don’t think he’ll be able to play.”
Silva’s absence then raises the issue about who should play in his stead. Ilkay Gundogan seems like an obvious choice. The German international made his debut in the Spaniard’s place for City’s UEFA Champions League match against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Alas, no, as Guardiola is not sure about Gundogan’s fitness: “I’m thinking about it – I don’t know. He played good but we cannot forget he comes from a long-term injury. We’ll see today, we’ll talk to the doctors.”
So Gundogan is not a sure thing. Then who else could line up with Fernandinho Saturday? Some might point to Fabian Delph or Fernando, both of whom have logged minutes in the middle of the park for Guardiola. Fernando’s introduction into last Saturday’s Manchester derby stabilized the contest in City’s favor. Likewise, Delph netted a goal in the second leg of the playoff with Steaua Bucharest to qualify for the UCL group stage. Both footballers have played well when Guardiola’s called upon them.
However, both are more defensive-minded, natural holding midfielders and not the offensive field general Silva is. So, if Guardiola wants to retain the attacking edge tactically against the Cherries that he’s regularly employed thus far in his tenure, Delph or Fernando aren’t the right sort of players for that end.
I propose, rather, Aleksandar Kolarov is better suited to serve as Silva’s understudy here on such short notice. Though not as creative nor clever as the enterprising Silva — few actually are — he’s more aggressive and therefore more forward-minded than Delph and Fernando. When Guardiola moved the Serbian from full back into the middle for the last ten minutes of Wednesday’s match against M’gladbach, switching to a back three, City excelled and better exemplified Guardiola’s idealistic vision of possesion-heavy, total football. It resulted into Pep-Barcelonaesque, circa 2010, Kelechi Iheanacho goal, an imposition of City’s collective will that M’gladbach looked powerless to resist.
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Furthermore, Guardiola can either go with a four or three-back line. Gael Clichy or Bacary Sagna can move to fill the left back vacancy should he move Kolarov in the middle. Or Guardiola can rely on a back line consisting of Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones. The success City had with this tactical formation against the Champions League caliber M’gladbach suggests Bournemouth should be even more feeble when confronted by it. If not, Guardiola still has the tactical flexibility to field a more defensive lineup with Delph or Fernando. Given the preliminary success of the formation boasting the versatile Kolarov in the middle just a few days earlier, why not give it whirl Saturday?
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