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How to play both conventional and inverted full back with your teacher Ilkay Gundogan 1/
I’ve written a lot about Joao Cancelo recently because he’s someone whose ever evolving role fascinates me. His recent shift to a conventional full back role coincided with him eventually losing his place for the 2nd leg against Dortmund 2/ https://twitter.com/city_tactics/status/1381884265663762432
On Sunday he was back on his game. The role he performed in the 1st half seemed quite complex, sometimes playing as a conventional full back and sometimes as an inverted full back in midfield.
And sometimes he just roamed 3/
And sometimes he just roamed 3/
City played a 4-4-2/4-2-4 formation with Gundogan and Fernandinho together in midfield. It was a good starting point but there was a lot of nuance to the set up, illustrated well by Cancelo’s role 4/
In the early minutes we saw Pep’s tactical instructions being played out in front of us with Ilkay Gundogan taking on the managerial duties 5/
In the first minute we see Gundogan pull wide left. He’s not happy with Cancelo telling him that this should be his cue to move in central midfield alongside Fernandinho 6/
When Cancelo begins to move inside Gundogan stops him, telling him the opportunity has gone and to stay wide.
Gundogan eventually gets possession in midfield and sprays it wide to Cancelo 7/
Gundogan eventually gets possession in midfield and sprays it wide to Cancelo 7/
We saw this a lot yesterday, Cancelo’s cue to go central was often Gundogan’s move wide.
But we rarely see such things coached so obviously on the pitch as we did in the first 10 minutes. After this initial incident Gundogan runs through the process a few seconds later 8/
But we rarely see such things coached so obviously on the pitch as we did in the first 10 minutes. After this initial incident Gundogan runs through the process a few seconds later 8/
A minute later when Steffen receives possession Cancelo looks for his cue from Gundogan (out of shot initially) before moving inside. City’s build up changes from 4-2 to a 3-2
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With Spurs playing a narrow front 3 ahead of a narrow 3 in midfield, City are able to remove Gundogan from the build up and position him as part of the first line of attack opposite KDB but behind City’s wingers who are occupying Spurs full backs 10/
It gives Spurs midfield a problem if City beat the initial press. As a midfield 3 they now have to deal with 4 City midfielders strung out across the pitch and don’t have any back up from their defence who are all occupied 11/
In the 5th minute, again we see Gundogan give Cancelo the instruction to shift inside 12/
In the 7th Gundogan gestures to Cancelo to stay wide in a conventional full back position. Gundogan drops inside next to Fernandinho and City build in a 4-2 with the high full backs this time trying to give Spurs midfield a problem 13/
When Laporte plays Cancelo in down the left, Højbjerg has to engage him. Cancelo beats him and releases Sterling. City almost take the lead through Foden. Cancelo’s jink creates the initial opening but his position was dictated by Gundogan 14/
In the 12th minute City regain possession. When the ball is passed back to Walker, Gundogan gives the go ahead for Cancelo to shift inside. Gundogan creates an additional body wide for Spurs midfielders to worry about 15/
Cancelo performed well in his conventional/inverted combination role and by half time had the confidence to roam up field and take up the 9s role briefly 16/ https://twitter.com/city_tactics/status/1386354203430465544
He played the vast majority of the 2nd half as a conventional full back and did well both defensively and joining attacks. Much improved on what we’ve seen from him there in recent weeks. But it looks like that shirt might be Zinchenko’s to lose at the moment 17/
If Cancelo does start on Wednesday it might be in the same role he played in the 1st half on Sunday and he’ll hope to have Gundogan there to guide him through it 18//
