Thursday, 22 December 2016

Pep Guardiola still gets surprised by Premier League tactics, reveals Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4057960/Pep-Guardiola-gets-surprised-Premier-League-tactics-reveals-Manchester-City-star-Kevin

Pep Guardiola still gets surprised by Premier League tactics, reveals Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne 


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4057960/Pep-Guardiola-gets-surprised-Premier-League-tactics-reveals-Manchester-City-star-Kevin-Bruyne.html#ixzz4TZxlvEvz
Pep Guardiola is still surprised by Premier League teams' long-ball tactics, his star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne has revealed.
Guardiola has had a tough introduction to life in England, despite winning all of his first 10 games as City boss, and his side are currently third in the table, seven points behind leaders Chelsea.
And while Guardiola is well-known for his tactical innovations, De Bruyne explained that he is still shocked when opponents go route one against City. 


What surprises Pep the most is that a lot of teams still play long ball,' the Belgian told Sport/Foot magazine in his home country.
'He sometimes thinks that they'll play along the ground because they do it against other teams, but not against us. 



'I feel like he must sometimes tell himself that it's stupid.
'He spends so much time and puts so much energy in trying to find gaps to eventually tell us the team are going to play long ball. He must ask himself why he bothers at times.'
De Bruyne has flourished under Guardiola, with nine assists in the Premier League, more than any other player.



And he insists he is benefiting from moving all over the pitch, as Guardiola constantly alters his system. 
'In my eyes [being versatile] is an advantage more than an inconvenience. Sometimes, it confuses me, but most of the time it's OK. 
'The most important, when you change position, is knowing what to do. Things need to be clear in your head.
'Versatility helps understand how others work on the pitch. It's mostly in my head that I'm strong. I always try and imagine what's going to happen. 
'Maybe we don't pay enough attention to it, but for me, that's really important.'

No comments: