Guardiola has all the time been a proponent of dominating possession. Early in his managerial profession, main Barcelona, he stated privately he had betrayed himself in a match in opposition to Inter Milan.
Having chosen Zlatan Ibrahimovic up entrance, he performed with much less possession than regular and seemed to assault shortly. Quickly after, he promised to himself that even when he have been to fail, he needed to take action abiding by his personal ideas.
By Guardiola’s use of midfielders as inverted full-backs and having technical gamers throughout the pitch, Metropolis have all the time dominated possession below him.
Throughout the 2017-18 season, that they had on common 71.9% of the ball per recreation. Since then they have not dropped beneath 60% throughout the season.
Profitable six Premier League titles in seven seasons utilizing that method meant managed, positional, high-possession soccer grew to become the norm.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot received the Premier League in his first season taking part in nearer to these ideas than Jurgen Klopp’s extra intense type of play.
Whereas Arteta’s Arsenal have put up spectacular defensive information this season, in addition they look to maintain the ball throughout video games.
And Brighton‘s sustainable mannequin of success has come from hiring coaches who search to impose themselves on the sport via possession, with Roberto de Zerbi and Fabian Hurzeler excelling.
Scott Parker, Vincent Kompany, and Russell Martin have additionally endured with this philosophy within the Premier League – in the end failing due to participant high quality and a reluctance to vary method. It underlines the influence Guardiola has had on coaches all through the league.
Previous to Guardiola’s arrival, English soccer was famed for its depth, directness and quick assaults, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United dominating.
United below Michael Carrick have leaned into these conventional counter-attacking roots, however one in every of Guardiola’s most spectacular feats has been to come back right into a league that had Ferguson’s tactical fingerprints throughout it and alter the overarching method of most of the its finest sides.
