2017-18 Manchester City Player Previews
Bernardo Silva
A signing that has gone under the radar this summer… will the Portuguese magician be David Silva’s heir to Manchester City?
Following a very solid ending to the season, City fans were ready for a summer full of transfer rumors and, ultimately, big name signings.
City fans, including myself, were very surprised to have the pleasure to already have a signing… two weeks before the transfer window had even opened. It was one that went under the books, and was not reported on until the day of. Yes, City may have been enamored at the Portuguese’s performances this past season at Monaco, but there were never any true links. After all, City fans were more concerned with defensive signings than a midfielder.
That last line perfectly sums up Pep Guardiola, however. Pep loves his midfielders, and Bernardo Silva should turn out to be an ideal Guardiola player.
Here’s a short preview on what to expect from the ex-Monaco star this season.
Bernardo: Right Midfielder/CAM?
As we saw this last season at Monaco, and for Portugal at the Confederations Cup, Bernardo is primarily a right midfielder, but could very well play out on the left side and additionally in the middle.
Like his namesake David Silva, Bernardo is extremely good at holding on to the ball in tight spaces. Along with this comes with the ability to elude two to three opposition players surrounding him at a time. One specific occasion comes to mind. When we faced Monaco at the Etihad, he was able to dazzle and weave his way through three City players. Signing a player so similar to David and strong on the ball should not come as a surprise to City fans. He is a perfect Guardiola player.
He is also a bit different from our own Silva; he can maraud down the right flank with the ball, something that David has not done. He often is able to dribble to the by-line only to change directions real quickly and make an incisive through ball or cross. Moreover, he also produces a bit more than David in terms of actual statistics (that isn’t to say that David doesn’t influence with his “double assists”). He had 9 assists and 8 goals last season with Monaco which could prove to be a huge boost for a City squad who struggled finishing chances. Particularly, Leroy Sane struggled with finishing his dinner.
City fans might ask… why do we need another midfielder? If you look back on last season, whenever we were without one of Kevin De Bruyne or David Silva, our side struggled immensely on the creativity side. Bernardo Silva will slot right in to resolve this. A squad hoping to vie for the Premier League, Champions League, and other league cups will need depth. Silva will be able to provide that on the right wing as well in the middle as interior attacking midfielder. Also recall that it was just last year that Pep for his substitutions on the wing had Jesus Navas, and Nolito. Having Bernardo is an absolutely huge upgrade and give Guardiola something different in terms of tactics and lineup selections.
How could the team lineup with Silva? Well, I see the team lining up in primarily three different ways with Silva on the pitch:
A 4-1-4-1 with Bernardo on the right:
Aguero/Jesus
Leroy Sane — De Bruyne — David Silva — Bernardo Silva
This lineup favors Silva over Sterling, but for what the team loses in pace, they gain in creativity. Both Silva’s on the right hand of the pitch could be absolutely devastating with their trickery and ability to create chances.
A 4-1-4-1 with Bernardo Slotted in the middle
Aguero/Jesus
Sane — De Bruyne — Bernardo Silva — Sterling
This lineup replaces Bernardo for his namesake. David is turning 32 this coming season, and will not be able to play every game this season. In comes Bernardo. While he might not provide exactly the same what David might in each game he plays, Bernardo will provide creativity and strength in possession in the middle of the park. I really like this formation as it brings in Sterling on the pitch while also bringing in Bernardo. This way we have pace down the wing and Bernardo’s silky smooth dribbling in the right/middle. The two can interweave and be an equally devastating duo as Silva/Silva.
A 4-2-3-1 with Bernardo on the right
Aguero/Jesus
Sane — De Bruyne — Silva
Toure — Gundogan/Fernandinho
If Pep were to try to play a bit more defensive, he might opt for a 4-2-3-1 with two defensive midfielders. Silva would most likely slide in to the RW position and provide creativity and width down the wing. Silva loves to hug the touchline, but can also cut in and provide chances in the middle. (We also know Kevin loves to roam the pitch and often is seen on the left and right flanks delivering balls in to the box.)
With the recent lineups we’ve seen (a 3-5-2/5-1-2-1 or whatever you want to call it), we’ve seen two full backs act as a wingback and essentially lose a midfielder in the process. I’m not quite sure I see Bernardo overtake De Bruyne in this formation, but it could very well happen. With this formation we would most likely see one DM, two strikers (would primarily be Aguero/Jesus, but Sterling is also a very likely backup striker), and two controlling midfielders.
Regardless of the formation we play, expect Bernardo to play a very important role this coming season, whether it be from the bench or in the starting eleven.
Next: Manchester City: What to expect from Pep this year tactically
He might not be starting this coming weekend, as he just recently joined the squad, so don’t be glum if he isn’t in the starting eleven against Brighton.