The Perfect Team Goal?
Against Manchester United on Sunday, Manchester City achieved 44 passes prior to Gundogan scoring a wonderful team goal.
The move was textbook Pep Guardiola, as Manchester City passed and moved, passed and moved and worked their opening. The surprise was the move encompassed 44 passes.
Not in itself a premiership record as that is apparently some 48 passes, but this was against Manchester United when they were chasing a goal to achieve a result.
The other remarkable fact is that this passing movement seemed to last about 10 minutes, although the reality was a lot less. Time slowed as the 44 passes took hold.
Composers who work on classical pieces of music, compose whole concertos but these are divided into distinct phases and movements. Guardiola is obsessed with the beauty of the game and is focussed on the details that transform into that beauty.
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His basic element of training remains the rondo, a circle of players passing the ball around and past a solitary defender whose task is to intercept the ball. This basic drill rehearses the key gears and control necessary to deliver the beauty Guardiola aspires to.
To have a passage of play totalling 44 passes in this system is extraordinary because every pass is made under increasing pressure. Every pass, forwards or backwards is seeking to exploit space. It is a call to arms, daring the opposition defender to leave their tactical position and come for the ball, leaving a weakness to be exploited.
So the 44 passes Manchester City made, were of varying directions and degree. Every pass was countered with defensive movement. Every pass required the Manchester City player to weigh the options.
The speed of play varied. As we lulled the opposition with passing and then increased the speed like a snake attack.
It was Bernado Silva and Gundogan who interlinked for the goal. It required Gundogan to make a second move back into space after seeming to track back. It required Bernardo to spot the movement and to have the skill necessary to make the final incisive pass.
This is of a high difficulty level, and beyond what I can imagine.
Gundogan received the ball in the tightest of spaces and flicked his foot to nip the ball past the exposed De Gea.
And Guardiola had the perfect movement in his symphony. 44 passes of total domination to reinforce the gulf in class. And it was a thing of beauty.