Chapter 462: Chapter 462

Or from another perspective, they don’t have enough financial strength to look for technically skilled possession-based players in the transfer market.

These players are too expensive!

With small resources, Swansea can’t afford them, so they might as well stick to the traditional English long pass strategy!

They’re playing with the momentum of charging and seizing the summit amidst a fierce battlefield!

After the match started, seeing Manchester City still playing their habitual possession style;

Especially enjoying the gradual forward advancement by passing from the backfield.

Swansea immediately discovered Manchester City’s weakness!

"Press! Go and press Otamendi!"

Swansea’s head coach waved his hand, and the frontline players started a high-pressure press!

The target for this match——Otamendi, the center-back handling the ball!

Initially, facing the opponent’s pressure, Otamendi was quite composed.

He could imitate Ranocchia’s technique and mindset, forming passes with defensive midfielder Toure, goalkeeper Caballero, the two full-backs Klarov and Klichy to shake up the opponents’ defense ambitions, making them retreat after failing.

But as the game went on, Otamendi broke into a sweat!

After all, he wasn’t trained as a ball-playing center-back; before joining Manchester City, he was a disruptive defender.

He could learn to imitate Ranocchia’s form but not his essence!

For instance, when facing the opponent forward’s pressure, Ranocchia would opt to pass back to Caballero and then immediately pull away;

At this point, the forward faces a choice: should they go after Caballero or approach Ranocchia to prevent Caballero from passing?

This then gives Caballero time to think and space for passing the ball.

Otamendi also mimicked this, passing back to Caballero and then pulling away.

However, in the details of choosing where to run, the gap in football intelligence between him and Ranocchia, who has years of experience as a ball-playing center-back, becomes apparent!

Should he run to the left to create space, or should he go right?

After running left, if the forward player pressures him, what should be his next move?

Forward, backward, or downward?

Often, the difference in decision-making within a few meters causes misalignment with Caballero every time; they’re never quite in sync.

"Otamendi passed back to Caballero, then pulled to the side to receive the pass from Caballero, oh, why didn’t Otamendi receive it? The ball went out of bounds!"

"Otamendi got the ball, made a sudden turn, bypassing Swansea’s forward pressure, good... Otamendi passed the ball!"

"Whoa, he wanted to connect with Tang Long, but Tang Long was retreating, that ball should’ve been lighter, or it wouldn’t have been intercepted!"

"Caballero seemed a bit afraid, this time he handed the goal kick to Klichy on the side."

"Klichy passed back to Otamendi and immediately pushed forward!"

"Otamendi kicked wide and high to Klichy! Oh my, too high and far, Klichy caught the ball outside the sideline with his hands, shaking his head constantly."

Tang Long couldn’t bear to watch anymore!

Taking advantage of the dead ball situation, he ran back from the front to Otamendi’s side.

"That last ball, Klichy moved forward on the side to take the opponent’s winger away, he was creating space, not for you to pass; that ball should’ve gone to Toure or Fernando for layering advancement, otherwise Caballero should just kick it far!"

"B-but Ranocchia used to play !"

Otamendi widened his eyes, looking puzzled.

Tang Long covered his face with his right hand.

Ranocchia certainly delivered precise long passes from the center-back position, but that was when the full-back had advanced to the opponent’s offside line, beginning to accelerate, that’s when he passed.

Just now, Klichy had barely crossed half-field, with defenders close by;

Besides, Klichy had his back turned, was it even possible to pass a high ball to him like that?

Tang Long realized, Otamendi wasn’t unskilled as a center-back, he was just not skilled as a ball-playing center-back.

The entire first half, due to setbacks at the ball-playing center-back, Manchester City’s backfield advancement was exceptionally difficult;

Coupled with Swansea’s effective defensive tactics and compact formation, both sides ended up 0-0.

At halftime, assistant coach Rein saw the unfavorable situation; fearing a fruitless match, he immediately suggested to Pellegrini not to let Otamendi play as a ball-playing center-back anymore.

But Pellegrini rejected the assistant coach’s suggestion, sticking to his original tactics.

Because, at this stage, only the foot technique of the two center-backs Otamendi and Demichelis were still decent;

Demichelis was too old, Otamendi had a higher priority.

However, Pellegrini did make some tweaks, moving Tang Long from the attacking midfielder position to defensive midfielder, and pushing Yaya Toure up to attacking midfielder.

The tactical intention was clear, to utilize Tang Long’s possession skills to sort out the backfield!

After the second half began, Pellegrini’s adjustments had an immediate effect!

With Tang Long around, Otamendi’s ball handling became much simpler.

So long as Tang Long wasn’t marked tightly, just give him the ball;

Even when Tang Long was heavily marked, trapped in a multi-player encirclement, Otamendi still trusted him fully and passed him the ball. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novelꜰire.net