As you will have seen, my column concerning the departure of Elano has generated some interesting comment both agreeing and disagreeing with my position. Took me a while to figure it out but I have finally concluded what is annoying me so much about this move. Who is going to pass the ball?
First of all lets talk about formation. Mark Hughes did a nice spin piece on the club website about how Elano needed to play every game in a World Cup year. The crucial quote is however in the sixth paragraph
“From our point of view we have other players who can operate in that position with Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right and we have a young talent in Vladi Weiss...
The inference from this, given that neither Ireland or SWP is an attacking midfielder is that the team is more likely to be playing a 4-3-3 (or 4-4-2) formation this year. Again previously noted that we were hearing such a strike option was being muted. Therefore Elano's natural attacking midfielder position is being eliminated and indeed in such a scenario the Brazilian's options would be limited.
In a 4-3-3 formation it is reasonable to presume that the front line is Robinho, Tevez and either RSC or Adebayor while in midfield Ireland and Barry are on the team sheet and probably de Jong. I'd actually see this as a 4-1-2-2-1 with de Jong in front of the back four, Barry and Ireland then paired in front of the Dutchman, but the season will being more answers on this.
Yes of course you can make arguments for Petrov, SWP, Bellamy and others based on circumstances, but as a broad stroke that should be the team set up.
Which returns us to my original comment. Who is going to pass the ball?
Barry and Ireland are at their best running onto the ball that has been provided to them. SWP runs well at defenses with the ball. Tevez and Adebayor react well to the ball and RSC is good attracting the ball as a target man. Where is the player that can make the killer pass consistently to take advantage of the strengths of all of the players on the team?
Look at City's rivals in the top four. United have Carrick, Liverpool Alonso and Arsenal Fabregas. There are bigger stars on United and Liverpool, but it is the vision of Carrick and Alonso when on song that helps define their play.
The cold hard facts with Elano are fairly simple. Over the two seasons City would win almost 50% of the time when the Brazilian playmaker started. However when Elano didn't play or came off the bench as a sub that percentage dropped to around 25%. It gets better; you can extrapolate the numbers out to a full season based on wins and draws and it comes out at 62 points. Which in an incredibly serendipitous way is the number of points Aston Villa had in finishing in 6th place in the Premier League last year the target that the Chairman has given Hughes...
Sure numbers can be made to say what ever you want, but when you look up and see that an almost full strength City squad drew with Barnsley this afternoon and needed an 89th minute equalizer to do so I think we are all left with one question.
Who is going to pass the ball?
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Posted by Marc on 08/01/2009
Lest we not forget Barry did not feature against the Tykes and should feature as a major facilitator in the attack more so than just running onto the ball and to say City was full strength i'd say is a bit of the mark. When Bogdanovich struck our central defense was comprised of a youngin' in McGivern and human swiss cheese in Ben-Haim, neither of which will likely (hopefully?)see major minutes come EPL action. Sure we won 50% with Elano the last two years but thats counting Sven's years and Sven's system, and we saw what that got us...if Elanos the biggest casualty and we go forward with what we have i'd say we're looking at winnig quite a smidge over 50% the next two years.
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Posted by Neil on 08/01/2009
Wallace.Always love the column,but again disagree with the whole 'Elano' saga .He was a cancer in the team "we don't need this" If you saw any of the games last year he did play he gave the ball away alot more than that "one" killer pass.and bye the way the games he was left out of I agree with Hughes "too light weight" Lets move on .
We have plenty of option's to pass the ball and also use the wings alot more than we did last year with the 2 main strikers up top.
I think the main worry for all us City fans is going to be how quick can we gell as a team ?
Trubritblue in California
comment.
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Posted by Daniel on 08/01/2009
Robinho and Ireland link up quite nicely. I'm sure Barry will get into a nice rhythm in midfield soon enough. Elano leaving is a big strike against Mark Hughes, but it's not the end of the world. The goal this season is to be competitive in the league and FA/Carling Cups. I think that goal can be achieved with Ireland and Barry in central midfield. I don't expect there will be any attempt to get a genuine like-for-like replacement for Elano until we have Champions League football to offer truly world-class players like him.
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Posted by Steve Byrne on 08/01/2009
Whilst I do like Elano, and loved watching him play when he was up for it, the fact is that for the most part he did not graft enough and was a luxary we could not afford. Many a time he was just not involved in the game or was at fault for conceding goals by not tracking back and covering the eventual scorer.
As for who is going to be supplying the through balls/killer passes then I think Stevie Ireland showed that ability more than enough last season, as did Robinho, and Gareth Barry certainly has the skill to do so too.
As for bringing the pre-season result up, does this mean that Chelsea are going to struggle this season too (because they had to score 2 goals in the last 2 mins in order to force a draw against Reading today)? They fielded a strong enough squad.
Pre-season games are for nothing more than getting match fitness and trying a few variations out.
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Posted by Jarrod on 08/02/2009
I think i would have to disagree Wallace. Out of full respect for your opinions and views i would agree (yes that's right, AGREE!) with your John Terry argument, but this one not quite sure. Everytime i would watch city down here in good old down under country, even during the sven Goran Eriksson days, it would be SO frustrating to watch Elano play OFF THE BALL!!!. On the ball he was magnificant. Off the ball he wouldn't track back, wouldn't hassle anybody defensively, he wouldn't even go to the local grocery store to buy good old Mark Hughes a can of coke when needed. The guy was a single-minded player, you have to admit! When watching them over the recent season, players like De Jong and SWP and a much improved stevie ireland would sprint all over the park like a lizard tryin to find shade. As for Elano, he always seemed to find his shade so quickly. Players like Barry and Kolo Toure would die running through a wall for a team, not to mention their much needed offensive presence!!!!
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Posted by Martin Nazimek on 08/02/2009
Wallace,
I really liked Elano, but if he was a cancer you have to get rid of him. The worst thing for a manager in a lockerroom is a cancer polluting the team with negativity, no matter how good the player is. I do believe that others will HAVE to step up and take that place. Barry is a great passer, but others will have to step up. So is it a good move? I dont know if the move was good though. Like you said earlier, it should have been a loan since I dont think MH is going to survive beyond this season. On that note, I really hope i am wrong about MH. CTID
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Posted by Roman on 08/02/2009
No doubt this was a mistake. Hughes will lose his job this season, and this will be the main reason. You're spot on in that Elano was the guy who made things happen. Can Barry be that guy? I don't know...
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Posted by chris on 08/03/2009
Wallace-
I still think you are wrong on this one... City created plenty of chances regardless of whether or not Elano was on the pitch... I would argue that the lack of a cutting edge and a top quality striker was what did us in in those 50% and 75% of matches respectively - and you know what they say about statistics (lies... etc.)
Anyway, I really think that you will see if the team fails to make the top 6 this season, it will not be due to a lack of Elano - City will create chances, but will they finish them? and how many goals will be conceded? look at the defensive record in those matches for the statistics you cite, and I am sure you will see a different picture.
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Posted by Zak on 08/04/2009
Personally i like Elano (when he is on a good day)and would of like to see him in the premeirship next season, but i think gettin rid of Elano is a positive move for City and Mark Hughes.
There is all this talk about weather MH can handle the egos and attitudes of all these high profile players, Elano falls into that category. altho not as big as the likes of the new signings but he had an attitude and huge ego. By closing the door on Elano he's showing that he can handle players and its not only the performances on the pitch that matter, also that no-one is bigger than the club.
If any1 was going to milk City for money it would have been Elano... i mean lets face it, he only started playin better coz he wanted a new contract and new he was on his way out.
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Wallace Poulter is an award winning video game producer, designer, industry consultant and writer. He has been a football fanatic since the day he moved in next door to Brian Clough. "Cloughie" being the acknowledged genius that he was promptly moved out and went to manage Derby. A serviceable senior school left-back in his youth, Poulter played one season of Sunday league football as a striker proving conclusively that he was a serviceable senior school left-back! Today Poulter remains involved with football as a licensed referee and most recently as a consultant on a Football MMO.
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