Pep Guardiola's Tactics as Manchester City Manager Will Surprise

Grey clouds had descended on Manchester City by the end of last season. They were playing poorly, limping towards a disappointing fourth-placed position in the Premier League, with a seemingly disaffected group of players. Manuel Pellegrini’s tenure had gone stale and the club was desperately in need of new direction.

The change since then could hardly be more pronounced. Pep Guardiola’s arrival has re-energised the club. The senior players, the academy stars, the technical staff—everyone is gripped by positivity and focused on returning City to the summit of the English game.

Every year since Sheikh Mansour acquired the club in 2008 has seen a determination to progress. Even during seasons where there was a downturn in results, there remained a desire to progress on and off the field. That was until last season, where there was almost wilful stagnation. Waiting for Guardiola was a must—but the wait saw regression on the field.

But this is a new era, the next chapter in the club owner's story. City have managed to convince the world’s most coveted manager to join them, and the optimism that has defined so much of Mansour’s time in control has returned.

"The new manager has come in and he's got his ideas. The big thing that I have noticed is that the intensity has gone through the roof,” City midfielder Fabian Delph told Sky Sports.

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"Everybody seems to be pressing their claims and the new systems of playing have been very interesting. I'm really excited about the new season."

Fernandinho, who is likely to have a key role again this season, has also reacted positively to the appointment.

“I’ve seen many games of his former teams and also played against them as well—Barcelona and Bayern Munich,” the Brazilian told James Robson at the Manchester Evening News.

“It was very hard for me to play against them because he made a lot of great players and good teams—and won a lot of trophies as well. But now he is on my side!”

Tactically, few can touch Guardiola. He thinks in unique ways. He studies the opposition, prides himself on outwitting other managers and finds innovative roles for his players.

Indeed, Delph has hinted he could be deployed in different positions. He told BBC Sport:

"

The first three weeks have been amazing. I've learned more than I have throughout my whole career.

It is a big statement but it is the truth.

It is the way he simplifies things. His way of playing. The way he sees things. You will see what he is trying to do in the forthcoming games.

The manager has a lot of different systems and it is all about learning different positions.

I am on a big learning curve. If that can keep going I would be very happy. I don't think I will be a centre-back but you will be pleasantly surprised.

"

Forget what you knew about City’s players—Guardiola will reinvent them and play them in positions we didn’t think possible.

Delph has the attributes needed to play left-back, and it could solve one of City’s problem areas.

Guardiola demands energy and running power from full-back—and few in the City squad can match the 26-year-old’s fitness. Whether he has the technical qualities needed to excel there remains to be seen, but there’s certainly scope to deploy the former Aston Villa man differently to the way he was in his debut season.

Fernandinho looks to be one of the most adaptable in the squad. He showed last season during a two-game stint on the right of midfield that he has an understanding of tactics that allows him to move effortlessly into unfamiliar roles. Guardiola, who appreciates versatility, is going to love him.

He can play as a box-to-box midfielder, as he has for the majority of his time at City, or more defensively. He could easily play as an attack-minded right-back or on the right of a three-man defence. There are few holes in his game, and the options of how to use him are numerous.

And then there’s the Yaya Toure conundrum. It’s clear he is no longer capable of playing the box-to-box role with the same brilliance he once did, but he has too many world-class attributes to be discarded easily.

City need a deep-lying playmaker, someone with an excellent range of passing who can orchestrate their attacks. Toure, the finest passer in the City squad, is more than capable.

In an illuminating interview with the FIFA website back in 2011, Guardiola simplified tactics, saying the key is finding the right roles for the players you have at your disposal.

"

People talk about tactics, but when you look at it, tactics are just players. You change things so that the team can get the most out of the skills they have to offer, but you don’t go any further than that. When it comes to tactics you have to think about what the opposition does and the players who can hurt you. What I’ve done this season is a response to the game plans our rivals are now adopting against us. As time goes by, people get to know you better. They pose problems for you and you have to come up with solutions.

You can sign players on the recommendation of friends and colleagues and based on what you see on TV, but it’s only when they’re out on the pitch with you that you find out if they can do what you want them to. It’s not easy. Sometimes it’s worked for me and sometimes it hasn’t.

"

Expect the unexpected. This coming season at City will throw up some fascinating tactical alterations.

Any complacency that had crept into the squad has been removed already. The City players are about to embark on the most exciting period of their careers to date, and they may find themselves playing in positions they never thought possible.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and follows the club from a Manchester base. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.