In the third round of the Premier League, Manchester City was reversed by Brighton 1-2. In this game, Manchester City once again fell into a vicious circle of possession but lacking threat. The ball possession rate of the game was 63%, but the shooting was 3-7, far behind Brighton.
At the press conference before this game, Guardiola once said that he would never change his playing philosophy, that is, he likes countless boring passes.
Guardiola said: "After winning 18 championships, do I need to change my plan? Yes. Of course, after winning four consecutive Premier League titles, do I want to change my belief in football?
"No, I will never change our philosophy of playing football.
"If we stand in the frontcourt, I want to attack quickly; when the opponent is high and people are oppressed and we break through the first line of defense, I want to attack quickly. But other than that, I just like countless boring passes. I love that. I like my team's possession, constant passing and playing. I just like.
"Of course, sometimes there are times when we have to attack quickly, but from day one we do that - when we get the ball back, Sterling and Sane sprint like machines, we're very fast on the offense. As for the offensive method, I will tell you a secret, tell me how the opponent defends me, and then I will decide how we attack.
"When a team is like the Riyadh Crescent, 11 people are cramped in the penalty area, our only concern is their defensive counterattack, but we didn't do it, so we lost. But if the opponent presses at high positions like Tottenham, there is no room for a counterattack because they press too high. So, it depends on how the opponent does it, you have to deal with it. This is how we have come through this decade and won 18 championships. We have won a lot, you all know. Why change?
"I will change players. When I have Bernardo Silva playing for a winger, it is different from when I have Sane playing for a winger. The B-seat needs the ball under his feet, and Sane needs the ball behind him, so he will be invincible. Of course, I will adjust according to the characteristics of the players, but what about the core principles? It won't change. Maybe this season, I will decide not to pass 500 times, but to pass 1,000 times. That's my goal. ”