Aguero’s face just doesn’t fit with Guardiola

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Even before arriving in England to take the reigns at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola’s dislike for out-and-out number nine’s was well known.

 

 

At Barcelona one of his first acts as manager was to get rid of superstar Cameroon international striker Samuel Eto’o and replace him with David Villa, who went on to pioneer the now famous false-nine role.

 

At Bayern Munich he also had problems with prolific goal-getter Robert Lewandowski and preferred to play Thomas Muller during the opening stages of his time at the Allianz arena. Eventually the Polish striker just scored too many goals whenever he got on to the pitch for Pep to leave him out, including famously netting 5 goals in 9 minutes after coming on as a sub against Wolfsburg. Despite playing the ex-Dortmund man regularly thereafter, it was never a relationships with which either felt comfortable.

 

The latest prolific front-man to meet Guardiola’s disdain for traditional number nines is Manchester City’s Argentina international Sergio Aguero. Since arriving in England in 2011 “Kun” has scored 123 goals in 184 Premier League appearances and has cemented himself in City folklore as the scorer of the title-clinching goal in the 2011/12 season.

 

 

For nearly every other manager in the English top-flight Aguero would be the first name on their team sheet, but just being a predatory finisher isn’t enough for Guardiola, who expects his front men to press, create chances for others and be interchangeable with his other forward players.

 

This is why it was no real surprise that City’s all-time Premier League goalscorer was dropped to the bench against Bournemouth this weekend, something he did not take kindly to, according to various reports.

 

Gabriel Jesus, ever since his arrival in January, has looked like a player much more in the Guardiola mould. The supremely talented 20-year-old combines lethal finishing ability with the ability to create space and chances for his team-mates.

 

In fact the young Brazilian has provided more Premier League assists already in his City career, than Aguero has over the course of the last three seasons.

 

 

It was obvious in City’s opening two games of the season against Brighton and Everton that trying to fit both of his star strikers into a 3-5-2 formation just didn’t seem to work for the Catalan coach, which caused him to revert to his favoured 4-3-3 formation against Bournemouth with Aguero being the obvious fall guy. There is of course nothing new in this as the prolific Argentine was also dropped last season before being reinstated due to an injury to Jesus.

 

Although City where adamant that Aguero would not be sold this summer it’s hard to see his face ever really fitting in under the ex-Barcelona coach. It seems that being a phenomenal finisher just isn’t enough for certain modern coaches who prefer multi-functional attackers.

 

All good things must come to an end as they say and despite being City’s talisman for so many years, it seems obvious that Aguero will move to pastures new either in January or next summer, providing Pep remains in charge at the Etihad that is and there will be no shortage of suitors for one of the Premier League’s greatest ever strikers.

 


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