Liverpool v Manchester City: Manuel Pellegrini again criticised for 4-4-2 formation

MANUEL Pellegrini has again defended his tactics despite being slammed as “naive” and “soft” after defeat to Liverpool.

Manchester City's Sergio Aguero, left, and David Silva wait for play to restart after a goal by Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Sunday, March 1, 2015. Liverpool won the match 2-1. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

MANCHESTER City manager Manuel Pellegrini insisted his side’s 4-4-2 formation was not to blame for their 2-1 Premier League defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

The two teams were evenly matched at 1-1 at the break on Sunday but then Liverpool took control of the game in the second half and claimed victory thanks to Philippe Coutinho’s 75th-minute strike.

Key to City’s demise was the inability of their two central midfielders, Fernandinho and Yaya Toure, to cope with Coutinho and Adam Lallana dropping deep to link Liverpool’s midfield and attack.

Pellegrini replaced striker Edin Dzeko with midfielder James Milner in a bid to stem the tide, but by then the momentum was with Liverpool.

Pellegrini told Sky Sports: “The formation was not the problem. The problem is that we lose too many points.

“We started to lose too many balls, and Milner played well when he came on. Dzeko worked very hard in the first half, so he had to come off.”

Despite Liverpool’s second-half dominance, Pellegrini insisted the quality of Jordan Henderson and Coutinho’s goals was the only difference between the two sides.

He added: “They scored two beautiful goals. It was impossible for Joe Hart to save one of them.

“The rest of the match was even. We also have many chances. It was a close game, but they won because they scored two beautiful goals.”

The result means City remain five points adrift of Premier League leaders having now played a game more, and Pellegrini admitted his side’s chances of retaining the title had diminished.

He said: “We have three points less, and if we drop points, it makes it more difficult. We must try to win our next game, and then at the end of the season we will see.

“It is important to maintain our level of performance and not make mistakes on the ball like we did today for the first goal.”

PELLEGRINI CRITICISM

Brendan Rodgers, Manuel Pellegrini.

Jamie Carragher: “To employ that system (4-4-2) in the big games is so naive. It’s embarrassing really for a manager at that level to go into a game against Barcelona two years running and then again at Anfield like this.”

Gary Neville: “If I was a Manchester City player, I’d be embarrassed how easy it is to play through them.

“We’re judging Manchester City as champions of the Premier League. There has to be progression year on year, you have to get better. But this team, we keep seeing the same mistakes being made.”

Graeme Souness: “It’s interesting he still defends his take on his team, where even in the big games he’s going with two strikers,” said Souness.

“If you look at the last two years, when people were questioning why they weren’t doing well in Europe, well, when they go to Europe they’re generally playing at a different level in the Champions League to teams they’re playing most weeks in the Premier League.

Philippe Coutinho scored the winner on Sunday

“They’re getting found out by playing with two strikers against the best teams in Europe - and the same when they play the better teams in the Premier League. They got found out on Sunday, they got over run in there.

“It’s alright playing two strikers when you’re dominating the ball and you’re on the front foot all the time. But if that’s not happening, then you need to be a different team.

“Neither Aguero nor Dzeko want to drop off and make another man in midfield so the midfield four, when they weren’t on the front foot, were vulnerable to Liverpool’s smart passing in midfield.

“That’s not changed. That was last year, when we pointed fingers at him for going with two strikers in the bigger games.”

Read more here

Originally published as Liverpool v Manchester City: Manuel Pellegrini again criticised for 4-4-2 formation