"Pep Guardiola would have looked at Harry Maguire's performance on Saturday and thought 'I could have done with a bit of that'"
Monday 9 December 2019 00:23, UK
From defensive weaknesses to a drop off in intensity, the Sunday Supplement panel assess what's gone wrong for Manchester City after their 2-1 defeat to Manchester United all but ended their hopes of defending their Premier League title.
City looked defensively vulnerable throughout the Manchester derby at the Etihad, as Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial scored in the opening 30 minutes to set Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side on their way to a deserved three points.
Pep Guardiola's side pulled a goal back late on from Nicolas Otamendi, but United held on for victory to leave their local rivals 14 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
On Sunday Supplement, Andy Dunn, the chief sports writer at The Mirror, called into question Guardiola's continued decision to play Fernandinho as a centre-back.
"Sometimes City can get undone by their own principles," he said. "I thought on Saturday they were a bit over-elaborate. United defended very well but it all stemmed from the back.
"In terms of Fernandinho, that just smacks a little bit of pig-headedness on Guardiola's part because in losing him, you're losing your driving force from midfield."
Daily Mail football editor Ian Ladyman added: "I think that's the point.
"If you were to ask anyone who watches City regularly to name their three most important players, Fernandinho would 100 per cent be one of them.
"He's been chosen to plug that gap, which has then taken him out of that position that's so important to to that team.
"Look at the way United scored their second goal - Rodri was the one who clearly should have gone from deep with Martial and he didn't do it, and they scored the goal.
"Fernandinho wouldn't have let that happen."
Dunn believes City's hopes of retaining the title are over thanks to their creaking backline. "When City play against elite teams, they are always vulnerable," he said. "In the same way they managed to concede goals at Anfield, against good attacking teams they are always vulnerable.
"They simply cannot retain the title with that defence."
The Telegraph's northern football correspondent James Ducker believes defence is not the only issue Guardiola has to address.
"There's a number of problems," he said. "Injuries are the obvious point. Everyone refers to Aymeric Laporte's absence in that they dropped something like 14 points since he's been inured.
"You arguably lose the best defender in the league after Virgil van Dijk, you don't have anyone to come in and replace him, and you didn't bring a centre-half in - it's going to affect the team.
"But the problems are more deep-rooted than the defence, which is clearly an issue.
"Angelino looked horribly out of his depth [against United] and it's a surprise he started that game and at Anfield. John Stones has had a terrible 2019, is in poor form, and looks a bit bereft.
"I'm not convinced Guardiola trusts Nicolas Otamendi anymore, so he's been playing Fernandinho at the back.
"At times it feels like Kevin De Bruyne has been carrying the City midfield.
"Guardiola has been reluctant to say this, but I think we can all see there's been some drop off in intensity terms.
"The spark has definitely gone this year, they're just not as good to watch.
"I was surprised they were insistent they wouldn't push the boat out for Harry Maguire, but Guardiola would have looked at his performance and thought 'I could have done with a bit of that'".
