When attending the press conference before the League Cup, Manchester City coach Guardiola talked about his views on set pieces and long-distance throw-ins.
"Football is still the same, 11 against 11, the same width of the field, it's just that football continues to evolve, as it has since the advent of the sport. I don't know exactly when it started, maybe centuries ago, or the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, layer of detail The evolution of the situation is normal. Players will of course take advantage of every throw-in opportunity, kick it like a corner kick, and deploy 10 players in the penalty area. "
"In football games today, set-pieces have become a major threat. It is a part of the game, as important as tactics, defense, offense and many other aspects. Want. Of course, we are working hard to improve this aspect and take it very seriously. But I always believe that as long as the team performs well enough, it can reduce the opponent's chances of getting corner kicks and throw-ins. For example, against Arsenal, we gave the opponent many corner kick opportunities. Although we did not concede a goal, the fundamental reason was that we did not control the game. "
"I remember playing against Dyche's Burnley a long time ago. They were very threatening in terms of long passes and second-placed possessions. Dyche was absolutely top-notch in this area, so this is nothing new. He has done this for a long time, as have Allardyce and Stoke City. Yes, remember Stoke City’s throw-in tactic? This style of play has been around since then, so it's nothing new. It’s just that more and more teams are adopting this tactic now. In the past, Stoke City may have been the only exception. "
"I remember when I was coaching Barcelona or Bayern, I heard Wenger talk about playing Stoke City. Now this situation is nothing new. I remember it was very difficult when we played Burnley, maybe because we could concede a goal from a corner kick, and it wasn't necessarily a corner kick. Why? Because we controlled the second drop point, our speed and ball control ability were very strong. In this kind of competition, the most That's how good defense works. "
"To do this, we must improve in many aspects, and we are working hard. Until the end, I will focus on improving our game system, and sometimes of course make flexible adjustments as needed. Our adjustment in the game against Brentford was incredibly good. Assistant French coach coached the players very well in terms of set pieces and other defensive situations. The same was true for the game against Arsenal. At the same time, when we have the opportunity to take free kicks and corner kicks, we will be more threatening than we are now. Of course, I also hope to score from free kicks and corner kicks. I am not naive. "