"The opportunity is here!"
Kolarov had already planned the next three steps.
First, he passed the ball directly to Tang Long, this was the first step;
Tang Long quickly played the ball back without stopping, completing the second step;
The final step, from 35 meters away, Kolarov drew the bow and fired, swinging his left foot for a powerful shot with the instep!
The soccer ball flew towards the goal without any spin, West Brom’s goalkeeper Myhill was shocked by the shot, though the ball went out, he was sent flying into the net.
The Etihad Stadium erupted in applause, Kolarov smiled, shook his head, and gave Tang Long a thumbs-up, which was the first time this action appeared as a close-up on the stadium’s big screen.
The ball not going in was normal, but to dare to take a long shot from 35 meters, such courage is very rare, especially when it’s a good powerful hit that stays within the goal’s range, even if it didn’t score, it served to scare the opponents, so the fans enjoyed it, applause was endless.
On the sidelines, Klichy was doing a routine warm-up, stretching his legs, he smirked, thinking: "From so far, over 30 meters away, it’s impossible to score, this guy must be daydreaming, huh!"
Even though he thought so, Klichy felt a bit sour.
I am no weaker in defense and stamina, but this long-range shooting skill, how come it isn’t as good as his? Alas, both of us are 30 years old, won’t be playing for many years before retiring, competing for a starting position with Eboue at Arsenal and now also with Kolarov at Manchester City’s age, and I still have to fight for a starting position, heavens, why is it so hard for me!
He thought again: "This newcomer Tang seems to vibe well with Kolarov, and also Ranocchia who deliberately passed to Kolarov earlier, that’s unusual, I know Kolarov, he always has a cold face, how come suddenly he’s getting along well with two new signings?"
Meanwhile, in the coaching area, Pellegrini was nodding frequently.
Earlier, it was Ranocchia, Kolarov and Tang Long’s small area passing and cutting coordination.
Whether it was Ranocchia’s advance, Kolarov’s overlapping, Tang Long’s receiving and Kolarov’s final shot, the three had aligned thoughts, cooperating to complete this group task.
Pellegrini turned to the assistant coach and said, "After the center-back pushes the ball forward, we can try more offensively, now with Ranocchia and Kolarov, the attacking power of our defense line is very strong."
Assistant coach Rein said, "Plus Tang, these three are the only players in our team who have played in Serie A, somewhat familiar with each other, which is also an advantage."
Pellegrini nodded, then thoughtfully looked at Klichy, then Kolarov, falling into contemplation.
First home game of the new season, packed audience, excited players, and already leading.
Manchester City firmly controlled the situation.
Even if West Brom were discontent, they could only let Manchester City dissect them.
It’s called dissection because Manchester City’s passing and possession system is increasingly mature, like a cutting machine, constantly segmenting West Brom’s defensive zones.
Veteran 62-year-old coach Pellegrini, although not Europe’s top coach, has many years of experience, having coached super clubs like Real Madrid, he feels at ease developing players.
Coming to Manchester City in 2013, the previous coach Mancini left him with a rich legacy.
Agüero, Silva, Yaya Toure, Nasri, Kolarov... these players’ technical skills are among the best in the Premier League.
Based on the current player setup, he established the passing and control tactical system and further optimized it, drawing from his five-year coaching experience at Villarreal in La Liga.
The players’ mindset matured with age, and the ball movement was also skillful.
Knowing when to advance, when to retreat;
The times to speed up, the times to slow down.
Everything formed into muscle memory, parts cooperated, constantly producing chemical reactions.
Tang Long, under Mancini’s coaching at Inter, played the passing and control tactics, plus Manchester City’s relatively stable player setup, the core players from the Mancini era mostly still play main roles, so though this Manchester City is coached by Pellegrini, it’s ingrained with Mancini’s shadow, Tang Long from a tactical perspective finds little obstruction to integrate with his ability.
The soccer ball, like three-dimensional pinball, repeatedly moved back and forth at the feet of Manchester City midfield players.
With Kompany settling at the back, center-back Ranocchia, skilled in passing and possession, confidently advanced.
As such, Manchester City’s 4231 formation, momentarily turned into 361!
Ranocchia positioned forward as center-back, his control at the half position not only liberated Yaya Toure to advance closer to the goal but also freed Tang Long.
Against West Brom, Tang Long pretty much didn’t need to retreat to the half position, leveraging Ranocchia’s passing, the ball transitioned from Manchester City’s back to the front without significant hindrance.
Currently, Manchester City used a slow-knife-cut method, aimed to kill the match while minimizing physical exertion.
In the 38th minute, West Brom finally launched an attack.
Their full-back, under Sterling’s tight pressing, sent a long ball towards the front.