Bernardo — false defender, full-back, winger
“Did they really want to sell Bernardo?” Gary Neville’s tweet during ManCity’s away game against Brighton is a perfect description of how Bernardo Silva’s fortunes have changed in just two months. The former ManCity defender has confused cause and effect (more on that below), but it is now impossible to imagine the Portuguese leaving for another club.
Things were different in August. Following Jack Grealish’s transfer to City, we touched on Bernardo’s future and questioned whether he would remain with the team after the transfer window closed. There were several reasons for that at once:
- Bernardo’s own desire. Silva wanted to leave City back in the summer of 2020 — Barcelona were eyeing him at the time. This summer, Bernardo again insisted on a transfer to Spain — La Liga was his priority.
- Chasing Harry Kane. City initially offered Bernardo in exchange for an extra fee (four other options for Daniel Levy are Raheem Sterling, Gabi Jesus, Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte), then were willing to sell the Portuguese in order to raise the full amount for the Tottenham captain.
- Competition in midfield. Last season, Silva claimed two positions (left eight, right eight) with Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne. Grealish arrived in the summer — and initially Pep saw him in midfield as well. Given Jack’s value, Gundogan’s importance last season (scoring the most) and KDB’s value as a whole, it would have been even harder for Bernard to compete for a place in the starting line-up.
Despite such a harsh layout, Silva has now broken into City’s lead. And Pep compares his performance this season with the 2018/19 campaign — back then, Bernardo also shone in midfield and was even nominated for the EPL Player of the year.
“All I want is for Bernardo to be happy. It doesn’t matter whether here or elsewhere. The guy deserves the best.
I’ll never forget when we won our second Premier League title with 98 points — he was the best player in England then. The EPL only nominated him, but to me he really was the best. After that season he was a bit out of shape, didn’t play the position he wanted, but now he’s back and will hopefully help us again.
If he eventually wants and decides to leave, all I will say is that his new club will take away one of the best players in the world. But he’s at City now and I can tell you another thing — you can’t play the way Bernardo is playing now if you’re unhappy,” Pep said after the win over Chelsea.
Only Cancelo plays more than Silva for City. Partner problems helped — one and a half left instead of three rivals.
Bernardo arrives at the game against Crystal Palace as one of City’s most important players. The proof is in the starting line-up for the EPL and UEFA Champions League games. Bernardo has 11 appearances — the same number as only Ederson (logical — goalkeeper), Ruben Dias (defensive leader) and Grealish (major acquisition). Only Joao Cancelo made more appearances (12), but the defender had an important starting advantage: because of illness the Portuguese did not go to the Euros, but made a full preseason.
The only game Bernardo missed was the opening game in the EPL against Tottenham. Despite City losing since the 55th minute, Silva did not even appear as a substitute (probably saving in case of a transfer). At the time, his departure was very likely — especially as Kane went on a mini strike and didn’t even make the squad for the game.
Since then, Bernardo has played every game from the starting line-up. The exceptions are the minor cup games against Whickham and West Ham. This is primarily a chance for those recovering from injury. In the first case it was Phil Foden and KDB, in the second it was Gundogan and Zinchenko.
The reasons why Bernardou not only stayed but also got an ironclad place in the starting line-up:
- “City never bought Kane — Tottenham refused to even begin negotiations. As a result, the sale of Bernardo was meaningless. In addition, due to the post-crisis Spanish clubs had no money available for a transfer.
- The experiments with Grealish in midfield lasted only one match — just the kick-off against Tottenham. Since then, Jack has only been out on the left wing of the attack. Minus one competitor for Bernardo in midfield.
- Injuries to two competitors for the starting slot. KDB and Gundogan have each missed four games. And they dropped out in turn — the Belgian returned from injury on September 10, Ilkay got his on the 19th. Only now they both claim a place in the starting line-up at the same time.
At the same time, the main factor is still Bernardo’s excellent form. After the win over Burnley, Guardiola stopped hiding it — he is happy that Silva stayed.
“We are incredibly lucky with Bernardo. It’s a real pleasure for me to work with him. He’s at the top level now. Only Rodri can compete with him in terms of his current form — they have been incredibly good in recent matches. As for Bernardo’s qualities, with his ball handling he allows us to get back into the scheme — his extra touches give the rest of us a chance to get into position. He hardly ever loses balls, and his performances lately have been at an exceptional level.”
Bernardo becomes an extra winger, support player and even a defender as far as the situation is concerned. His movement and work without the ball is also high-class.
One of Guardiola’s most striking tactical quotes this season has been about the variability of Foden and Bernardo. According to Pepa, there are two types of players. The former are strictly tied to one position because they understand how to play only there, the latter can come out in different positions because they understand how to play football in general.
Foden and Bernardo belong to the second category, but interpret Pep’s phrase differently. Phil — directly through appearances in different positions (already played eight, winger and false nine). Bernardo comes out strictly in one position — either right eight (6 games in the season) or left eight (5). Changes come in the process — Silva adjusts the role based on the opponent’s characteristics and style, the scoreline of the game or Pepa’s instructions.
The matches against Chelsea, Burnley and Leicester are not bad examples.
In the first case, Bernardo occasionally became an extra defender. This happened either in Chelsea’s counter-attacks (Werner and Lukaku were left 2-in-2 with Dias and Laporte) or in the final stretch, when Tuchel’s team opened up and attacked with greater strength.
Bernardo’s support at the back is quite visible on the map of his touches. He even has more of them in his own penalty area (which is to the right) than in someone else’s — 4 against 2. Moreover, Silva made as many takeaways from the City penalty area as centre-back Dias.
Against Burnley, Bernardo needed help coming out from under the pressure — Sean Dychy’s team control their opponents well due to this element (second only to Liverpool and City in terms of action in the opposition third).
Silva had to go down — on the episode he became an extra prop. Most of his touches in the first half were precisely in City’s supporting position.
Finally, the game against Leicester. Brendan Rodgers’ team did not even try to press and sat in a low block. “City opened up through flank combinations.
The bulk of the attacks (38%) were on the left wing. It was Bernardo who overloaded it. He started as a central midfielder but was in fact an additional winger. Almost all of his touches are just on the wing.
It’s a quality that sets Bernardo apart from his rivals. KDB can be an extra winger (his trademark crosses to the right), Gundogan an extra striker (his trademark darts into the penalty area). But only the Portuguese are capable of pulling off such a volume. In Pep’s opinion, it’s Bernardo’s natural understanding of the game:
“Of course, he’s not a holding midfielder, but he has good instincts. Bernardo knows exactly how to play there. He knows how to anticipate a moment — both with and without the ball.
Not a bad characteristic of this is a gigantic amount of defensive action. And again in different parts of the field. Bernardo is in the top 3 for pressing action in the opposition, midfield and own thirds. In fact, he takes the job of three different roles — striker, midfielder and defender.
Finally, the last piece of the puzzle as Bernardo — false defender, full-back, winger is sharpness in attack. With such volume, Bernardo also manages to move steeply up front.
Moments are divided into two types to make Bernardo — false defender, full-back, winger:
- Jerks in order to free the partner. Silva pulls his opponents down on him, which gives the other City player space, either to move with the ball or to pass.
- Openings in the free areas, when the partners are already pulling the opponent down. In this case, Bernardo himself overloads the last line — after receiving the ball, the Portuguese directly escalates it:
Importantly, all this is complemented by highlights. Without them it would have been a text about Bernardo’s underrated sides, and with them he gets wider recognition. Certainly not up to Mo Salah’s level (though who is now?), but in terms of usefulness, multi-tasking and flashes of genius in the EPL, he’s probably right behind the Egyptian.
Helped, of course, by technique. His City partners have long nicknamed Bernardo a chewing gum — for the way he glues the ball to his feet. Pep says that Silva also destroys the ball by turning in different directions.
The Liverpool players were convinced of that at the beginning of October:
Pep sees this from Bernardo every day. And that, it seems, is why he is so happy he stayed.
Even if questions about the striker’s absence come to him at almost every press conference.
Bernardo — false defender, full-back, winger