Pep Guardiola has something in common with Ange Postecoglou, which probably isn't good

If a manager finds themselves in a similar spot as Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou in the year of our lord 2025, the air masks are dropping from their compartments above the seats (though that seems to be happening on every flight in this country now anyway). But that's where Pep Guardiola was before the first leg of Manchester City's Champions League playoff round against Real Madrid. It went about as well for Pep as it did for Ange. Let's review.

Guardiola and Man City, much like Spurs a couple weeks ago, were in the midst of seasons that were nothing short of disasters, on their own scales. Both faced a game that could turn the season. For Tottenham it was the second leg of their League Cup semifinal against Liverpool. For Man City, it was this round against Madrid to progress in the Champions League.

As bad as things have gone for City so far, take out the black magic kings of Madrid and if one squinted, they could see a path for City to go far. The biggest obstacle to anyone in Europe is Madrid's mastery of spells from the underworld, after all. Get rid of that, anything's possible. Odysseus probably felt optimistic after besting the Cyclops, after all.

Like Tottenham, Plan A for City just isn't something available to them at the moment. We know Guardiola obsesses over controlling matches like Howard Hughes and germs. One feels that the perfect match for Guardiola is when his team simply never surrenders the ball once, whether they score or not. But thanks to City's injury list (Rodri) and the aging of their midfield (literally everyone else in their midfield), they can't control matches the way they used to or want to. Teams have simply run around, over, and through the rickety wooden fence City are setting up in the middle of the field these days.

So like much like Postecoglou did at Anfield, Guardiola tried to go against type. He opted for containment rather than control. It went about as well as it did for Tottenham and Big Ange.

Manchester City wasn't ready to change its stripes

Man City started in something of a 5-0-5 formation, with five centerbacks in Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, and John Stones all starting. Gvardiol would invert into midfield. But the idea was clearly to pack the defensive half of midfield and defense and try to cut off Madrid from getting the ball up to their front three. Seeing as how Madrid don't have much of a midfield these days either, one could see the argument. Cut the supply line and the forces will fail.

For a half, it worked, kinda. Madrid "only" put up 0.92 xG in the opening 45. But the signs were all there. City's midfield of plugs and stoppers weren't really fluid with the ball, were easily dispossessed at times, and were sluggish in recovery. Madrid did pile up nine shots. While the idea was to prevent Madrid from working through them, that doesn't do much when City was as intent on setting their own face on fire when they tried to play like they're accustomed and would surrender the ball.

The plan took a further hit when Akanji had to come off at halftime. Rico Lewis came on, and if the back of his jersey had said, "Chum," it would have been more appropriate, at least when it came to what Vinicius Jr. thought his arrival Mateo Kovacic took the field with a gas canister. City's plan of containment became one of arson.

Madrid piled up another 11 shots in the second half, and 2.50 xG in just 45 minutes of play. Madrid's second and third goals sprang from midfielders (Diaz and Bellingham) simply running past their counterparts. In a game that Guardiola wanted to contain rather than control, they surrendered 3.5 xG, a number only matched by Liverpool in a game against City this season.

Last week, when Postecoglou couldn't send Spurs out for their usual kindergarten recess ways, he also went against type and tried a low block against Liverpool to try and secure passage to the final. Postecoglou knew they couldn't go up and down with Liverpool, as that's what got them a 6-3 rubbing in the moonshine just a few weeks prior. So ultra-defensive he went, going with five defenders, trying to double up on Liverpool's wide forwards, maybe spring one on the counter.

They gave up 3.5 xG too, in a 4-0 hammering that they never looked like being a part of, much less winning.

Perhaps the lesson is always be who you are, kids. And if you feel the need to be anything like Tottenham and Big Ange, you are well and truly lost.