Exclusive: Curle Has Answer For Former Club Man City's Alarming Form

Former Manchester City defender Keith Curle has identified the solution to a problem which is threatening to undermine the club’s bid to secure a fifth straight Premier League title.

After losing their last three games in the top flight – and a worrying FIVE in all competitions, Pep Guardiola’s side enter this weekend’s game against Liverpool knowing defeat could spell the end of their title hopes this term.

Although Curle attributed City’s alarming downturn in form to a number of factors, he believes the loss of Rodri to an ACL injury is the most significant. 

Given that many of the other issues Guardiola is being forced to contend with are out of his control, the 61-year-old thinks an innovative tactical switch could help limit the damage caused by the Spain international’s absence.

Speaking exclusively to SportsBoom, Curle said: “What I’d do is put John Stones in midfield, straight into the area of the pitch where he (Rodri) would normally be. 

“Why? Because he’s the player whose attributes mean he can come closest to doing what Rodri does in there.

“Yes, John is a central defender. But that means he’s defensive minded. He’s got an in-built awareness of the dangers that can potentially develop in that crucial area. 

“But John, as he’s shown time and time again, also has that ability to play the right forward pass.

“That’s why I’d ask him to play a little bit further up the pitch, just in front of the lads at the back.”

Radical Proposal

Curle, who made 207 appearances for City after joining them from Wimbledon in 1991, is even more convinced his radical proposal would work after analysing the reigning European champions’ defeats to Tottenham Hotspur, AFC Bournemouth and Brighton and Hove Albion.

“Ilkay Gundogan is a brilliant player,” he continued. 

“He’s got so many gifts but one of them isn’t the ability to track people going back towards his own goal. I’m not being negative towards him, far from it, because no player can ever be great at every single part of the game.

“But John can do that and, definitely, I think putting him in that ‘Rodri position’ would help. In the past, people like Gundogan could let players go because Rodri would be in there. 

“He can’t do that now and you’re seeing City struggle to catch up with games with Rodri not being there.

“People are changing how they play City now. Not so long ago, they’d set up to counter whereas now, as Bournemouth showed, they’re being braver if you like. 

“They’re attacking with five players whenever the opportunity arises and looking to outnumber them because of the weakness I’ve outlined. It doesn’t matter how good you are, if you find yourself four on five regularly then you’re going to be in trouble.”

The £2.5m City paid to lure Curle away from south-west London saw him become the most expensive defender in English football history at the time. Having also played for the likes of Sheffield United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bristol Rovers and Bristol City, Curle later became a manager - taking charge of teams including Mansfield Town, Carlisle and Northampton Town. 

He was also capped three times by England.

“City, under Pep, have never been known for their physicality because they’re so technically strong,” Curle said. 

“But if you put John further forward then that allows you to have Nathan Ake, Josko Gvardiol and Kyle Walker at the back, which really increases your physicality and makes you a threat at set-pieces too. 

“When the full-backs invert, it would also increase your numbers in that area where Rodri operates so effectively too.”