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Elliot Anderson has been superb for Manchester City during the early stages of his first season at the club. Anderson has slotted seamlessly into Enzo Maresca’s side and has quickly become the key piece of City’s midfield. However, as good as Anderson has been it is becoming apparent that he is being asked to do too much by Enzo Maresca. That was clear to see as City were beaten 3-1 by Nottingham Forest yesterday at The City Ground. A new report has now detailed the role that Enzo Maresca is asking Elliot Anderson to play. It is time for Maresca to simplify Anderson’s role and provide him with support in midfield to ease the burden on him.
The role that Elliot Anderson has been tasked with has now been explained.
Jack Gaughan has provided a new report on the role that Elliot Anderson has asked to play by Enzo Maresca for the Daily Mail. Gaughan reports that Anderson is being asked to play as both a number six and a number eight when playing deep in the Manchester City midfield. Furthermore, Gaughan reports that Manchester City’s analysts have been helping Anderson understand how to follow Maresca’s instructions on the pitch. It is impossible to miss that Manchester City’s midfield is far too open with Anderson being tasked with playing duel roles in midfield for Enzo Maresca’s side.
For Manchester City to prosper, Anderson needs his workload lessened.
One of Elliot Anderson’s greatest strengths is his work rate, energy, and ability to cover the pitch. These qualities form the backbone of his play. Anderson is almost a one-man midfield with his ability to win duels and his quality in possession. However, it seems like Enzo Maresca has been relying too heavily on Anderson’s ability to cover the pitch. If Anderson is out of position, or loses a duel, the Manchester City defence is woefully exposed. The solution to this issue seems to be relatively simple.
It is obvious to see that Elliot Anderson needs support in midfield. The solution is either playing Ayyoub Bouaddi alongside him or dropping Enzo Fernandez into a deeper midfield role. Enzo Fernandez is currently playing too high up the pitch.
Focusing solely on Enzo Fernandez, Enzo Maresca won’t drop Fernandez at this stage it seems. So Enzo Fernandez must drop in as a number eight to provide support for Elliot Anderson rather than playing wide in midfield or further up the pitch. This would provide Anderson with the support he needs. It may also give Rayan Cherki the space he needs to do what he does best. That is surely the solution if Enzo Maresca wants to persist with the Anderson, Cherki and Enzo Fernandez midfield.
It isn’t a shock to learn that Elliot Anderson is being asked to do too much in midfield by Enzo Maresca. On top of Jack Gaughan’s report, watching Manchester City play stands out like a sore thumb. Elliot Anderson needs midfield support to complement his game and add the required stability to Enzo Maresca’s side.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/manchester-city-midfield-problem-becoming-212500258.html
