Manchester City fans have now questioned Pep Guardiola for deploying Manuel Akanji in a midfield role during the UEFA Champions League win over RB Leipzig.
The Citizens got the job done inside the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday night, making it two wins out of two in Group G as a 3-1 victory was recorded.
However, some Manchester City fans have criticised how the Switzerland international was used.
So, what have Manchester City fans been saying about Pep Guardiola and Manuel Akanji? Let’s take a look…
Manchester City fans question Pep Guardiola’s use of Manuel Akanji
Well, the Spaniard has made a habit of using central defenders in a midfield role in recent times, with John Stones in particular shining when deployed in that area last season.
In fact, the England international was arguably the best central midfielder in Europe as Manchester City closed in on the treble.
However, Stones has been absent ever since the FA Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, and was only fit enough for a place on the bench on Wednesday night, meaning Guardiola deployed Akanji in the unique role.
Unfortunately, the £180,000-a-week man struggled, coming off at 1-1 in the 72nd minute before Manchester City went 3-1 up after he was withdrawn.
One Manchester City fan admitted that it “annoys them” to see Akanji used in the Stones role.
Another supporter said that it simply doesn’t suit the 28-year-old and his decision making is not good enough for that position.
The statistics back that up – as WhoScored shows, Akanji failed to make a single key pass against RB Leipzig, nor did he make a tackle, both of which Stones excelled at when used in midfield.
Two more Manchester City fans commented on the situation.
One said that Guardiola must know Akanji is not able to match the level of Stones in that area.
Another simply said that the Swiss defender “cannot play” in this position.
Last but not least, two other Manchester City fans discussed Akanji.
One said that it makes them “nervous” to see the Manchester City No.25 play in midfield.
Another went into more detail, explaining that Akanji struggles with the positional aspect of playing ahead of the backline.
Stones should now be fit enough to return to the starting XI – therefore, the Akanji experiment could be over before it even truly began.
If you asked these six Manchester City fans, we presume they’ll be very pleased to hear that.
