Pep Guardiola instructed Manchester City wonderkid Oscar Bobb to imitate Cristiano Ronaldo in training in 2022.
At this point, the players at Manchester City must have witnessed the Catalan boss deploy every possible tactic, be it in a game or during training.
But it seems like Guardiola had a trick up his sleeve that may have presumably even stunned some of the elder statesmen at the club.
Why Pep Guardiola asked Oscar Bobb to imitate Cristiano Ronaldo in training
According to a report by The Athletic, ahead of the Manchester Derby in the Premier League in March 2022, the decorated tactician put together an XI of City’s young players to imitate their cross-town rivals’ style to prepare the senior side for the clash the following day.
As Pep Guardiola expected Cristiano Ronaldo to start for Manchester United, he instructed Oscar Bobb to imitate him.
With that in mind, the Norwegian international was tasked to close down the centre-backs in question but not fully press, much like the Portuguese superstar used to do during his second stint at United.
The report claims that while Bobb followed the instructions set by Guardiola, the “only problem” he encountered at times was not to press wholeheartedly like Ronaldo, considering his work rate has always been relentlessly high.
It helps Manchester City that Oscar Bobb is a natural grafter
It perhaps would have been a concern for Pep Guardiola if Oscar Bobb seamlessly imitated an ageing Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fortunately for Manchester City, the 20-year-old seemingly struggled to do so and ever since he has been in the first team, he has been excellent off-the-ball.
The youngster’s pressing is top-drawer, as he puts pressure on defenders wherever he is deployed and he already possesses the physical stature to use his frame to recycle possession for his side.
