"I always move my hands and arms a lot. It's not just today." said Pep Guardiola, asked why he had his hands in the air when Nottingham Forest launched yet another counter against Manchester City at the weekend.
Guardiola is right, he kicks every ball on the touchline and is as nervous as any other fan when the opposition launch a counter attack. It is also right that it probably looks like Guardiola is more animated this season because City are conceding more and more chances.
And when their famed attack is less potent, it's clear to see why the manager can't hide his nerves. Only Erling Haaland could muster a rallying gesture as Forest took a late lead on Saturday, the rest of the City team had their heads down. They didn't believe they would come back to level and neither did anybody else.
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Guardiola and his captain Ruben Dias insisted City controlled that game well enough, and were simply undone on the transitions. But that in itself is a huge issue.
A winger who doesn't find his striker
City looked toothless at Forest and not for the first time this season. Their Plan A wasn't working and there was no obvious Plan B to inject a spark into the performance.
It tells of a story all too familiar this season - City are creating fewer chances and conceding more goals. However, their enforced style change does offer a look at how Guardiola wants his side to play in the future.
The manager feared for his innovation has been drawn towards an old tactic that he previously abandoned: two fast, skilful wingers and a poacher in the middle. It worked a treat when Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling were putting it on a plate for Sergio Aguero, with runners arriving late from behind.
It's not been quite as effective this season, though, even if Savinho and Jeremy Doku have shown glimpses of their ability to recreate the old 'SAS' approach with Haaland. Instead, Haaland has had to do almost all of the heavy lifting for a tired side ravaged by injuries.
The issue is that only one of those wingers is actually turning creativity and chances into goals for Haaland. Of Savinho's nine assists this season, seven have been for Haaland. Doku has two assists for Haaland in 57 total games together over almost two seasons. That simply isn't good enough, even if Doku has seven total assists himself.
Rodri's absence is key to City's changing style this term. They are more open on the transitions and less effective in the press.
A leakier defence
Compare statistics from this season's Premier League campaign to last season's and they have already conceded more in 2024/25 (38) than across the whole of last term (34). It's a similar story in Europe and in the cups.
Last season they conceded 20 goals from open play, it's already 27 this term. Last season they conceded seven on the counter attack and it's already four this time around, while they have conceded the same number of penalties and set piece goals (three each) as the whole of 2023/24.
Yet they are spending the same amount of time in their own third per game and less in the middle of the park compared to the year before - despite conceding more. So their defence is less effective and more porous.
More play on the flanks, fewer crosses
Going forward, City are scoring less and when they do create chances they are less clinical. Last season they overperformed their expected goals tally by almost seven total goals in the league. This season they are lagging behind the xG figure by two goals, a difference of eight goals already and the season isn't over.
Without Rodri and with the addition of Savinho, more of City's play is going wide.
They are dribbling more, relying on individual moments rather than the relentless passing Guardiola always calls for. Possession is down this term by almost five per cent per game, with passing accuracy marginally down too. It all paints a picture of less control and more reliance on high-risk moments.
Despite that, City are putting fewer crosses in per game this season, even if the balls they do put in from wide areas are more accurate.
But when sending the ball wide for Doku or Savinho (or whoever is on the flanks), the system last season resulted in more fouls won and therefore more set piece opportunities.
City as a whole are targeting more pace and physicality in their future signings and youngsters, highlighted by Guardiola's pivot towards his young wingers and away from the likes of Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva.
They must become more efficient in both boxes because Guardiola's direction of tactics appears clear. The journey to the system he wants won't be easy as this season has shown - so the boss should probably prepare for more tense moments as he watches on from his area.
