City's right side a 'massive problem' for Guardiola
- Published
Manchester City's right side of Bernardo Silva and John Stones are "not dynamic anymore" and Pep Guardiola's decision to keep Silva on the pitch was "ridiculous", says former Premier League striker Chris Sutton.
Silva played 90 minutes in Monaco on Wednesday while Stones was replaced by Matheus Nunes after 73 minutes as City were pegged back to draw 2-2 in the Champions League.
"I was wondering why Guardiola was playing Silva out wide," Stones told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "For the life of me I don't understand why he took [Jeremy] Doku off and kept Silva on.
"I'm not saying he's a liability out there, but he doesn't have the ability to go past the full-back. That's a massive problem. All the good stuff came down City's left side or from [Phil] Foden on the half turn - he was superb in the first half.
"On that right side you've got John Stones - who has been a wonderful player throughout his career as a centre-back - playing out at right-back and Bernardo Silva.
"Guardiola said before the game there wasn't going to be much coming down that side.
"They're not dynamic anymore. They're not at the top of their game. I think there's a problem for Manchester City.
"There were times in both halves where Silva was one v one and he knows that it's not his game driving at defenders and they come back and lose that momentum.
"In the second half, City had a brilliant break and had it been Silva from a couple of years ago when he was more dynamic, maybe they would have made something of it but they kept coming back.
"As soon as they came back, it allowed Monaco to get back and City had to build again. That right side is a massive problem for Guardiola if he continues playing the pair of them."
