Portugal has had many stars over the years but with Cristiano Ronaldo eventually going to run out of steam its current squad needs a new leader and they may have found their man in Manchester City’s new signing, Bernardo Silva.
Style of play
The little magician has some similarities to David Silva but his extra ability to find the back of the net gives him the edge over the Spanish maestro. At the age of 22 he has played more than 80 games for Monaco with an average of a goal every four games and an assist every two games, helping his side to win the French league last season against all odds.
He has only recently come to the attention of the footballing world despite having been a professional since 2013, so let’s take a look at how the ex-Benfica man has burst onto the scene.Apart from sharing the same surname, Bernardo and David Silva have had similar upbringings in football. They were both released by their boyhood clubs, there’s only an inch between them in height and they are both left-footed.
David has dominated the attacking midfield position since his arrival at Man City in 2010 but at the age of 31 it is time for him to step down and Bernardo is the perfect replacement. Like David, Bernardo only needs two or three touches to beat three or four players. The one key difference is the direct impact that Bernardo has on a game.
Although extremely one-footed, the Portugal international can play on either side of the field and instead of finding the nearest possible pass like his Spanish counterpart he always looks for the most dangerous pass. Bernardo is a more “high impact” version of David, which I believe comes down to the country he has played for.
At Spain the players are taught not to lose the ball so they are often waiting for the perfect pass rather than knocking the ball around until someone can deliver the killer ball. Portugal’s players play with more free will, so if there is a chance to unlock a defence they are told to give it a try.
In the same way, Bernardo has attempts at goal from 30 or 40 yards. The final key aspect of Bernardo’s game that David lacks is enough goals. Bernardo is a master at finding half a yard of space to finish off a bid at goal, in an Arjen Robben sort of way, and he is impossible to stop if he gets the ball into a shooting position on his left foot.
What he brings to the team
I expect Bernardo to slot straight into Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team. He will become the new-age Andres Iniesta as the ex-Barcelona manager will attempt to recreate his old club in Manchester. The £43m signing will compliment Kevin De Bruyne perfectly as he can bridge the gap between midfield and attack.
Although he has spent most of the last few seasons playing as the main attacking midfielder, I think we will see him play the pass before the assist more often this season.
Which will mean he will play in a deeper role, similar to where David Silva played last season for City. Guardiola will have a slight selection dilemma in midfield due to the number of options he will have but as everybody is well aware, the Spanish coach loves to rotate his side and I believe Bernardo will be a key member of the squad next season.
Prediction
Bernardo Silva should register 5-10 goals, 5-7 assists and 10-15 “passes before the assist” next season.
by Nubaid Haroon
YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCtMg-fWm7awR41vM1GhVOkA Twitter: twitter.com/rambofyi
The post Football: What to Expect with City Plus Bernardo Silva appeared first on Felix Magazine.
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