Pep gamble on Kolarov paying off

Pep Guardiola’s arrival at Manchester City was always going to lead to changes, but few would have predicted Aleksandar Kolarov’s move to the centre of defence.

Guardiola has form for ignoring player positions, most notably turning Javier Mascherano into a defender, and shifting Philip Lahm from full-back to centre midfield.

But even so, the idea of moving 30-year-old Serb Kolarov from left-back into the heart of the defence seemed fanciful.

That has changed, with Kolarov’s display against Sunderland on the opening day described as one of the best performances Guardiola had ever seen, and he again impressed off the bench against West Ham as Manchester City made it three Premier League wins from three to go top of the table.

(Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

And while most would baulk at a change of position once they’ve reached their 30s, Kolarov is relishing the opportunity.

He said: “I’m enjoying playing central defender because we always have the ball and I have more contact with the ball so I’m very happy in that position.

“It’s not easy but I have more time to prepare to jump.

“Pep asks from the central defenders that we go a lot in the middle to try to break the lines so I’m doing what’s asked of me.

“It’s a different style of football to what we had in previous seasons so not just me, but the whole team, the fans and the people in the club are enjoying the moment with Pep.”