Random Tactical Notes on Manchester City

A couple of random things that I noted during Manchester City's match versus Blackburn Rovers:

1. For at least the third time, Kolarov was used as a midfielder.
   
   This intrigues me because of the fact that Gael Clichy seems to be the #1 left fullback at this point in time. Compared to Clichy, Kolarov seems (to me at least) to be more of an attacking threat. He is good at delivering crosses into the box, and as is well known, he likes to take shots from long range. Because of his attacking strength, I wonder whether Mancini imagines a continued role for Kolarov as a left winger.
   
   Why is this a possibility? First, note that many players have switched from winger to fullback or vice versa. For example, Gareth Bale moved up from fullback to be a winger. Second, Manchester City do not have a traditional winger on the left side. Adam Johnson can play this role on the right, but the left position is almost always held by David Silva, who is clearly not a traditional winger. Having the option of real width on the left side may be something that Mancini wants to have in his toolbox.
   
   
2. Nasri has a stronger tendency than Silva to attack the penalty box from wide areas.
   
   Compared to Silva's dazzling work, Nasri's has seemed somewhat lackluster. However, the numbers do not lie: both Nasri and Silva have produced 4 assists this season. Hence, Nasri is clearly contributing a great deal to the team.
   
   In this game, however, I noticed that Nasri's assists were provided while attacking the penalty box from the left wing. Looking back over the previous four matches, this was not out of the ordinary. While Silva has also done this at times, Nasri has shown a stronger tendency to attack from the side.
   
   Like everyone else, I continue to wonder how Nasri and Silva will work together. At least at this point, it seems that Silva spends more time in central positions, looking to pass through the middle, and Nasri spends more time in wide areas, looking to pass from there. Obviously, these two roles are complementary. Is that the division of labor that will continue going forward? It will be interesting to see.