Week 10 Tactics and Results

---------------------Valdes

Valencia - Van Dijk------Lindelof------Rose

-----------Forshaw---------Rabiot------

Ounas----------- -Bentaleb----------Ribery

----------------------Origi--------------------

Subs - Konstantopolous, Espinosa, Fosu Mensah, Clayton, Sims, Stuani

Sitting deep to cut off their pacy attack, we'll look to get onto the ball and move upfield as a unit to keep compact and not leave gaps in behind

Look to dominate the midfield with Ribery moving inside, get the him and the 3 central players using their technical ability to create for us. Valencia/Rose crucial, they need to hold off the attack but also provide width outside the inverted wingers

Origi to occupy the CBs, put pressure on them physically and keep them moving back towards their own goal.

Ribery and Rose target the replacement RB, look to confuse him positionally

Subs
Losing at 70 - Stuani for Forshaw, go 4-4-2 and attack
Winning at 70 - hold with what we have but swap tired players

Team
Jakupovic
Kimmich---Rugani—Valejo---Stafylidis
Keita—Kessie
Lemar————— Pulisic—————Sabitzer
Jesus

Team Talk

Solid back line, look to push wingers to the outside & block crosses. Play a deep defensive line to combat Origi’s speed. When in possession look to play the ball out from the back and down the flanks, initiate counters, don’t be afraid though to hit long balls if the opposition have overstretched as we can destroy them for speed.
Midfield trio to use intelligence & awareness rather than brawn, 1 touch pass & move, spread the ball, especially look to target their LB. Keita to protect back four whilst Kessie to play B2B. Wingers to alternate sides, run at the defence and exploit gaps drawn by Jesus, other winger to get in the box to double up.
Jesus to be constantly on the move, drag markers with you to create space.

Subs: Mbappe, Dembele, Sarr, Clucas, Isak, Dolberg, Lookman

70m – Mbappe & Dolberg for Sabitzer & Jesus

---------------------Boruc
-----Klostermann ----Naldo --- Christensen
Smith ---------Parades --- Castro -------Insigne
--------------------Ramirez
----------Zlatan --------Modeste

Bench - Francis, Denayer, Davies, Valbuena, King, Stanislas,Davies

Naldo to get tight on Immobile
Klostermann & Christensen to cover with pace and play out from the back look to cover the wide areas and double up with the wingers when their out wide.
Smith & Insigne to take on the full backs and whip balls in the box show wingers inside if need to defend
Castro to dictate from deep and spread the play quickly, Look for Robben cutting inside off the wing to block shots
Parades to sit infront of the defence and stop supply into the forwards
Ramirez to drift about in the gap and look to play into Zlatan/Modeste and run beyond
Zlatan to back into Silva and use height advantage at Crosses
Modeste look to make runs in behind drifting off Rudiger in behind Silva

Subs - Valbuena for Ramirez - Create and shoot from range

Injuries: Pantillimon, Behrami, Doucoure, Moses.


----------------Gomes-------------
Janmaat--Rudiger--Silva--Kolasinac
-----------Capoue---Motta-------------
Robben-------Pereyra------Amrabat
--------------Immobile----------------

Subs: Prodl, Cathcart, Kaboul, Holebas, Watson, Ighalo.

Aim of today is to starve their striker of the ball (likely to be Ibra). We want to make the midfield our own in possession with Capoue and Motta sitting in holding when defending. Amrabat and Robben will pin back the fullbacks and make it difficult for them to get out whilst the pressure will be coming from our central area with Pereyra operating. Use the ball to our advantage by making them work for it, be careful in posession and don't allow yourselves to get caught under pressure. Silva and Rudiger will have work cut out in the shape of Ibra and Janmaat and Kolasinac will need to put a shift in getting up and down the flanks. Immobile you will need to get in and around the CB's making yourself known and getting involved in the area.

80th minute: Ighalo to come on and add some pace.

Middlesbrough vs Hull
Hull have a stronger midfield, whereas Middlesbrough's defense is the best in the league. I can see Hull being on top and having more of the ball, but being unable to get through a stubborn defense. A tight game which Hull just about edge.


Bournemouth vs Watford
On paper Bournemouth's team is very strong but they have made a mistake today. Insigne should not be playing as a wing back, and Adam Smith just isn't good enough at this level which means Robben in particular gets into the game. The Watford side is solid throughout with no obvious weaknessesand get a win they deserve.

Middlesbrough vs Hull
That Boro defence is solid but I think the midfield would struggle tbh. They desperately missed a creative spark in the middle and in the end the Hull wingers outshone their counterparts and won it for them.
HULL WIN

Watford vs Bournemouth
I like the setup of Bournemouth and with the right players they would have won this match. Insigne is not and never will be a wingback and putting him up against someone of Robbens quality is just asking for it. Watford were lucky here, they drastically need to improve on Janmaat and Amrabat.
WATFORD WIN

Boro v Hull

Both teams are playing a deeper defensive line which creates a lot of space for the midfield, so this is where the game will be won or lost. Boro have the numbers with Ribery coming inside, but this opens up the threat of Hull's wingers, where they are a threat. Really difficult to call, but I go for Hull, just, on the basis of the room that their wingers will get being the match winner. HULL WIN.

Bournemouth v Watford

The Watford game plan seems to be to control the midfield through possession, but I am not sure they have the players to play a possession game. Bournemouth are set up perfectly to counter the one up front in the back three, but I can see Insigne having a lot of trouble with Robben, especially being instructed to show him inside. This for me swings the game just into Watford's favour. WATFORD WIN