Tactics Week 4

Injuries
Jürgen Locadia
Davy Pröpper
Santiago Arias
Jetro Willems

Formation - 4-2-3-1

GK - Joroen Zoet
RB - Joshua Brenet
CB - Lucas Hernandez
CB - Hector Moreno
LB - Kieran Tierney
LCM - Ruben Neves
RCM - Marko Van Ginkel
RW - Patrick Roberts
AM - Oleksandr Zinchenko
LW - Gaston Pereiro
ST - Luuk De Jong

Subs
Andres Guardado
Danny Ward
Siem De Jong
Ricardo Horta
Bart Ramselar

---------------------Zoet---------------------------
Brenet---------Moreno-----Hernandez-------Tiernay
-------------Neves-------------Van Ginkel--------------
Roberts----------------Zinchenko-------------Pereiro
----------------------DeJong----------------------------

Tactics:

We're going to play free flowing attacking football with our great playmakers and passers. Tiernay/Brenet to bomb up and down all day, with Neves sitting and allowing them to go forward by protecting the CBs. Van Ginkel to get up and down the pitch, looking to get the ball into Zinchenko, who has a free role, able to be free and play wherever he wants from in the hole to out wide. Two wide men in Roberts/Pereiro look to cut inside and take shots and play through balls, Luuk sit on the last shoulder and poach please. In defence Van Ginkel sit in beside Neves, and slide from side to side offering protection

Subs: 60th min - Siem De Jong-Zinchenko
75th min - Horta-Pereiro

---------------------------Rulli----------------------------
Gaspar----Holding----Kimpembe------Sessegnon
---------------------Seri---Koziello ----------------------
Mboula-------------Dembele----------Saint-Maximin
-------------------------Werner-----------------------------

Subs: Augustin, Nkunku, Mere, Gomes, Vinicius Jr, Sarr, Meite

PSV play attacking football with their FBs bombing forward so allow them possession in their own half, yet close down and contain in our own half. Crowd them out, draw them in, wear out their stamina and hit on the break.
FBs keep their wingers on the wrong foot and block crosses, Holding & Kimpembe to play out to the flanks, don’t be drawn out of position, retain discipline.
Seri to act as enforcer in front of backline, pay particular attention to Zinchenko in threatening positions. Koziello to spread ball quickly in possession whilst looking to intercept & control game.
Attacking quartet to alternate roles and drag markers, look to take on players with acceleration and swamp on counter. Werner to drop deeper at times and free up space for Dembele. Wingers mix things up, don’t allow the defence to second guess you.

70m – Meite > Seri, take over role of enforcer
80m – Vinicius & Augustin > Mboula & Saint Maximin, fresh legs on the flanks.

Heaton
Byram Lascelles Evans Grimaldo
Livermore
Fraser Cleverley Arter Niang
Deeney

Bench
Henderson
Alonso
Zuniga
Zakaria
Atsu
Fletcher
Balotelli

TACTICS
We're set up as a workmanlike team, I've made decisions on my line up based on that. Troy Deeney and Ryan Fraser play today or their work rate, as we pressure high up - especially if they play possession football. I want to pressurise them from the first minute and not let them settle on the ball. Dembele should be quickly closed by Cleverley or Arter, and if Mbappe plays out wide that full back should stay back at all times. As soon as he gets on the ball I want him shadowed.

When we have the ball I want us to be patient. Look to pass the ball, move it around and find opportunities. Niang to cut inside, look for space between the full back and centre back. Deeney to be physical and bully their defenders, especially at set pieces.

Subs
If winning
60' Zakaria for Cleverley. Add physicality and fresh legs to the midfield.
80' Fletcher for Deeney. Straight swap, energy upfront to counter.

If losing
60' Balotelli and Atsu for Fraser and Cleverley. Switch to a more attacking 4-4-2 formation.
85' Fletcher for Livermore. Kitchen sink time.

----------------------Onana

Veltman --Riedewald-------De Ligt----Stafylidis

-----------Ziyech---Locatelli---Dembele

Traore--------------Mbappe----------Dembele

Subs - Boer, Sinkgraven, Passlack, Fornals, Kluivert, Dolberg

Tactics

We're going to flood the midfield with combative midfielders, both Ziyech and Dembele to carry the ball with pace and power to take on the Watford midfield. Locatelli to sit deep, win tackles and get the ball forward.

Dembele and Mbappe our key attacking threats, but both want to come centrally so we'll allow them to swap and attack a defence shorn of Semedo. Traore to keep the width so we don't get too narrow, but free to switch to either wing to target the weaker full back.

Defensively, back 4 to stay compact and defend, we don't want the full backs attacking too much. Keep a solid defensive line, watch out for Niang's pace by sitting slightly deeper

Subs

Impact bench - Dolberg will be on to target tiring defenders regardless of the score.
If losing - Kluivert for Locatelli, have 2 wingers and get the ball in the box
If winning - Fornals to help us keep the ball, Dolberg to offer an outlet on the counter

----------------Ederson
Alves---De Rossi---Chiellini---Plattenhardt
----------Baselli--Dahoud--Benassi
----Robben--------------------Falque-----
------------------Belotti

Savic, Trent, Maouassa, Araujo, Harit, Pellegri, Silva

For the first 15 minutes of each half we are going to try and blitz the opposition, pressing them all over the pitch and using the pace in attack to catch them cold, then settle down into a 3 quarter press, letting the opposition CB's have the ball as much as they want.

 The midfield 3 are all tough and energetic so will be looking to stifle the opposition midfield and focus on getting the ball to the wide players. The wingers will be using their pace and trickery to cut inside and try to draw the full backs inside, leaving space for our full backs will look to get up the pitch forcing either the Hoffenheim wide attackers to do something they arent comfortable with, or leave their defence outnumbered.

Subs
If we are winning we will bring on Harit for Falque and purely counter attack, if we are drawing or losing we will bring on Silva for Baselli, go 442 and get crosses into the box.

real sociedad 3-2-3-2

Injuries:

• 26 ST Divock Origi
• 21 LW Leandrinho
• 24 ST Juanmi HG
• 15 DM Victor Wanyama


..........................................Buffon.........................
..........................Lyanco..........Inigo.......Navas.........
.............................Illarramendi.......Granero.........
Vela.....................................Canales....................Oyarzabal
.................................Onyekuru.........Borja..................

Subs: Bardaji, Calabria, Emerson, Alena, Merino, Kean, Concha.

haven't got time to do this so here's a quick blag so my opponent will atleast have to "earn" his "slots"
fast pace counter-attacking football, a little smash and grab if you like, very much like the system Italy played at the Euros last summer, which attracted much applause.  Lyanco and Navas to hit those long raking diagonal balls as we look to use our pace outwide.  pure pace and power along our front five...should be pretty potent

love and peace

---------------------- Strakosha ------------------------

Conti ------ Barzagli ------- T Silva ------- Caldara

------------ Kessie -- Montolivo -- Freuler ---------

----------- Mor ----- Rashford ----- Gomez ---------

Gollini, Toloi, Riley, Garcia, Spinazzola, Harrop, Pesic

Pesic for Gomez if losing 65, 4-3-3 Rashford wide
Garcia for Gomez if winning on 70, 4-5-1

Main focus of today’s approach is counter-attacking play. Our front three are pacey and are instructed to get in behind and interchange at every opportunity.

The back 4 are solid and will play a conservative, simple game. I do not expect any of the experienced defence to be bullied – stamp their authority on the game early and get on the front foot.

Freuler and Kessie screen our respective full backs – Montolivo plays as quarter-back, spraying into the wide forwards and Rashford. Montolivo cannot shirk his defensive duties, and will pick up the attacking midfielder. Kessie and Freuler will double-up with our full-backs to snuff out any danger, forcing them wide.

Gomez and Mor need to be clever at both ends, tracking any wide men and full backs. The front three need to all look to come inside at every opportunity, rather than go wide, as we will have more joy centrally.

Atalanta v HOFFENHEIM

Injuries: Schar, Rupp, Theo, Jonas

Baumann
Henrichs - Sule - Vogt - Toljan
Rudy - Gueye
Pulisic - Amiri - Ochs
Tiquinho

Subs: Stolz, Kaderabek, Henrique, Geiger, Isak

---

First game under new management, I want us to play a pressing game whenever they are in our half and utilise our pace when counter attacking.

Baumann, command your area at all times, distribute long and wide, be wary of long range efforts.

Defence, Sule mark their striker, Vogt to play as the spare man to get to any second balls. Henrichs and Toljan to overlap our wingers going forward, but track back quickly.

Midfield, Rudy and Gueye sit in front of the back four, ensure we are hard to penetrate. In possession use your passing and power to get the ball to Amiri. Amiri will use his trickery to create space and chances.

Attack, Pulisic and Ochs to run at the Atalanta defence, get crosses in to Tiquinho but on occasion cut infield, either to link with Amiri or Tiquinho, or to feed Henrichs and Toljan overlapping you. Shoot when it opens up. Tiquinho to get onto the end of every cross and pass, shoot on sight, try to spin in behind the last defender.

Substitutions
If winning: Ochs off, Henrique on. 4-5-1, Pulisic RW, Amiri LW.

If losing: Vogt off, Isak on. Attack attack attack 3-2-3-2.

-----------------------Blanco
--------Llorente---Vickers---Gibson
Trippier--Hernandez--Romeu---Castro
-----Castillejo------------------Aspas
-----------------------Wood
Mallo, Planas, Chalobah, Grujic, Mina, Sandro, Kamano

Another change of set-up for Celta Vigo today, as we look to hit them with pace and attacking talent on the width, and with a solid hymen of a defensive set-up. In our centre-backs we have three very talented players making up the unit, and they have a solid wall set up in front of them in our DMs, both of whom are comfortable in the tackle. They will both sit back, protecting the defence from the middle, and will look to spray the ball out wide with simple passes when they get on it.
We have packed our attack with pace and talent today, as every player is someone who has something to offer. Our wing backs are both adept at pushing forward and contributing to attacks, with our ‘wingers’ looking to push past our lone striker in a similar fashion to Chelsea. Wood will look to spend as much time as he can in the box, as he is a proven poacher who can grab goals from all sorts of crosses.
Subs
65
Chalobah replaces Hernandez for fresh legs.
If not winning
Sandro replaces Castillejo for some fresh legs pushing on
75
Mina replaces Aspas for fresh legs.

----------------Pickford-------------
N.Semedo--Rekik--Cahill--Bedimo
----------Vainqueur--Sanson-------
Thauvin---------Lopez-------Cabella
------------------N'Jie---------------

Subs: Pele, Doria, Hubocan, Sakai, Sertic, Sarr, Gomis

Up against Celta, we are likely to be matching them for formation.

We need to get the ball and maintain the pressure on them in the final third - Make the ball our own and keep Possession, they have some players capable of retaining the ball and moving it into space quickly. We need to play a fast pace game putting them under pressure, lets really test the full backs and make Castillejo work back on that left hand side with Bedimo and Cabella pushing on down that left side. As well as being quick and efficient we need to get back and solidify when the turnover in possession comes. Aspas is likely to be up front for them, Cahill has the experience to stand him off with Rekik being the cover in that central role. We should be able to dominate the midfield area with Vainqueur screening. Sanson should be looking to spread play out to Cabella and also look to put N'Jie in behind. Use Lopez as the roaming 10 option as he will be operating as an advanced playmaker today.

70th - Sertic on for Vainqueur - Fresh legs
80th - Gomis for N'Jie - Adding strength up top