Week 18 Tactics - FINAL DAY

--------------------Ederson--------------------
---Valencia------Evans--Vertonghen----Masina---
-------------Casemiro-----Tielemans------------
-------Bailey--------Lemar-------Rashford------
-------------------Batshuyai------------------- 

BENCH
Sportiello
Pepe
Rodrigo Hernandez
Sanson
Thomas
Lingard
Falcao

TACTICS
Final game of the season, must get a +2 win for 2nd place.
Pressing from the first minute, looking to attack.


DEFENSE
High line with plenty of pace in our back four - Ederson sweeping in behind. 
Evans to be the main man-marker of Belotti with Vertonghen covering.
Full backs to get on their wingers quickly, close them down as soon 
Casemiro and Tielemans to protect the back four, cover the space rather than man-marking.
Our front four should press as a unit high up, don't let them settle on the ball and dictate play.


ATTACK
Looking for quick passing play, keep it on the ground. Batshuyai to get high up and look in behind, creating plenty of room for our midfielders to thrive.
Get the ball wide to stretch them, the starting positions of Bailey and Rashford should be out on the touchline running infield. 
Valencia to provide overlapping runs on the right, low crosses.

If winning
70' Sanson for Rashford, move to a 4-3-3
80' Rodrigo for Tielemans


If losing
70' - Lingard for Masina, to play at wing back. An aggressive change.
80' - Falcao for Casemiro. Kitchen sink.

…………………………Buffon………………….
………………………….Barzagli……………….
Alves……Llorente…Van Dijk….Izzo…Wendell
……………..…kessie………Banega……………….
…………………………El Shaarawy…………………
……………………………Belotti…………………………

Subs: Fabianski, Marchisio, De Rossi, Lo Celso, Chiesa, Ilsanker, 

we’re bringing Catenaccio back, I refuse to see this side let a goal in, and as draws aren’t given in this league then the system that won 3 world cups has to come out on top no?

Catennacio’s main principle lies in tight man marking and the use of an additional defensive player known as ‘sweeper’ or ‘libero’ (in Italian) to form a double line of defense. The underlying idea behind Catennacio is to remove a midfielder and to put him behind the defense, who will be used as a sweeper. Franz Beckenbauer and Lothar Matthäus are perfect examples of such sweepers. The role of the sweeper is the most vital in this strategy. He will nullify the the forwards, pick up loose balls in his own half to initiate the attack and will also sweep throughout the centre of the pitch, typically what full backs do on the wings. The midfielder’s role will be to shield the defense and occasionally to take the ball forward by picking up the balls from the sweeper. The attackers needed to be alert while counterattacking.
We have the players and the discipline to pull this off, it’s not pretty but it’s damn effective.

Subs:

60 Mins:
Chiesa > El Shaarawy
Marchisio >Banega
De Rossi > Barzagli

Ebbsfleet v SAS

Injuries: Pietro Pellegri, Cenk Tosun, Jaroslaw Jach

Formation: 4-5-1

---------------------Neto------------------------
Conti-------Skriniar----Martinez------Emerson
Willian--Torreira—Silva—Pellegrini----Kluivert
-------------------Locadia------------------------

Subs: VMS, Trippier, Tierney, Mina, Brandt, Neres, Dendoncker

SAS pace attack is good, so keeping compact and then hitting them hard with our own pace on counter.

Skriniar/Martinez – Stay close to Mertens and hustle him off the ball before he can break. Don’t be caught with balls played behind.

Conti/Emerson – Break hard if SAS lose the ball in our final third. Overlap wingers and draw out their FB’s to create space. 

Torriera/Pellegrini – Main role is to cover breaks of our FB’s and to fall back alongside our CB’s to block any space that SAS can run into. Pellegrini to burst forward if opportunity allows.

Silva – Free role. Hover around Locadia and play in our wingers.

Willian/Kluivert – All about pace. Run at defence and shoot on sight – even from distance as SAS GK is weak.

Locadia – Probably marked by Koulibaly, so draw him out as much as possible to create space for our wingers. Use your pace to attack the CB’s. Be alert for GK spilling chances from our long range shots. For corners, target GK. No sub available so GK injury would be bad.

Subs (after 75mins): Trippier, Brandt, Neres for Conti, Kluivert, Willian. Same tactics, just fresh legs to grab victory at the end.

Injuries
Davinson Sanchez
Roman Burki
Amadou Diawara

Starting XI - 5-2-2-1

GK - Mile Svinar
RWB - Sime Vrsaljko
RCB - Gabriel Mercado
CB - Kalidou Koulibaly
LCB - Aymen Abdennour
LB - Jorge
LCM - Oguzhan Ozyakup
RCM - Mario Lemina
RW - Malcom
LW - Son Heung Min
ST - Dries Mertens

---------------------------------------------Svinar-----------------------------------------------
Vrsaljko------------Mercado------------Koulibaly---------Abdennour----------------------Jorge
------------------------------Lemina---------------Ozyakup---------------------------------------
Malcom------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Son
--------------------------------------------Mertens----------------------------------------------------

Subs
James Maddison
Patrick Roberts
Giannelli Imbula
Sead Kolasinac
Gervinho
Terence Kongolo

Overall tactics - Look to sit in and draw them onto us, and deal with their attacks with our defence and hit them on the counter with our pace trio Malcom/Son/Mertens against a slower, weak defence.

Defence - Sit in deep today, they're likely to go one up top so Koulibaly takes him and the two other CBs cover, wingbacks sit in mainly and look to drive wingers inside. Lemina breaks up play in midfield, Ozyakup sit in and when we win the ball you look to release the front three quickly. If they go two up top, Koulibaly covers and other two CBs pickup. Son/Malcom track back with FBs if they go, but look to keep high for the counter.

Attack - We're looking to attack with pace and directness. Once the ball is won back, look to get it into Son/Malcom/Mertens as soon as possible. Look to run at their weak defence, and punish them ruthlessly. Not looking to have loads of possession today, we're hitting them with great counters and ruthless finishing against a slower weak defence.

Subs - when winning - 70 mins - Imbula for Malcom - go 5-3-2 with Imbula/Lemina/Ozyakup CM, Son joins Mertens up top and look to crowd them out and see out the win

SHAKHTAR SENSELESS v Deportivo Moron

Injuries: Vinicius Jr, Asamoah, Zagadou


Moron today, playing 3-4-3 with the aim of using the wingbacks to get at the Moron defence, doubling up on their wingers when they attack.

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

Vallejo/Laporte/Hernandez - Laporte mark their striker, Vallejo/Hernandez the spare men to cover Laporte. If they play two, Hernandez mark him, Vallejo spare man. Crowd the Moron attack as Juanfran/Rose will drop back to assist.

Juanfran/Rose at wingback, form a back five without the ball, bomb forward to overlap Sabitzer/Bernard when attacking.

Chalobah/Gundogan - Gundogan stay on their AM, don't follow if he drifts wide, stay on him as soon as he's central. Pastore the playmaker from deep, link our play from defence into attack, get forward on occasion.

Sabitzer/Bernard - get at the Moron fullbacks, go outside and cross for Dzeko, or cut inside and use Juanfran/Rose overlapping to create space/opportunities for yourselves/Dzeko. Shoot when infield.

Dzeko, stay on the shoulder of the deepest CB, look for the ball in behind. Shoot on sight.

Subs 70 mins:
Losing: Vallejo/Hernandez off, Sisto/Augustin on. 3-1-4-2, all out attack.

------------------------Heaton

Henrichs---Upamecano------Tah-----Gaya

-----------------Weigl---------Rabiot

-------Guedes---------Havertz-------Richarlison

------------------------Dolberg

Subs - De Ligt, Klostermann, Davies, Ndombele, Dembele, Arp

Wanting to attack with width to get after the full backs, and overwhelm their defence

Attack
Guedes and Richarlison attack the gap between full backs and CBs - full backs to attack and get outside for width
Full backs - provide the width to prevent their defence playing narrow and restricting space
Rabiot/Weigl - primarily holding to allow wing backs to provide width
Dolberg lead the line, look for through balls from middle of the field, take shots at every opportunity 

Defence
Tah/Upamecano - Tah pick up main striker, Upamecano with the pace to cover
Full backs are looking to attack, but equally need to be aware of the threat on the wings - Weigl/Rabiot can cover if caught upfield
Rabiot/Weigl play screening roles, cut off central supply
Guedes/Dolberg stay forward

Subs - 70mins
Winning - Ndombele adds energy in midfield
Losing - Keep shape, add pace with Dembele/Arp to finish chances

Tactics – Dwarfs v Marswag

Injuries
Jean Michael Seri
Gabriel Jesus
Sandro Wagner


Substitutes: Kamara, Kenny, Berchiche, Fornals, Geiger, Aouar, Terrier.

Playing attacking game with wing backs providing the width. Iniesta playing spare looking to play balls into the WBs and Fwds in front of him.
Press from the front and win the ball back early. Fabinho and Tousart to sit and protect CBs and give more freedom for WBs to press on

Defence

• Chiellini pick up the main striker. Nunez pick up any second striker or with Konate play zonally watching runs from deep.
  
• WBs to pick up the wide players, force them wide and leave the striker isolated
  
• CMs to sit and protect the back four, chasing everything and making a nuisance of yourselves.
  
• Forwards press from the front.
  

Attack

• Iniesta to play in free role, drop deep, press forward. Go wherever you can get space and time on the ball.
  
• WBs to bomb on and overlap to provide extra width. Get crosses into the box.
  
• Reus to play as support striker. Drop into space, get on the ball and run at the defence. If ball out wide, get close to Sanabria to be first to any knockdowns and second balls.
  
• Sanabria to be focal point of the attack. Get on to through balls from Reus and Iniesta, and on the end of crosses from the WBs
  

Subs: on 65 minutes, Berchiche, Aouar and Terrier for Alonso, Iniesta and Sanabria. Fresh legs.

Injuries - Azpilicueta, Davis, Thauvin

-------------------Berisha-------------
Meunier---Christensen--Rugani---Alba
Robben----Fernandinho--Tolisso--Martinez
-------------------Coric-----------------
-----------------Immobile-------------

Subs: Fruchtl, Zappacosta, Layun, Chalobah, Anguissa, Albrighton, Llorente

Gameplan:

Final game of the season and we are going after the 3 points regardless. Tight compact 4-5-1 possession style with Tolisso controlling from deep and Coric in behind Llorente as our creators. Fernandinho will be protecting the ball and our back line with his power pace and tackling ability.  Immobile to push onto the last defender and hold the ball up bringing others into play. Robben and Martinez to push forward and play off of Immobile up top as a 3 when we have the ball.

Meunier and Alba to push forward with the wide men in a controlled way, not being too cautious but also being sensible about it as Cape-Coast are a very capable side. Coric to stay as the spare man when we lose the ball and work the ball around from just behind Immobile.

75th - Albrighton on for Martinez
80th - Anguissa on for Fernandinho

---------------Lafont------------------
Hysaj-----Lenglet--Akanji—----Shaw
-----Goretzka---Milinkovic Savic--------
Depay-------Asensio-------Sessegnon
---------------Werner---------------
 
Injuries: Silva, Dembele, Under
 
Subs: J.Gomez, Locatelli, Sancho, Foden, Bentancur, Mukiele, Retsos
 
Overall: End of the season and let's finish on bang as champions. Quick fluid movement and dragging players out of position is key to create space.
 
Defence
 
Lafont - Be big in the box, look to be the first point of attack with quick balls out.
Shaw/Hysaj - Close down spaces, force the opponent onto their weaker foot and block crosses.
Akanji - Marshal the back line, ensure they keep shape, alert and are disciplined.
Lenglet - Mark their main striker in the final third, don’t be dragged out of position. Use height to advantage in both boxes.
SMS/Goretzka – Work hard. Read the game, react and intercept, protect the defence then launch attacks. Physically bully opponents.
 
Attack
 
Asensio – Quick play, turn defence into offense in a second, look for movement & space ahead.
Sessegnon/Depay – Decision making is vital, mix up play between taking on the defence or pass & move. Don’t let opposition second guess you.
Werner – Constant movement, let the defence chase your shadow as you find space.
 
Subs:
70m – Foden > Goretzka
80m – Sancho > Depay

---------------Handanovic
------Sokratis -Miranda- Benatia --- 
Lichsteiner ----Martinez --- Fred -- Max
---------Fekir---------Lozano 
---------------Mariano

Subs - Pereira, Diakhaby, Doucoure, Papu Gomez, Rodrigo,Aduriz




- Miranda pick up main forward keep tight to him to stop him poaching inside the 18 yard box
- Sokratis cover the space behind 
- Benatia watch for Asensio coming through the middle, track his runs make sure doesn't get space
- Max/Lichtstieiner show wingers down the line, make them cross on weak foot into our tall guys
- Fekir & Lozano double up on wingers with the wing backs attempting cut inside from the wing,
- Martinez to sit infront of the defense 
- Fred to control from deep and look to press their AM
- Lozano & Fekir drop into space that RB/LB leaves pin them back

- Wing backs go forwards to give the option to Martinez/Fred otherwise stay back unless obvious overlap opportunity
- Fred make late runs forward beyond their DM 
- Martinez to spray the ball in behind for the inside forwards
- Fekir drift in the gap behind SMS ahead of the CB's look to run in behind 
- Lozano to run in behind the RB but between the CB so Max can overlap
- Mariano look to roll the CB and run in behind diagonally using your pace

Rodrigo/Parolo > Fekir/Lozano if winning (80th min)