AFC Bournemouth

Hodgeys League

Budget 8

---------------------------- Buffon -------------------------
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---------- J.Boateng ---- Koscielny ---- Vertonghen -------
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Bellerin ------ Saul Niguez ------ Thiago.A ---------- J.Alba
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-------------- L.Messi ----------------------- Isco
---------------------------- Benzema -------------------

Subs. Fodderingham, M.Navarro, Alena


Goalkeepers (2)

Wes Fodderingham
Gigi Buffon

Defenders (8)

Laurent Koscielny
Hector Bellerin
Dael Fry
Jan Vertonghen
Rob Holding
Jerome Boateng
Jordi Alba
Timothy Fosu-Mensah 0.5m

Midfielders (8)

Thiago Alcantara
Saul Niguez
Josh Sims
Caio Henrique
Carles Alena 0.5m
Cecilio Dominguez
Diego Lainez
Junior Alonso 0.5m


Forwards (5)

Raphael Veiga
Lionel Messi
Diego Lainez
Justin Kluivert
Karim Benzema





TBC
4.5m to release


4-4-2 Counter

They press high up the park so we play long. Either get in behind, find space behind their midfield for Son or Nkunku to get in, or look for Lukaku to play on the weaker cb and bully them. Son and Lukaku both have fantastic pace and strength and we expect their link up to be on point. Up against an attacking team that presses they will find themselves with plenty of space when we get them the ball.

We have a very athletic side, with strength and pace throughout the team. We defend deep, let them have the ball and hit them quickly on the counter. As they push forward to press, we look to go direct for Nkunku or Pogba bursting through the midfield or go long to the front two. Hit them quick before they get bodies back. Digne gets forward from defence to offer width.

We defend in a deep, compact shape and narrow to the side of play. Two solid lines of four with no space in between. Nkunku goes right, Pogba left. Son sits in a position between their deepest midfielder and Lukaku up on the last defender. Either pulls their cbs apart disrupting their line, or has Son in space with their deepest Cm looking over his cb worrying about him more than the play.

By playing deep, we remove a large part of the threat from the pace of their attackers. When we don’t have the ball Tielemans man marks Havertz. Witsel plays zonaly in front of the cbs as the dm, giving us two strong lines of defence. With their most dangerous midfielder picked up. We let them have the ball in deep areas, they’ll have two lines of four to get through.