Tactics

------------------------ Alex Meret
-------- Alderweir'd ---- Javi.M ------- Bonucci
K.Walker ------- Khedira ----- Verratti ---- Alex Sandro
----------------- D.Mertens --- O.Dembele
----------------------- Lewandowski

Subs: Dier, Tah, Ghoulam, Fernandinho, Seri, D.Silva, A.Sanchez

Aiming to dominate possession and be clinical, get at this already relegated and winless Stoke side and finish the season on a high

3-5-2, When on the ball, Javi.M moves out to more of a anchoring role, sitting deep and spreading the play allowing us to go back when needed. a 3rd option in mf and allows Khedira to burst forward to join our attacks.

Look to control the pace of the game and use our wg-backs to stretch the opposition, allowing Khedira and Verratti more time to operate in the middle of the park, dicating.

Press initially from the front allowing them no easy route to play out from at the back so they have to go long and contest possession. Lewa, Mertens and O.Dembele constantly working off each other to pressure their CBs on and off the ball.

3-4-2-1 - Possession based:
It starts from the back. Alex Meret is very able with his hands and feet and should look to find our players in space.

The CB trio are excellent on the ball, very good passing success rates and should look to move the ball into mf quickly. At times collecting short from Meret and getting their heads up, looking for movement from the attackers and attempting diagonal or long balls into feet, using Lewa and co as target men to bypass their mf press.

Alderweireld & Bonucci should shift slightly wider when on the offense allowing our wing-backs to push up in a bank of 4 in mf.

Verratti and Khedira, a midfield pair that will provide plenty of energy and will work their socks off for the side to allow others around them to express themselves. They should look to stamp their authority with their work rate and power looking to take a grip on mf and shielding our defence, oppressing the opposition midfielders and covering every blade of grass out there.

When attacking, Javi.M sits just infront of the defence and makes himself available for a pass back. A passing outlet if we are being vigorously pressed whilst also allowing us to create space when working the ball around in triangles, also prevent counter attacks.

Ousmane will look to play more the AM role and inbetween the lines, roaming in the oppositions half and and looking to act as the link between midfield and attack. Pick up pockets of space and use his awareness to dictate the play, running at their backline and using his pace to commit defenders.

Defensively will look to work in a 3 with Mertens/Lewa, looking to work in tandem with our forwards to close down quickly and cutting out passing lanes. At times going deeper to support our midfielders if they manage to beat the initial press.

Flanks will be key as we look to expose them in wide areas and create space in midfield.

Two quick & skilful WG-backs in Walker and Alex Sandro, need to hug the touchline and provide the width allowing us to stretch the opposition. Always on the move so we can get them in behind and use them as outlets going forward when picking a pass.

Very possession orientated, comfortable playing quick 1-2's and accelerating into space, overlapping often and getting early deliveries into the box for our striker/s to attack.

When Stoke are in possession we will initially look to press from front as a side and then drop off deeper with men behind the ball if they bypass with a strong block of 5 in midfield.

Don’t allow them to play out from the back and hurry their passes. Our attackers form a duo/trio looking to cut avenues into midfield as one goes to press the ball, force them into tight spots with their backs to goal towards the touchline, our WG-backs on their fullbacks and midfield higher up, man-marking.

The reason we want to press higher is to exert early pressure and allow then no time on the ball, no easy possession and tire them throughout pressing our players, working tirelessly to chase the ball and game whilst we dictate the tempo.

If they advance we then form a rigid structure looking to press the space and dropping off with men behind the ball, only allowing them to play where we want them too, stifle the midfield and stop them from picking their passes into an attacker, Verratti man-man their AM, looking to harass him and using his physical prowess to really put him off his game, Khedira and Ousmane cutting off passing lanes.

Essentially a 3-5-2, 5 in mf working to minimise the space in midfield zones and preventing them from finding their attackers. Our wing-backs then drop off to mark the oppositions wingers and help our CB's to prevent any space being left in behind.

Key is leaving no gaps or space to get in behind, working as a staunch unit so their quick attackers have to come deeper to get involved making their first point of contact with the ball much deeper than they anticipated and notably further away from our final third.

When we have them deep we have more to work with, we can plug at them and tactically foul in areas that will prevent them from playing with any flow, breaking up the game.

If we manage to win the ball we must immediately look to counter and hit the opposition hard. Walker & Sandro can come up to support the play and provide the width. The front 3 & Khedira burst forward.

Subs:
IF WINNING: 66th minute – (3-5-2)
- Seri > Verratti
- A.Sanchez > Mertens
- Fernandinho > Khedira (80th min)
Compact 3-5-2, Seri fresh legs in mf, Sanchez look to pick up pockets of space and drive.

IF DRAW: 70th minute – (3-4-3 - wide)
- A.Sanchez > Mertens
- D.Silva > Verratti
- Ghoulam > Sandro (75th min)
Like for like changes, play with plenty of width and attack this tiring Stoke side.

IF LOSING: 75th minute – (4-4-2 - direct)
- D.Silva > Bonucci
- A.Sanchez > Mertens
- Seri > Verratti
4-4-2, direct. long balls into the box and constantly looking for the two strikers.
Flood forward and look for an equalizer/winner.

C - Lewandowski
FK's - Verratti / shoot - Lewandowski
Corners - Mertens
Pens – Lewandowski

NEWCASTLE 4-3-3

Captain: Luis Suarez
Penalties: Luis Suarez
Corners: Miralem Pjanic
Freekicks: Miralem Pjanic
Crossing Freekick: Miralem Pjanic

—————————— Alisson
Trent — Hummels — Koulibaly — Robertson
————————— Jorginho
—————— Radja — Coutinho
Salah ————————————————— Reus
——————————— Firmino

SUBS: Casemiro, Sule, Keita, Milner, Fekir, Ozil, Suarez


We’ll press the opposition like Liverpool and win the ball as close to their goal as possible or move the ball up the pitch towards the opposition’s goal quickly. My 4-3-3 will overload his midfield and pin back his wing backs. We’ll use the quickness of our one touch, short passing game and using the pace & dribbling ability of the attacking players. However when the opposition get close to our box, we will revert to a defensive block to limit their chances. We defend and attack as a collective unit, limiting the space between the lines in which the opposition plays in.

We will start Jorginho in deep midfield to keep the ball rolling and take advantage of his penetrative passes.

When in attack we will get forward in numbers, using the footballing intelligence & movement of our attacking midfielders & striker to create passing angles and overloads in the opposition’s area of the pitch both out wide and in central zones, looking to drag the opposition’s players out of position and exploiting the space they leave open. When the opposition is using a deep defensive block to shut out our team we will use our fullbacks to create numbers out wide to stretch the opposition (this will be assisted by our CDM splitting the CBs wider allowing the FBs to move up the pitch) simultaneously using our wide-forward to cut inside to create overloads in the central areas giving us a number advantage. When creating chances from the wide areas with the FBs or WFs, we will send crosses in to feed the other forwards. Making runs behind the defence and beyond the striker is not prohibited by our attacking and central midfielders (minus CDM). There is a lot freedom in the movement of our attacking players. No player is restricted to a specific zone on the field or specific task. All four attackers (Coutinho, Salah, Reus, Firmino) will either be provider or finisher with Radja supporting and Jorginho sitting deep in midfield. Shooting from outside the box is encouraged. Our players will also press constantly from the front when we lose possession of the ball.

Offensive & Defensive Transitions:

This is the player's movements & reactions when moving between defence and attack, importantly the movement of the ball as this is arguably the most important aspect of our game. Winning the ball back when your opposition is disorganized is the perfect moment. We will aim for rapid movement up the pitch, with progressive passing to exploit the space left by the opposition. Whether it is from our defensive third of the pitch or whether we have won the ball back in our attacking third of the pitch we will exploit the disorganization of the opposition. We expect most of our attacking play will be as a result of our aggressive high press so we will use the following triggers for pressing the opponent:

1. The ball is played to a player facing his own goal

2. The ball is played to a player against the sidelines (using the sideline as an extra man in our favour)

3. A difficult bouncing ball is played to a player facing his own goal.

When any of these triggers happen, the players closest to the ball will press quickly and another 2 or 3 players will hold off slightly adding depth to the press and closing down their easy option pass. Once we win possession of the ball, we break in numbers again exploiting the opposition with either the pace of our attack. We also understand that we won't always get it right when pressing the opposition so we will employ a 10-second rule on pressing from the front after which, if we did not win back possession, we will revert to our defensive block. If we don’t win the ball after our initial phase of pressing it's imperative that the players work their way back into our defensive zone of the pitch and close the space that the opposition will look to play in. Close the space quickly and look to frustrate the opposition with intelligent positioning and hard tackling before winning the ball back and breaking forward at rapid speed. We will compact the central zones and force the opposition wide which limits the chances of breaking through our midfield. Long diagonal balls and quick releases from deep are encouraged when the opportunity arises. Our forwards have the pace to run onto through-balls.

We go into our defensive block if we cannot win the ball through our pressing. As a team we will defend deep in our half and close the space in the middle of the pitch. When forcing the opposition closer to the touchlines, we will use the touch line as an extra-man and press them so that we can win possession and result in us outnumbering them. If the play is on the left of the field the team will move towards the left and squeeze the space and vice versa on the right. We will try to force our opponents to play hopeful crosses into our box. If a cross is coming from their right our LB will also move into the box to help deal with crosses and vice versa if the cross is coming from the left. The midfielders will be around the box pressing the opponent should they try to play it central. Our wide forwards will help the midfield in closing the space in the centre and then proceed to help the fullback after we have moved the opponent towards the touchline. The wide-forwards are the real work horses in the team and I have 2 very good, hard-working wide-forwards. Our striker will also drop into our half to help the midfield press the opposition’s defence. Also the reasoning behind dropping the striker deep is to draw the opponent’s defence away from their goal creating ample space for us to counter attack.

Substitutions:

If winning after 80 mins bring on Milner for Coutinho. More physical presence in midfield, and gives greater defensive cover.

If drawing or losing after 65 mins bring on Ozil for Coutinho. Fresh creativity and legs.

If drawing or losing after 75 mins bring on Suarez for Jorginho. Radja will press higher to win the ball back quickly. Firmino with more goal threat, plays up front with Suarez, in a 4-4-2.

----------------------- T.Courtois ------------------------
S.Aurier ---- A.Rudiger ------ A.Laporte ---- L.Digne
--------------- B.Matuidi --–--- A.Vidal ----------------
M.Asensio ------------ W.Zaha -------------- A.Martial
---------------------- M.Batshuayi -----------------------
 
Subs:
K.Navas, Valencia, van Dijk, Modric, L.Moura, Robben, Balotelli

Captain: Vidal
Free Kicks: Asensio
Penalties: Batshuayi
Corners: Asensio

Last game of the season and with a cup final on the horizon we freshen up our side with 7 changes as we give players a final chance to stake a claim for a spot in the starting lineup.

Moving the ball at speed will be the focus of our play with our front four integral to our direct approach. Our three AM’s will be key components to this style of play as Asensio and Martial offer great quality on the flanks whilst Zaha plays in the hole, pushing forward as a SS behind Batshuayi as we go on the offensive. We will look to dictate the play and frustrate the opposition, continually make them chase the ball by switching the ball between our attacking midfield trio. The opposition have some fantastic wingers however we will look to limit their impact by retaining possession, we will force them to track back or risk leaving their fullbacks exposed when we push forward in numbers. We aim to make things uncomfortable for them as we feel that if we limit their ability to have the ball in attacking areas the game can be won.

When the opposition are in possession our wingers drop in as we play a compact 4-4-1-1 formation. The aim of the game will be to break at speed with Zaha offering an immediate outlet when we win back possession. The wingers immediately drive forward as we get men up in support of Batshuayi and carve them open on the counter attack.

Team Tactics

Defence:
We go with a strong defensive unit at the back, packed with pace and quality as we look to nullify the threat posed by the oppositions attack. We rotate to give some alternative players a chance to shine and we expect them to take their opportunity. Aurier’s pace and power adds to our threat on the attack whilst Digne makes his debut at LB. The focus of our fullbacks will be on their defensive duties, the opposition have some fantastic wingers however we feel we have the quality and experience to limit their impact. Both fullbacks also have license to push on and overlap the wingers on the flanks. When the opposition are in possession we will sit deep defensively to nullify the pace posed by their wingers and leave no room in behind. We will look to jockey the wingers down the line at all times keeping them away from the danger area. If the opposition play the inverted wingers this will help nullify their threat, forcing them down the line to cross with their weaker foot we simply do not let them come infield with the ball.

Rudiger and Laporte form a solid CB partnership. If the opposition play one up top Laporte marks whilst Rudiger offers cover in behind and sweeps up any balls over the top. Both CB’s are comfortable on the ball with Laporte in particular looking to play the ball out from the back with his superb distribution an added weapon.


Midfield:
The power and strength of our CM duo will be key. Two tenacious ball winners they act as twin box to box threats. They will look to break down the oppositions attack, turning over possession and immediately getting us on the front foot. They have license to push forward to join the attack however only one at a time. We look to physically outmuscle the opposition in the middle of the park. This combined with the pace and power of our front four will cause the opposition problems all afternoon as we look to sign off with a win.

Forwards:
Batshuayi leads the line and we expect him to be presented with an abundance of chances as the AM trio behind him ooze creativity. Both Asensio and Martial will push up alongside Batshuayi creating a front 3 when on the attack. Both offer a fantastic turn of pace as we feel we can get in behind the oppositions fullbacks and cause them real problems with this direct approach. Playing as inverted wingers they have license to cut inside and shoot at any opportunity. Asensio in particular will look to take the opposition on, look to make jinking runs into the box where he can draw a foul or drive to the byline and whip the ball into Batshuayi in the middle. Both wingers have fantastic workrate and will be a constant outlet as weapon we look to utilise on the counter with their pace difficult to contain. Batshuayi through the middle has fantastic movement and is a real predator. Immediately look to get into the box when we’re on he attack and pounce on any lose balls in and around the area. Zaha creates a nightmare match up for any opposition DM, his pace, power and trickery will be difficult to stop as he plays through the middle and provides an added string to our attacking arsenal.


Subs 65 mins;

If winning: Zaha and Aurier off. Van Dijk and Valencia on. 5-4-1 with VVD forming a CB trio alongside Rudiger and Laporte. Valencia offers greater defensive protection as solid defensive unit with zero room for the opposition to operate as we see the game out.

If drawing: Zaha and Matuidi off, Modric and Balotelli on. We switch to 4-2-2-2, Vidal alongside Modric in CM with Asensio and Martial on the flanks. Balotelli alongside Batshuayi up top as we look to pin the opposition back and grab a winner.

If losing: Rudiger and Matuidi off, Modric and L.Moura on. We revert to 3-2-3-2 with Asensio, Zaha and L.Moura as an attacking trio behind Batshuayi and Martial as go goals and look to turn the tie on its head.

Hull City v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Injuries: Sturaro, Young, Sanches, Gundogan

------------------------ Leno
Juanfran - Savic - Lenglet - Guerreiro
--------- Mascherano - A Herrera
Lamela ----------- Mata ----------- Draxler
----------------- Aubameyang

Subs: Begovic, Vrsaljko, N'Zonzi, A Garcia, Lingard, Promes, Vardy

-----------------

A tough but winnable game today against Hull, hopefully our back four will keep their attack at bay while causing problems of our own to their defence.

We are playing a 4-2-3-1 today, Leno in goal, Savic and Lenglet at centreback, Juanfran and Guerreiro at fullback, Mascherano and Herrera in midfield, Lamela and Draxler either side of Mata at AM, with Aubameyang upfront.

This game is about controlling the tempo and giving us the best chance of getting the win today. Hull are fighting for survival and our best hope is to be strong, disciplined and keep our concentration levels at maximum.

Leno - Distribute from the back to the fullbacks/CM's, stay in communication with your defence throughout, be wary of long range efforts and ensure you stay big for any one on ones. On occasion go long for Aubameyang.

Savic/Lenglet - Savic mark their striker, force them high up the pitch thus limiting his impact close to goal, and Lenglet to be the spare man, be first to the second ball and their AM making runs from midfield. When in possession bring the ball out of defence and use the midfielders ahead of you to help us play out from the back. Both of you go forward for setpieces.

Juanfran/Guerreiro - Both of you to force the Hull wingers out wide, do not allow them to come inside as this will cause more problems for our midfield. They will want to cut inside so force them outside and block their crosses at source. They will try to create problems infield so its vital you only show them down the wing. If they play a diamond with no wingers you will need to form a narrow back four with the CB's and leave no spaces in behind. When we have possession, push forward and support Lamela and Draxler as they will try to run inside the fullback and you will provide the overlap to either create space or supply crosses into the area for Aubameyang and link with Mascherano and Herrera. You will need to track back very quickly to ensure we don't get caught on the break.

Mascherano/Herrera - Two box to box midfielders today, both required to get back and be in front of the back four when we don't have the ball, but both with the ability and the freedom (one at a time) to push forward and join the front four, always leaving at least one of you behind the ball. Look to link with Mata/Lamela/Draxler/Aubameyang.

Mata - Playing at AM, try and stay between their defence and midfield, drift wide to make it hard for them to man mark you, link the play between the midfield and attack, drop deep when required alongside Mascherano and Herrera, also interchange with Lamela and Draxler when you feel the need to. Potentially our match winner today.

Lamela/Draxler - Both with the trickery to beat the Hull fullback and get crosses in, you will also have our fullback overlapping giving you the chance to cut inside and get shots in. Look to supply Aubameyang with chances and also provide yourself with chances. Link up with Mata/Mascherano/Herrera, and capitalise on the space Aubameyang's presence will create for you.

Aubameyang - you will be expected to occupy the Hull centrebacks, hold up possession and look to turn the defender and shoot. Be strong in the air and look for your teammates trying to pick you out from deep. Shoot on sight. Stay on the last defender's shoulder for any passes in behind. Look to interchange with Lamela and Draxler on occasion. Try and link with the three behind you to create opportunities.

------------------

Subs 70 mins;
If winning: Lamela, Mata and Aubameyang off, N'Zonzi, Lingard and Vardy on. 5-4-1, Mascherano drop in as an extra CB alongside Savic and Lenglet, N'Zonzi alongside Herrera in midfield, Draxler to LM, Lingard to RM, Vardy with fresh legs and pace leading the line to disrupt their build up.

If drawing: Lamela, Draxler and Mata off, Promes, Lingard and N'Zonzi on. Revert to 3-4-3, Mascherano into the back three, Juanfran and Guerreiro push forward into wingback roles, N'Zonzi and Herrera in midfield, and pace out wide in Promes RW and Lingard LW either side of Aubameyang.

If losing: Guerreiro and Mascherano off, Lingard and Vardy on. Change to 3-1-4-2, Vrsaljko - Savic - Lenglet across the back, Herrera the DLP, Lamela - Mata - Lingard - Draxler behind Aubameyang and Vardy upfront. Push for goals.

…………………………………Oblak…………………………
Hysaj………….Godin………..De Vrij…….F.Luis
…………………………......Allan...………………
……………….Kessie………………..Gagliardini………..
……………………………...Alli……………………….
…………………..Higuain………..Griezmann……….

Subs: Forster, Rugani, Keane, Neves, Zlatan, Belotti,Benzema

Why the choice of a diamond, there’s various strengths and weaknesses but I think it’s worth trying something a lil different, move away from 3 at the back but still manage to keep 2 up-top
The main problem the traditional 4-4-2 formation is the numerical inferiority in the middle of the park. In the era of the three-man midfield a traditional 4-4-2 is outnumbered in the centre. In the diamond formation, however, this is reversed, giving us a 4v3 advantage in the middle of the park. This superiority in numbers means that we should find ourselves in control of the middle of the pitch.

The diamond is an extremely good attacking formation. Not only do the two box-to-box midfielders allow for quick transitions, each one of the four man midfield has an attacking role to play, from the orthodox number 10 at the ‘tip’ of the diamond to the deep-lying playmaker at the base.

It is not only in the midfield area that the diamond formation could be considered to be an attacking system. The fact that it allows for two strikers is a not insignificant advantage as it usually leaves opponents with the choice of leaving their centre-backs in a 1v1 match-up against the forward, or pulling some of their other defenders back to cover.
With the two strikers, the number 10, the box-to-box midfielders and attacking fullbacks on each flank, the diamond formation can have up to seven players in advanced attacking positions at any one time whilst retaining sufficient cover in the case of a loss of possession.

There are a couple of main weaknesses to the diamond formation. Firstly, if the two central midfielders are narrow, it lacks a lot of width and concedes dangerous overlap opportunities on the flanks. However, should one of the central midfielders pull wide to cover the full-back, large spaces can appear in the middle of the pitch. This means that the formation can be extremely vulnerable defensively.
The diamond formation also demands a huge workload. On the full-backs, who are given the sole responsibility for an entire wing of the pitch; on the box-to-box players, who have to make a huge effort in both defence and attack; and finally, on the deep-lying playmaker. In this system, the deepest midfielder is the start point of the attacks, but often also has to act as the last line of defence…. That said Kessie and Gagliardini have great engines on them and both play box to box for Milan and Inter respectively.

Basically this formation saw Milan dominate in Italy and Europe for a few years under Carlito and I think we at Little Aston have the playing staff to pull this off.



Subs 65 Mins


Zlatan > Alli more target man than #10
Belotti > Higuain
Benzema > Griezmann

---------------------- T.Courtois ---------------------
Bellerin ----- Boateng ----- Van Dijk ----- Bernat
----------------------- B.Matuidi ---------------------
M.Asensio -– L.Modric ----- A.Vidal --- A.Martial
------------------------ M.Icardi ----------------------

Subs:
K.Navas, A.Valencia, A.Rudiger, W.Zaha, A.Robben, M.Balotelli, M.Batshuayi

Captain: van Dijk
Free Kicks: Asensio
Penalties: Icardi
Corners: Modric

Team Tactics:

We field an interchangeable 4-1-4-1 formation to allow us the flexibility to both defend and attack in numbers, the transition of which will be key as we look to turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye.

Ball retention will be the focus of our play with Modric and Vidal playing slightly advanced of Matuidi in a midfield trio. We will look to dictate the play and frustrate the opposition, continually make them chase the ball by switching the ball between our attacking midfield quartet. The opposition have some fantastic players however we will look to limit their impact by retaining possession, we will force them to track back or risk leaving their defence exposed when we push forward in numbers. We aim to make things uncomfortable for them as we feel that if we limit their ability to have the ball in attacking areas the game can be won.

Injuries to the left side of the oppositions defence invariably means that they will not quite be at full strength and this is an area in particular that we look to attack as we position some of our most dangerous players on this side of the field. Modric lines up on the right hand side of attacking midfield whilst positioned alongside him on the right flank is arguably our most dangerous weapon Asensio. The link up play of these two will be integral to our attack as the Croatian will look to feed the Spaniard at any opportunity, getting the ball in behind the opposition LB or getting it to the feet of Asensio to attack the back up LB/LCB and cause havoc in the final third. In addition to this we will have a third string to our bow with Bellerin linking up with his Spanish counterpart on the flank, he will have license to push forward from RB and overlap on the wing causing a 2 v 1 situation and further isolating the opposition LB. If the opposition play a back three Asensio pushes forward on to the LCB as we look to take the game to them from the off.


Defence:

We go with a strong defensive unit, packed with pace and strength we feel we have quality to nullify the threat posed by the oppositions attack. We go with our Spanish fullbacks due to their quality on the ball, we look to build attacks from the back and will also look to utilise the quality of Bernat on the left. Similar to Bellerin he’ll have license to push forward to support Martial however he will be more defensive focused to ensure that we have sufficient cover at the back at all times. When the opposition are in possession we will sit deep defensively to nullify the threat posed by their attack and leave no room in behind. We will look to jockey the wingers down the line at all times keeping them away from the danger area. If the opposition play the inverted wingers this will help nullify their threat, forcing them down the line to cross with their weaker foot we simply do not let them come infield with the ball.

Boateng and Van Dijk form a solid athletic CB partnership. If the opposition play one up top Boateng marks whilst VVD offers cover in behind and sweeps up any balls over the top. Both CB’s are dominant in the air which will be crucial is stopping the threat posed by the opposition. Stick tight and play on the front foot, we know that if we can keep the oppositions attack quiet we have the quality to hurt them at the other end as we bid for our maiden cup win.


Midfield:

Matuidi shields the defence in the DM role, he also forms the first line of our attack when in possession whilst Vidal and Modric have license to push forward simultaneously. Modric is our pass master and creator in chief, he will look dictate the play and control the tempo of the game. Vidal will play the box to box role, the opposition have some very talented CM’s so the experience of our midfield trio will be crucial in winning this battle. When the opposition are in possession Vidal will drop deep alongside Matuidi forming a solid double pivot whilst Modric occupies the AM role. The strength and power of Matuidi and Vidal will be key as we look to get amongst them and not let them settle on the ball. As soon as possession is won we quickly get the ball forward as we look to counter attack at speed with our pacy wingers hitting them on the flanks.

Forwards:

Asensio and Martial push up alongside Icardi creating a front 3 when on the attack. Both offer a fantastic turn of pace as we feel we can get in behind the oppositions fullbacks and cause them real problems with this direct approach. Playing as inverted wingers they have license to cut inside and shoot at any opportunity. Asensio in particular will look to take the opposition on, look to make jinking runs into the box where he can draw a foul or drive to the byline and whip the ball into Icardi in the middle. He has fantastic ability and will be a constant outlet and a weapon we look to utilise on the counter with his pace difficult to stop. Martial on the other flank will offer an identical threat as we look to throw a variety of different weapons at them as we go for goals. Icardi through the middle has fantastic movement and is a real predator. Immediately look to get into the box when we’re on the attack and pounce on any lose balls in and around the area. With a supply line of Asensio, Modric, Vidal and Martial we expect him to be presented with plenty of chances and has the quality to score at any moment.

Subs 65 mins;

If winning: Bellerin and Modric off. Valencia and Rudiger on. Shut up shop time as we go 5-4-1 with Rudiger forming a CB trio alongside Boateng and VVD. Valencia comes on at RB to offer increased defensive protection with Vidal dropping back to shield the defence as DM alongside Matuidi with Asensio and Martial play on the flanks. A solid defensive unit with zero room for the opposition to operate as we see the game out.

If drawing: Matuidi and Martial off, Batshuayi and Zaha on. We switch to 4-2-2-2, Vidal alongside Modric in CM with Asensio and the reinvigorated Zaha on the flanks. Batshuayi alongside Icardi up top as we look to pin the opposition back and grab a winner.

If losing: Bernat and Matuidi off, Robben and Batshuayi. We revert to 3-2-3-2 with Robben, Asensio and Martial as an attacking trio behind Batshuayi and Icardi as we go goals and look to turn the tie on its head.

If Pens:

1. Arturo Vidal
2. Luka Modric
3. Marco Asensio
4. Michy Batshuayi
5. Mauro Icardi
6. Virgil Van Dijk
7. Wilfried Zaha
8. Juan Bernat
9. Hector Bellerin
10. Jerome Boateng

s Tottenham (Cup final)

——————————Ter Stegen
——Christensen——Upamecano——Skriniar
Conti—————————Rodri———————Toljan
——————-Torreira————Milinkovic
————Dybala—————————Mariano

Subs: Gunn, Zagadou, Pogba, Harit, Bernardo Silva, Philipp, Morata

Captain: Marc Andre Ter Stegen
Free Kicks: Paulo Dybala/Lucas Torreira
Penalties: Mariano Diaz
Corners: Lucas Torreira

Defending starts with a passive high block, looking to block off the centre and then press more aggressively when they go wide or back to the keeper. The press starts in a 4-2-2-2, with Upamecano stepped up alongside Rodri, this allows Milinkovic and Torreira to step up on to their deepest CMs and stop them from having easy build up. The two CFs work on a tangent, positioned between the midfield and defence, when the CBs have the ball the ball side forward goes to press and the other CF is position diagonally behind to that there’s no passing options centrally with our 2-2-1-1 layered central block, and if they go to the other CB the deeper forward is able to step up and keep the press going. The aim is to force them longer, so that our physically dominant defenders can mop up, sideways to the FBs, or back to the keeper, both of which initiate a harder press. We target Courtois as his kicking is poor, so when he receives a pass, the furthest forward presses him, and Milinkovic/Torreira step up alongside the other forward to cover both CBs, the presser curves his run to block ball to the ball side FB. When they give the ball to the RB, Milinkovic initiates a harder press, alongside the ball side CF as they look to box the RB on to the touchline and block central passing lanes, Toljan stays close to the winger, keeping him quiet. We do the same on their left.

The aim of the press is to stop them having easy build up, and to keep them out of the centre, we don’t expect to win the ball back every time. When they do advance beyond half way, we fall back into a 5-3-2, with a triangle midfield and arrowhead defence so that there is limited distance between us and everyone knows their job, ie Rodri controls the 6 space, wide CBs control the half spaces, WBs control the flanks, CMs press the central zones, Upamecano takes the striker. Upfront Dybala will drop further back as the opponents progress, eventually giving us a diamond midfield through which we can stifle their play. All players have their own zone, and when an opponent receives the ball in that zone, its his job to go and press and force them wide or backwards, whilst the rest of the team fall back behind the ball. The aim of having a compact middle ground is to use our shape to force their AM and wingers to spread out, creating more distance between them means its harder for them to complete passes and link up, which means their play is slower, and easier to defend against. Push them wide so that we can then press harder with a pendulum effect, WB and wide CB blocking them off, with the rest of the defence shuffling across, always allowing us to retain central superiority with the diamond midfield.

When we talk about managing the game, the change up in our attacking play is going to be key today. When Tottenham have their possession they will commit players forward, and when we win it back we want to be direct, using the excellent passing ranges of Rodri, CBs and GK to hit our attackers immediately and by-pass their midfield. In the direct phase of the game Dybala and Mariano will split wide and look to drag the CBs out towards the wide spaces, with our first aim to attack the space that the FB has vacated, be it with high balls to Mariano, or flat balls into the feet of Dybala. Milinkovic will go and support this, looking to find space to receive passes from the forwards and then drive at the heart of the defence. We can also go direct into Milinkovic at times and he can then supply WBs and forwards as he holds the ball up. The aim of these phases are to force the opponents defence to take up a deeper position and extend the space between their midfield and backline.

When we do manage this, we look to build with strong positional play, drawing their midfield on to us but keeping their defence pegged back to deal with two CFs and Milinkovic. Upamecano again steps into midfield in build up, as his dribbling and passing make him a huge threat that the opposition will have to stop and thus open more space for Rodri and Torreira who can thread passes to the forwards.

As we progress Milinkovic and Torreira will start to move into the half spaces, and Dybala will start as a CF but drop in between the lines, with this movement designed to give the opponents decisions of who goes with who. With the space we’ve opened up during long ball phases, Milinkovic and Dybala will look to prosper, receiving flat passes from the build up and laying it off, either to each other or out wide to the WBs. From there we look for neat combination play in the half spaces and wide spaces, Toljan and Milinkovic down the left being the biggest threat, and Dybala joining them to open the game up. Mariano making runs behind the back line to get in on goal. WBs will be crucial, pushing up to make it a front 4 at times, when our build up is central, they stretch the game and provide an option to get the ball into space and draw the opponent across the field. They will look to combine with the CMs and forwards to get crosses in. They can also make diagonal runs to draw central opponents, either ball carriying FB dribbling infield to open space up for CMs in the centre or to run wide, and far side FB making diagonal runs into the box to attack crosses, particularly using Conti’s height advantage against their LB.

Subs:

If Winning: Zagadou for Toljan 70’, more defensive focus. Philipp for Dybala 80’, keeps up our energy in the centre. Pogba for Milinkovic 85’, like for like.

If Drawing: Pogba for Milinkovic 70’, use his passing range to open up their defence. Morata for Mariano 75’. Harit for Torreira 80’, more offensive minded use his movement and dribbling to get away from their ageing legs in midfield. If extra time: B.Silva comes on for Christensen and we play a 4-2-3-1 and look to put extra pressure on their older legs.

If Losing: Pogba and Bernardo Silva for Christensen and Torreira 65’, 4-3-3, use the fresh legs out wide to pin their defensive line back and our extra legs and power in midfield to control the game. Philipp for Mariano 75’, Dybala central and Philipp using his burst of pace from out to in. If extra time: Morata for Milinkovic, gives us a focal point up front for balls into the box.

If pens:

1. Paul Pogba
2. Bernardo Silva
3. Marc Andre Ter Stegen
4. Maxi Philipp/Amine Harit
5. Paulo Dybala
6. Alvaro Morata
7. Lucas Torreira
8. Jeremy Toljan
9. Andrea Conti
10. Dayot Upamecano
11. Milan Skriniar

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--------------------Buffon
Clyne---Sokratis---Vertonghen---F.Luis
------------------Brozovic
------------Rabiot-------Kovacic
Sterling--------------------------------Son
------------------Lacazette
Subs
Heaton, Inigo, Grimaldo, Wanyama, Parejo, Mkhitaryan, Inaki

Buffon is a commanding presence at the back, when he calls for a ball, the defence know he will take control, they have complete confidence in each other and stops those little split second doubts which could lead to a chance. When he has the ball he will look to offload quickly in the direction of the front 3 to get those quick counters started.


Verthongen is the defensive leader and will be the one to set the defensive line on the pitch, both centre backs will stay back with either one of the full backs or the DM always prepared to make it a back 3 when we lose possession to stop counter attacks, Both CB"s will communicate with each other so they are clear in where the attacking threats are. When dealing with the opposition, we will avoid slide tackles unless necessary instead looking to just guide players off the ball. When on the ball, if the opposition are giving them space to come out with the ball, then they should take it forward, if not, keep it simple with the occasional long ball to the front 3 thrown in to keep the opposition from setting up against one style of play.




For the full backs today the objective is to sit back and tuck in slightly when defending, looking to stop balls being played between them and the centre backs, with the secondary advantage of discouraging the wide men from cutting inside, forcing them to cross, which gives us a better chance of getting the ball back quickly and launching an attack of our own.

 Their objective when attacking will be to keep making runs past the winger on both the inside and outside, giving the opposition full back that split second of indecision on who they go with. They will only occasionally put floated crosses in, preferring to either play shorter passes to the wingers or players who have come out from the middle of the pitch to keep possession and let the pressure build up in the final third, or run to the byline and put in fast and low crosses relying on both the faster reactions and control of our attackers and the pressure of the situation on their centre backs to hastily clear the ball without being in full control of the situation.


The focus of the midfield 3 will be to use their high energy, all action styles to get themselves around the middle of the pitch, working in collaboration with the front 3 to control the midfield battle whilst still having the attacking nous to create chances for us. When we are in the attacking third, they will always be looking to make themselves available for a pass to keep recycling the ball, keeping the pressure up with us looking to use the movement of the other CM's and the front 3 to drag the opposition defensive players that little bit more which could be the difference in getting a player behind them. They also all have an eye for a pass so will look to take advantage of the front 3 all flitting around and play them in with through balls and quick one touch play. We will also occasionally take the occasional long shot, with the aim being to make sure defenders aren't content to sit back and forcing them to make a decision. When defending, they are looking to press the middle third of the pitch, pressing the opposition CMs/Wingers in conjunction with other players as they are on the ball to rush their decisions and win the ball back.


Both wingers today will be looking will be to drift around when deeper players are in possession, looking to combine with the other attacking players to get little areas of space before using their pace and trickery respectively to drift between the CB and FB and get in behind them. When they are on the ball the emphasis will be more on cutting inside with the occasional long shot to test the keeper, and only occasionally putting in crosses, getting involved in a fast intricate style of passing with the centre mids and Lacazette, looking to create the passing triangles which will just take players out of the game. They should also look to run at players as they will be cautious not to give away a set piece due to the ability of our set piece takers. When the opposite winger has the ball, the one without the ball should look to find space between the CB and FB to add an extra body in the box. When defending, they should be stopping the passing lines to the full backs primarily, then focus on ensuring our full backs dont get outnumbered.



When Lacazette is attacking, he will look to constantly drift around the defenders looking to get himself a bit of space enough for him to get the ball and pass it along to another attacker or face up the defenders and take them on. When running onto a ball, He will also be looking to use his reactions to get ahead of the defender and then use his strength to cut in front of the defender, causing them to either stop their forward momentum completely, or make the foul.
When defending, he will be working with the wingers to cut off the passing lines for their CB's, forcing them or the keeper to launch it long, then using his tireless energy reserves to work back and press their centre mids.



Set Pieces


Corners - Kovacic takes the corners, most of the time looking to have the ball at an attackable height around 8-10 yards out between the posts, the FB's stay back to prevent counters, the CB's and Lacazette work in a group to make little blocks and cross-runs to lose a marker so 1 or 2 can get a run at the ball, Son and Sterling flit around away from the main attacking group looking to pounce on mistimed touches and flicks around the area. Brozovic looks to limit the opposition keeper from moving too far off his line, looking to take a defender with him to create less space for the keeper and one less man in the main action area. Rabiot takes a position just outside the box to pick up weak clearances and go for the odd thundercunt, as well as occasionally providing the short option to draw defenders out of the box.





Free Kicks - Son takes Direct FK's



For Indirect FK's, same instructions as Corners





Penalties - Lacazette is the designated taker.

Subs



If Winning


70 mins - Inaki for Son - The wingers tuck back, but look to get out quickly and counter if the opposition over-commit for a route back into the game.




82 + 86 Mins - Wanyama for Kovacic and Mkhi for Sterling - Actively time waste and really frustrate the opposition.



If Drawing
70 Mins - Mkhi for Brozovic - Add a bit more urgency into attacks, show the opposition we are going for the win.

If Losing



67 Mins - Inaki, Inigo and Mkhi for Brozovic, Luis and Clyne - switch to a 3-5-2 with emphasis on the wings backs acting as wingers and just pile forward in numbers.