------------------------------Ali Ahamada---------------------
-------Debuchy-------Evans---------Nastasic-----Blind---
------------------------------Neustadter----------------------
----------------------Lampard------L Bender---------------
----------Shaqiri---------------------------------Rodriguez--
----------------------------------Ba----------------------------

Subs: Oblak, Davies, Tadic, Draxler, Di Natale

We are playing against a strong and attack-minded Bury side today, and we happy to let them take the game towards us as we adopt a counter-attacking style of play. Content not to have the ball, with our extra man in midfield we will stifle their play and absorb any pressure they create before breaking forwards at speed with direct, quick and fluid play.

Ali Ahamada is a keeper whose experience belies his age, and he knows that in this league debut he has a point to prove. He will be looking to exert confidence through claiming any balls into the box, and with his shot stopping ability will repel any efforts they have on goal. In order to launch us on the counter, he will distribute it quickly with good throws and kicking to players who are in space.

This is a settled, experience, pacey, strong and well honed defence. Evans and Nastasic are two of the best young CB's around; and between them they will have more than enough to deal with any physicality or pace that Bury may have up front. Likely to play only one striker, this means they will be able to nullify the space for him to get into, with Evans picking up any extra runners into the box from deep when neccessary. Debuchy and Blind are going to stick to their respective sides; trying to take the wingers out of the game by limiting the space that they have to play in through sticking to them. They must remember that their primary role is to defend, and in doing so they will show their man to the crowded center of the pitch and thus out of any danger. However, when counter-attacking, due to the presence of Neustadter as Anchor man they will be able to join in at speed (only one of them, so as not to leave us exposed) and get on the overlap in order to create space for others/get the ball into the box. As a general rule of thumb, the defensive line will be quite deep - around the edge of the box - to allow little space for the opposition to attack into.

Neustadter is our Anchor Man. There to break up the creative play of the opposition, it is his presence in defence that will cause problems for them. It will mean that their creative players in behind the striker have no room to find 'pockets' of space due to his pressure and tough tackling nature. He will provide the basis of our midfield, and mean that we can break forward in numbers. Lars Bender, is a quality young German player whose passing ability is 2nd to none. Also prepared to put in a good defensive shift, he will be a part of those who look to close down the opposition midfield - this trio should easily be able to get on top of their two men. When on the ball, he is acting as an effective deep lying play maker, looking for the runs of those - or the possibility to get it to Ba so he can hold up the ball. The range of passing is very good, and he can draw players into him before picking out the man in space. This ability to draw players in and pass quickly and precisely is key to the 'transistion' phase of us counter attacking. Lampard on the other hand, has been slightly relieved of his defensive duties due to the extra man - however when off the ball he should still be looking to close them down and limit their space. The key for him however is his dangerous runs from deep. These will be troublesome for the opposistion as they will leave him space in between their midfield and defensive lines. From here, he can shoot pass and play on instinct. This breaking from deep is directly conjucive to this counter-attacking yet direct brand of football and therefore he will be able to fit in.

Shaqiri is the player who provides genuine width to the side. Looking to prove why he should stay at the club following the announcement of Blaszcykowski's impending arrival, he will be looking to find space in our counter attacks left by their adventurous full backs. He will be attacking this and looking to get the ball into Ba with dangerous low crosses that are difficult for their immobile defence to deal with. On the other hand, Rodriguez is a more skillful and tricky player who will look to be a danger through cutting inside (and using Blind on the overlap) or whipping the ball in to the box. Having played together at Southend, he has the perfect understanding with Ba and will look to utilise his hold up play and link up play to play passess which beat the defence and create space for himself and others. His nuisance threat is perfect for this style of football.

Ba is the complete forward. He his presence physically will push the Bury defence back towards their own goal, in turn creating space for us to counter-attack into. He will stay in and around the box, and in a good run of form he can score the chances that come his way due to the system we are adopting.

Captain: Lampard
Set Pieces (inc Pens): Lampard

Subs:

If losing after 80 mins: Di Natale > Neustadter, two men up front, Ba's physciality/presence creates space in which Di Natale can poach goals.
If drawing/losing after 70 mins: Draxler > Rodriguez, more direct LW threat to expose the danger and space at RB.

If winning/drawing after 75 mins: Tadic > Shaqiri; fresh legs to directly exploit space.

If winning/drawing after 80 mins: Davies > Blind, more potent attacking force from LB.

Burnley tactics vs Salisbury

Starting XI

----------------------Stegen-------------------------
Zabaleta—Subotic---Hummels---Koscielny—Shaw
Silva------Carrick-----------Khedira----------Cazorla
----------------------Lukaku---------------------------

Subs: Forster, Reus, Yacob, Delofeu, Bony

Today we’re playing against one of the top teams in the league, away from home so we will have to adapt our game plan a little. The starting 11 is a provisional line up, depending on how the opposition line up. I’m basing my game plan on Salisbury starting with two wingers, Bale and Walcott. I will explain my tactics based on this game plan, as well as giving the tactics we should possibly change to after 5/10 minutes if Salisbury line up differently. A lot of the game plan is based around stopping Bale, who is in incredible form at the moment, but who can be stopped against top players given the right set of instructions.

The main aim is to contain the wide players of Salisbury, whilst not letting them overrun us in the middle. I have gone for two defensive midfielders who are brilliant at protecting the defence as well as controlling a game, so when we have the ball we will be able to keep it and create chances in our own right. Every single player has to put the work in today or else they will make us pay, so it has to be a very tactical, disciplined game for us. As well as Carrick and Khedira protecting the defence in the middle, Cazorla and Silva will tend to drift in, congesting the middle and forcing them to hit balls in behind to the wingers, who we will have covered with our extra man in the defence. Shaw and Zabaleta will provide most of the width when going forward too, giving us an out ball when we’re in possession and get a bit clogged up. Essentially the plan is to contain hosts in the first half, keep ourselves in the game, move the ball around and tire them out a little and then come out at them in the second half and have a real go.

If Salisbury end up playing a 4-3-3 or any variation on that then I want Koscielny to push into the midfield and play a bit of a free role. He’s a great player who is fantastic on the ball and reads the game well, but might not have the same discipline for the DM role as Carrick and Khedira, so I want him ahead of them breaking up attacks, putting a lot of pressure on Cabaye & Pogba. Subotic will then pick up forward, leaving Hummels as a spare man to cover runners/wingers. Is Bale is still playing wide then a combination of Zabaleta/Hummels should be enough to stop him, but this means Koscielny might have to drop into CB from time to time to make sure we’ve got a man spare, it’s not the easiest but if Zab and Hummels can slow him up a little then Kos will have time to get back into the CB position to cover. If he can’t then Carrick has played CB enough to offer cover there for a moment. In this system it is also vital that the MF track runners so we don’t get caught out.

Stegen: Today Stegen will have to be alert all game, it’s likely he’ll have a few things to do, whether it be shots to stop or crosses to collect, but he’ll need to be at the top of his game and constantly talking with Hummels to help keep the defence and DMs organised and keep the team playing the correct roles.

Zabaleta & Shaw: With the addition of another CB alongside them, these two will be able to play as they normally do. They’re both brilliant defensively and offensively and full of running, the work rate we get from them could be key. First and foremost they are defenders so they must make sure they only get forward when they know they won’t be leaving masses of space in behind them, and if they are leaving any they must know that it is covered. Getting forward will still be important for them however as we want them providing width and giving overlapping runs for the midfielders, not only does this give us an extra option with getting balls in the box for Lukaku, it also takes a man away from the player in possession, giving them a little more time/space to pick a pass.

Subotic & Koscielny: Playing either side of Hummels they will be the men picking up strikers and runners. Their role is fairly simple, but quite difficult to explain. Basically, if Salisbury line up as expected then they’re there so one can double up on the winger coming through on their side (with the FB on that side), leaving the other one free to pick up the striker. So, for example, if Bale is running at Zabaleta, Subotic will go over and double up on him to stop him, while Koscielny will be able to pick up the striker, leaving Hummels free to cover the space and watch for any runners coming through. If Salisbury line up 4-4-2 the only difference will be that the wingers will be left to the FBs, each CB will pick up a striker then leaving Hummels to cover the wingers & strikers as spare man. If this is the case Subotic will stay with the striker playing on the last man while Koscielny will follow a striker if they drop deeper.

Hummels: Has an important and varied role today, if he gets it right he could be the reason for our win. As captain he needs to understand the gameplan and make sure the team keep to it for the full 90, he must also organise the defence with the help of Stegen and let the DMs infront of him know what space they should be occupying to keep the defence protected at all times. As an actual defender he will always be a spare man, not so much a sweeper but his reading of the game is brilliant so he can get that extra yard on any attacking player, should they get past their marker, to beat them to the ball. Once he has the ball he is very talented on it and is very capable of starting attacks from the back, he is also comfortable taking the ball off the midfield to start again and make sure we keep possession when attacking.

Carrick & Khedira: Should prove to be a valuable partnership for Burnley, both are brilliant at protecting the back four and both have a decent range of passing, meaning they can control a game between them or swiftly start a counter attack. They have plenty of experience in big games like this which will prove vital. They’ll be working closely with Hummels to make sure they’re offering the best protection possible and when on the ball will be moving the ball around with Silva and Cazorla with short sharp passing, trying to stretch and tire Salisbury.

If at any point Bale moves into the middle, they will have to keep a very watchful eye on him.

Silva & Cazorla: In a flat midfield 4 I want these two to be a bit more disciplined than usual, if Salisbury line up 4-4-2 they will need to offer a bit of help and protection for the FBs. Going forward I want them playing a little like the wingers of the Arsenal invincibles, controlling the play for large periods of time waiting for a moment to vamp up the pace and find a hole in the opposition defence and quickly pounce on it. It’s vital that these two get forward at any opportunity too, so Lukaku doesn’t get isolated.

VITAL THAT THE MIDFIELD FOUR PUT PRESSURE ON AT ALL TIMES AND DON’T GIVE POGBA AND CABAYE THE TIME OR SPACE TO SHOOT FROM DISTANCE.

Lukaku: Today this man will be the focal point of the attack, great at holding the ball up, running the channels and a monster in the air he’s proven to be too much for most defenders this season and that will continue today. I want him looking for the ball into feet a lot as he can draw defenders into him, but still hold them off and get a pass away, this creates space for the players behind him to run into which they might not otherwise get. He will also be an ‘out ball’ for the defence – if under and great pressure they can hit it long to him (last resort) for him to chase/flick down/hold up. He should have a great understanding with the 2 behind him now, so I want him always on his toes trying to anticipate what’s coming from them, giving them options, and once we get in and around the penalty area I want him ready to attack the ball ferociously.

Sub #1: To be made regardless of scoreline at 60 mins: Reus on for Koscielny.
Reus to come in as CAM and return us to our preferred 4-2-3-1. Will need to put pressure on Cabaye and Pogba when off the ball and drag them all over the place when we have it.
Silva-------Reus------Cazorla

Sub#2: If winning around 70 mins, Deulofeu for Silva. Deulofeu to take Cazorla’s position with Cazorla shifting to the left, just to bring fresh legs and help move the ball around well and keep control.
If losing around 70 mins or drawing after 78 mins, Deulofeu for Khedira, moving to a 4-1-3-2.
-------------Carrick---------------
Silva-------Cazorla--------Deulofeu
-------Lukaku------Reus
Carrick stays on as he can pick a pass better than Khedira and can offer a more direct threat. With the energy and ability of Reus and Deulofeu, alongside having more bodies in the box we will have a much bigger threat and will be pushing to get an equiliser/winner

Sub#3: Regardless of score, around 85 mins, Bony on for Lukaku, just for fresh legs as late on it’s the last thing a defender wants to come up against.

Also C: Hummels

FKs & Corners to Cazorla with Lukaku on pens

Starting Line Up:

---------------------------Friedel----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------Garay------------Umtiti-------------------
Rafael---------------------------------------------Cissokho
----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------Capoue---------Pirlo---------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
---Nani-------------------------------------------Gaitan----
----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------Van Persie-----Sturridge-------------------


Subs: Günter, Strootman, Kagawa, Wijnaldum, Drogba

Captain: Pirlo
Vice Captain: Van Persie

Penalties: Pirlo
Freekicks: Van Persie


We'll be adopting an attack minded 4-4-2 this week, with new recruit Daniel Sturridge partnering RVP up top. Our wing play will be important and we have 4 very fit and mobile players down the flanks.

Brad Friedel will be in the man between the sticks, he'll be very vocal making sure everybody stays alert and sharp throughout the game. He'll be looking to hit the center backs from goal kicks (mainly Garay), we won't be pumping long balls aimlessly forward.

Garay and Umtiti will be the center backs, they have the pace to play a high line. Garay will be the one of the two who brings the ball out from defence. He'll look to get the ball to Pirlo. Umtiti is tough in the tackle but also has the speed and discipline. Both will venture forward for set pieces, with the fullbacks and Capoue sitting back to counteract us being hit on the break.

Rafael and Cissokho, will be operating as our wing backs. They'll be providing the cover down the flanks and the width for our attacks. They'll be looking the get forward and keep the oppositions wide men pegged back in their own half. The further away they are from our goal, the better.

Capoue takes up his place anchoring the midfield, his job will be to sit and mop up. He won't be venturing very far forward, he'll let the others in front of him do the attacking side of things. Pirlo will sit as the deep lying play maker, he'll be looking to get the ball from the defence and feed the attack. Our wing backs will always be an option, even if just to draw the opposition away and give Pirlo the space to create.

Nani and Gaitan come back to play out wide / inside forwards. Their work rate will be important, they'll be looking to get the ball back off the opponents as quickly as they can so we can mount attacks closer to their goal. They can both cut inside, or look to one of the wing backs bombing down the flanks.

Van Persie and Sturridge will be the two up top, both are able to cut inside onto their stronger feet, with support from the the wings if they want an out ball.
Sturridge is quick and skillful, he'll be looking to beat players and thread the ball towards the penalty spot for RVP or accross the 6 yard box for the winger on the opposite side of the pitch. This should reign in some of his erraticness as Robin and Nani/Gaitan will know exactly where the ball is to be played as will Strurridge himself!
Sturridge will also be asked to make runs across the box, acting like an offensive screen, pulling the center backs out of position and giving RVP room to get shots off on goal.


If winning after 70 minutes:

Strootman will come on for Sturridge and we'll move to a 4-5-1, with Strootman coming in along side Pirlo and Capoue.
Wijnaldum will come on for Nani to add some freshness on the flank.


If losing after 70 minutes:

We'll move to a 4-1-4-1 with Kagawa coming in for Sturridge and Wijnaldum for Nani.

Raf Gar Umt Cis
........Cap
Wij Kag Pir Gai
.......RVP

Drogba will come on for Gaitan in the last few minutes, with Kagawa moving out left and we'll be looking to get the ball int he air to Drogba so he can find RVP or work space for a shot.

--------------------Adler
Rafinha---Burdisso—Diawara---Balzaretti
----------Veloso----Rode
Chamberlain---Wilshere---Ince
--------------------Jelavic

Subs – Fabianski, Yesil, johnson, baker, gorman

Game Plan – For todays game i would like us to keep the ball on the ground playing short passes among each other. This will help us keep possession and control the game. They are a strong team so if we for one second give them the opportunity to keep the ball for long lengths they will punish us. I would like our attacks to intersect among each other by every so often changing positions in order to open up space in their defence. I would like most the midfield and the full backs to roam around the pitch.

Positional Tactics:

Adler should keep in his goal controlling his defenders to keep to their positions. He must use his strength to beat everyone to the ball. Communicate constantly with the defence to prevent confusion and mistakes.

Rafinha should play as a wing back. This means when we have the ball he should play as a supporting role to our wingers and midfielders. He must go up to add to the pressure against their defence. He should stay out wide to create a crossing option and he will try and drill the ball into the centre. I want him to bring the other defenders towards him in order to open up space for The Ox to take advantage of. While defending Rafinha should try and push the player back. This means it gives our players the chance to get into their positions and also limiting any attacking options for them. If he can’t do that he should push him out wide to a position where he has to kick the ball off. This is because running into the box would be dangerous for us to handle so this will be prevented. Balzaretti should act as a full back and not go up as much as Rafinha will. This is because we want to create some stability at the back. They will be dangerous on the counter so if we look to keep some players back we can prevent goals from occurring. However I would like him to go up every now and then if my attackers do need the help. He should also look to keep the attackers back or push them out wide. When we have a free kick or corner our full backs should stay back in case of a counter attack.

Burdisso should use his height and strength to keep the striker(s) out of the game. I want him to keep with that attacker at all times not allowing him to break up space. If he tries to move Burdisso away and allow space to occur then he should temporarily leave him and try and trap him offside. Because Rafinha will be attacking he should act as help temporarily to prevent players cutting into the box. He should try and header every ball out of the box or kick it away. When he does kick it away he should kick it towards the wings so that we can create a counter attack. He should stay back when we’re attacking unless we have a corner or free kick. Diawara should use his experience and strength to keep potential runners into the box out. We do not want any space opened up. He should look to keep command of the defensive line making sure it’s not too high but not too deep. For Burdisso I would like him to be up in the opposition’s box for corners and free kicks. Diawara should stay just outside the box before the free kick/corner is taken and then run in round the back when it is.

Veloso will act as a wall in front of the defence. He should look to disrupt their attacking play and be in the oppositions face, and watch the advances of their playmaker who will break from midfield and make runs into the box. Veloso has the power to cope with the strength of their playmaker and also the pace to follow the runs made by him. He will break late and Veloso should watch the runs into the box and look to cope with the balls put into the box which are heading for this player. He should not break forward but hold his position and not get caught up field. I want him to control the style of the game we play. While acting as cover for our defence he should also separate the midfield from the defence by keeping hold of the ball and form attacks.

Rode will be our box-box midfielder. This means he will be linking our defence with our attack. He should take hold of the ball and then make runs forward and then supplying it to any of the front 4 ahead. When we’re attacking I want him to move up and stay in space. This will mean he will be an option for the others to pass to. He should also look to open up space for the other attacking players. When off the ball he should be a ball winning player by standing in front of their players and also covering up any spaces. Wilshere should use his pace and strength to make runs into the box and opening up space for Jelavic. It should do the same for the wingers as well. He will look to supply the ball to the wingers as well. He must make runs all around the front of the defence going right, left and centre. This will create himself as an added option for his wingers and also open up space for the other central players to run into. This will also cause his defensive midfielder to move out of position and allow our wingers to use that space by running into the centre or the other 2 central midfielders to run into.

I want The Ox to use his skill to keep the ball and then try and make runs into the box. This will cause the defender to follow him and opening up space for the full back to run into. He must use his pace to outrun the full back but also his quality control of the ball to dribble round him. He will use the full back when the space has opened up. He should work with Rafinha to create space in the opposition’s box. Use Rafinha out wide to bring their full back to him so The Ox can run into the box with less challenge. If that doesn’t work then he should bring the full back to him and then use Rafinha. When we’re off the ball I want him to make runs back to help protect the defence by helping Rafinha cover their full back. They should both pressurise him to make a mistake or remove the ball from that area. The Ox should also be cautious of the other midfielders. When defending a corner he should stay just outside the box so that he can start a counter attack when or if we win the ball back. I would like Ince to do the same as The Ox in this case.

I would like The Ox and Ince to intersect and change positions every now and then to cause their defenders to move out of position and open up space. This will also force them to constantly adapt to changing their defensive style.

Jelavic must use his pace and skill to open up spaces for the wingers and central players to run into. He should make runs to the wing forcing the centre backs out wide. Therefore players like Wilshere, Rode and the wingers can cut into the centre and take chances by themselves. He should look to overpower their defenders with his pace and strength and height. He should constantly look to move into space to create himself as an option for the defence. He should also try and assist others in attacks. When we’re defending he should mark the player at the edge of the box. When we win the ball back he can run up to keep himself an option on the counter.

Captain: Burdisso
Vice Captain: Wilshere
Penalties: Jelavic
Free Kicks: Wilshere
Corners: Ince

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Crawley team and tactics:

--------------------------Reina-------------------------

Arbeloa-------Godin----------Dominguez--------BMI

-----------------Iturraspe---------Suarez----------------

Canales--------------------Xavi-------------------de Marcos

------------------------------Villa--------------------------------

Subs:
Soldado, Cuenca, Amorebieta, Morata, Wallace

Game plan:
Keep it tight and not let the opposition have a sniff on goal, whilst hitting them on the counter-attack.

Jobs:

Reina:
He is to be big and strong in his one-on-one's with the opposition players. He is also to be big and strong in the air and command his area. Reina will save any shot that comes towards him.

Arbeloa and BMI:
Arbeloa and BMI are not allowed to past the half-way line this week, both are to sit back and keep it tight at the back. Both will need to be big and strong in their tackles and command our wingers to help them. Both will need to play the ball over forward for our wingers to break.

Godin and Dominguez:
Both are to be big and strong in their tackles and in the air. Both need to command the players around them to stop the opposition getting into the box. Whilst one will win everything in the air the other needs to be on hand to clear the ball away.

Iturraspe and Suarez:
Both are to suffocate the area in front of the defence and stop the opposition players getting into the box. Both need to be big and strong in their tackles too. Whilst, trying to get the ball down field to set break aways off for our more creative players.

Canales and de Marcos:
Both are to sit back and tuck in to help our full backs when commanded to do so. Both will use their pace down the wings when receiving the ball and will break down their wings an slip or cross the ball high or low into the box for Villa to get on the end of. Both are also free to have a shot on goal.

Xavi:
He will receive the ball off our DM's and break with our wingers down the field on the counter. He will slip the ball through the opposition defence for Villa to get on the end of. Xavi is also free to have a shot on goal.

Villa:
He is to get himself in the box and get on the end of every ball coming into the box. He needs to make himself big and strong as well. When the three behind him go on the break we need him to break quickly as well.

Subs if Losing/Drawing:
Soldado on for Iturraspe (70 mins)
Cuenca on for Canales (70 mins)

The system will change to a 4-4-2 with Xavi taking Iturraspe's place in midfield and Soldado joining Villa up top. Soldado's job will be to produce knock downs for Villa to get on the end of once coming on. With Cuenca on for Canales been like for like.

Subs if winning:
No changes to be made.

Set pieces:
Freekicks short: de Marcos
Freekicks long: Xavi
Pens: Villa
Corners: Xavi
Captain: Xavi

For freekicks and corners:
We want Godin, Dominguez and Martins-Indi to go up for set pieces into the oppositions box. Arbeloa, de Marcos and Iturrapse all stay back on the half-way line to avoid been done on the counter-attack from set pieces. Canales is to stand just outside the box for any knock downs that come his way and have a shot on goal.

Tippy there is a typo in my tactics early on. Ignore where it says Cornelius upfront, obviously it is Lens. A copy and paste error

Shrewsbury Town tactics vs. Blackpool (H)

-------------------------------Zieler-----------------------------
---------Aurier------Evans--------Nastasic----Schmelzer--
---------------------Montolivo-----L Bender-----------------
-----Blaszcykowski------Mkhitaryan----------Rodriguez--
--------------------------------Ba------------------------------

Subs: Kirchhoff, Davies, Neustadter, Lampard, Di Natale

Today, we are taking the game to the opposistion. Although we are as comfortable without the ball as with it (and thus can exploit any space that they may leave with the well honed counter-attacking at speed that we have adopted in recent weeks) we are going to look to get on the front foot in this match. We are playing attacking, direct, football. Direct doesn't mean 'hoofball' tactics; but rather moving it forwards, at pace and with presence rather than sideways with the necessity to keep possesion. We want to play probing passess to players in space, and exploit the weakness that Blackpool have, in that they expose their Center backs too readily.

Zieler is an International Goalkeeper, who knows his job inside out. He will be coming to collect balls into the box, and exerting confidence onto his defense through his organisational skills. He will command this defence, and also as a fantastic shot stopper will be able to prevent any efforts on goal hitting the back of the net. In order to effectively launch us on the counter, Zieler will distribute quickly through his throwing to players in space.

Aurier and Schmelzer, are defenders and thus their primary role is to defend. We want them to stand as close to their wide men as possible, as there is no way that either of them will be beat for pace by the more technically-based Blackpool wingers. They will mark them out of the game meaning that they are not an option for the Blackpool passing which will in turn put pressure on their play and mean they are less likely to maintain possession. When their wingers do get the ball, they must show their respective men onto their weaker foot. Aurier must remain in defence at all times, as it is likely that Blackpool will play either two men up front or one in the 'pocket' and thus we will always have an extra man in defence. However, Schmelzer will be the man providing the width down the left wing as he looks to get beyond Rodriguez and pull the Blackpool full back into all sorts of trouble as the Columbian cuts inside, whilst he gets past on the overlap. Evans and Nastasic are now a well honed partnership, and can deal with any attack with their combination of pace, strength and mobility. If Blackpool play Kagawa in behind the CF, Nastasic will pick up the main CF and seek to isolate him whilst Evans picks up the Japanese playmaker's runs into the box. If Sturridge plays up front with the CF, it is likely he will be attempting to make darting runs in behind, and thus no matter there formation we will be holding a deep defensive line, on the edge of the box. In this instance, Evans will be able to pick up the runs of the Englishman whilst Nastasic can place pressure on the main CF. Both are comfortable on the ball, and thus should look to use this technique to help get us going forwards with impoteous and quickly. To reiterate, to prevent any space getting in behind us and to ensure Blackpool commit excessive number's forward we will be holding a relatively deep defensive line.

Lars Bender is a tough tackling, yet comfortable on the ball midfielder who spends a lot of his time at DM. Therefore, we want him to adopt these skills onto the game today. His presence will mean that any Blackpool AM does not have time on the ball with his pressurising and combatitive nature. Bender is also adept at getting his head up however, when he has won it and should look to get us moving forwards. However, the primary person who should do this is Montolivo. He is our deep-lying playmaker. He will be the man that provides the go-forwards in our attack as he sits deep and picks out passes that find the players in space which in turn allow us to adopt our hard running-quick passing direct brand of football. Blackpool play with Wing Backs, who often leave their CB's exposed and thus his first thought should be to try and find our widemen who can exploit this flaw in their tactics. Both Midfield men will sit deep (although Bender has the license and capacity to break from this posistion) providing us with a good framework from which we can play our direct football, which is built upon the pressure they provide in midifeld. This pressure will leave Pirlo chasing the shadows, which will tire the old man out. When the Italian Playmaker gets on the ball, it is imperitive that one of these two shuts him down and closes the space in which he has to find a pass.

Henrik Mkhitaryan is a player who is adept at playing both the AM role, and one slightly deeper. This means in defence he will be able to help shut down their midfield (effectively meaning we will out number them 3 - 2 in the centre of the park) and thus give us more time on the ball to exploit the weaknesses in their defence. He is our most advanced 'creative' threat and as such, when on the ball he should be looking to use his movement to create space for himself as others as well as using his passing to utilise our link up play. The essence of his play is our directness, his passing is to go forwards, not sideways - ensuring we are never on the back foot. When the ball goes out wide he should look to join Ba in the box causing the Blackpool CB's a dilemma as to what to do. Blaszcykowski is an exmeplary winger, who is going to be a nuisance in Blackpools side. With most of our play looking to go out wide, he will be picking it up and looking to run hard and fast at the space left by Blackpool's Wing-Backs who are more concerned with
Attack than defence. This space will give him the time to pick out the perfect shot or pass, and thus be a problem for them all game. Rodriguez is a different, more techincal type of winger and he will exploit their Wing Backs through cutting inside and running hard at the CB's who will effectively have three players (Ba, Henrikh and Rodriguez) to deal with meaning they are always a man short. This will cause panic, and leave a player in space and it is Rodriguez job to either find this man, or feed in Schmelzer on the overlap so he can whip the ball into Ba.

Ba is the complete forward, and he is going to press the Blackpool CB's forward with his size, presence and suprising pace. He will be looking to stand as far up the pitch as possible, which will in turn force their defence back and create space for our AM's to play in. He has a superb touch, and good link up play meaning he can get involved in the match and our go-forwards moves all the time; but his main priority will be to get on top of their defenders (none of whom are majorly physical) and cause havoc, creating space for himself and others so he can be given the chances to put the ball in the net as he has done so well for us since arriving.

So, we want to attack with pace and directness - particularly exploiting the space they leave out wide which will leave both their midfield, and CB's outnumbered, meaning at home we can dominate the game.

Captain: Blaszcykowski
Set Pieces: Rodriguez
Penalties: Ba

Subs:

If losing/Drawing after 75 mins: Di Natale > Mkhitaryan, two up front
If losing/Drawing after 80 mins: Lamparrd > Bender, breaking runs from deep causing havoc

If winning after 75 mins: Neustadter > Mkhitaryan, plays as a DM anchor man.

Starting Line Up:

---------------------------Friedel----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------Garay------------Umtiti-------------------
Rafael---------------------------------------------Cissokho
----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------Capoue---------Pirlo---------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
---Nani-------------------------------------------Gaitan----
----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------Van Persie--------Pato-------------------


Subs: Günter, Strootman, Sarabia, Wijnaldum, Drogba

Captain: Pirlo
Vice Captain: Van Persie

Penalties: Pirlo
Freekicks: Van Persie


We'll be adopting an attack minded 4-4-2 this week, with new recruit Daniel Sturridge partnering RVP up top. Our wing play will be important and we have 4 very fit and mobile players down the flanks.

Brad Friedel will be in the man between the sticks, he'll be very vocal making sure everybody stays alert and sharp throughout the game. He'll be looking to hit the center backs from goal kicks (mainly Garay), we won't be pumping long balls aimlessly forward.

Garay and Umtiti will be the center backs, they have the pace to play a high line. Garay will be the one of the two who brings the ball out from defence. He'll look to get the ball to Pirlo. Umtiti is tough in the tackle but also has the speed and discipline. Both will venture forward for set pieces, with the fullbacks and Capoue sitting back to counteract us being hit on the break.

Rafael and Cissokho, will be operating as our wing backs. They'll be providing the cover down the flanks and the width for our attacks. They'll be looking the get forward and keep the oppositions wide men pegged back in their own half. The further away they are from our goal, the better.

Capoue takes up his place anchoring the midfield, his job will be to sit and mop up. He won't be venturing very far forward, he'll let the others in front of him do the attacking side of things. Pirlo will sit as the deep lying play maker, he'll be looking to get the ball from the defence and feed the attack. Our wing backs will always be an option, even if just to draw the opposition away and give Pirlo the space to create.

Nani and Gaitan come back to play out wide / inside forwards. Their work rate will be important, they'll be looking to get the ball back off the opponents as quickly as they can so we can mount attacks closer to their goal. They can both cut inside, or look to one of the wing backs bombing down the flanks. Without the ball they will be helping out the fullbacks so that the opposition struggle in wide areas to make anything happen.

Van Persie and Pato will be the two up top, both are able to cut inside onto their stronger feet, with support from the the wings if they want an out ball.
Pato is quick and skillful, he'll be looking to beat players and thread the ball towards the penalty spot for RVP or accross the 6 yard box for the winger on the opposite side of the pitch.
Pato will also be asked to make runs across the box, acting like an offensive screen, pulling the center backs out of position and giving RVP room to get shots off on goal.


If winning after 70 minutes:

Strootman will come on for Pato and we'll move to a 4-5-1, with Strootman coming in along side Pirlo and Capoue.
Wijnaldum will come on for Nani to add some freshness on the flank.


If losing after 70 minutes:

Strootman will come in for Capoue, Sarabia for Nani and then with 5 to go Drogba for Pato

----------------------Casteels
---Lahm------Howedes---Kompany------Alaba
------Sergio Busquets-----Gundogan
--Thomas Muller----Juan Mata------Marco Reus
----------------------Lewandowski

Subs: Caulker, Kevin de Bruyne, Obiang, El Shaarawy, Luis Muriel


Formation: 4-2-3-1 (Changing into a 4-3-3
Freekicks: Mata
Penalties: Alaba
Corners: Juan Mata (Kompany comes up)
Captain: Lahm


Game Plan + Defence: We will start off in a 4-2-3-1 formation, relying on Lahm and Alaba to do what they do best, and really attack the flanks, with Muller and Marco Reus playing out wide in the wing roles, drifting inside, allowing space for the FB's. Lahm especially, must look to get those fantastic crosses into the penalty are, where Lewandowski can launch himself at the ball, or where Marco Reus will be lurking. On the other side, Alaba is very fast, and is a terrific dribbler, so he must look to take on his man, and venture into the Harrogate half as much as possible, and look to play short 1-2's with the likes of Gundogan and Mata. Both of these Fullbacks must come back at all times, to prevent Harrogate's pacy side from hurting us on the counter. Alongside them, Howedes and Kompany are a strong a pairing as any. They are a real force to be reckoned with, and whilst Howedes isn't fastest, he is extremely good in the air, and a brilliant leader at the back, and he must position himself well at every set piece, marking the attacker that likes to make difficult runs to the back post. Kompany on the other hand, will tackle the tall men, or those good in the air, as Vincent leave's no victims in that territory. He must also use his long legs as an asset to take the ball away from the toes of attackers, but must stay clean. Both of our CB's are strictly told to keep their hands out of their way, and to control their tackles, and not go lunging in on forwards giving away cheap freekicks. Kompany is also a great passer of the ball, so must not be afraid to step into midfield, and caress the ball all he likes, as long as risky passes/back passes are prevented. Neither of our defenders must be afraid to clear the ball long when in danger, but generally, we will look to pass the ball out of defence.

Moving on from defence, we will be playing a lovely mix of midfielders in our central 3. Gundogan will be the dictator, pulling all the strings from central midfield. His excellent vision, and eye of the needle passes will help unlock Cambuur's defence, as we look to play in Muller and Marco Reus, whilst Muller and Marco must drop back to receive short passes, before passing it on again. Busquets will be our DM, and is the best in the world at breaking play down and passing out of danger, so he must do this against their AM but must be wary of stepping forward without protection, as we can get out done on the counter, but he will be looking to always get the ball rolling, and sometimes tap his way around their Midfield. Busquets is an expert in controlling, and holding the ball, and Alongside him is one of the best CM's in the game

If we are lacking creativity in AM, Gundogan must step up further, where he and Mata can cause real problems, but must not neglect defensive duties, and his immense determination and vision must combine with his pressing ability to always win the ball back when we lose it. Gundogan offers great drive from midfield, and his powerful shots are an added bonus to us. His passing is always accurate, and he must look to supply Muller and Reus with sly passes and through balls, to try and find a way in behind Harrogate's defence. Ahead of him, Juan Mata will be playing AM, where he is a magician. Mata’s role is crucial to our team. He is the one that brings all the flair to the table and with superb passing skills and quick thinking ability, his main aim will be to slip in one of our forwards. If there comes a time when the ball breaks to him, he must use his silky feet to slip away from defenders and find space, and he must not forget that he will almost always have support in Gundogan. All midfielders should be able to cover our Fullback's runs, so if Alaba is caught out, we must rely on Gundogan to move into his position, and cover for him, and same with Busquets on the other side. This will ensure that we will always have our full backs cover


Up ahead, Muller and Marco Reus start iout wide in the 4-2-3-1, with strict instructions to revert to a 4-3-3 when we need to attack centrally:


--Gundogan--------Busquets
-----------------Mata
---Muller-----------------Resus

This will make us more threatening in the central areas, and give’s us a central threat, if we need it. It will also conjure up more space for Mata to thrive off, where he has time to spot runs and passes, but the role of our FB will become more important, as they will need to run into all the space left when Reus and Muller drift inside. However, if we need to attack Harrogate out wide, our 2 wide men must look to go back outside with Mata going up a notch, allowing our two wingers to confuse opposition defenders and create up a great understanding with the midfielders. Muller has brilliant dribbling skills, and very quick feet, and he must look to turn away from oppressors when he has the chance, before using his brilliant vision to find a Dagenham shirt. His brilliant versatility means we cover almost every position in the right side of the pitch, as Muller likes to come inside, but doesn’t mind going by the touchline and crossing inside on his favourite right foot. He must look to get some brilliant crosses onto the heads of Lewandowski, or the feet of Marco Reus, but also should look to set up Mata/Gundoganl, who will no doubt be lurking just outside the box, for a volley or long shot. On the other side, Marco Reus is a brilliant finisher, and he loves to take on his man, whilst he’s always reliable when it comes to making runs off the last man. His rapid pace must see him chase the ball every time it breaks loose, whilst his lethal runs will always be a danger to Harrogate. He is also a genius at winning penalties, and must look to trick his way into the box using a wide range of skills to frighten the defence. His brilliant link up play with Lewandowski will see the 2 combining well, as Marco Reus is fantastic at finding his man, whilst Lewandowski’s passing is extremely good for a striker. If any chance falls to Reus, he must take it, as his finishing is a brilliant asset, and he must always be a mirror to Muller, when it comes to formation, as soon as we revert to a 4-3-3, he and Muller must come inside, with our two FB bombing up. Likewise, when we change back to a 4-2-3-1, our wingers will both automatically hug the touchline, cutting in only when they have support.

NOTE: Marco Reus and Muller will start off as wingers, but as soon as we do a formation switch, they will act as inside forwards, before reverting as we do

Up front, Lewandowski is having an excellent season, and part of that goes to his partnership with Marco Reus, so the 2 of them must look to combine at every opportunity. He must also look to to finish off every chance that falls his way, and he is brilliant in the air, so must outmuscle the defenders, when it comes to taking crosses of Lahm and Muller. He will rely on his extreme Pace, positioning, Technical ability and Finishing Prowess and look to crumble the Harrogate defence, with his brilliant knack of finding the back of the net

Subs:

Winning on 60mins: Obiang > Gundogan, excellent physical presence in the centre of midfield

Winning on 75: De Bruyne > Muller, Mata going out right, this will make Mata and Reus both the same in the respect that they love cutting inside, and will free up more space for Our FB. De Bruyne is an excellent passer, so must always look to make things happen

Losing/Drawing 60: El Shaarawy > Reus, much bigger goalscoring threat.

Losing/Drawing 75: Luis Muriel > Muller, Mata out wide, in a 4-2-2, with Muriel and Lewandowski an excellent combo up front

----------------Courtois
Azpilicueta--Luiz--Dante--Monreal
----------Gonalons--Beñat
Lamela----------Hazard-----Draxler
-----------------Cavani

Subs: Bertrand, Sissoko, Totti, Icardi, Insigne

Captain: Luiz
Free Kicks: Cavani
Penalties: Cavani
Corners: Draxler

Game Plan:
After some dreadful results we look to go back to basics, defend as a unit, 110% committed in every challenge not allowing them any rhythm and then attack with flair and fluidity, we want to show off our attacking ability, moving the ball around finding the spaces and opening up the defence with some good inter play.

Tactics:
Courtois will command his area, looking to come and collect crosses and relieve pressure on the defence.

FBs will take it in turns to support the attack, getting down the line to stretch the Bury defence and link with the wingers to put crosses in. Defensively they will face up to the wingers and show them down the line, not allowing them to cut inside and link with the striker as we look to suffocate him and keep him out of the game. The FBs will push the wingers right out wide and make it as difficult as possible to get a good cross in.

Dante and Luiz form a formidable partnership at the heart of our defence. Luiz will be attacking the first ball, he reads the play wonderfully and will look to cut the attack out before the ball reaches the front man, stopping attacks quickly and putting possession back in our favour. Dante reacts to anything that beats Luiz, he reads the game very well and will get rid of the second ball, he can watch for midfield runners too and stop them from finding spaces in our defence. When defending under pressure, Dante and Luiz swap roles so Dante is tight to the striker, beating him in the air and getting tackles in, whilst Luiz covers. Both are excellent on the ball and can get us on the attack quickly with incisive passing from the back.

Gonalons will act as the DM, staying deep in the midfield and getting tight to the oppositions AM, stifling his movement and stopping him from getting any time on the ball to dictate the play. Be strong in the tackle and always be on the toes of the AM. On te ball he is a good passer he keeps us in possession and provides a deep option. Beñat will look to link defence and attack with his superb passing, he picks up space in the midfield and looks to free the forwards to attack the defence. Always moving around linking things up simply or when the right run is made carving open the opposition. He will press hard in midfield and not let the opposition get into a rhythm or keep hold of the ball.

The three behind the striker are versatile and have free roles to go where they lack and attack with fluidity. Hazard will be the main man in the side, finding pockets of space to get on the ball and drive at the opposition back line with his fantastic acceleration. He uses the players around him as support and as decoys to really stamp his authority on this game. Get on the ball take players on, use passing to link up and never be afraid to have a shot. We want to see him everywhere on the pitch and really making a nuisance of himself. Lamela and Draxler use their clever movement to make runs around Hazard and open things up for us, they link up well with intricate passing and create chances for themselves and the team. They can introduce width into our game by taking on the FBs and stretching the game, getting plenty of crosses in for Cavani and linking up with our FBs.

Cavani looks to occupy the CBs using his brilliant strength and pace to cause them problems. Hold the ball up and lay it off to players in space, linking things up and making runs to drag defenders as well as getting in on goal. Take the defence on for pace and get at goal or play a clever pass in for a team mate. He will attack all the crosses.

Subs:

If Winning: Sissoko for Beñat 70', stronger the tackle and bags of energy. Totti and Bertrand for Hazard and Draxler 80', fresh legs to keep us in the lead.

If Drawing: Insigne for Draxler 70', look to use his extra pace to drive at the defence. Sissoko for Beñat 75', try and attack with extra pace and power. Icardi for Cavani 80', fresh legs and an eye for goal.

If Losing: Totti for Monreal 70', 3-5-2 with Totti alongside Cavani but dropping off and finding spaces to create chances. Sissoko for Gonalons 75', extra power and drive from deep. Icardi for Draxler 80', Totti into AM, Icardi up front to poach us a goal.

-------------------------Adler
Balzaretti—Burdisso—Diawara—Veloso—Gibbs
-----------------Rode-----Wilshere
Chamberlain------Rosicky---------Ince

Subs – Fabianski, Huntelaar (For Rosicky 75), Jelavic, Niang, Yesil

Game Plan: I have decided to play a defensive false 9 formation today. The false 9 formation and the park the bus tactics are arguably the most successful tactics in the league so mixing them together is sure to be a major success. I want all 5 of my defenders to stay back. They are not allowed forward. We must make sure we keep things tight, cancel out the other team. I want us to stick 10 men behind the ball. I would also like us to play a bit dirty. If injuring their players is the way to defend then so be it. It is their fault for using awful tactics like attacking . When we have the ball I just want us to hoof it forward and hope that one of our wingers will run onto it. Try and get a penalty by getting “fouled” in the right areas. The ref will not tell if its a real foul or not if you are good at it.

Adler should stop the ball going in the net. That is his job. Commanding the defence also.

Diawara should just stay in his position protecting the keeper. He must clear all the balls away from the goal. He should push the opposition players away. Burdisso, Diawara and Veloso must stay in a deep position and closing up any space that the strikers will target. They must bully the striker or strikers off the ball and keep them man marked. As a result the opposition with find it difficult to create chances through him. Protecting Diawara and the keeper is important. Stay back and act physical. Burdisso should use his height and strength to keep the striker(s) out of the game. I want him to keep with that attacker at all times not allowing him to break up space. If he tries to move Burdisso away and allow space to occur then he should temporarily leave him and try and trap him offside. He should try and header every ball out of the box or kick it away. When he does kick it away he should kick it towards the wings so that we can create a counter attack. He should stay back when we’re attacking unless we have a corner or free kick. Veloso should use his experience and strength to keep potential runners into the box out. We do not want any space opened up. He should look to keep command of the defensive line making sure it’s not too high but not too deep.
Diawara should just put his body in front of any attacker. I don’t care if those pansys fall down or get a booboo because they need to see what real football is like. They must all stay back and keep their bodies behind the ball. Dont be afraid to injure their players.

Balzaretti must always stay back keeping the wing clear and ensuring no one can cut through into the centre. I want him to keep his body behind the ball pushing players back down the players. Dont be afraid to make a dangerous tackle. While defending Balzaretti should try and push the player back. This means it gives our players the chance to get into their positions and also limiting any attacking options for them. If he can’t do that he should push him out wide to a position where he has to kick the ball off. This is because running into the box would be dangerous for us to handle so this will be prevented. Gibbs should act as a full back This is because we want to create some stability at the back. They will be dangerous so if we look to keep most of our players back we can prevent goals from occurring. Again I don’t want him attacking. Keep his body behind the ball and stay in a defensive line with the others. He must kick his opponents if it means defending the goal. Do most the jobs that Balzaretti has to do.

Rode will act as a wall in front of the defence. He should look to disrupt their attacking play and be in the oppositions face, and watch the advances of their playmaker who will break from midfield and make runs into the box. Rode has the power to cope with the strength of their playmaker and also the pace to follow the runs made by him. He will break late and Rode should watch the runs into the box and look to cope with the balls put into the box which are heading for this player. He should not break forward but hold his position and not get caught up field. I want him to control the style of the game we play. While acting as cover for our defence he should also separate the midfield from the defence by keeping hold of the ball and form attacks. Rode must act as protection of the back 5 and then supplying the ball to the wings or just smack it forward. He should constantly stay with the defence, giving any player trying to break into it a kick or two. He will be like a 4th centre back but moved slightly further forward.

Wilshere will be our box-box midfielder. This means he will be linking our defence with our attack. He should take hold of the ball and then make runs forward and then supplying it to any of the front 4 ahead. When we’re attacking I want him to move up and stay in space. This will mean he will be an option for the others to pass to. He should also look to open up space for the other attacking players. When off the ball he should be a ball winning player by standing in front of their players and also covering up any spaces. Wilshere should use his pace and strength to make runs into the box and opening up space for Rosicky. It should do the same for the wingers as well. He will look to supply the ball to the wingers as well. He must make runs all around the front of the defence going right, left and centre. This will create himself as an added option for his wingers and also open up space for the other central players to run into. This will also cause his defensive midfielder to move out of position and allow our wingers to use that space by running into the centre or the other 2 central midfielders to run into. However he does have defensive duties so when we are off the ball he must stick with Rode giving their players kicks and pushing them off the ball. He should move his body in front the attacker.

I want Chamberlain to use his skill to keep the ball and then try and make runs into the box. This will cause the defender to follow him and opening up space for the full back to run into. As he will be playing as a deep winger (a winger who is further back nearer the defence) he must use his pace to outrun the full back but also his quality control of the ball to dribble round him. When we’re off the ball I want him to make runs back to help protect the defence by helping Balzaretti cover their full back. They should both pressurise him to make a mistake or remove the ball from that area. Chamberlain should also be cautious of the other midfielders. When defending a corner he should stay just outside the box so that he can start a counter attack when or if we win the ball back. I would like Ince to do the same as Chamberlain in this case. Both Ince and Chamberlain should look for penalties and free kicks. This will be our best opportunities for goals. This may seem like cheating but its not we are simply playing to our strengths.

Rosicky should as a false 9 which means he will drop deep in attack and then start an attack. This could mean using his wingers as an attacking option. This should mean the defenders will follow him therefore freeing up space for the players such as Wilshere, Chamberlain and Ince to threaten the goal in. Rosicky will act as a coordinator in attack by creating opportunities for the players around him. He too should get into space to make himself an option in attack. Rosicky should also look for an easy free kick/penalty. When off the ball he should fall back and help the midfield defend. Make an ugly tackle or two just to get the ball.

FK – Wilshere
PK – Wilshere
CK - Ince

"If he tries to move Burdisso away and allow space to occur then he should temporarily leave him and try and trap him offside"



Genius Willy

I put 5 at the back and 2 people in front protecting the defence with the front 3 also coming back when off the ball and ill probably still concede 4 or 5

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Ah - Captain is Daniel Agger, short range free kicks - Eriksen, Long range - Alderweireld

---------------------Stegen-------------
Zabaleta—Subotic—Hummels—Alba
-------------Carrick------Alonso----------
Pedro------------Fabregas--------Cazorla
---------------------Lukaku-------------------

Subs: Forster, Okore, Thiago, Deulofeu, Bony

Todays game plan is to match and better Crawley at their own game, we have a fantastic back 5 who have been playing together for a while and are starting to gel together, being protected by two fantastic DMs playing in a highly talented MF. I want us to try and get on top early on and stifle Crawley, with the ball we have players who are fantastic at operating in small spaces, keeping the ball and eventually finding space to cut a team open, so we are happy to overrun them in the middle, making it a very tight place to play. Doing this we need to make sure we do it as a team perfectly, leaving no gaps at all and no-one should be diving in and leaving space in behind them. With this tactic our ‘wingers’ will mostly be coming inside, which means our FBs need to be up and down providing width, I’ve picked them because they both have an incredible amount of energy and we have the DMs to help cover and accommodate them. Going forward I want us playing a patient passing game, a little like Spain. Pass and move with the 3 behind the striker dragging the opposition all over the place, creating gaps to exploit. I also want them involving Lukaku in the build up play, who is brilliant at holding the ball up, drawing players into him and then releasing the ball, leaving space from the players he brought into him for others. When we get around the box, however, Lukaku must be looking to get off the shoulder of the defender, looking for the little slip through, cross in, or even just to beat the defenders to a loose ball after a shot.

Stegen: Playing our possession game he might not be too busy today, so he needs to stay alert and keep his concentration. I also want him communicating with the back 4 all game, especially Hummels, to let them know where he wants them. If he keeps talking for the full 90 then his concentration shouldn’t drop. We know he’s a great presence who is brilliant at shot stopping and taking crosses, so in the regard I just want him to do what he always does.

Zabaleta and Alba: Both are vital to our gameplan today, they’re both brilliant defensively and offensively and full of running, the work rate we get from them could be key. First and foremost they are defenders so they must make sure they only get forward when they know they won’t be leaving masses of space in behind them, and if they are leaving any they must know that it is covered. Getting forward will still be important for them however as we want them providing width and giving overlapping runs for the midfielders, not only does this give us an extra option with getting balls in the box for Lukaku, it also takes a man away from the player in possession, giving them a little more time/space to pick a pass.

Hummels and Subotic: A great defensive partnership that’s starting to develop even more within the rest of the team now, as shown by our first clean sheet of the season. They will be getting a lot of cover from the midfield so will be allowed to purely do their job – Subotic will be picking up any player who comes into the CF area and will not be allowing him any time or space what so ever. It’ll be important to stay alert and keep an eye on runners as it’s likely Forest will line up with no out and out striker and will rotate the role between 3 forward players, so he must be alert all game – Hummels and Stegen will talk with him all game, keeping him on his toes. Hummels will be organising the defence, as well as instructing the two DMs in front of him what space they need to occupy. With the help of the DMs this should mean Hummels will be able to act as a spare man, so he can use his reading of the game to almost play as a sweeper at points and pick up any loose balls coming through and start attacks from the back, as he is great with the ball.

Carrick and Alonso: Two players that will offer a lot of protection for the back four, as that is their natural game, but they’re also very capable of joining in with a possession based game, pressing the opposition and allowing the dangerous attacking players to do their thing. They need to play a very disciplined game, making sure that no-one gets any space in between the midfield and defence, or any time in the midfield to shoot or pick a pass. They must also cover the full backs and help the 3 in front of them with the pressing game, however one must always be sat directly in front of the back four as it’s important we give Forest no space in these areas. They can alternate between which role they do at any one time as long as the tactics are being stuck to. In possession they are both good on the ball and just need to keep it simple, picking out the players in front of them who will always be moving around, looking for the ball. They will look to pick the ball up from the defence and start attacks, as well as picking the ball up going home and start attacks again, keeping the pace of the game ticking over as we’d like it. Ideally I’d like Carrick dictating the game a bit more, with Alonso doing more of the defensive work, but both are capable of doing either so it doesn’t matter too much.

Pedro, Fabregas and Cazorla: How these three line up today is largely unimportant, Fabregas will start through the middle but if he wants to try his luck out wide then he can switch with Cazorla or Pedro very swiftly. All are very versatile and can keep the ball in tight spaces, keep moving it and moving off the ball, dragging players out of position and creating space for each other. All are capable of finding an intricate killer pass to cut open a defence, but they can equally score a beauty of a goal from distance, so I don’t want them to be afraid to shoot, or even cross, given that we have Lukaku in the box. They should also be looking for the overlapping runs of the FBs and shouldn’t be afraid to go home and start again. In summary, with the ball I have no real instructions for them, they’re great players and will gel together in a fantastic way, I just want them to play their natural game. Without the ball I just want them to bust a gut to get back in position (any position in the AM 3, as long as all 3 are filled) and press the ball with the rest of the team.

Lukaku: Today this man will be the focal point of the attack, great at holding the ball up, running the channels and a monster in the air he’s proven to be too much for most defenders this season and that will continue today. I want him looking for the ball into feet a lot as he can draw defenders into him, but still hold them off and get a pass away, this creates space for the players behind him to run into which they might not otherwise get. He will also be an ‘out ball’ for the defence – if under and great pressure they can hit it long to him (last resort) for him to chase/flick down/hold up. He should have a great understanding with the 3 behind him now, so I want him always on his toes trying to anticipate what’s coming from them, giving them options, and once we get in and around the penalty area I want him ready to attack the ball ferociously.


Subs: If winning around 70 mins: Thiago for Carrick and Deulofeu for Cazorla, both a straight swap to give us fresh legs in the middle of the park to keep playing a pressing game.

85 mins – Bony for Lukaku, straight swap.

If losing/drawing around 65 mins:

--------Subotic—Hummels---Okore-----
Zabaleta-----------Alonso------------Alba
----------------Cazorla----Fabregas-------
----------------Lukaku-------Bony--------

Okore and Bony for Carrick and Pedro to offer us a more direct threat and more down the wings, with Carrick playing solely to help the defence, letting the FBs push on and get balls in the box.

Deulofeu to replace Cazorla after 80 mins.

Shrewsbury vs. Dagenham and Redbridge

------------------------------Zieler-----------------------------
-----Debuchy--------Evans-----Kirchhoff----Schmelzer--
-----------------------------Khedira--------------------------
------------------Mkhitaryan----Montolivo--------------
------Blaszcykowski----------------------------Cerci------
-------------------------------Ba-----------------------------

Subs: Oblak, Davies, Lampard, Hughes, Di Natale

We are playing against a strong and attack-minded D&R side today, and we happy to let them take the game towards us as we adopt a counter-attacking style of play. Content not to have the ball, with our extra man in midfield we will stifle their play and absorb any pressure they create before breaking forwards at speed with direct, quick and fluid play.

Zieler is an international-class goalkeepr and he has a point to prove. He will be looking to exert confidence through claiming any balls into the box, and with his shot stopping ability will repel any efforts they have on goal. In order to launch us on the counter, he will distribute it quickly with good throws and kicking to players who are in space.

This is a settled, experience, pacey, strong and well honed defence. Evans and Kirchhoff are two of the best young CB's around; and between them they will have more than enough to deal with any physicality or pace that D&R may have up front. Likely to play only one striker, this means they will be able to nullify the space for him to get into, with Evans picking up any extra runners into the box from deep when neccessary. Debuchy and Schmelzer are going to stick to their respective sides; trying to take the wingers out of the game by limiting the space that they have to play in through sticking to them. They must remember that their primary role is to defend, and in doing so they will show their man to the crowded center of the pitch and thus out of any danger. However, when counter-attacking, due to the presence of Khedira as Anchor man they will be able to join in at speed (only one of them, so as not to leave us exposed) and get on the overlap in order to create space for others/get the ball into the box. As a general rule of thumb, the defensive line will be quite deep - around the edge of the box - to allow little space for the opposition to attack into.

Khedira is our Anchor Man. There to break up the creative play of the opposition, it is his presence in defence that will cause problems for them. It will mean that their creative players in behind the striker have no room to find 'pockets' of space due to his pressure and tough tackling nature. He will provide the basis of our midfield, and mean that we can break forward in numbers. Montolivio is a player whose passing ability is 2nd to none. Also prepared to put in a good defensive shift, he will be a part of those who look to close down the opposition midfield - this trio should easily be able to get on top of their two men. When on the ball, he is acting as an effective deep lying play maker, looking for the runs of those - or the possibility to get it to Ba so he can hold up the ball. The range of passing is very good, and he can draw players into him before picking out the man in space. This ability to draw players in and pass quickly and precisely is key to the 'transistion' phase of us counter attacking. Mkhitaryan on the other hand, doesn't have the same defensive responsibilities - however when off the ball he should still be looking to close them down and limit their space. The key for him however is his dangerous runs from deep. These will be troublesome for the opposistion as they will leave him space in between their midfield and defensive lines. From here, he can shoot pass and play on instinct. He is there to create opportunities in the final third, in the AMC posistion, however he will be difficult to pick up as he's sitting deep initially. This breaking from deep is directly conjucive to this counter-attacking yet direct brand of football and therefore he will be able to fit in.

Blaszcykowski is the player who provides genuine width to the side. He will be looking to find space in our counter attacks left by their adventurous full backs. He will be attacking this and looking to get the ball into Ba with dangerous low crosses that are difficult for their immobile defence to deal with. On the other hand, Cerci is a more skillful and tricky player who will look to be a danger through cutting inside (and using Blind on the overlap) or whipping the ball in to the box. He will look to utilise Ba's hold up play and link up play to play passess which beat the defence and create space for himself and others. His nuisance threat is perfect for this style of football.

Ba is the complete forward. He his presence physically will push the D&R defence back towards their own goal, in turn creating space for us to counter-attack into. He will stay in and around the box, and in a good run of form he can score the chances that come his way due to the system we are adopting.

Captain: Khedira
Set Pieces (inc Pens): Montolivo

After 70 mins if losing/drawing: Lampard > Mkhitaryan
After 75 mins if losing/drawing: Di Natale > Montolivo, 4-4-2

After 75 mins if winning: Di Natale > Ba

Starting Line Up:

---------------------------Friedel----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------Garay------------Umtiti-------------------
Rafael---------------------------------------------Cissokho
----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------Capoue---------Pirlo---------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------Strootman---------------------------
---Nani-------------------------------------------Gaitan----
----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------Van Persie---------------------------


Subs: Günter, Giggs, Sarabia, Wijnaldum, Drogba

Captain: Pirlo
Vice Captain: Van Persie

Penalties: Pirlo
Freekicks: Van Persie



Brad Friedel will be in the man between the sticks, he'll be very vocal making sure everybody stays alert and sharp throughout the game. He'll be looking to hit the center backs from goal kicks (mainly Garay), we won't be pumping long balls aimlessly forward.

Garay and Umtiti will be the center backs. Garay will be the one of the two who brings the ball out from defence. He'll look to get the ball to Pirlo. Umtiti is tough in the tackle but also has the speed and discipline. Both will venture forward for set pieces, with the fullbacks and Capoue sitting back to counteract us being hit on the break.

Rafael and Cissokho, will be operating as our wing backs. They'll be providing the cover down the flanks and the width for our attacks. They'll be looking the get forward and keep the oppositions wide men pegged back in their own half. They've actually got very important jobs today in terms of nulifying the opponents attack-wise. Rafael is a lot quicker than Podolski, he'll be looking to close the German down quickly giving him no time to get a sight on goal. With Capoue and Garay in surrounding areas Podolski will find himself being frozen out of the game as he doesn't have the pace to get in behind. Should Sanchez start out right as expected, Cissokho will look to put him on his weaker left foot, bringing him inside where he's less effective. This should mean their center forward receives very little service into the box.

Capoue takes up his place anchoring the midfield, his job will be to sit and mop up. He won't be venturing very far forward, he'll let the others in front of him do the attacking side of things. Pirlo will sit as the deep lying play maker, he'll be looking to get the ball from the defence and feed the attack. Our wing backs will always be an option, even if just to draw the opposition away and give Pirlo the space to create. There will be very little space in the middle of the park for the opposition to operate and their only option will be able to knock the ball out wide. Like Rafael, the two deep midfielders will not allow the opponents to get shots off, quickly closing down and crowding them out. Strootman will sit just in front to keep us a solid unit, he can get about and he'll be pulling the opponents around creating space for Pirlo to feed the wide men.

Nani and Gaitan are to play out wide / inside forwards. Their work rate will be important, they'll be looking to get the ball back off the opponents as quickly as they can so we can mount attacks closer to their goal. They can both cut inside, or look to one of the wing backs bombing down the flanks. Without the ball they will be helping out the fullbacks so that the opposition struggle in wide areas to make anything happen. They'll be looking to work triangles around the oppositions fullbacks, pulling them out of position, passing the ball and then running into the space created behind the fullback and receiving it.

Van Persie will lead the line, we'll play off of him, but we'll also look to get him shooting chances around the edge of the box. Strootman will support him, with the wide men running into dangerous areas to receive the ball or create some space.


If winning after 70 minutes:

Wijnaldum will come on for Nani to add some freshness on the flank.
Giggs will come in for Gaitan to bring in some experience and a calm head.


If losing after 70 minutes:

Pato will come in for Strootman and we'll move to a 4-2-2-2
Sarabia will come on for Nani

Crawley team and tactics:

---------------------------Asenjo---------------------------

Arbeloa--------Godin----------BMI----------Aurtenetxe

-----------------Suarez-----------Xavi--------------------------

Navas--------------------Canales----------------------Tello

----------------------------Soldado--------------------------------

Subs:
De Marcos, Cuenca, Morata, Amorebieta, Wallace

Game Plan:
Today we will sit back and hit the opposition on the counter-attack.

Jobs:
Asenjo:
He is to be big and strong with his one-on-one’s with the opposition players. He is also to be big and strong in the air and command his box well. Asenjo is to save every shot that comes in to him.

Arbeloa and Aurtenetxe:
These two are not allowed to go over the half-way line today. Their job is to sit back and protect or centre-backs from opposition players getting into the box. Both need to be big and strong in they tackles and command the wingers in front of them. Both also need to play the ball forward to our wingers to set our attacks off.

Godin and Bruno Martins-Indi:
Both need to be big and strong in they tackles. Both need to command the area around them and to be big and strong in the air. Whilst one is winning everything in the air the other needs to be clearing the ball away.

Suarez and Xavi:
Suarez is to be big and strong in his tackles and will protect the defence from on running opposition midfielders. Xavi is also to be disciplined this week to by falling runs from on breaking opposition midfielders. We also want Xavi to use his vision and send balls forward or out wide to set off our counter-attacks.

Canales, Navas, Tello:
All three are to use their pace and break forward quickly on the counter attacks. The wingers will pick balls up from either our full-backs or Xavi and break at the oppositions full backs with pace and get high crosses into the box for our striker to get on the end of. Navas and Tello will also need to tuck in and help out our full-back should the oppositions wingers and full backs be putting pressure on our full backs. Canales is to get the ball from Xavi and break forward with pace. He is slip through balls in the box for our striker to get on the end of. Canales, Navas and Tello have the licence to have a shot on goal should our striker be blocked off.

Soldado:
His job is to get himself on side and in the box throughout the match. He will be big and strong and use his power against the opposition centre-backs to get the better of them. He is to get on the end of all balls coming into the box.

At Set Pieces:
When we have set pieces Godin and BMI will go up and support Soldado in the box and add height in the box at corners and freekicks. Arbeloa, Aurtenetxe and Suarez will all stay in our half to avoid been done on the counter-attack. Canales is to stand outside the 18 yard box should the ball come flying out of the box and have a shot on goal.

Set Piece takers:
Corners: Xavi
Freekicks: Xavi
Pens: Xavi
Captain: Xavi

Subs:
If losing/Drawing:
Morata on for Canales (65 mins) – Morata joins Soldado up front in a 4-4-2

If winning:
Amorebieta on for Canales (70 mins) – Amorebieta joins Suarez in the DM role with Xavi moving forward.
De Marcos on for Xavi (85 mins) – like for like giving Xavi a break.

awful tactics