*Foster
on the first line
-------------------------Cech
Johnson---De Vrij-----Agger-----Clichy
-------------------------Inler
-------------Schweiny------Modric
Robben------------------------------------Ribery
---------------------Gomez
Subs
Begovic, Schmelzer, Juanfran, Payet, Dembele, Barry, Auby
Tactics
An attack-minded 4-3-3 formation with emphasis on keeping possession and playing with width to stretch the opposition.
Keeper
When distributing the ball, he should look to keep it simple and play the percentage pass. At crosses and set pieces, should look to punch rather than attempt any catches with an element of risk.
Full Backs
When going forward, the wingers will be playing a mostly wide game so should look to play behind the wingers, giving them an option to play it safely back if there is no forward option, and they should also look to provide width if the wingers cut inside. When defending, they should look to just track the wingers and aim to keep them on their wrong foot and block any crosses.
Centre Backs
Agger will compete with the striker for the aerial balls played up to him, and De Vrij will look to collect the 2nd ball, when the ball is on the floor, De Vrij will be the guy to venture forward to meet with the striker, and Agger will make sure he is making a covering run if De Vrij is beaten. When on the ball, if the opposition are giving them space to come out with the ball, then they should look to take it forward, if not, just look to play it simple to a man in space and retain possession.
Defensive Midfielder
Inler will look to just sit in front of the back 4, staying deep when the full backs go forward to keep defensive numbers up in case of a counter. When attacking, he will look to take the ball of the centre backs and play it forward to the CM's or out wide to one of the Full Backs.
Centre Mids
Both are comfortable on the ball, and both have engines to last the full 90 with a high energy game, when they are on the ball both midfielders are suited to looking for a pass, but can take the ball forward if the space is there, if either man is running with the ball, they are comfortable with shooting from outside the box, so should look to test the keeper quite often. When defending, they will look to use their workrate to press the opposition midfielders when they are on the ball.
Wingers
They should look to stay as wide as possible when they receive the ball to try and stretch the defensive line and create space for midfield runners and/or Gomez. When on the ball, both wingers have the ability to stay wide and put a cross in, or cut inside to try and make space for a shot, so should look to pick out which is the best option at the time, if they do cut inside, the full backs should have moved forward to occupy the touchline and provide an out ball if there is no other option. If they have taken the opposition full back out of the game, they shouldnt be afraid to go into the box, as defenders will be extra cautious to not give away a penalty, and this provides the option of just drilling a cross to Gomez or a simple drag back to an onrushing CM. When the opposite winger has the ball, the winger without the ball should look to find space between the CB and full back to add an extra body for any crosses or capitalise on any defensive errors.
Striker
When defending, he should look to keep tabs on the defensive midfielder to stop any easy balls being played back to him, when attacking, he should look do what he does best and thats pounce in the penalty box, so in build up play he should just keep it simple, not trying too extravagant and lose possession, and make his way into his second home.
Set Pieces
Corners - Robben and Ribery take inswinging corners, the 2 CB's go into the box, the FB's and Inler stay back to prevent counters, the CB's, and Gomez attack the ball, the CM's and the non taking winger take positions just outside the box to pick up any weak defensive headers or knockdowns.
Free Kicks - For direct FK's Modric and Ribery will shoot depending on which foot it favours. For Indirect FKs, follow the same directives for Corners
Penalties - Robben is the designated taker.
Subs
If Winning
68 mins - Juanfran for Robben - Fresh legs and extra defensive workrate.
76 mins - Barry and Auby for Modric and Gomez - Auby adds pace for counter attacks and provides the out ball. The wingers tuck back, but with the knowledge to get out quickly for the front 3 to try and counter if the opposition over-commit for a route back into the game. Barry slots in alongside Inler.
If Losing
71 mins - Dembele for Inler - extra attacking impetus in the midfield
77 Mins - Auby and Payet for Robben and Modric - We go to 4-2-4, with the wingers bombarding crosses in to the 2 big men with the other winger adding the third option.
Mind and use last weeks norwich tactics
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
Pompey vs QPR
-----------------------------Timo Horn--------
---Daniel Carvajal---David Luiz----Bonucci---Luke Shaw
----------------Javi Martinez---------Fellaini--
-----James Rodriguez------Mario Gotze--------Draxler
----------------------------Lewandowski
Subs: Lucas Moura, Lukaku, Icardi, Griezmann, Henderson, Matic, Papadopoulos
Game Plan: We will look to attack our opponents using a slick, pass and move game. We believe we have the abilities in defence to pass the ball out and start counter attacks, as Luiz is dynamic and will carry the ball forward, and alongisde him, Bonucci is an excellent passer of the ball, and mustn't be afraid of stepping into midfield at times to use his fantastic ball playing skills. Our two CB's must look to play the ball out if defence, as they both suit each other very well. Daniel Carvajal and Luke Shaw can also pick out a pass down the wings, and they should look to make supporting runs on the outside of our wingers. In midfield, Javi Martinez will defend our backline, and he is one of those DM's that will never give up, and always hassle and harry the opposition. He is also a very good passer, and he will look to spread play out to the wings, and break up play, before keeping the ball alongside Fellaini. Fellers is best known for his excellent aerial threat, physical presence and his great dominance in midfield so he will play in the b2b role, before turning into a kind of attacking mid when needed. Mario Gotze will control the game from AM, and will be in support of Robert Lewandowski at all times. He will look to pick the ball up from midway, and direct those shots into the corners. He will also look to use his top vision to find ways to release James and Julian Draxler. James' job will be to run at the LB, take him on, and whip in low balls for Lewandowski and Draxler, who are both guaranteed to finish them off. Julian Draxler will be on the other end, and use his dazzling dribbling ability, and superb acceleration to turn away from fullbacks, and clip in high balls for Lewandowski to throw himself at. Lukaku will be the one who will finish off every move, and he is top scorer in the League for a reason.His fantastic positioning and his marauding runs in the box will confuse opposition, and Lewandowski will then attempt to finish off every ball which comes into the box. Lewandowski will be winning everything in the air, and finishing with an aplomb. He his two-footed, and is a wonderful finisher, so will look to attack every ball, and link up well with James, Mario Gotze and Draxler. Luiz comes up for corners in the first half, Bonucci to come up for corners in the second half.
Target areas:-
LB: we will look to take advantage of QPR's weak LB spot, and make sure James takes advantage of him
DM: Although Lucho is still half decent, he is nit a DM at all, so we will look to over power him and make sure Gotze gets the better of him where the game will be won
RCB: Ogbonna is their only good CB, but we wil be targeting his partner, as Lewandowski will cripple him.
RB: Anyukov is very attacking, and this will be a real dream chance for Draxler to shine, with him looking to bathe in the space given to him, he will cause problems down the left, which shows we will have the advantage down both flanks.
ST: Damiao cant hit a barn door this season so will be fluffed out by our two excellent CB's
GK: He is awful, we will look to test him with every chance of a shot, and latch onto any parries, drops, bad punches, awful positioning etc
Freekicks - Gotze
Penalties - Lewandowski
Corners - Draxler
Captain - Javi Martinez
Full Backs
Daniel Carvajal will start at right full back. Powerful, full of tactical awareness, and he is as comfortable with the ball at his feet as he is defending. Luke Shaw is at left back. 2 very pacy and powerful full backs who while first and foremost are there to defend will also join in going forward when the moment is right and will cause the opposition wide men a few headaches with their directness and pace. Both the full backs first priority is to defend and leave no gaps to exploit. Both Daniel Carvajal and Shaw can match their wingers for pace.
Centre Halves
Bonucci and D.Luiz form a formidable no-nonsense unit in the centre of the defence and their aggression makes this a back 4 to be reckoned with. Both are very big men and possess great aerial ability and are very strong in the tackle and this should ensure that we can more than handle most things that are thrown at them. Two big men with not only defending but also footballing ability in their locker. Both with good positioning sense and very good decision makers. It’s a very powerful and pacy defence and all four players are very, very talented with the ball at their feet and remained composed and know exactly what to do when in possession. When we are under little pressure, Bonucci will step up into a Sweeper role, where he can utilise his excellent passing skills, linking up well with Martinez in midfield. Bonucci and Luiz will not be beaten by crosses, high or low, as Luiz attacks the first ball, and failing that, Bonucci will clean up. We will be playing a deep line where QPR will struggle to break down, as it limits their pacy wingers (Varela and Whoever else) to run in behind the defence. Javi Martinez will be expected to drop back a notch, ala De Rossi, when they attack, where he can keep his eyes on Kaka/AM and will act as a sweeper, with Shaw and Carvajal pushing up further:
------------Bonucci---------Luiz
--Carvajal------Javi Martinez-----Luke Shaw
But we must make sure Fellaini covers the FB out wide in this formation change
Central Midfield
Javi Martinez and Fellaini will be the central midfield pairing. They will be asked to keep the midfield ticking over and give protection to the back four. Each of them will cover for their full back if he has joined the attack. Javi Martinez will be the more defensive of the 2 and will boss the midfield. He’s a big, powerful midfielder with a huge engine and will cover every blade of grass on the field. Fellaini will operate as the box to box in midfield. Extremely comfortable with the ball he will keep our midfield moving. Equally as comfortable playing deep or on the front foot he will not neglect his defensive duties when necessary but we will see the best of him with the ball at his feet instigating our attacks. He has a wide range of passes in his locker and his mere presence will be a key factor in making sure our midfield has space penetration and that there is always someone in a position to receive the pass. Both of them possess a lethal shot so there will probably be a few efforts from distance if the chance arises. These 2 will be expected to run pull the strings from midfield from the off and will be crucial to our passing game. Fellaini will be the creator in the team and with a wide range of passing along with agility and shooting ability he will be linking with the wingers and striker to attack the opponents. He has the strength, aerial abiliy and is a real handful and this coupled with the physicality and style of Javi Martinez will mean our midfield will see a lot of the ball.
Attacking Midfield
Maio Gotze will be playing the AM role today. His job is crucial to the team, as they will sit just in front of the DM (Lucho), and will look to get the ball up to Lewandowski. Gotze will create that extra magic that is needed to unlock defences, whilst Fellaini will sit back, just behind him, ready to help out. He will be crucial in our attacking game, as he will be the ones to supply the striker, and deliver those long, lung-busting runs across the pitch. Gotze will link up the play from Midfield to attack, being an enormous threat from long shots and his movement will cause plenty of problems for Lucho as he will have a top class AM all over him, pressing him back towards his own defence.
Left and Right Wing
James and Draxler will play on the right and left wing. These are 2 wingers with bags of pace. They will be expected to supply things for Lewandowski, and their pace will cause a lot of problems. They will be expected to attack the opponents back four and supported by their full backs get past their man and get the ball in for Lewandowski. This is an area we will look to exploit with our pacy wingers and powerful marauding full backs. We will look to stretch their defence out of shape and with fast and direct running I can see a lot of space opening up for the very quick and cunning Lewandowski . Both wingers provide a goal threat so expect to see them vary their attacks and cut inside when the time is right and drag their full back to the byline as well. Their pace and width will be a key factor in opening up space for the attack and by making the pitch very big and hugging the touchline it will also give our two midfield lynchpins more time and space to manoeuvre hopefully meaning that we can get a real grip on the midfield battle. We have an abundance of speed out wide and up front and our attack have the edge over the opposition wide men – both in terms of speed and versatility. That coupled with a couple of marauding full backs (when on the attack) should prove a fruitful area for us. With Draxler and James both able to take on a man and hug the touchline we will look to exploit this area. Their 2 centre halves will not be able to match Lewandowski for speed so hopefully with the wingers stretching their full backs, we will be able to confuse their entire back line and cause mishaps in dangerous areas
Striker
Up front Lewandowski will spearhead the attack. We are relying on him to get the goals after his brilliant displays this season, in the hope he will get us a goal againsty a very weak defence. He has pace, and movement ability is top notch. There will be no shortage of chances created for him and I would expect it to be a hard day at the office for the opposition’s central defenders with Lewandowski equally as good in the air as with the ball at his feet. He is also a powerful runner and has a good reading of the game and runs fantastic lines. This doubled with James and Draxler's superb vision, support and passing ability will hopefully prove productive for him. He is great at playing off the shoulder of the last defender and his powerful physique usually ensures that he always gets a yard on the last defender. He’s also a great link up man and holding the ball up – so when he doesn’t feel that there is something on then he will be providing for other and bringing Gotze and the supporting wingers into play in dangerous areas. Lewandowski will be too much for Opposition's CB's, and will make deadly angled runs to get into a scoring position. He must also look to wriggle away from the attention of the CB's.
Summary
We will concentrate on doing what we do best and playing to our strengths – keeping hold of the ball and working it simply around the park. Nothing flash or risky – just possession football. Patience could be the key and if we keep it tight we have the personnel to get us a goal. We also pose a very dangerous threat on the counter. We have pace to move the ball forward very quickly and enough pace to regain our shape if the opposition turn it around and try and counter us. In defence Fellaini will sit deeper, with Javi Martinez dropping back into the sweeper role, and will be expected to be his energetic self and press the opposition midfield/forwards and knock them out of their rhythm. Our wingers and full backs will sit a bit deeper to stay alert and ready to use their speed at any chance of a counter, although our two FB will be stepping up a notch to allow Martinez to develop into his more defensive self. With the ability of our team to change formation depending on the circumstances we have enough in midfield and out wide to starve them from the ball and with. This will open up acres of space and with neat simple passing and bags of pace, this will be a very productive area for us. We will be looking to get bodies in the box. With fast and fluid attacking play Lewabdowski and Gotze will always have support in this area and our wide men will always have a target to get the ball in to. With the trickery of Gotze, Draxler and James then the opposition can always expect the unexpected.
Subs:
If winning on 60: Matic > Fellaini, offers brilliant tackling, pressing and passing in midfield, will he more solid defensively too
Any score on 60: Moura > James, offers raw pace and a direct line of threat
If losing/drawing on 60: Lukaku > Draxler playing 4-4-2 with Gotze LW
----------------Alves
Kalas----Cahill----Dante----Marcelo
---------Matuidi--Ramires
De Bruyne----Mata---------Villa
---------------Cavani
Subs: Butland, Marrone, Piszczek, Asamoah, Beñat, Baptistao, Martinez
Captain: Dante
Corners: Mata/De Bruyne
Free Kicks: Mata/De Bruyne
Penalties: Cavani
Game Plan:
We want to get all 3 points here and to do that we must play at 100% giving our absolute maximum in this game. We will look to give our attack the freedom to really take this game to the opposition, attacking with pace, flair and being clinical. Whilst we will press the opposition right from the word go and high up the pitch, not giving their defence or deeper midfield players any time on the ball, with Matuidi and Ramires then ready to use their energy in midfield to press the more advanced Villa players no stop. We work as a unit looking to really get in the faces of Villa and not let them have anytime on the ball, before taking advantage of mistakes to break at speed.
Tactics:
Diego Alves continues in goal, looking to use his quick reflexes and pace off the line to stop any one who gets infront of or behind our defence, whilst collecting crosses when it's possible. He will look to get the ball out quickly to start attacks if the chance is there, if not he goes long or into the CBs depending on how Villa pressurise our back line. We will look for the FBs to push forward when Alves has the ball and the CBs will push out to the sides of the penalty box, with one midfielder dropping back, giving us a triangle to pass with and wide options if needed to work our way out from the back.
The FBs must be on top form defensively today. Kalas is a more defensive option and for much of the game he'll look to stay on his man, not allowing him to move infield and facing up to him as soon as the ball goes into him, forcing the winger into an early decision to not allow him time to see his options, forcing the winger down the line instead of infield and using his pace to make it difficult to cross and get the tackles in. Marcelo will look to face up to his winger in the same fashion, again making sure the Villa wingers are limited to the space they can play in and stopping them supplying the strikers. Kalas is also excellent at coming across to cover the CBs with his pace and reading of the game, when needed that's exactly what he'll do. Offensively Marcelo will have more freedom as we look to really attack the RB, doubling up on him with Marcelo making runs around Villa, either out side him to crossing positions, or inside him where he can between the FB and CB and into the box, where he can cut back to a time mate or go for goal himself. Always use his pace and excellent link up to cause problems, making the movements to drag players out of position and find gaps. Kalas on the other side can attack when the move is building down our right, he's very good with his crosses from deep so he will give that option, whilst also looking to make runs to the byline for a cross when the option is open.
Dante and Cahill form an excellent partnership at CB, both solid, quick defenders who will put their body on the line for the team. Dante will look to man mark the CF, getting very tight to him and not allowing him the chance to turn and face our goal, always looking to force him away from goal if he can't get the tackle in. He will stay close and use his pace to stop the striker getting in on goal, although we expect a more target man like striker. He will be dominant in the air and clear everything on the ground, not allowing the striker into the game. Cahill will be more of a sweeper, he gets in position to deal with any knock downs or flick ons from the striker, beating the Villa midfield runners to the ball and clearing the danger in his no nonsense style. We don't really expect a fast striker but Cahill will also make sure to get across if Dante is beaten, using his excellent last ditch tackles to clear the danger. He will also watch for midfield runners around our area, not leaving any gaps for them and getting tight to force them back, whilst also clearing all the crosses. Going forward these two can have a big impact, both have good passing and should look for the diagonal balls into the striker or the wingers to stretch the game and open the space up down the opposite flank, whilst at set pieces they'll be a huge danger, Cahill with his excellent movement to get to the ball first and Dante with his height and presence to win the headers as well.
Matuidi and Ramires form a very energetic midfield duo who can get in the face of the opposition and hound them off the ball. They work as a team, one pressing the man on the ball the other getting deeper to deal with the next opponent, constantly getting in their faces and putting the challenges in to win the ball back and stop the opposition building the attacks. These two will look to get us on top of the midfield battle. When under sustained pressure Matuidi will stick to the Am, staying tight and following him everywhere whilst Ramires disrupts their midfield. Matuidi will remain the deeper of the two looking to simply keep the ball moving as we attack, although at times he uses his great burst of energy to drive us forwards. Ramires provides the bigger attacking threat, using his incredible pace and dribbling to drive through midfield, pushing us forward as a team and making runs between the back 4 to get in on goal. He can run at the back 4 with the ball, forcing them back or into rash tackles, looking to play the ball on if he isn't fouled to open up the space.
The 3 behind the striker have the freedom when were on the ball to go where they like, building the attacks and getting at the back 4, working the space and creating chances. Mata will be the heart of the team, he goes where he likes, getting on the ball in space, either deep in midfield, closer to the striker, out wide, wherever he is needed. He finds the spaces with ease and then he uses he ball in killer fashion with the clinical passes down the line for the wingers, or in behind/over the top for the strikers and midfielder runners to attack. He should look to move wide and triple up on the opposition FBs, working the space for the FBs and wingers to make runs off him and get them into dangerous positions, or he can put the crosses in himself. Always be on the move either with the ball or of it, opening the game up with his dribbling or making runs between defenders to get in on goal. Get close to Cavani to link up with him and create things, float around the penalty box and just outside it to take chances that fall to him and look to link with De Bruyne and Villa as much as possible to release them into space. De Bruyne will look hold width as much as possible, looking to use his fantastic crossing to get balls into the box for players to attack, whilst also linking with Kalas. At times he can make the runs infield, linking the play and looking to cause trouble through the middle with his passing, whilst also making the runs in behind the defence. He and Villa should swap sides to leave the FBs guessing. Villa is the more direct of the three in his running, he can take a player on and leave them for dead, taking players out of the game and opening spaces, linking with team mates and making runs into spaces, looking to get close to Cavani and make runs around him. Hold width when possible, linking with Marcelo to get into space and open things up for a cross or cut inside and go for goal. At corners I want De Bruyne/Mata which ever isn't taking the corner, making a run at the back post, they're unlikely to be marked by anyone good at watching the runs due to their height so they can run off the marker to the back post to look to try and finish flicks ons from the CBs. They will also press high up the pitch when off the ball to stop Villa building from the back and looking to force errors high up. When under pressure, they drop back and work hard for the team but we always want them in the faces of the opposition.
Cavani will be key to the side today, occupying the CBs and getting involved with the build up play before finishing his chances. We expect Varane at CB and its shown on a few occasions that although he's excellent against the fast strikers he does struggle against strength so we want Cavani to get up against him and really aim to put a lot of pressure on him. Cavani will hold the ball up and bring players into play around him, either first time balls out wide or into the central players, whilst making his runs to give those attacking players an option for a ball through or over the top. He should look to attack all the crosses too.
Subs:
If Winning: Asamoah for Villa 70', bags of pace to deal with Villa attacks. Piszczek for De Bruyne 80', help out Kalas. Marrone for Mata 85', play as a 3rd CB.
If Drawing: Piszczek for Kalas 70', looks to get forward with more purpose. Beñat for Matuidi 75', change in CM to give us someone to get us moving forward with his excellent passing. Martinez for Villa 80', play more of a 4-4-2 with Martinez adding an extra presence and fresh legs up front, changing to a 4-2-3-1 defending.
If Losing: 3-5-2, Martinez for Marcelo 65', Baptistao for De Bruyne 75', fresh legs to get at them. Beñat for Matuidi 75', link the attacks.
-------------------Marchetti------------------
Uchida-----Jesus-----Benatia-----Enrique
-------------Carrick-----Nainnggolan--------
Remy-----------Fernandinho------Ayew--
--------------------Kiessiling-------------------
Subs: Smithies, Vrsaljko, Amorebieta, Nordtveit, Cork, Adrian, Ilicic
We are facing a strong side today, and therefore have decided to play counter-attacking football. We have a strong enough defence, in conjunction with a hard working midfield to limit the space in which they can play through constant pressure and will look to break at speed with direct, quick passing in order to catch them out with too many players having pushed forwards. Content not to have the ball, we will stifle their play and absorb any pressure they create before breaking forwards at speed with direct, quick and fluid play. It is important to note that we are not being defensive, but rather maximising our chances of victory with a style of play that suits our game and means we are both a) More likely to score and b) Less likely to concede
Marchetti is a keeper whose experience gives him an edge 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 a pacey yet strong defence that has both experience and game awareness in abundance. With our counter-attacking style, they will have a realtively deep line to hold, as we snuffle out there creative impoetous with the pressure of our three man midfield, with the back 4 mopping up any balls that are attempted by them. Benatia will have the role of marshalling the defence, and marking their main striker whilst Jesus will track any extra runners into the box. Enrique and Uchida 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 their pace and attacking intent will mean they can join our counter's 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. Vrsaljko, in particular, has extra license to get beyond Adrian who is playing as an inside forward. 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.
We are effectively playing a three man midfield. Comfortable at AM, CM and DM, we have listed Fernandinho at AM as when we break forwards on the counter he should be the most advanced of this trio. He will be looking to get in and around the box, providing another option and being the main link up with Kiessling and thus key to bringing other players into the move. However, when we are defending he is to drop to the center of the park, and help pressurize and cut out the creative impoteous of their creative players alongside Nainnggolan and Carrick. It will mean that their creative players in behind the striker have no room to find 'pockets' of space and will provide the basis of our midfield, meaning that we can break forward in numbers. Nainnggolan will be the box-to-box midfielder breaking from deep on the counter, and putting in a shift all over the pitch; whilst Carrick will be a 'quarterback' as our deep lying play maker, connecting the defensive and attacking phases together with his pinpoint passing which will create chances for us through finding players who are in space due to their likely attacking nature. 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. This trio in midfield is perfectly suited to a direct, counter-attacking style of football and with substitutes coming on after a period of time they will not get excessively tired.
The key for both Ayew and Remy today is to provide options when we counter with runs into space that can be picked out by our direct and fast passing. When on the ball, having found space, Ayew will look to the byline and get the ball into the box, towards Kiessling or the onrushing Fernandinho. However, Adrian will be playing as an inside forward and with Uchida on the overlap will have more license to cut inside and target the space left between their sluggish LB/CB.They should both look to link up with the German when he is holding the ball up; providing options and movement to create space for both themselves and others.
Kiessling is the target man, and the focus point of our counter attacks. Ideally; we will be looking to get the ball to him in the box. He should occasionally look to bring others into the move, and link up with the trio behind him however his primary role as the focal point of our attack is to do what he does best - stick the ball in the back of the net. He should look to be utilising his pace to get behind the defence and beat their high line. His movement/pace will create chances for himself and others. Even in defence, he should look to push up the pitch, his presence being a nusiance for them as this will create the space for us to counter attack into.
Subs:
After 70 mins: Nordtveit > Nainnggolan, fresh legs in midfield
If losing after 70 mins: Adrian > Fernandinho, Adrian RW, Remy CF - 4-4-2 attacking
Captain: Benatia
Set Pieces: Ayew
Penalties: Remy
If we recieve a red card, same style and replace Fernandinho with a like for like replacement for the man sent off.
CHELSEA v birmingham champs league
---------------------Neuer------------------
P.Lahm----Kompany---Subotic---Baines
--------------Khedira----Bender-----------
Sturridge---------Fabregas-------Neymar
---------------------Aguero-----------------
Baumann, Chedjou, Nagatomo, Kroos, Mkhitaryan, Bony, Benteke
Now a must win game so gone with a very strong side, Bender replaces Vidal in what is almost a full strength side..
Neuer is a top and confident keeper will dominate the area and come out for all high balls clearing what he cant punch. Look to close down strikers by quickly coming off his line to shut down there shooting angles.
A back four with Lahm and Baines in at fullback, both solid players who defend their lines very well, keep the wingers quiet, keep them to the outside and away from our danger area. Attack when you can one at a time, support yhe wingers by going on the outside and look for a pass so you can get beyond the fullback and cross in, Or if in possession look to pick out Sturridge or Neymar and ping the ball down the line for them to latch onto.
First and foremost, Kompany has the responsibility to mark striker into anonymity. This he does exceptionally well, using foresight that borders on the prophetic to intercept. He rarely has to make a rash tackle, so watch the lads movwement and be ready to move in. When the ball comes towards a striker and Kompany is in the area to defend, Subotic moves into position to back up his teammate and fill in any gap that is left. If an opposing attacker makes a run in the centre, reacting to a ball played towards the striker Kompany is covering, Subotic shifts to defend against a potential pass.
If the striker gets away from Kompany it's the responsibility of Subotic to shift and defend directly. Both comfortable with ball at feet so move the ball out when in no danger, otherwise clear it with no messing about.
Khedira will keep it simple in his defensive role. He watches the AM of Birmngham, watch his movement and be there quick to stop him setting up attacks, break the play up between him and the CF etc to nulify there attacking threat. Always on his toes as there AM has a bit of class about him so we cant afford to let him dictate play. Bender comes in alongside, he will look to stamp his authority on this game early, Has great vision so will want to get his passing range in early to set the likes of Fabregas, Aguero and Neymar/Sturridge up for many chances, he will always follow his pass and make himself available for a return ball. Can shoot from range so have a go. When they have sit alongside Khedira and help him break up their attacks.His work rate is fantastic and always in the faces of the opposition. Its a different role for Bender and more lisence to roam forward.
Fabregas is in the free role, his attacking prowess is fantastic, will make late runs into the box and has tremendous vision. His inventiveness with his little flicks & dribbling skills are super too, but the best part is he knows where the net is. So will look to support Aguero as much as possible, Also use Sturridge and Neymar for one twos to break the line of defence. drop back and help defend v the DM if he breaks forward.
Sturridge is on the right, will look to drive at the fb, causing him all sorts of problems, cut in off his right and shoot with his left, or lay off to Cesc/Aguero for him to dart into the box for the return. Otherwise look to take on the fullback get to the bye line and cross in for Aguero in the box. Neymar will use his pace and skill to get him passed his marker, can do things with the ball not many can do so will look to bamboozle the FB and draw in fouls in dangerous positions, knock it forward and use the forward momentum to get by the player and cross in, will do this all day long so Aguero will thrive of this. At times Neymar and Sturridge will be supported by our fullbacks so use them, either play it wide for them o r allow them to take the markers away to free up space to drive into. I want all 3 attacking mids to track back and stopp the Birmingham fullbacks and DMs getting forward and becoming a nuisance.
When I say the wingers will cross it in, I mean Aguero isnt the biggest of CF's so he must get himself into positions that allow him to get onto these crosses, his movement must be quick to get him away from CBs and he must time his runs and leaps to get him above them. Otherwise always on his toes moving around looking to get into gaps for players to play him in on goal, play on the last man at all times as his pace will take him away and he will get in on goal, His goal record speaks for itself, A natural predator who will pounce on any mistake, will look to Sturridge and Neymar to play it about up top, the three will interchange and be a real handful.
Captain:- Kompany
Penalties:- Aguero
Free Kicks:- Fabregas
Corners:- Wingers
Subs:-
Losing
65 Mins:- Kroos > Bender - Will push further forward
70 Mins:- Benteke > Sturridge - Aguero move out right, Benteke up front use high ball if needed
80 Mins:- Bony > Cesc - 4-4-2 lump it forward to the big lads in hope for a goal
Winning:-
75 Mins:- Bony > Aguero - bigger target man, holds it up and will look to dominate CBs
80 Mins:- Nagatomo > Neymar - will play a more defensive LM role
Drawing:-
70 Mins:- Benteke > Sturridge - Aguero out right, Benteke up top, try somthing different
80 Mins:- Kroos > Bender
85 Mins:- Mkhitaryan > Cesc
Reds
Always 4-4-1
Bender comes off
Neuer - Baumann >
FB - Nagatomo >
CB - Chedjou >
CM Cesc drops back
WG Aguero out wide
AM/CF - Aguero will need to drop back and help
HULL CITY:_
----------------Patricio----------------
Debuchy-Rami(c)-Benatia-A.Ekotto
---------------Fernando---------------
------C.Marchisio-Fernandinho------
Hulk da Souza---------Xherdan Shaq
---------------Huntelaar---------------
Ahamada, Sokratis, Strootman, Maher, Dempsey, Stocker, Destro
Big game and a must win for us to keep tabs on the chasing pack..
In goal is the highly rated Patricio, a great shot stopper, quick off his line and very vocal which helps the back 4. Instills confidence in the defnce with some great desicion making and will come out for high balls and punch what he cant clear. Close down the strikers early and reduce their shooting angles.
A good solid back 4 with Rami leading the team out, he sits spare whilst the other 3 mark. He sits just off of Benatia and will be ever watchful of those coming through and those who get passed his partner. There to clear up and help out his fellow defenders when and if needed. Benatia man marks the striker, cant give him any room so watch him like a hawk even when we are attacking. Always ready to track his runs and close him down early. both attack high balls and clear any danger.
Debuchy and Ekotto at FB are attack minded so one at a time get up and support the wingers, go to there outside and look for them to pass down the line for them to drive passed the fullbacks and cross in, if Hulk/Shaq dont pass keep the runs going to take the fullbacks away freeing up more room for our wingers to exploit. Defend the lines and keep the danger to a minimum, close them down, force them wide and keep on your feet!
Fernando Reges wants to stamp his authority in this Hull side, show em whos the boss..Really dominate the AM and stop him dictating play, his job is as simple as that, close him down early and force him back the way, once the ball is won, simple passes to those around him. Doesnt venture too far forward.
Marchisio and Fernandinho in front of him will really pressurize them, drive forward with the ball looking to pass out wide and get into the box or force it forward and follow the ball in to support Huntelaar, always looking to make quick desicive passes, breaking lines of defence with inch perfect balls, both will defend the lines as well by going either side of fernando when defending.
These three have to dominate the centre of the park, do this and we will have a great chance of victory this weekend.
Especially with the attacking three of Hulk, Shaqiri and Huntelaar, Hulk is a powerful runner who will really go at the fb, whereas Shaqiri is skillfull and quick and will dance his way round his marker, either way they play get into dangerous areas and fire in tcross after cross for KJH to pounce on, with marchisio and Fernandinho in the middle use them to play quick passes and one twos to drive into space for them to pass back and in on goal. track the fullbacks when they come forward and stop them becoming a threat.
KJH is the ideal striker for one up top, great in the air, can hold it up if needed and a great eye for goal, plenty support so always looking to go for goal, will get loads of chances so he must get himself into space for the players round him to play him in. Look to rise early for the crosses coming in to beat the CB. If its near impossible to go for goal try and lay it off or knock it down for oncomers.
Captain:- Rami
Penalties:- KJH
Free kicks:- Fernandinho
Corners:- Wingers
Subs:-
losing/drawing:-
65 mins:- Dempsey > Shaqiri
70 Mins:- Maher > Fernando - Fernandinho goes behind March/Maher
75 Mins:- Destro > KJH - fresh legs up top
reds
4-4-1 always make a suitable sub if needed
Subs if Winning:-
70 Mins:- Dempsey > Shaqiri
80 Mins:- Strootman > Fernandinho
85 Mins:- Destro > KJH
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
-------------------------Cech
Johnson---De Vrij-----Agger-----Schmelzer
-------------------------Inler
-------------Schweiny------Modric
Robben------------------------------------Ribery
---------------------Gomez
Subs
Begovic, Clichy, Juanfran, Payet, Dembele, Barry, Auby
Tactics
An attack-minded 4-3-3 formation with emphasis on keeping possession and playing with width to stretch the opposition.
Keeper
When distributing the ball, he should look to keep it simple and play the percentage pass. At crosses and set pieces, should look to punch rather than attempt any catches with an element of risk.
Full Backs
When going forward, the wingers will be playing a mostly wide game so should look to play behind the wingers, giving them an option to play it safely back if there is no forward option, and they should also look to provide width if the wingers cut inside. When defending, both Chelsea wingers aren't natural wide men and will look to cut inside so the directive for them is to show them out wide and frustrate them into losing possession cheaply, if they do cut inside, both FB's have recovery pace and should look to force them into Inlers domain.
Centre Backs
Agger will compete with the striker for the aerial balls played up to him, and De Vrij will look to collect the 2nd ball, when the ball is on the floor, De Vrij will be the guy to venture forward to meet with the striker, and Agger will make sure he is making a covering run if De Vrij is beaten. When on the ball, if the opposition are giving them space to come out with the ball, then they should look to take it forward, if not, just look to play it simple to a man in space and retain possession.
Defensive Midfielder
Inler will look to just sit in front of the back 4, staying deep when the full backs go forward to keep defensive numbers up in case of a counter. When attacking, he will look to take the ball of the centre backs and play it forward to the CM's or out wide to one of the Full Backs.
Centre Mids
Both are comfortable on the ball, and both have engines to last the full 90 with a high energy game, when they are on the ball both midfielders are suited to looking for a pass, but can take the ball forward if the space is there, if either man is running with the ball, they are comfortable with shooting from outside the box, so should look to test the keeper quite often. When defending, they will look to use their workrate to press the opposition midfielders when they are on the ball.
Wingers
They should look to stay as wide as possible when they receive the ball to try and stretch the defensive line and create space for midfield runners and/or Gomez. When on the ball, both wingers have the ability to stay wide and put a cross in, or cut inside to try and make space for a shot, so should look to pick out which is the best option at the time, if they do cut inside, the full backs should have moved forward to occupy the touchline and provide an out ball if there is no other option. If they have taken the opposition full back out of the game, they shouldnt be afraid to go into the box, as defenders will be extra cautious to not give away a penalty, and this provides the option of just drilling a cross to Gomez or a simple drag back to an onrushing CM. When the opposite winger has the ball, the winger without the ball should look to find space between the CB and full back to add an extra body for any crosses or capitalise on any defensive errors.
Striker
When defending, he should look to keep tabs on the defensive midfielder to stop any easy balls being played back to him, when attacking, he should look do what he does best and thats pounce in the penalty box, so in build up play he should just keep it simple, not trying too extravagant and lose possession, and make his way into his second home.
Set Pieces
Corners - Robben and Ribery take inswinging corners, the 2 CB's go into the box, the FB's and Inler stay back to prevent counters, the CB's, and Gomez attack the ball, the CM's and the non taking winger take positions just outside the box to pick up any weak defensive headers or knockdowns.
Free Kicks - For direct FK's Modric and Ribery will shoot depending on which foot it favours. For Indirect FKs, follow the same directives for Corners
Penalties - Robben is the designated taker.
Subs
If Winning
68 mins - Juanfran for Robben - Fresh legs and extra defensive workrate.
76 mins - Barry and Auby for Modric and Gomez - Auby adds pace for counter attacks and provides the out ball. The wingers tuck back, but with the knowledge to get out quickly for the front 3 to try and counter if the opposition over-commit for a route back into the game. Barry slots in alongside Inler.
If Losing
71 mins - Dembele for Inler - extra attacking impetus in the midfield
77 Mins - Auby and Payet for Robben and Modric - We go to 4-2-4, with the wingers bombarding crosses in to the 2 big men with the other winger adding the third option.
CHELSEA v villa
------------------------Neuer-----------------------
Lahm-------Kompany-------Subotic-------Baines
--------------Khedira----------T.Kroos------------
-----------------------Fabregas---------------------
Sturridge-----------------------------------Neymar
-------------------------Aguero---------------------
Baumann, Nagatomo, Bender, Weimann, Mkhitaryan, Bony, benteke
1st of all I will shake Jets hand and welcome him to Stamford Bridge and congratulate him on the job he has done with Villa, after that we want to really go for them, play our usual attractive football, quick, crisp passing with everyone giving 100% to stay above Arsenal
Neuer is a top and confident keeper will dominate the area and come out for all high balls clearing what he cant punch. Look to close down strikers by quickly coming off his line to shut down there shooting angles.
A back four with Lahm and Baines coming in at fullback, both solid players who defend their lines very well, keep the wingers quiet, keep them to the outside and away from our danger area. Attack when you can one at a time, support yhe wingers by going on the outside and look for a pass so you can get beyond the fullback and cross in, Or if in possession look to pick out Sturridge and Neymar and ping the ball down the line for them to latch onto.
First and foremost, Kompany has the responsibility to mark striker into anonymity. This he does exceptionally well, using foresight that borders on the prophetic to intercept. He rarely has to make a rash tackle, so watch the lads movwement and be ready to move in. When the ball comes towards a striker and Kompany is in the area to defend, Subotic moves into position to back up his teammate and fill in any gap that is left. If an opposing attacker makes a run in the centre, reacting to a ball played towards the striker Kompany is covering, Subotic shifts to defend against a potential pass.
If the striker gets away from Kompany it's the responsibility of Subotic to shift and defend directly. Both comfortable with ball at feet so move the ball out when in no danger, otherwise clear it with no messing about.
Khedira will keep it simple in his defensive role. He watches the AM of Villa, watch his movement and be there quick to stop him setting up attacks, break the play up between him and the CF etc to nulify there attacking threat. Always on his toes as there AM has a bit of class about him so we cant afford to let him dictate play. Kroos comes in alongside, he will look to stamp his authority on this game early, Has great vision so will want to get his passing range in early to set the likes of Fabregas, Aguero and Sturridge up for many chances, he will always follow his pass and make himself available for a return ball. Can shoot from range so have a go. When they have sit alongside Khedira and help him break up their attacks.His work rate is fantastic and always in the faces of the opposition.
Fabregas is in the free role, his attacking prowess is fantastic, will make late runs into the box and has tremendous vision. His inventiveness with his little flicks & dribbling skills are super too, but the best part is he knows where the net is. So will look to support Aguero as much as possible, Also use Sturridge and Neymar for one twos to break the line of defence. drop back and help defend v the DM if he breaks forward.
Sturridge is on the right, a position he has played before, will look to drive at the fb, causing him all sorts of problems, cut in off his right and shoot with his left, or lay off to Cesc/Aguero for him to dart into the box for the return. Otherwise look to take on the fullback get to the bye line and cross in for Aguero in the box. Neymar will use his pace to get him passed his marker, knock it forward and use the forward momentum to get by the player and cross in, will do this all day long so Aguero will thrive of this. At times neymar and Sturridge will be supported by our fullbacks so use them, either play it wide for them o r allow them to take the markers away to free up space to drive into. I want all 3 attacking mids to track back and stopp the Villa fullbacks and DMS getting forward and becoming a nuisance.
Aguero up top is a tricky player to mark as he is a smaller striker to try and mark, always on the move and a fantastic eye for goal, will drift right andleft to confuse the defenders as Sturridge or Neymar cna cut in taking the defenders all over the place. Quick on his toes so always on the last man and ready to pounce on any mistake by the centre backs.
Captain:- Kompany
Penalties:- Aguero
Free Kicks:- Fabregas
Corners:- Wingers
Subs:-
Losing/drawing:-
65 Mins:- Benteke > Sturridge - Aguero RW, Benteke up top use high ball if needed
75 Mins:- Mkhitaryan > Kroos - play up alongside Cesc
80 Mins - 4-4-2 Bony > Cesc
Winning:-
75 Mins:- Bender > Kroos
80 Mins:- Bony > Aguero
88 Mins:- Weimann > Sturridge
Reds
4-4-1
Neuer - Baumann for Kroos
FB - Nagatomo for Kroos
CB - Khedira drops back
Khedira - Bender > Kroos
WG Aguero moves wide
--------------------Szczesny-------------------
---Ivanovic----Boateng----Godin----Kolarov
----------------Mikel-----Moutinho------------
Walcott------------Valbuena--------Hazard-
---------------------Higuain--------------------
Subs: Al Habsi, Marquinhos, Coquelin, Milner, Callejon, Llorente, Gignac
Captain: Branislav Ivanovic
Free Kicks: Alexander Kolarov
Penalties: Eden Hazard
Corners: Hazard (from left, inswing) Kolarov (From right, outswing)
Game Plan: We haven’t beaten a team near us this season and we really need to so we can cover the points gap up. Today is a perfect opportunity considering Manchester United’s injuries. Walcott will play against a weaker full back and this will give him a big advantage coming off a hattrick. Hazard will be influential for us also.
Szczesny will use his height to collect crosses, allowing our defence to keep in shape, if we have a chance to counter from there Szczesny uses his quick distribution to the wingers. He must command his area. Come for crosses when he is at least 80% sure he can get them. He will pass the ball out unless he is 80% sure we will not lose the ball when kicking it long as we want to keep possession as much as possible in this game.
Ivanovic & Kolarov must not give the Opposition wingers any time on the ball. They will allow the opposition wingers inside them as this will take them into traffic. We are vulnerable on the wings as Walcott and Hazard don’t really like tracking back so if we force the opposition wingers inside this will be better for us. If the opportunity presents then they should attack. If one of the full back attacks then the other one MUST stay back so we have 3 defenders back at all times along with Mikel.
Godin and Boateng, A good mix of power, pace, aerial ability and composure on the ball, allows us to be commanding at the back and limit the amount of opportunities for the opposition. Godin will control the back four and make sure everybody is doing their job correctly by using his excellent leadership skills. Godin and Boateng will stay close to each other not allowing the opposition to open up space. Boateng looks to defend the first ball coming towards our defence, using his reading of the game to get there before the striker and clear, he'll use his great tackling to shut him down around the area and then look to get the ball back. Godin stays in position when Boateng does this covering the remaining space, he will be able to clear the second ball if it gets beyond Boateng.
Mikel sits in front of the defence and try and break down attacks and start new ones for us. He will be strong in their tackles and always play it simple when on the ball. Moutinho will be his partner who will play close to him when defending. He has the responsibility in helping out the full backs also. Defensively be solid, Mikel and Moutinho will sit deep and defend our back four. When the attack is on their side, they will drift over and team up with our full back, close them down and win the ball back. Moutinho will look to protect the LB and Mikel the RB. However ultimately, they must stay tight in the middle and look to give no space to the opposition etc. When one of them covers a full back then Valbuena drops in to still make it two in the middle:
-------------------------------Kolarov
---------Mikel----Valbuena-----Moutinho
Walcott
This leaves Walcott and Hazard free which is where our main threat is and where we are dangerous.
Valbuena will be our advanced playmaker. He has the ability to pick out the cutest of passes, which is just what we need with players like Higuain, Hazard, Walcott in the team. He has to manipulate the play and find these players in free space. Valbuena is also there to support Higuain. When needed he will drop into midfield and make it tight.
Walcott and Hazard will be the wingers, and both should provide us natural width I want them to put the opposition full backs under pressure. They will play in an attacking role. They must keep the ball if there is no support and wait for players to arrive. They may also go for long range shots as both are good at them. This will also make the opposition full backs not attack making our job in defence easier. Furthermore they both have the ability to do that and are very good at it. Hazard is instructed to come on his right foot sometimes and take a ‘shock’ shot, catching the keeper out. Look for Higuain’s runs also.
Higuain will play in an ‘advanced forward’ role. By this it means they will make dangerous runs in behind, and hold the ball up as well as various other things. They must be patient and wait for chances and when they do come they must finish them. A lot of movement is required from them also; keep the opposition defenders on their toes! He will attack the channels also and use his excellent crossing ability, especially the drilled cross.
If losing at 75mins –
Mikel off Milner on
Moutinho off Callejon on – Hazard AM
80mins:
Boateng off Llorente on
3-5-2
If Drawing 75mins:
Moutinho off for Callejon – Valbuena deeper, Hazard AM
If winning 75mins:
Walcott off for Milner, Valbuena RW
Higuain off for Gignac,
If Keeper gets sent off then AM comes off for keeper on bench
In this case: Moutinho > Al Habsi 4-2-2-2
If Defender gets sent off then AM comes off for Defender on bench
In this case: Moutinho > Marquinhos – Boateng RB/Lb if needed. If DM gets sent off (Mikel/Moutinho) then AM for DM on bench
If st gets sent off, the AM for St on bench
In this case: Valbuena > Llorente
Pompey Europa
-----------------------------Timo Horn--------
---Daniel Carvajal---David Luiz----Bonucci---Luke Shaw
----------------Javi Martinez---------Fellaini--
-----James Rodriguez------Mario Gotze--------Draxler
----------------------------Lewandowski
Subs: Lucas Moura, Lukaku, Icardi, Griezmann, Henderson, Matic, Papadopoulos
Game Plan: We will look to attack our opponents using a slick, pass and move game. We believe we have the abilities in defence to pass the ball out and start counter attacks, as Luiz is dynamic and will carry the ball forward, and alongisde him, Bonucci is an excellent passer of the ball, and mustn't be afraid of stepping into midfield at times to use his fantastic ball playing skills. Our two CB's must look to play the ball out if defence, as they both suit each other very well. Daniel Carvajal and Luke Shaw can also pick out a pass down the wings, and they should look to make supporting runs on the outside of our wingers. In midfield, Javi Martinez will defend our backline, and he is one of those DM's that will never give up, and always hassle and harry the opposition. He is also a very good passer, and he will look to spread play out to the wings, and break up play, before keeping the ball alongside Fellaini. Fellers is best known for his excellent aerial threat, physical presence and his great dominance in midfield so he will play in the b2b role, before turning into a kind of attacking mid when needed. Mario Gotze will control the game from AM, and will be in support of Robert Lewandowski at all times. He will look to pick the ball up from midway, and direct those shots into the corners. He will also look to use his top vision to find ways to release James and Julian Draxler. James' job will be to run at the LB, take him on, and whip in low balls for Lewandowski and Draxler, who are both guaranteed to finish them off. Julian Draxler will be on the other end, and use his dazzling dribbling ability, and superb acceleration to turn away from fullbacks, and clip in high balls for Lewandowski to throw himself at. Lukaku will be the one who will finish off every move, and he is top scorer in the League for a reason.His fantastic positioning and his marauding runs in the box will confuse opposition, and Lewandowski will then attempt to finish off every ball which comes into the box. Lewandowski will be winning everything in the air, and finishing with an aplomb. He his two-footed, and is a wonderful finisher, so will look to attack every ball, and link up well with James, Mario Gotze and Draxler. Luiz comes up for corners in the first half, Bonucci to come up for corners in the second half.
Freekicks - Gotze
Penalties - Lewandowski
Corners - Draxler
Captain - Javi Martinez
Full Backs
Daniel Carvajal will start at right full back. Powerful, full of tactical awareness, and he is as comfortable with the ball at his feet as he is defending. Luke Shaw is at left back. 2 very pacy and powerful full backs who while first and foremost are there to defend will also join in going forward when the moment is right and will cause the opposition wide men a few headaches with their directness and pace. Both the full backs first priority is to defend and leave no gaps to exploit. Both Daniel Carvajal and Shaw can match their wingers for pace.
Centre Halves
Bonucci and D.Luiz form a formidable no-nonsense unit in the centre of the defence and their aggression makes this a back 4 to be reckoned with. Both are very big men and possess great aerial ability and are very strong in the tackle and this should ensure that we can more than handle most things that are thrown at them. Two big men with not only defending but also footballing ability in their locker. Both with good positioning sense and very good decision makers. It’s a very powerful and pacy defence and all four players are very, very talented with the ball at their feet and remained composed and know exactly what to do when in possession. When we are under little pressure, Bonucci will step up into a Sweeper role, where he can utilise his excellent passing skills, linking up well with Martinez in midfield. Bonucci and Luiz will not be beaten by crosses, high or low, as Luiz attacks the first ball, and failing that, Bonucci will clean up. We will be playing a deep line where QPR will struggle to break down, as it limits their pacy wingers (Varela and Whoever else) to run in behind the defence. Javi Martinez will be expected to drop back a notch, ala De Rossi, when they attack, where he can keep his eyes on Kaka/AM and will act as a sweeper, with Shaw and Carvajal pushing up further:
------------Bonucci---------Luiz
--Carvajal------Javi Martinez-----Luke Shaw
But we must make sure Fellaini covers the FB out wide in this formation change
Central Midfield
Javi Martinez and Fellaini will be the central midfield pairing. They will be asked to keep the midfield ticking over and give protection to the back four. Each of them will cover for their full back if he has joined the attack. Javi Martinez will be the more defensive of the 2 and will boss the midfield. He’s a big, powerful midfielder with a huge engine and will cover every blade of grass on the field. Fellaini will operate as the box to box in midfield. Extremely comfortable with the ball he will keep our midfield moving. Equally as comfortable playing deep or on the front foot he will not neglect his defensive duties when necessary but we will see the best of him with the ball at his feet instigating our attacks. He has a wide range of passes in his locker and his mere presence will be a key factor in making sure our midfield has space penetration and that there is always someone in a position to receive the pass. Both of them possess a lethal shot so there will probably be a few efforts from distance if the chance arises. These 2 will be expected to run pull the strings from midfield from the off and will be crucial to our passing game. Fellaini will be the creator in the team and with a wide range of passing along with agility and shooting ability he will be linking with the wingers and striker to attack the opponents. He has the strength, aerial abiliy and is a real handful and this coupled with the physicality and style of Javi Martinez will mean our midfield will see a lot of the ball.
Attacking Midfield
Maio Gotze will be playing the AM role today. His job is crucial to the team, as they will sit just in front of the DM (Lucho), and will look to get the ball up to Lewandowski. Gotze will create that extra magic that is needed to unlock defences, whilst Fellaini will sit back, just behind him, ready to help out. He will be crucial in our attacking game, as he will be the ones to supply the striker, and deliver those long, lung-busting runs across the pitch. Gotze will link up the play from Midfield to attack, being an enormous threat from long shots and his movement will cause plenty of problems for Lucho as he will have a top class AM all over him, pressing him back towards his own defence.
Left and Right Wing
James and Draxler will play on the right and left wing. These are 2 wingers with bags of pace. They will be expected to supply things for Lewandowski, and their pace will cause a lot of problems. They will be expected to attack the opponents back four and supported by their full backs get past their man and get the ball in for Lewandowski. This is an area we will look to exploit with our pacy wingers and powerful marauding full backs. We will look to stretch their defence out of shape and with fast and direct running I can see a lot of space opening up for the very quick and cunning Lewandowski . Both wingers provide a goal threat so expect to see them vary their attacks and cut inside when the time is right and drag their full back to the byline as well. Their pace and width will be a key factor in opening up space for the attack and by making the pitch very big and hugging the touchline it will also give our two midfield lynchpins more time and space to manoeuvre hopefully meaning that we can get a real grip on the midfield battle. We have an abundance of speed out wide and up front and our attack have the edge over the opposition wide men – both in terms of speed and versatility. That coupled with a couple of marauding full backs (when on the attack) should prove a fruitful area for us. With Draxler and James both able to take on a man and hug the touchline we will look to exploit this area. Their 2 centre halves will not be able to match Lewandowski for speed so hopefully with the wingers stretching their full backs, we will be able to confuse their entire back line and cause mishaps in dangerous areas
Striker
Up front Lewandowski will spearhead the attack. We are relying on him to get the goals after his brilliant displays this season, in the hope he will get us a goal againsty a very weak defence. He has pace, and movement ability is top notch. There will be no shortage of chances created for him and I would expect it to be a hard day at the office for the opposition’s central defenders with Lewandowski equally as good in the air as with the ball at his feet. He is also a powerful runner and has a good reading of the game and runs fantastic lines. This doubled with James and Draxler's superb vision, support and passing ability will hopefully prove productive for him. He is great at playing off the shoulder of the last defender and his powerful physique usually ensures that he always gets a yard on the last defender. He’s also a great link up man and holding the ball up – so when he doesn’t feel that there is something on then he will be providing for other and bringing Gotze and the supporting wingers into play in dangerous areas. Lewandowski will be too much for Opposition's CB's, and will make deadly angled runs to get into a scoring position. He must also look to wriggle away from the attention of the CB's.
Summary
We will concentrate on doing what we do best and playing to our strengths – keeping hold of the ball and working it simply around the park. Nothing flash or risky – just possession football. Patience could be the key and if we keep it tight we have the personnel to get us a goal. We also pose a very dangerous threat on the counter. We have pace to move the ball forward very quickly and enough pace to regain our shape if the opposition turn it around and try and counter us. In defence Fellaini will sit deeper, with Javi Martinez dropping back into the sweeper role, and will be expected to be his energetic self and press the opposition midfield/forwards and knock them out of their rhythm. Our wingers and full backs will sit a bit deeper to stay alert and ready to use their speed at any chance of a counter, although our two FB will be stepping up a notch to allow Martinez to develop into his more defensive self. With the ability of our team to change formation depending on the circumstances we have enough in midfield and out wide to starve them from the ball and with. This will open up acres of space and with neat simple passing and bags of pace, this will be a very productive area for us. We will be looking to get bodies in the box. With fast and fluid attacking play Lewandowski and Gotze will always have support in this area and our wide men will always have a target to get the ball in to. With the trickery of Gotze, Draxler and James then the opposition can always expect the unexpected.
Subs:
If winning on 60: Matic > Fellaini, offers brilliant tackling, pressing and passing in midfield, will he more solid defensively too
Any score on 60: Moura > James, offers raw pace and a direct line of threat
If losing/drawing on 60: Lukaku > Draxler playing 4-4-2 with Gotze LW
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--------------Courtois
Piszczek---Cahill---Dante---Marcelo
-----------Matuidi--Ramires
Lamela---------Mata----------Villa
----------------Martinez
Subs: Alves, Kalas, Asamoah, Benat, De Bruyne, Hernandez, Baptistao
Captain: Dante
Free kicks: Mata
Penalties: Martinez
Corners: Mata
Game Plan:
This is a huge game for us and will perhaps define our season! It's not going to be easy but we are a team full of players with the desire to win and to get to the next level, were going to go out there and give absolutely everything. City have gone the league season unbeaten but without setting any games alight, they're vulnerable defensively and were going to attack that vulnerability as much as possible. We believe we have the stronger midfield and were going to look to play a high energy pressing game, getting right in their faces all through the game, not giving them any time and space on the ball for their creative players to work a chance or for their deeper and defensive players to build attacks, make them rush their game. As soon as get on the ball we attack in numbers, Juan Mata at the centre of everything dictating this game and tearing the opposition open. We have to be on our guard defensively though, we will press them very quickly and high up the pitch, hunting down in numbers to stop them building attacks, staying very rigid at the back when under pressure and getting numbers back behind the ball, not giving them space to play in and making them work it side to side rather than backwards. We'll be 100% committed and look to win every lose ball, don't give City any time at all to settle in this game.
Tactics:
Courtois will command his area and look to come and collect crosses in order to relieve pressure. Quick off his line and alert to any danger, don't let the opposition score. I've told him not to so we won't, if he does there's something dreadfully wrong. If there's a chance of a quick counter he distributes it out quickly, if not he goes out to the CBs/CMs to get the attacks starting.
FBs have a key role today, they must be alert to the dangerous wingers but also giving support to our wingers when we attack down their side in order to really get at the opposition out wide. Offensively these two are excellent, they can make the runs outside the wingers to get in to crossing positions or to the byline for a cut back. Or they can make runs inside the FBs, using their pace to get at the heart of the defence, draw players out and open up spaces for the runs of other players, looking to play the ball into the spaces that open up. Both are very good on the ball and should link with their wingers, using their pace and skill to beat players and open things up. Defensively they use their pace to shut the wingers down early, getting tight and not allowing them to have a run down the line, putting tackles in and not allowing them to cut in. At the very most they allow them a run down the tough line, keeping very tight and not letting them get easy crosses in. Always be in their face when they're on the ball and don't let them support the striker.
Dante and Cahill form an excellent partnership at CB, both solid, quick defenders who will put their body on the line for the team. Dante will look to man mark the CF, getting very tight to him and not allowing him the chance to turn and face our goal, always looking to force him away from goal if he can't get the tackle in. He will stay close and use his pace to stop the striker getting in on goal, forcing him away from it. He will be dominant in the air and clear everything on the ground, not allowing the striker into the game. Cahill will be more of a sweeper, he gets in position to deal with any knock downs or flick ons from the striker, beating the City midfield runners to the ball and clearing the danger in his no nonsense style. Cahill will also make sure to get across if Dante is beaten, using his excellent last ditch tackles to clear the danger. He will also watch for midfield runners around our area, not leaving any gaps for them and getting tight to force them back, whilst also clearing all the crosses. Going forward these two can have a big impact, both have good passing and should look for the diagonal balls into the striker or the wingers to stretch the game and open the space up down the opposite flank, whilst at set pieces they'll be a huge danger, Cahill with his excellent movement to get to the ball first and Dante with his height and presence to win the headers as well.
Matuidi and Ramires form a very energetic midfield duo who can get in the face of the opposition and hound them off the ball. They work as a team, one pressing the man on the ball the other getting deeper to deal with the next opponent, constantly getting in their faces and putting the challenges in to win the ball back and stop the opposition building the attacks. These two will look to get us on top of the midfield battle. When under sustained pressure Matuidi will stick to the Am, staying tight and following him everywhere whilst Ramires disrupts their midfield. Matuidi will remain the deeper of the two looking to simply keep the ball moving as we attack, although at times he uses his great burst of energy to drive us forwards. Ramires provides the bigger attacking threat, using his incredible pace and dribbling to drive through midfield, pushing us forward as a team and making runs between the back 4 to get in on goal. He can run at the back 4 with the ball, forcing them back or into rash tackles, looking to play the ball on if he isn't fouled to open up the space.
The 3 behind the striker have the freedom when were on the ball to go where they like, building the attacks and getting at the back 4, working the space and creating chances. Mata will be the heart of the team, he goes where he likes, getting on the ball in space, either deep in midfield, closer to the striker, out wide, wherever he is needed. He finds the spaces with ease and then he uses he ball in killer fashion with the clinical passes down the line for the wingers, or in behind/over the top for the strikers and midfielder runners to attack. He should look to move wide and triple up on the opposition FBs, working the space for the FBs and wingers to make runs off him and get them into dangerous positions, or he can put the crosses in himself. Always be on the move either with the ball or of it, opening the game up with his dribbling or making runs between defenders to get in on goal. Get close to Martinez to link up with him and create things, float around the penalty box and just outside it to take chances that fall to him and look to link with Lamela and Villa as much as possible to release them into space. Lamela will look hold width as much as possible, looking to use his pace and skill to really get at the opposition FB and put lots of balls into the box. At times he can make the runs infield, linking the play and looking to cause trouble through the middle with his direct running, whilst also making the runs in behind the defence. He and Villa should swap sides to leave the FBs guessing, whilst he also arrives late at the far post to attack crosses. Villa will also be very direct, he can take a player on and leave them for dead, taking players out of the game and opening spaces, linking with team mates and making runs into spaces, looking to get close to Martinez and make runs around him. Hold width when possible, linking with Marcelo to get into space and open things up for a cross or cut inside and go for goal. At corners I want Lamela attacking the ball in at the back post or looking to finish off any flick on from one of our players, he attacks the ball so well and will be lethal in the air. They will also press high up the pitch when off the ball to stop City building from the back and looking to force errors high up. When under pressure, they drop back and work hard for the team but we always want them in the faces of the opposition.
Martinez looks to get on the shoulder of the Cbs, using his fantastic movement and pace to get in behind and take the chances that come his way, his movement is brilliant and this will be key to our attack as he provides the target for the excellent trio behind him. He is also unplayable in terms of strength and hold up play on his day, we get plenty of good service into him, allowing him to bully the CBs and link up the attacks with a ball into feet of Mata or the wingers of a clever flick for the runners working off the defence, especially looking for the burst of Ramires to get him in one v one. We particularly want him to focus on making runs off Puyol, pace wise he will destroy him and we can see plenty of chances coming from this.
Subs:
If Winning: De Bruyne for Villa 70', provides fresh legs and more defensive capability to stop the FB attacking. Asamoah for Mata 80', adds further power and pace to midfield, we really won't give City any time at all. Kalas for Martinez 85', play a back 5, Lamela pushes upfront with a flat midfield 4 protecting the defence and stopping the midfield of City.
If Drawing: Benat for Matuidi 70', fresh legs in midfield, someone who can create from deep. Hernandez for Martinez 75', his movement is incredible, he'll find the spaces to get in behind and we have the players to find him. Baptistao for Villa 80', something different to try and get the winner, he can really run at the opposition with his trickery and link well with Hernandez.
If Losing: Benat for Matuidi 65', start creating and pulling the strings from deep. Hernandez for Piszczek 70' 3-5-2, Marcelo will go CB and use his good burst to get the ball forward from deep. De Bruyne for Ramires 75', provides energy but gives us a great passer of the ball:
Courtois
Cahill Dante Marcelo
Benat De Bruyne
Lamela Mata Villa
Hernandez Martinez
-------------------Marchetti------------------
Uchida-----Jesus-----Ruiz-----Enrique
-------------Carrick-----Elm--------
Adrian--------------Costa----------Ayew--
--------------------Kiessiling-------------------
Subs: Smithies, Vrsaljko, Amorebieta, Nordtveit, Cork, Remy, Ilicic
We are facing a strong side today, and therefore have decided to play counter-attacking football. We have a strong enough defence, in conjunction with a hard working midfield to limit the space in which they can play through constant pressure and will look to break at speed with direct, quick passing in order to catch them out with too many players having pushed forwards. Content not to have the ball, we will stifle their play and absorb any pressure they create before breaking forwards at speed with direct, quick and fluid play. It is important to note that we are not being defensive, but rather maximising our chances of victory with a style of play that suits our game and means we are both a) More likely to score and b) Less likely to concede
Marchetti is a keeper whose experience gives him an edge 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 a pacey yet strong defence that has both experience and game awareness in abundance. With our counter-attacking style, they will have a realtively deep line to hold, as we snuffle out there creative impoetous with the pressure of our three man midfield, with the back 4 mopping up any balls that are attempted by them. Ruiz will have the role of marshalling the defence, and marking their main striker whilst Jesus will track any extra runners into the box. Enrique and Uchida 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 their pace and attacking intent will mean they can join our counter's 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. Uchida, in particular, has extra license to get beyond Adrian who is playing as an inside forward. 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.
We are effectively playing a three man midfield. Comfortable at AM, CM and DM, we have listed Costa at AM as when we break forwards on the counter he should be the most advanced of this trio. He will be looking to get in and around the box, providing another option and being the main link up with Kiessling and thus key to bringing other players into the move. However, when we are defending he is to drop to the center of the park, and help pressurize and cut out the creative impoteous of their creative players alongside Elm and Carrick. It will mean that their creative players in behind the striker have no room to find 'pockets' of space and will provide the basis of our midfield, meaning that we can break forward in numbers. Elm will be the box-to-box midfielder breaking from deep on the counter, and putting in a shift all over the pitch; whilst Carrick will be a 'quarterback' as our deep lying play maker, connecting the defensive and attacking phases together with his pinpoint passing which will create chances for us through finding players who are in space due to their likely attacking nature. 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. This trio in midfield is perfectly suited to a direct, counter-attacking style of football and with substitutes coming on after a period of time they will not get excessively tired.
The key for both Ayew and Remy today is to provide options when we counter with runs into space that can be picked out by our direct and fast passing. When on the ball, having found space, Ayew will look to the byline and get the ball into the box, towards Kiessling or the onrushing Costa. However, Adrian will be playing as an inside forward and with Uchida on the overlap will have more license to cut inside and target the space left between their sluggish LB/CB.They should both look to link up with the German when he is holding the ball up; providing options and movement to create space for both themselves and others.
Kiessling is the target man, and the focus point of our counter attacks. Ideally; we will be looking to get the ball to him in the box. He should occasionally look to bring others into the move, and link up with the trio behind him however his primary role as the focal point of our attack is to do what he does best - stick the ball in the back of the net. He should look to be utilising his pace to get behind the defence and beat their high line. His movement/pace will create chances for himself and others. Even in defence, he should look to push up the pitch, his presence being a nusiance for them as this will create the space for us to counter attack into.
Subs:
After 70 mins: Nordtveit > Nainnggolan, fresh legs in midfield
If losing after 70 mins: Remy > Costa, Remy CF - 4-4-2 attacking
Captain: Carrick
Set Pieces: Ayew
Penalties: Kiessling
If we recieve a red card, same style and replace Fernandinho with a like for like replacement for the man sent off.
Pompey vs QPR
-----------------------------Timo Horn--------
---Daniel Carvajal---David Luiz----Nastasic---Criscito
----------------Javi Martinez---------Fellaini--
-----------Lucas Moura---Mario Gotze------James
------------------------------Lewandowski
Subs: Draxler, Lukaku, Icardi, Griezmann, Henderson, Matic, Papadopoulos, Rode
Game Plan: We will look to attack our opponents using a slick, pass and move game. We believe we have the abilities in defence to pass the ball out and start counter attacks, as Luiz is dynamic and will carry the ball forward, and alongisde him, Nastasic is an excellent passer of the ball, and mustn't be afraid of stepping into midfield at times to use his fantastic ball playing skills. Our two CB's must look to play the ball out if defence, as they both suit each other very well. Daniel Carvajal and Luke Shaw can also pick out a pass down the wings, and they should look to make supporting runs on the outside of our wingers. In midfield, Javi Martinez will defend our backline, and he is one of those DM's that will never give up, and always hassle and harry the opposition. He is also a very good passer, and he will look to spread play out to the wings, and break up play, before keeping the ball alongside Fellaini. Fellers is best known for his excellent aerial threat, physical presence and his great dominance in midfield so he will play in the b2b role, before turning into a kind of attacking mid when needed. Mario Gotze will control the game from AM, and will be in support of Robert Lewandowski at all times. He will look to pick the ball up from midway, and direct those shots into the corners. He will also look to use his top vision to find ways to release Moura and James. Moura's job will be to run at the LB, take him on, and whip in low balls for Lewandowski and Gotze, who are both guaranteed to finish them off. James will be on the other end, and use his dazzling dribbling ability, and superb acceleration to turn away from fullbacks, and clip in high balls for Lewandowski to throw himself at. Lewandowski will be the one who will finish off every move, and he is up there with the top scorers in the League for a reason. His fantastic positioning and his marauding runs in the box will confuse opposition, and Lewandowski will then attempt to finish off every ball which comes into the box. Lewandowski will be winning everything in the air, and finishing with an aplomb. He his two-footed, and is a wonderful finisher, so will look to attack every ball, and link up well with James, Mario Gotze and Moura. Luiz comes up for corners in the first half, Nastasic to come up for corners in the second half.
Target areas:-
LB: we will look to take advantage of Wolves's weak LB spot, and make sure Moura takes advantage of him. Aly Cissokho is extremely attacking, and this will open up lots of space for Moura to get his feet on some flick ons/through balls
DM: Although Song is still half decent, he is more of a CM than a DM, and has been a flop this seasonl, so we will look to over power him and make sure Gotze gets the better of him where the game will be won
LCB: Terry is their only good CB, but we will be targeting his partner, as Mbiwa is injured, and the poor Samba and Kjaer will have to play- Lewandowski will cripple them.
RB: Sagna has been dreadful this season, and his knack of making mistakes really is costing the team he plays for, and this will be a real dream chance for James to shine, with him looking to bathe in the space given to him, he will cause problems down the left, which shows we will have the advantage down both flanks.
Freekicks - Gotze
Penalties - Lewandowski
Corners - James
Captain - Javi Martinez
Full Backs
Daniel Carvajal will start at right full back. Powerful, full of tactical awareness, and he is as comfortable with the ball at his feet as he is defending. Luke Shaw is at left back. 2 very pacy and powerful full backs who while first and foremost are there to defend will also join in going forward when the moment is right and will cause the opposition wide men a few headaches with their directness and pace. Both the full backs first priority is to defend and leave no gaps to exploit. Both Daniel Carvajal and Shaw can match their wingers for pace.
Centre Halves
Nastasic and D.Luiz form a formidable no-nonsense unit in the centre of the defence and their aggression makes this a back 4 to be reckoned with. Both are very big men and possess great aerial ability and are very strong in the tackle and this should ensure that we can more than handle most things that are thrown at them. Two big men with not only defending but also footballing ability in their locker. Both with good positioning sense and very good decision makers. It’s a very powerful and pacy defence and all four players are very, very talented with the ball at their feet and remained composed and know exactly what to do when in possession. When we are under little pressure, Nastasic will step up into a Sweeper role, where he can utilise his excellent passing skills, linking up well with Martinez in midfield. Nastasic and Luiz will not be beaten by crosses, high or low, as Luiz attacks the first ball, and failing that, Nastasic will clean up. We will be playing a deep line where Wolves will struggle to break down, as it limits their pacy wingers (Farfan and Moses) to run in behind the defence. Javi Martinez will be expected to drop back a notch, ala De Rossi, when they attack, where he can keep his eyes on Nasri and will act as a sweeper, with Shaw and Carvajal pushing up further:
-----------Nastasic---------Luiz
--Carvajal------Javi Martinez-----Luke Shaw
But we must make sure Fellaini covers the FB out wide in this formation change
Central Midfield
Javi Martinez and Fellaini will be the central midfield pairing. They will be asked to keep the midfield ticking over and give protection to the back four. Each of them will cover for their full back if he has joined the attack. Javi Martinez will be the more defensive of the 2 and will boss the midfield. He’s a big, powerful midfielder with a huge engine and will cover every blade of grass on the field. Fellaini will operate as the box to box in midfield. Extremely comfortable with the ball he will keep our midfield moving. Equally as comfortable playing deep or on the front foot he will not neglect his defensive duties when necessary but we will see the best of him with the ball at his feet instigating our attacks. He has a wide range of passes in his locker and his mere presence will be a key factor in making sure our midfield has space penetration and that there is always someone in a position to receive the pass. Both of them possess a lethal shot so there will probably be a few efforts from distance if the chance arises. These 2 will be expected to run pull the strings from midfield from the off and will be crucial to our passing game. Fellaini will be the creator in the team and with a wide range of passing along with agility and shooting ability he will be linking with the wingers and striker to attack the opponents. He has the strength, aerial abiliy and is a real handful and this coupled with the physicality and style of Javi Martinez will mean our midfield will see a lot of the ball.
Attacking Midfield
Maio Gotze will be playing the AM role today. His job is crucial to the team, as they will sit just in front of the DM (Lucho), and will look to get the ball up to Lewandowski. Gotze will create that extra magic that is needed to unlock defences, whilst Fellaini will sit back, just behind him, ready to help out. He will be crucial in our attacking game, as he will be the ones to supply the striker, and deliver those long, lung-busting runs across the pitch. Gotze will link up the play from Midfield to attack, being an enormous threat from long shots and his movement will cause plenty of problems for Song as he will have a top class AM all over him, pressing him back towards his own defence.
Left and Right Wing
James and Moura will play on the right and left wing. These are 2 wingers with bags of pace. They will be expected to supply things for Lewandowski, and their pace will cause a lot of problems. They will be expected to attack the opponents back four and supported by their full backs get past their man and get the ball in for Lewandowski. This is an area we will look to exploit with our pacy wingers and powerful marauding full backs. We will look to stretch their defence out of shape and with fast and direct running I can see a lot of space opening up for the very quick and cunning Lewandowski . Both wingers provide a goal threat so expect to see them vary their attacks and cut inside when the time is right and drag their full back to the byline as well. Their pace and width will be a key factor in opening up space for the attack and by making the pitch very big and hugging the touchline it will also give our two midfield lynchpins more time and space to manoeuvre hopefully meaning that we can get a real grip on the midfield battle. We have an abundance of speed out wide and up front and our attack have the edge over the opposition wide men – both in terms of speed and versatility. That coupled with a couple of marauding full backs (when on the attack) should prove a fruitful area for us. With Moura and James both able to take on a man and hug the touchline we will look to exploit this area. Their 2 centre halves will not be able to match Lewandowski for speed so hopefully with the wingers stretching their full backs, we will be able to confuse their entire back line and cause mishaps in dangerous areas
Striker
Up front Lewandowski will spearhead the attack. We are relying on him to get the goals after his brilliant displays this season, in the hope he will get us a goal againsty a very weak defence. He has pace, and movement ability is top notch. There will be no shortage of chances created for him and I would expect it to be a hard day at the office for the opposition’s central defenders with Lewandowski equally as good in the air as with the ball at his feet. He is also a powerful runner and has a good reading of the game and runs fantastic lines. This doubled with James and Moura's superb vision, support and passing ability will hopefully prove productive for him. He is great at playing off the shoulder of the last defender and his powerful physique usually ensures that he always gets a yard on the last defender. He’s also a great link up man and holding the ball up – so when he doesn’t feel that there is something on then he will be providing for other and bringing Gotze and the supporting wingers into play in dangerous areas. Lewandowski will be too much for Opposition's CB's, and will make deadly angled runs to get into a scoring position. He must also look to wriggle away from the attention of the CB's.
Summary
We will concentrate on doing what we do best and playing to our strengths – keeping hold of the ball and working it simply around the park. Nothing flash or risky – just possession football. Patience could be the key and if we keep it tight we have the personnel to get us a goal. We also pose a very dangerous threat on the counter. We have pace to move the ball forward very quickly and enough pace to regain our shape if the opposition turn it around and try and counter us. In defence Fellaini will sit deeper, with Javi Martinez dropping back into the sweeper role, and will be expected to be his energetic self and press the opposition midfield/forwards and knock them out of their rhythm. Our wingers and full backs will sit a bit deeper to stay alert and ready to use their speed at any chance of a counter, although our two FB will be stepping up a notch to allow Martinez to develop into his more defensive self. With the ability of our team to change formation depending on the circumstances we have enough in midfield and out wide to starve them from the ball and with. This will open up acres of space and with neat simple passing and bags of pace, this will be a very productive area for us. We will be looking to get bodies in the box. With fast and fluid attacking play Lewabdowski and Gotze will always have support in this area and our wide men will always have a target to get the ball in to. With the trickery of Gotze, Moura and James then the opposition can always expect the unexpected.
Subs:
If winning on 60: Matic > Fellaini, offers brilliant tackling, pressing and passing in midfield, will he more solid defensively too
Any score on 60: Draxler > James, offers pace and a goalscoring threat and great movement
If losing/drawing on 60: Lukaku > Moura playing 4-4-2 with Gotze RW
-------------------------Cech
Juanfran---Diakite-----Agger-----Clichy
-------------------------Inler
-------------Schweiny------Dembele
Payet------------------------------------Ribery
---------------------Auby
Subs
Begovic, Schmelzer, Johnson, McManaman, Modric, Barry, Osvaldo
Tactics
An attack-minded 4-3-3 formation with emphasis on keeping possession and playing with width to stretch the opposition.
Keeper
When distributing the ball, he should look to keep it simple and play the percentage pass. At crosses and set pieces, should look to punch rather than attempt any catches with an element of risk.
Full Backs
When going forward, the wingers will be playing a mostly wide game so should look to play behind the wingers, giving them an option to play it safely back if there is no forward option, and they should also look to provide width if the wingers cut inside. When defending, they should look to frustrate the wingers and keep them on their weaker foot wether that keeps them out wide or brings them inside
Centre Backs
Agger will compete with the striker for the aerial balls played up to him, and Diakite will look to collect the 2nd ball, when the ball is on the floor, Diakite will be the guy to venture forward to meet with the striker, and Agger will make sure he is making a covering run if Diakite is beaten. When on the ball, if the opposition are giving them space to come out with the ball, then they should look to take it forward, if not, just look to play it simple to a man in space and retain possession.
Defensive Midfielder
Inler will look to just sit in front of the back 4, staying deep when the full backs go forward to keep defensive numbers up in case of a counter. When attacking, he will look to take the ball of the centre backs and play it forward to the CM's or out wide to one of the Full Backs.
Centre Mids
Both are comfortable on the ball, and both have engines to last the full 90 with a high energy game, when they are on the ball both midfielders are suited to looking for a pass, but can take the ball forward if the space is there, if either man is running with the ball, they are comfortable with shooting from outside the box, so should look to test the keeper quite often. When defending, they will look to use their workrate to press the opposition midfielders when they are on the ball.
Wingers
They should look to stay as wide as possible when they receive the ball to try and stretch the defensive line and create space for midfield runners and/or Gomez. When on the ball, both wingers have the ability to stay wide and put a cross in, or cut inside to try and make space for a shot, so should look to pick out which is the best option at the time, if they do cut inside, the full backs should have moved forward to occupy the touchline and provide an out ball if there is no other option. If they have taken the opposition full back out of the game, they shouldnt be afraid to go into the box, as defenders will be extra cautious to not give away a penalty, and this provides the option of just drilling a cross to Auby or a simple drag back to an onrushing CM. When the opposite winger has the ball, the winger without the ball should look to find space between the CB and full back to add an extra body for any crosses or capitalise on any defensive errors.
Striker
When defending, he should look to buzz around the back 4 and DMs when they have the ball, working with the wingers to press from the front and try to force some errors, when attacking, he should look to hang onto the the shoulder of the last defender, looking to break any offside traps and get into 1 on 1's with the keeper, when setting up counter attacks, he should be drifting over to the left slightly.
Set Pieces
Corners - Schweiny takes corners, the 2 CB's go into the box, the FB's and Inler stay back to prevent counters, the CB's, and Auby attack the ball, Dembele hangs around the domain of the keeper, looking to limit his space without actually fouling him. Payet and Ribery take positions just outside the box to pick up any weak defensive headers or knockdowns.
Free Kicks - For direct FK's Schweiny will shoot most of the time, but Agger will be there for the option of shellacking the ball at goal. For Indirect FKs, follow the same directives for Corners
Penalties - Schweiny is the designated taker.
Subs
If Winning
68 mins - McManaman for Payet - Fresh legs and extra defensive workrate.
76 mins - Barry and Gomez for Schweiny and Gomez - Auby provides the out ball if we come under pressure. The wingers tuck back, but with the knowledge to get out quickly for the front 3 to try and counter if the opposition over-commit for a route back into the game. Barry slots in alongside Inler.
If Losing
71 mins - Modirc for Inler - extra attacking impetus in the midfield, line up like so
-------Dembele---Schweiny
------------Modders
77 Mins - Gomez and McManaman for Payet and Dembele - We go to 4-2-4, with the wingers bombarding crosses in to the 2 big men with the other winger adding the third option.
Crucial in this game to win the battle in the middle of the park, so we’ve gone with a 5-3-2, that should allow us to build and dominate from the back with the quality and fluidity going forward to really hurt Newcastle. What’s going to be the difference between Europe and my garden? There will be magpies in my garden next season.
----------- Buffon
--- Albiol – Pepe – Skrtel
Rafael ---------------- A.Young
---- Gerrard – Reus -Pirlo
------- Tevez – Lavezzi
Subs. Cesar, Ansaldi, Sandro, Banega, Hamsik, Ox, Eto’o
What may look like an a defensive formation has actually allowed us to get more of our strongest attacking players on the pitch. Young comes in to play as left wing back but to offer a more attacking threat than anything as without Filipe we wouldn’t be strong here anyway so he will bring another dimension to our play going forward. What we can't make up for in defence, add to our play in attack!
They wont be expecting this at all, they have pace but we have the power and in their confused mind set we will pounce like the lion on the gazelle! Great ability to counter with the lineup we have, attacking quickly with pace and brilliant movement.
High pressing from our forwards, wing backs, Pepe and Reus. Gerrard, Pirlo, Skrtel and Albiol keep rigid in position.
Newcastle’s strength is down the wings and with a wing back and cb to cover they should struggle to find space and if they do beat their man the cb is their to cover. The wing backs will off the width, Lavezzi will also drift wide while Reus will bomb forward, and Gerrard will also attack. Pirlo sits in front of the back 3 meaning we have a solid base and can get forward as long as we have one more defender than they have attackers. We have plenty of pace in Rafael and Young to get bodies back quickly to defend.
This formation is setup perfectly for Pirlo to dominate, pick up the ball and immediately put us on the front foot by finding our wing backs bombing forward or Reus/Tevez/Lavezzi. We want to control possession and have defenders who are used to getting on the ball.
Dominate from the back with the extra man. Newcastle have a lot of pace going forward so our defensive line will be a little deeper than normal.
We will be very fluid in attack. Lavezzi and Tevez as a front two would frighten any defence, their movement will be key to our victory. Reus has a very attacking role in the midfield three, playing as if he is the attacking mid and Pirlo and Gerrard are sitting. Which Pirlo is but Gerrard will break forward.
Rigid in defence. 5 man defence. When we are under the kosh with everyone back, one cb marks their st, one cb free next to him watching for danger, Pepe looks to support the full back that they will want to take on. We will look to have 4 players in front. Reus, Pirlo, Gerrard and Lavezzi all get back to form a second wall of four in front of the defence.
Buffon – Dominate the penalty area. Control the back line and lead from the back.
3 cbs – We want Skrtel to pick up their forward. Albiol has the ability to read the game and will spot the danger. Pepe has the pace and power to help the wing backs almost like a sweeper but not playing any deeper than the back line.
Wing backs – Have a difficult job up against tricky wingers, stay on your feet, don’t dive in. They have the pace to deal with them. Going forward is where they can offer a real threat as any full back would struggle at the back against their wingers.
Midfield 3 – Pirlo sits, picks the ball up from the defence and switches the play and plays the defence splitting passes from deep. Gerrard also starts from deep, but looks to go forward plays that little bit deeper than Reus. Reus has freedom through the middle, find space and get on the ball and run at Toon finding the passes that will create.
Lavezzi and Tevez – Two Argentines that can help us press high up the park. Plenty of movement, both like to drop deep/wide and get involved in the play pulling their defenders out of position and creating space to run into. Plenty of shots from Tevez.
Set pieces: Pirlo from deep, Tevez around the box.
Corners: Pirlo/Gerrard
Penalties: Pirlo
Subs. We have more quality than Newcastle on the bench to mix things up.
If losing after 60 mins bring on Ansaldi for Skrtel. Flat back 4. 4-2-3-1, with Pirlo and Gerrard the two sitting players. Ansaldi defence in his play in what is a very attacking formation.
If losing after 60 mins bring on Hamsik for Young. Play on the right, Lavezzi left, Reus central.
If losing after 80 mins bring on Ox for Ansaldi. Ox plays in am. Sub on for a sub. Simply all out attack. Pirlo playing as a third attacking cb.
If drawing after 70 mins bring on Hamsik for Gerrard. Brings drive to our play in the middle of the park, we need an all action display. Important he starts from deep positions.
If drawing after 80 mins bring on Eto’o for Lavezzi. Fresh legs and impetus up front as we search for a winner.
If winning after 70 mins bring on Sandro for Gerrard. Play dm, allow Pirlo to move into attacking areas.
If winning after 77 mins bring on Ansaldi for A.Young. Fresh legs
If winning after 80 mins bring on Hamsik for Lavezzi. Fresh legs and impetus up front as we search for a winner.
Last week tactics for Wigan please
European Tactics
We want to top our group and make things easier for ourselves in the next round, avoid the CL teams if possible.
--------------- Cesar
Abate – Caulker – D.Reyes – Haidara
---------- Lucas – Banega
Grenier ---- Pandev -----Ox
--------------- Eto’o
Subs. Buffon, Ansaldi, Campana, Sandro, Hamsik, Olinga, Di Santo
A balanced 4-2-3-1. Full backs will be very attacking as they naturally are and this will provide the width giving Grenier and Ox freedom. Lucas with a very defensive role in front of the defence while Banega will be our deep playmaker and have freedom to get forward.
The formation is our favoured setup and all the players know it. Rigid in defence and fluid going forward; simple. High pressure as soon as the opposition get into our half. We want to play with quite a high line in this game, we have an abundance of pace in defence to cover. Squeeze the game putting the opposition on the back foot and make it difficult for them to build attacks.
Get 9 men behind the ball when the opposition are attacking. Two walls of four. Pandev just in front, with Eto’o ready up top. He will run the channels as he likes to offering a great out ball to take pressure off us, and the opposition will be wary of the threat he poses.
One full back bombs forward at a time. The other goes forward ready to join the attack on opposite wing but stays deeper to allow the play to switch.
A big chance for a few players. Eto’o continues up top in Europe as he’s been banging in the goals for us here, still only 32 he is the best player in Russia and can still stake a claim to get in our first Xi. Pandev just behind we want to find spaces between their defence and midfield. Ox and Grenier will naturally drift into the middle but we want them to start from wide positions which they are more than capable of playing.
Banega and Lucas were our first choice cms not long ago, they offer a great blend in the middle of the park and will want to impress to get back in the first Xi. Lucas doing the dirty work and Banega winning the plaudits with his silky play! Banega to spread the play and find our players in dangerous positions, to try plenty of defence splitting passes as we have intelligent players moving forward who will be making all the right runs.
Cesar offers experience behind a young back 4. Caulker is the cb we want to challenge, with Reyes looking to cover and read the play.
Attacking midfield 3 have creative freedom when we are going forward. We need one to be close to Eto'o though, offering support.
Set pieces: Pandev and Banega
Captain: Eto'o
Penalties: Eto'o
Subs. After 70 mins bring on Campana for Pandev. Forming a central midfield 3, looking to over run the opposition in the middle of the park as the game opens up.
After 75 mins bring on Hamsik for Grenier. One of the big guns to push for victory.
After 80 mins bring on Di Santo for Ox. Di Santo offers target man up top. Make things difficult for the opposition defence as the game closes. 4-4-2, Campana on the left.
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Tactics Pages
Page 52 of 57
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posted on 11/5/13
*Foster
on the first line
posted on 11/5/13
-------------------------Cech
Johnson---De Vrij-----Agger-----Clichy
-------------------------Inler
-------------Schweiny------Modric
Robben------------------------------------Ribery
---------------------Gomez
Subs
Begovic, Schmelzer, Juanfran, Payet, Dembele, Barry, Auby
Tactics
An attack-minded 4-3-3 formation with emphasis on keeping possession and playing with width to stretch the opposition.
Keeper
When distributing the ball, he should look to keep it simple and play the percentage pass. At crosses and set pieces, should look to punch rather than attempt any catches with an element of risk.
Full Backs
When going forward, the wingers will be playing a mostly wide game so should look to play behind the wingers, giving them an option to play it safely back if there is no forward option, and they should also look to provide width if the wingers cut inside. When defending, they should look to just track the wingers and aim to keep them on their wrong foot and block any crosses.
Centre Backs
Agger will compete with the striker for the aerial balls played up to him, and De Vrij will look to collect the 2nd ball, when the ball is on the floor, De Vrij will be the guy to venture forward to meet with the striker, and Agger will make sure he is making a covering run if De Vrij is beaten. When on the ball, if the opposition are giving them space to come out with the ball, then they should look to take it forward, if not, just look to play it simple to a man in space and retain possession.
Defensive Midfielder
Inler will look to just sit in front of the back 4, staying deep when the full backs go forward to keep defensive numbers up in case of a counter. When attacking, he will look to take the ball of the centre backs and play it forward to the CM's or out wide to one of the Full Backs.
Centre Mids
Both are comfortable on the ball, and both have engines to last the full 90 with a high energy game, when they are on the ball both midfielders are suited to looking for a pass, but can take the ball forward if the space is there, if either man is running with the ball, they are comfortable with shooting from outside the box, so should look to test the keeper quite often. When defending, they will look to use their workrate to press the opposition midfielders when they are on the ball.
Wingers
They should look to stay as wide as possible when they receive the ball to try and stretch the defensive line and create space for midfield runners and/or Gomez. When on the ball, both wingers have the ability to stay wide and put a cross in, or cut inside to try and make space for a shot, so should look to pick out which is the best option at the time, if they do cut inside, the full backs should have moved forward to occupy the touchline and provide an out ball if there is no other option. If they have taken the opposition full back out of the game, they shouldnt be afraid to go into the box, as defenders will be extra cautious to not give away a penalty, and this provides the option of just drilling a cross to Gomez or a simple drag back to an onrushing CM. When the opposite winger has the ball, the winger without the ball should look to find space between the CB and full back to add an extra body for any crosses or capitalise on any defensive errors.
Striker
When defending, he should look to keep tabs on the defensive midfielder to stop any easy balls being played back to him, when attacking, he should look do what he does best and thats pounce in the penalty box, so in build up play he should just keep it simple, not trying too extravagant and lose possession, and make his way into his second home.
Set Pieces
Corners - Robben and Ribery take inswinging corners, the 2 CB's go into the box, the FB's and Inler stay back to prevent counters, the CB's, and Gomez attack the ball, the CM's and the non taking winger take positions just outside the box to pick up any weak defensive headers or knockdowns.
Free Kicks - For direct FK's Modric and Ribery will shoot depending on which foot it favours. For Indirect FKs, follow the same directives for Corners
Penalties - Robben is the designated taker.
Subs
If Winning
68 mins - Juanfran for Robben - Fresh legs and extra defensive workrate.
76 mins - Barry and Auby for Modric and Gomez - Auby adds pace for counter attacks and provides the out ball. The wingers tuck back, but with the knowledge to get out quickly for the front 3 to try and counter if the opposition over-commit for a route back into the game. Barry slots in alongside Inler.
If Losing
71 mins - Dembele for Inler - extra attacking impetus in the midfield
77 Mins - Auby and Payet for Robben and Modric - We go to 4-2-4, with the wingers bombarding crosses in to the 2 big men with the other winger adding the third option.
posted on 11/5/13
Mind and use last weeks norwich tactics
posted on 11/5/13
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 11/5/13
Pompey vs QPR
-----------------------------Timo Horn--------
---Daniel Carvajal---David Luiz----Bonucci---Luke Shaw
----------------Javi Martinez---------Fellaini--
-----James Rodriguez------Mario Gotze--------Draxler
----------------------------Lewandowski
Subs: Lucas Moura, Lukaku, Icardi, Griezmann, Henderson, Matic, Papadopoulos
Game Plan: We will look to attack our opponents using a slick, pass and move game. We believe we have the abilities in defence to pass the ball out and start counter attacks, as Luiz is dynamic and will carry the ball forward, and alongisde him, Bonucci is an excellent passer of the ball, and mustn't be afraid of stepping into midfield at times to use his fantastic ball playing skills. Our two CB's must look to play the ball out if defence, as they both suit each other very well. Daniel Carvajal and Luke Shaw can also pick out a pass down the wings, and they should look to make supporting runs on the outside of our wingers. In midfield, Javi Martinez will defend our backline, and he is one of those DM's that will never give up, and always hassle and harry the opposition. He is also a very good passer, and he will look to spread play out to the wings, and break up play, before keeping the ball alongside Fellaini. Fellers is best known for his excellent aerial threat, physical presence and his great dominance in midfield so he will play in the b2b role, before turning into a kind of attacking mid when needed. Mario Gotze will control the game from AM, and will be in support of Robert Lewandowski at all times. He will look to pick the ball up from midway, and direct those shots into the corners. He will also look to use his top vision to find ways to release James and Julian Draxler. James' job will be to run at the LB, take him on, and whip in low balls for Lewandowski and Draxler, who are both guaranteed to finish them off. Julian Draxler will be on the other end, and use his dazzling dribbling ability, and superb acceleration to turn away from fullbacks, and clip in high balls for Lewandowski to throw himself at. Lukaku will be the one who will finish off every move, and he is top scorer in the League for a reason.His fantastic positioning and his marauding runs in the box will confuse opposition, and Lewandowski will then attempt to finish off every ball which comes into the box. Lewandowski will be winning everything in the air, and finishing with an aplomb. He his two-footed, and is a wonderful finisher, so will look to attack every ball, and link up well with James, Mario Gotze and Draxler. Luiz comes up for corners in the first half, Bonucci to come up for corners in the second half.
Target areas:-
LB: we will look to take advantage of QPR's weak LB spot, and make sure James takes advantage of him
DM: Although Lucho is still half decent, he is nit a DM at all, so we will look to over power him and make sure Gotze gets the better of him where the game will be won
RCB: Ogbonna is their only good CB, but we wil be targeting his partner, as Lewandowski will cripple him.
RB: Anyukov is very attacking, and this will be a real dream chance for Draxler to shine, with him looking to bathe in the space given to him, he will cause problems down the left, which shows we will have the advantage down both flanks.
ST: Damiao cant hit a barn door this season so will be fluffed out by our two excellent CB's
GK: He is awful, we will look to test him with every chance of a shot, and latch onto any parries, drops, bad punches, awful positioning etc
Freekicks - Gotze
Penalties - Lewandowski
Corners - Draxler
Captain - Javi Martinez
Full Backs
Daniel Carvajal will start at right full back. Powerful, full of tactical awareness, and he is as comfortable with the ball at his feet as he is defending. Luke Shaw is at left back. 2 very pacy and powerful full backs who while first and foremost are there to defend will also join in going forward when the moment is right and will cause the opposition wide men a few headaches with their directness and pace. Both the full backs first priority is to defend and leave no gaps to exploit. Both Daniel Carvajal and Shaw can match their wingers for pace.
Centre Halves
Bonucci and D.Luiz form a formidable no-nonsense unit in the centre of the defence and their aggression makes this a back 4 to be reckoned with. Both are very big men and possess great aerial ability and are very strong in the tackle and this should ensure that we can more than handle most things that are thrown at them. Two big men with not only defending but also footballing ability in their locker. Both with good positioning sense and very good decision makers. It’s a very powerful and pacy defence and all four players are very, very talented with the ball at their feet and remained composed and know exactly what to do when in possession. When we are under little pressure, Bonucci will step up into a Sweeper role, where he can utilise his excellent passing skills, linking up well with Martinez in midfield. Bonucci and Luiz will not be beaten by crosses, high or low, as Luiz attacks the first ball, and failing that, Bonucci will clean up. We will be playing a deep line where QPR will struggle to break down, as it limits their pacy wingers (Varela and Whoever else) to run in behind the defence. Javi Martinez will be expected to drop back a notch, ala De Rossi, when they attack, where he can keep his eyes on Kaka/AM and will act as a sweeper, with Shaw and Carvajal pushing up further:
------------Bonucci---------Luiz
--Carvajal------Javi Martinez-----Luke Shaw
But we must make sure Fellaini covers the FB out wide in this formation change
Central Midfield
Javi Martinez and Fellaini will be the central midfield pairing. They will be asked to keep the midfield ticking over and give protection to the back four. Each of them will cover for their full back if he has joined the attack. Javi Martinez will be the more defensive of the 2 and will boss the midfield. He’s a big, powerful midfielder with a huge engine and will cover every blade of grass on the field. Fellaini will operate as the box to box in midfield. Extremely comfortable with the ball he will keep our midfield moving. Equally as comfortable playing deep or on the front foot he will not neglect his defensive duties when necessary but we will see the best of him with the ball at his feet instigating our attacks. He has a wide range of passes in his locker and his mere presence will be a key factor in making sure our midfield has space penetration and that there is always someone in a position to receive the pass. Both of them possess a lethal shot so there will probably be a few efforts from distance if the chance arises. These 2 will be expected to run pull the strings from midfield from the off and will be crucial to our passing game. Fellaini will be the creator in the team and with a wide range of passing along with agility and shooting ability he will be linking with the wingers and striker to attack the opponents. He has the strength, aerial abiliy and is a real handful and this coupled with the physicality and style of Javi Martinez will mean our midfield will see a lot of the ball.
Attacking Midfield
Maio Gotze will be playing the AM role today. His job is crucial to the team, as they will sit just in front of the DM (Lucho), and will look to get the ball up to Lewandowski. Gotze will create that extra magic that is needed to unlock defences, whilst Fellaini will sit back, just behind him, ready to help out. He will be crucial in our attacking game, as he will be the ones to supply the striker, and deliver those long, lung-busting runs across the pitch. Gotze will link up the play from Midfield to attack, being an enormous threat from long shots and his movement will cause plenty of problems for Lucho as he will have a top class AM all over him, pressing him back towards his own defence.
Left and Right Wing
James and Draxler will play on the right and left wing. These are 2 wingers with bags of pace. They will be expected to supply things for Lewandowski, and their pace will cause a lot of problems. They will be expected to attack the opponents back four and supported by their full backs get past their man and get the ball in for Lewandowski. This is an area we will look to exploit with our pacy wingers and powerful marauding full backs. We will look to stretch their defence out of shape and with fast and direct running I can see a lot of space opening up for the very quick and cunning Lewandowski . Both wingers provide a goal threat so expect to see them vary their attacks and cut inside when the time is right and drag their full back to the byline as well. Their pace and width will be a key factor in opening up space for the attack and by making the pitch very big and hugging the touchline it will also give our two midfield lynchpins more time and space to manoeuvre hopefully meaning that we can get a real grip on the midfield battle. We have an abundance of speed out wide and up front and our attack have the edge over the opposition wide men – both in terms of speed and versatility. That coupled with a couple of marauding full backs (when on the attack) should prove a fruitful area for us. With Draxler and James both able to take on a man and hug the touchline we will look to exploit this area. Their 2 centre halves will not be able to match Lewandowski for speed so hopefully with the wingers stretching their full backs, we will be able to confuse their entire back line and cause mishaps in dangerous areas
Striker
Up front Lewandowski will spearhead the attack. We are relying on him to get the goals after his brilliant displays this season, in the hope he will get us a goal againsty a very weak defence. He has pace, and movement ability is top notch. There will be no shortage of chances created for him and I would expect it to be a hard day at the office for the opposition’s central defenders with Lewandowski equally as good in the air as with the ball at his feet. He is also a powerful runner and has a good reading of the game and runs fantastic lines. This doubled with James and Draxler's superb vision, support and passing ability will hopefully prove productive for him. He is great at playing off the shoulder of the last defender and his powerful physique usually ensures that he always gets a yard on the last defender. He’s also a great link up man and holding the ball up – so when he doesn’t feel that there is something on then he will be providing for other and bringing Gotze and the supporting wingers into play in dangerous areas. Lewandowski will be too much for Opposition's CB's, and will make deadly angled runs to get into a scoring position. He must also look to wriggle away from the attention of the CB's.
Summary
We will concentrate on doing what we do best and playing to our strengths – keeping hold of the ball and working it simply around the park. Nothing flash or risky – just possession football. Patience could be the key and if we keep it tight we have the personnel to get us a goal. We also pose a very dangerous threat on the counter. We have pace to move the ball forward very quickly and enough pace to regain our shape if the opposition turn it around and try and counter us. In defence Fellaini will sit deeper, with Javi Martinez dropping back into the sweeper role, and will be expected to be his energetic self and press the opposition midfield/forwards and knock them out of their rhythm. Our wingers and full backs will sit a bit deeper to stay alert and ready to use their speed at any chance of a counter, although our two FB will be stepping up a notch to allow Martinez to develop into his more defensive self. With the ability of our team to change formation depending on the circumstances we have enough in midfield and out wide to starve them from the ball and with. This will open up acres of space and with neat simple passing and bags of pace, this will be a very productive area for us. We will be looking to get bodies in the box. With fast and fluid attacking play Lewabdowski and Gotze will always have support in this area and our wide men will always have a target to get the ball in to. With the trickery of Gotze, Draxler and James then the opposition can always expect the unexpected.
Subs:
If winning on 60: Matic > Fellaini, offers brilliant tackling, pressing and passing in midfield, will he more solid defensively too
Any score on 60: Moura > James, offers raw pace and a direct line of threat
If losing/drawing on 60: Lukaku > Draxler playing 4-4-2 with Gotze LW
posted on 11/5/13
----------------Alves
Kalas----Cahill----Dante----Marcelo
---------Matuidi--Ramires
De Bruyne----Mata---------Villa
---------------Cavani
Subs: Butland, Marrone, Piszczek, Asamoah, Beñat, Baptistao, Martinez
Captain: Dante
Corners: Mata/De Bruyne
Free Kicks: Mata/De Bruyne
Penalties: Cavani
Game Plan:
We want to get all 3 points here and to do that we must play at 100% giving our absolute maximum in this game. We will look to give our attack the freedom to really take this game to the opposition, attacking with pace, flair and being clinical. Whilst we will press the opposition right from the word go and high up the pitch, not giving their defence or deeper midfield players any time on the ball, with Matuidi and Ramires then ready to use their energy in midfield to press the more advanced Villa players no stop. We work as a unit looking to really get in the faces of Villa and not let them have anytime on the ball, before taking advantage of mistakes to break at speed.
Tactics:
Diego Alves continues in goal, looking to use his quick reflexes and pace off the line to stop any one who gets infront of or behind our defence, whilst collecting crosses when it's possible. He will look to get the ball out quickly to start attacks if the chance is there, if not he goes long or into the CBs depending on how Villa pressurise our back line. We will look for the FBs to push forward when Alves has the ball and the CBs will push out to the sides of the penalty box, with one midfielder dropping back, giving us a triangle to pass with and wide options if needed to work our way out from the back.
The FBs must be on top form defensively today. Kalas is a more defensive option and for much of the game he'll look to stay on his man, not allowing him to move infield and facing up to him as soon as the ball goes into him, forcing the winger into an early decision to not allow him time to see his options, forcing the winger down the line instead of infield and using his pace to make it difficult to cross and get the tackles in. Marcelo will look to face up to his winger in the same fashion, again making sure the Villa wingers are limited to the space they can play in and stopping them supplying the strikers. Kalas is also excellent at coming across to cover the CBs with his pace and reading of the game, when needed that's exactly what he'll do. Offensively Marcelo will have more freedom as we look to really attack the RB, doubling up on him with Marcelo making runs around Villa, either out side him to crossing positions, or inside him where he can between the FB and CB and into the box, where he can cut back to a time mate or go for goal himself. Always use his pace and excellent link up to cause problems, making the movements to drag players out of position and find gaps. Kalas on the other side can attack when the move is building down our right, he's very good with his crosses from deep so he will give that option, whilst also looking to make runs to the byline for a cross when the option is open.
Dante and Cahill form an excellent partnership at CB, both solid, quick defenders who will put their body on the line for the team. Dante will look to man mark the CF, getting very tight to him and not allowing him the chance to turn and face our goal, always looking to force him away from goal if he can't get the tackle in. He will stay close and use his pace to stop the striker getting in on goal, although we expect a more target man like striker. He will be dominant in the air and clear everything on the ground, not allowing the striker into the game. Cahill will be more of a sweeper, he gets in position to deal with any knock downs or flick ons from the striker, beating the Villa midfield runners to the ball and clearing the danger in his no nonsense style. We don't really expect a fast striker but Cahill will also make sure to get across if Dante is beaten, using his excellent last ditch tackles to clear the danger. He will also watch for midfield runners around our area, not leaving any gaps for them and getting tight to force them back, whilst also clearing all the crosses. Going forward these two can have a big impact, both have good passing and should look for the diagonal balls into the striker or the wingers to stretch the game and open the space up down the opposite flank, whilst at set pieces they'll be a huge danger, Cahill with his excellent movement to get to the ball first and Dante with his height and presence to win the headers as well.
Matuidi and Ramires form a very energetic midfield duo who can get in the face of the opposition and hound them off the ball. They work as a team, one pressing the man on the ball the other getting deeper to deal with the next opponent, constantly getting in their faces and putting the challenges in to win the ball back and stop the opposition building the attacks. These two will look to get us on top of the midfield battle. When under sustained pressure Matuidi will stick to the Am, staying tight and following him everywhere whilst Ramires disrupts their midfield. Matuidi will remain the deeper of the two looking to simply keep the ball moving as we attack, although at times he uses his great burst of energy to drive us forwards. Ramires provides the bigger attacking threat, using his incredible pace and dribbling to drive through midfield, pushing us forward as a team and making runs between the back 4 to get in on goal. He can run at the back 4 with the ball, forcing them back or into rash tackles, looking to play the ball on if he isn't fouled to open up the space.
The 3 behind the striker have the freedom when were on the ball to go where they like, building the attacks and getting at the back 4, working the space and creating chances. Mata will be the heart of the team, he goes where he likes, getting on the ball in space, either deep in midfield, closer to the striker, out wide, wherever he is needed. He finds the spaces with ease and then he uses he ball in killer fashion with the clinical passes down the line for the wingers, or in behind/over the top for the strikers and midfielder runners to attack. He should look to move wide and triple up on the opposition FBs, working the space for the FBs and wingers to make runs off him and get them into dangerous positions, or he can put the crosses in himself. Always be on the move either with the ball or of it, opening the game up with his dribbling or making runs between defenders to get in on goal. Get close to Cavani to link up with him and create things, float around the penalty box and just outside it to take chances that fall to him and look to link with De Bruyne and Villa as much as possible to release them into space. De Bruyne will look hold width as much as possible, looking to use his fantastic crossing to get balls into the box for players to attack, whilst also linking with Kalas. At times he can make the runs infield, linking the play and looking to cause trouble through the middle with his passing, whilst also making the runs in behind the defence. He and Villa should swap sides to leave the FBs guessing. Villa is the more direct of the three in his running, he can take a player on and leave them for dead, taking players out of the game and opening spaces, linking with team mates and making runs into spaces, looking to get close to Cavani and make runs around him. Hold width when possible, linking with Marcelo to get into space and open things up for a cross or cut inside and go for goal. At corners I want De Bruyne/Mata which ever isn't taking the corner, making a run at the back post, they're unlikely to be marked by anyone good at watching the runs due to their height so they can run off the marker to the back post to look to try and finish flicks ons from the CBs. They will also press high up the pitch when off the ball to stop Villa building from the back and looking to force errors high up. When under pressure, they drop back and work hard for the team but we always want them in the faces of the opposition.
Cavani will be key to the side today, occupying the CBs and getting involved with the build up play before finishing his chances. We expect Varane at CB and its shown on a few occasions that although he's excellent against the fast strikers he does struggle against strength so we want Cavani to get up against him and really aim to put a lot of pressure on him. Cavani will hold the ball up and bring players into play around him, either first time balls out wide or into the central players, whilst making his runs to give those attacking players an option for a ball through or over the top. He should look to attack all the crosses too.
Subs:
If Winning: Asamoah for Villa 70', bags of pace to deal with Villa attacks. Piszczek for De Bruyne 80', help out Kalas. Marrone for Mata 85', play as a 3rd CB.
If Drawing: Piszczek for Kalas 70', looks to get forward with more purpose. Beñat for Matuidi 75', change in CM to give us someone to get us moving forward with his excellent passing. Martinez for Villa 80', play more of a 4-4-2 with Martinez adding an extra presence and fresh legs up front, changing to a 4-2-3-1 defending.
If Losing: 3-5-2, Martinez for Marcelo 65', Baptistao for De Bruyne 75', fresh legs to get at them. Beñat for Matuidi 75', link the attacks.
posted on 11/5/13
-------------------Marchetti------------------
Uchida-----Jesus-----Benatia-----Enrique
-------------Carrick-----Nainnggolan--------
Remy-----------Fernandinho------Ayew--
--------------------Kiessiling-------------------
Subs: Smithies, Vrsaljko, Amorebieta, Nordtveit, Cork, Adrian, Ilicic
We are facing a strong side today, and therefore have decided to play counter-attacking football. We have a strong enough defence, in conjunction with a hard working midfield to limit the space in which they can play through constant pressure and will look to break at speed with direct, quick passing in order to catch them out with too many players having pushed forwards. Content not to have the ball, we will stifle their play and absorb any pressure they create before breaking forwards at speed with direct, quick and fluid play. It is important to note that we are not being defensive, but rather maximising our chances of victory with a style of play that suits our game and means we are both a) More likely to score and b) Less likely to concede
Marchetti is a keeper whose experience gives him an edge 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 a pacey yet strong defence that has both experience and game awareness in abundance. With our counter-attacking style, they will have a realtively deep line to hold, as we snuffle out there creative impoetous with the pressure of our three man midfield, with the back 4 mopping up any balls that are attempted by them. Benatia will have the role of marshalling the defence, and marking their main striker whilst Jesus will track any extra runners into the box. Enrique and Uchida 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 their pace and attacking intent will mean they can join our counter's 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. Vrsaljko, in particular, has extra license to get beyond Adrian who is playing as an inside forward. 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.
We are effectively playing a three man midfield. Comfortable at AM, CM and DM, we have listed Fernandinho at AM as when we break forwards on the counter he should be the most advanced of this trio. He will be looking to get in and around the box, providing another option and being the main link up with Kiessling and thus key to bringing other players into the move. However, when we are defending he is to drop to the center of the park, and help pressurize and cut out the creative impoteous of their creative players alongside Nainnggolan and Carrick. It will mean that their creative players in behind the striker have no room to find 'pockets' of space and will provide the basis of our midfield, meaning that we can break forward in numbers. Nainnggolan will be the box-to-box midfielder breaking from deep on the counter, and putting in a shift all over the pitch; whilst Carrick will be a 'quarterback' as our deep lying play maker, connecting the defensive and attacking phases together with his pinpoint passing which will create chances for us through finding players who are in space due to their likely attacking nature. 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. This trio in midfield is perfectly suited to a direct, counter-attacking style of football and with substitutes coming on after a period of time they will not get excessively tired.
The key for both Ayew and Remy today is to provide options when we counter with runs into space that can be picked out by our direct and fast passing. When on the ball, having found space, Ayew will look to the byline and get the ball into the box, towards Kiessling or the onrushing Fernandinho. However, Adrian will be playing as an inside forward and with Uchida on the overlap will have more license to cut inside and target the space left between their sluggish LB/CB.They should both look to link up with the German when he is holding the ball up; providing options and movement to create space for both themselves and others.
Kiessling is the target man, and the focus point of our counter attacks. Ideally; we will be looking to get the ball to him in the box. He should occasionally look to bring others into the move, and link up with the trio behind him however his primary role as the focal point of our attack is to do what he does best - stick the ball in the back of the net. He should look to be utilising his pace to get behind the defence and beat their high line. His movement/pace will create chances for himself and others. Even in defence, he should look to push up the pitch, his presence being a nusiance for them as this will create the space for us to counter attack into.
Subs:
After 70 mins: Nordtveit > Nainnggolan, fresh legs in midfield
If losing after 70 mins: Adrian > Fernandinho, Adrian RW, Remy CF - 4-4-2 attacking
Captain: Benatia
Set Pieces: Ayew
Penalties: Remy
If we recieve a red card, same style and replace Fernandinho with a like for like replacement for the man sent off.
posted on 14/5/13
CHELSEA v birmingham champs league
---------------------Neuer------------------
P.Lahm----Kompany---Subotic---Baines
--------------Khedira----Bender-----------
Sturridge---------Fabregas-------Neymar
---------------------Aguero-----------------
Baumann, Chedjou, Nagatomo, Kroos, Mkhitaryan, Bony, Benteke
Now a must win game so gone with a very strong side, Bender replaces Vidal in what is almost a full strength side..
Neuer is a top and confident keeper will dominate the area and come out for all high balls clearing what he cant punch. Look to close down strikers by quickly coming off his line to shut down there shooting angles.
A back four with Lahm and Baines in at fullback, both solid players who defend their lines very well, keep the wingers quiet, keep them to the outside and away from our danger area. Attack when you can one at a time, support yhe wingers by going on the outside and look for a pass so you can get beyond the fullback and cross in, Or if in possession look to pick out Sturridge or Neymar and ping the ball down the line for them to latch onto.
First and foremost, Kompany has the responsibility to mark striker into anonymity. This he does exceptionally well, using foresight that borders on the prophetic to intercept. He rarely has to make a rash tackle, so watch the lads movwement and be ready to move in. When the ball comes towards a striker and Kompany is in the area to defend, Subotic moves into position to back up his teammate and fill in any gap that is left. If an opposing attacker makes a run in the centre, reacting to a ball played towards the striker Kompany is covering, Subotic shifts to defend against a potential pass.
If the striker gets away from Kompany it's the responsibility of Subotic to shift and defend directly. Both comfortable with ball at feet so move the ball out when in no danger, otherwise clear it with no messing about.
Khedira will keep it simple in his defensive role. He watches the AM of Birmngham, watch his movement and be there quick to stop him setting up attacks, break the play up between him and the CF etc to nulify there attacking threat. Always on his toes as there AM has a bit of class about him so we cant afford to let him dictate play. Bender comes in alongside, he will look to stamp his authority on this game early, Has great vision so will want to get his passing range in early to set the likes of Fabregas, Aguero and Neymar/Sturridge up for many chances, he will always follow his pass and make himself available for a return ball. Can shoot from range so have a go. When they have sit alongside Khedira and help him break up their attacks.His work rate is fantastic and always in the faces of the opposition. Its a different role for Bender and more lisence to roam forward.
Fabregas is in the free role, his attacking prowess is fantastic, will make late runs into the box and has tremendous vision. His inventiveness with his little flicks & dribbling skills are super too, but the best part is he knows where the net is. So will look to support Aguero as much as possible, Also use Sturridge and Neymar for one twos to break the line of defence. drop back and help defend v the DM if he breaks forward.
Sturridge is on the right, will look to drive at the fb, causing him all sorts of problems, cut in off his right and shoot with his left, or lay off to Cesc/Aguero for him to dart into the box for the return. Otherwise look to take on the fullback get to the bye line and cross in for Aguero in the box. Neymar will use his pace and skill to get him passed his marker, can do things with the ball not many can do so will look to bamboozle the FB and draw in fouls in dangerous positions, knock it forward and use the forward momentum to get by the player and cross in, will do this all day long so Aguero will thrive of this. At times Neymar and Sturridge will be supported by our fullbacks so use them, either play it wide for them o r allow them to take the markers away to free up space to drive into. I want all 3 attacking mids to track back and stopp the Birmingham fullbacks and DMs getting forward and becoming a nuisance.
When I say the wingers will cross it in, I mean Aguero isnt the biggest of CF's so he must get himself into positions that allow him to get onto these crosses, his movement must be quick to get him away from CBs and he must time his runs and leaps to get him above them. Otherwise always on his toes moving around looking to get into gaps for players to play him in on goal, play on the last man at all times as his pace will take him away and he will get in on goal, His goal record speaks for itself, A natural predator who will pounce on any mistake, will look to Sturridge and Neymar to play it about up top, the three will interchange and be a real handful.
Captain:- Kompany
Penalties:- Aguero
Free Kicks:- Fabregas
Corners:- Wingers
Subs:-
Losing
65 Mins:- Kroos > Bender - Will push further forward
70 Mins:- Benteke > Sturridge - Aguero move out right, Benteke up front use high ball if needed
80 Mins:- Bony > Cesc - 4-4-2 lump it forward to the big lads in hope for a goal
Winning:-
75 Mins:- Bony > Aguero - bigger target man, holds it up and will look to dominate CBs
80 Mins:- Nagatomo > Neymar - will play a more defensive LM role
Drawing:-
70 Mins:- Benteke > Sturridge - Aguero out right, Benteke up top, try somthing different
80 Mins:- Kroos > Bender
85 Mins:- Mkhitaryan > Cesc
Reds
Always 4-4-1
Bender comes off
Neuer - Baumann >
FB - Nagatomo >
CB - Chedjou >
CM Cesc drops back
WG Aguero out wide
AM/CF - Aguero will need to drop back and help
posted on 16/5/13
HULL CITY:_
----------------Patricio----------------
Debuchy-Rami(c)-Benatia-A.Ekotto
---------------Fernando---------------
------C.Marchisio-Fernandinho------
Hulk da Souza---------Xherdan Shaq
---------------Huntelaar---------------
Ahamada, Sokratis, Strootman, Maher, Dempsey, Stocker, Destro
Big game and a must win for us to keep tabs on the chasing pack..
In goal is the highly rated Patricio, a great shot stopper, quick off his line and very vocal which helps the back 4. Instills confidence in the defnce with some great desicion making and will come out for high balls and punch what he cant clear. Close down the strikers early and reduce their shooting angles.
A good solid back 4 with Rami leading the team out, he sits spare whilst the other 3 mark. He sits just off of Benatia and will be ever watchful of those coming through and those who get passed his partner. There to clear up and help out his fellow defenders when and if needed. Benatia man marks the striker, cant give him any room so watch him like a hawk even when we are attacking. Always ready to track his runs and close him down early. both attack high balls and clear any danger.
Debuchy and Ekotto at FB are attack minded so one at a time get up and support the wingers, go to there outside and look for them to pass down the line for them to drive passed the fullbacks and cross in, if Hulk/Shaq dont pass keep the runs going to take the fullbacks away freeing up more room for our wingers to exploit. Defend the lines and keep the danger to a minimum, close them down, force them wide and keep on your feet!
Fernando Reges wants to stamp his authority in this Hull side, show em whos the boss..Really dominate the AM and stop him dictating play, his job is as simple as that, close him down early and force him back the way, once the ball is won, simple passes to those around him. Doesnt venture too far forward.
Marchisio and Fernandinho in front of him will really pressurize them, drive forward with the ball looking to pass out wide and get into the box or force it forward and follow the ball in to support Huntelaar, always looking to make quick desicive passes, breaking lines of defence with inch perfect balls, both will defend the lines as well by going either side of fernando when defending.
These three have to dominate the centre of the park, do this and we will have a great chance of victory this weekend.
Especially with the attacking three of Hulk, Shaqiri and Huntelaar, Hulk is a powerful runner who will really go at the fb, whereas Shaqiri is skillfull and quick and will dance his way round his marker, either way they play get into dangerous areas and fire in tcross after cross for KJH to pounce on, with marchisio and Fernandinho in the middle use them to play quick passes and one twos to drive into space for them to pass back and in on goal. track the fullbacks when they come forward and stop them becoming a threat.
KJH is the ideal striker for one up top, great in the air, can hold it up if needed and a great eye for goal, plenty support so always looking to go for goal, will get loads of chances so he must get himself into space for the players round him to play him in. Look to rise early for the crosses coming in to beat the CB. If its near impossible to go for goal try and lay it off or knock it down for oncomers.
Captain:- Rami
Penalties:- KJH
Free kicks:- Fernandinho
Corners:- Wingers
Subs:-
losing/drawing:-
65 mins:- Dempsey > Shaqiri
70 Mins:- Maher > Fernando - Fernandinho goes behind March/Maher
75 Mins:- Destro > KJH - fresh legs up top
reds
4-4-1 always make a suitable sub if needed
posted on 16/5/13
Subs if Winning:-
70 Mins:- Dempsey > Shaqiri
80 Mins:- Strootman > Fernandinho
85 Mins:- Destro > KJH
posted on 16/5/13
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 16/5/13
-------------------------Cech
Johnson---De Vrij-----Agger-----Schmelzer
-------------------------Inler
-------------Schweiny------Modric
Robben------------------------------------Ribery
---------------------Gomez
Subs
Begovic, Clichy, Juanfran, Payet, Dembele, Barry, Auby
Tactics
An attack-minded 4-3-3 formation with emphasis on keeping possession and playing with width to stretch the opposition.
Keeper
When distributing the ball, he should look to keep it simple and play the percentage pass. At crosses and set pieces, should look to punch rather than attempt any catches with an element of risk.
Full Backs
When going forward, the wingers will be playing a mostly wide game so should look to play behind the wingers, giving them an option to play it safely back if there is no forward option, and they should also look to provide width if the wingers cut inside. When defending, both Chelsea wingers aren't natural wide men and will look to cut inside so the directive for them is to show them out wide and frustrate them into losing possession cheaply, if they do cut inside, both FB's have recovery pace and should look to force them into Inlers domain.
Centre Backs
Agger will compete with the striker for the aerial balls played up to him, and De Vrij will look to collect the 2nd ball, when the ball is on the floor, De Vrij will be the guy to venture forward to meet with the striker, and Agger will make sure he is making a covering run if De Vrij is beaten. When on the ball, if the opposition are giving them space to come out with the ball, then they should look to take it forward, if not, just look to play it simple to a man in space and retain possession.
Defensive Midfielder
Inler will look to just sit in front of the back 4, staying deep when the full backs go forward to keep defensive numbers up in case of a counter. When attacking, he will look to take the ball of the centre backs and play it forward to the CM's or out wide to one of the Full Backs.
Centre Mids
Both are comfortable on the ball, and both have engines to last the full 90 with a high energy game, when they are on the ball both midfielders are suited to looking for a pass, but can take the ball forward if the space is there, if either man is running with the ball, they are comfortable with shooting from outside the box, so should look to test the keeper quite often. When defending, they will look to use their workrate to press the opposition midfielders when they are on the ball.
Wingers
They should look to stay as wide as possible when they receive the ball to try and stretch the defensive line and create space for midfield runners and/or Gomez. When on the ball, both wingers have the ability to stay wide and put a cross in, or cut inside to try and make space for a shot, so should look to pick out which is the best option at the time, if they do cut inside, the full backs should have moved forward to occupy the touchline and provide an out ball if there is no other option. If they have taken the opposition full back out of the game, they shouldnt be afraid to go into the box, as defenders will be extra cautious to not give away a penalty, and this provides the option of just drilling a cross to Gomez or a simple drag back to an onrushing CM. When the opposite winger has the ball, the winger without the ball should look to find space between the CB and full back to add an extra body for any crosses or capitalise on any defensive errors.
Striker
When defending, he should look to keep tabs on the defensive midfielder to stop any easy balls being played back to him, when attacking, he should look do what he does best and thats pounce in the penalty box, so in build up play he should just keep it simple, not trying too extravagant and lose possession, and make his way into his second home.
Set Pieces
Corners - Robben and Ribery take inswinging corners, the 2 CB's go into the box, the FB's and Inler stay back to prevent counters, the CB's, and Gomez attack the ball, the CM's and the non taking winger take positions just outside the box to pick up any weak defensive headers or knockdowns.
Free Kicks - For direct FK's Modric and Ribery will shoot depending on which foot it favours. For Indirect FKs, follow the same directives for Corners
Penalties - Robben is the designated taker.
Subs
If Winning
68 mins - Juanfran for Robben - Fresh legs and extra defensive workrate.
76 mins - Barry and Auby for Modric and Gomez - Auby adds pace for counter attacks and provides the out ball. The wingers tuck back, but with the knowledge to get out quickly for the front 3 to try and counter if the opposition over-commit for a route back into the game. Barry slots in alongside Inler.
If Losing
71 mins - Dembele for Inler - extra attacking impetus in the midfield
77 Mins - Auby and Payet for Robben and Modric - We go to 4-2-4, with the wingers bombarding crosses in to the 2 big men with the other winger adding the third option.
posted on 16/5/13
CHELSEA v villa
------------------------Neuer-----------------------
Lahm-------Kompany-------Subotic-------Baines
--------------Khedira----------T.Kroos------------
-----------------------Fabregas---------------------
Sturridge-----------------------------------Neymar
-------------------------Aguero---------------------
Baumann, Nagatomo, Bender, Weimann, Mkhitaryan, Bony, benteke
1st of all I will shake Jets hand and welcome him to Stamford Bridge and congratulate him on the job he has done with Villa, after that we want to really go for them, play our usual attractive football, quick, crisp passing with everyone giving 100% to stay above Arsenal
Neuer is a top and confident keeper will dominate the area and come out for all high balls clearing what he cant punch. Look to close down strikers by quickly coming off his line to shut down there shooting angles.
A back four with Lahm and Baines coming in at fullback, both solid players who defend their lines very well, keep the wingers quiet, keep them to the outside and away from our danger area. Attack when you can one at a time, support yhe wingers by going on the outside and look for a pass so you can get beyond the fullback and cross in, Or if in possession look to pick out Sturridge and Neymar and ping the ball down the line for them to latch onto.
First and foremost, Kompany has the responsibility to mark striker into anonymity. This he does exceptionally well, using foresight that borders on the prophetic to intercept. He rarely has to make a rash tackle, so watch the lads movwement and be ready to move in. When the ball comes towards a striker and Kompany is in the area to defend, Subotic moves into position to back up his teammate and fill in any gap that is left. If an opposing attacker makes a run in the centre, reacting to a ball played towards the striker Kompany is covering, Subotic shifts to defend against a potential pass.
If the striker gets away from Kompany it's the responsibility of Subotic to shift and defend directly. Both comfortable with ball at feet so move the ball out when in no danger, otherwise clear it with no messing about.
Khedira will keep it simple in his defensive role. He watches the AM of Villa, watch his movement and be there quick to stop him setting up attacks, break the play up between him and the CF etc to nulify there attacking threat. Always on his toes as there AM has a bit of class about him so we cant afford to let him dictate play. Kroos comes in alongside, he will look to stamp his authority on this game early, Has great vision so will want to get his passing range in early to set the likes of Fabregas, Aguero and Sturridge up for many chances, he will always follow his pass and make himself available for a return ball. Can shoot from range so have a go. When they have sit alongside Khedira and help him break up their attacks.His work rate is fantastic and always in the faces of the opposition.
Fabregas is in the free role, his attacking prowess is fantastic, will make late runs into the box and has tremendous vision. His inventiveness with his little flicks & dribbling skills are super too, but the best part is he knows where the net is. So will look to support Aguero as much as possible, Also use Sturridge and Neymar for one twos to break the line of defence. drop back and help defend v the DM if he breaks forward.
Sturridge is on the right, a position he has played before, will look to drive at the fb, causing him all sorts of problems, cut in off his right and shoot with his left, or lay off to Cesc/Aguero for him to dart into the box for the return. Otherwise look to take on the fullback get to the bye line and cross in for Aguero in the box. Neymar will use his pace to get him passed his marker, knock it forward and use the forward momentum to get by the player and cross in, will do this all day long so Aguero will thrive of this. At times neymar and Sturridge will be supported by our fullbacks so use them, either play it wide for them o r allow them to take the markers away to free up space to drive into. I want all 3 attacking mids to track back and stopp the Villa fullbacks and DMS getting forward and becoming a nuisance.
Aguero up top is a tricky player to mark as he is a smaller striker to try and mark, always on the move and a fantastic eye for goal, will drift right andleft to confuse the defenders as Sturridge or Neymar cna cut in taking the defenders all over the place. Quick on his toes so always on the last man and ready to pounce on any mistake by the centre backs.
Captain:- Kompany
Penalties:- Aguero
Free Kicks:- Fabregas
Corners:- Wingers
Subs:-
Losing/drawing:-
65 Mins:- Benteke > Sturridge - Aguero RW, Benteke up top use high ball if needed
75 Mins:- Mkhitaryan > Kroos - play up alongside Cesc
80 Mins - 4-4-2 Bony > Cesc
Winning:-
75 Mins:- Bender > Kroos
80 Mins:- Bony > Aguero
88 Mins:- Weimann > Sturridge
Reds
4-4-1
Neuer - Baumann for Kroos
FB - Nagatomo for Kroos
CB - Khedira drops back
Khedira - Bender > Kroos
WG Aguero moves wide
posted on 17/5/13
--------------------Szczesny-------------------
---Ivanovic----Boateng----Godin----Kolarov
----------------Mikel-----Moutinho------------
Walcott------------Valbuena--------Hazard-
---------------------Higuain--------------------
Subs: Al Habsi, Marquinhos, Coquelin, Milner, Callejon, Llorente, Gignac
Captain: Branislav Ivanovic
Free Kicks: Alexander Kolarov
Penalties: Eden Hazard
Corners: Hazard (from left, inswing) Kolarov (From right, outswing)
Game Plan: We haven’t beaten a team near us this season and we really need to so we can cover the points gap up. Today is a perfect opportunity considering Manchester United’s injuries. Walcott will play against a weaker full back and this will give him a big advantage coming off a hattrick. Hazard will be influential for us also.
Szczesny will use his height to collect crosses, allowing our defence to keep in shape, if we have a chance to counter from there Szczesny uses his quick distribution to the wingers. He must command his area. Come for crosses when he is at least 80% sure he can get them. He will pass the ball out unless he is 80% sure we will not lose the ball when kicking it long as we want to keep possession as much as possible in this game.
Ivanovic & Kolarov must not give the Opposition wingers any time on the ball. They will allow the opposition wingers inside them as this will take them into traffic. We are vulnerable on the wings as Walcott and Hazard don’t really like tracking back so if we force the opposition wingers inside this will be better for us. If the opportunity presents then they should attack. If one of the full back attacks then the other one MUST stay back so we have 3 defenders back at all times along with Mikel.
Godin and Boateng, A good mix of power, pace, aerial ability and composure on the ball, allows us to be commanding at the back and limit the amount of opportunities for the opposition. Godin will control the back four and make sure everybody is doing their job correctly by using his excellent leadership skills. Godin and Boateng will stay close to each other not allowing the opposition to open up space. Boateng looks to defend the first ball coming towards our defence, using his reading of the game to get there before the striker and clear, he'll use his great tackling to shut him down around the area and then look to get the ball back. Godin stays in position when Boateng does this covering the remaining space, he will be able to clear the second ball if it gets beyond Boateng.
Mikel sits in front of the defence and try and break down attacks and start new ones for us. He will be strong in their tackles and always play it simple when on the ball. Moutinho will be his partner who will play close to him when defending. He has the responsibility in helping out the full backs also. Defensively be solid, Mikel and Moutinho will sit deep and defend our back four. When the attack is on their side, they will drift over and team up with our full back, close them down and win the ball back. Moutinho will look to protect the LB and Mikel the RB. However ultimately, they must stay tight in the middle and look to give no space to the opposition etc. When one of them covers a full back then Valbuena drops in to still make it two in the middle:
-------------------------------Kolarov
---------Mikel----Valbuena-----Moutinho
Walcott
This leaves Walcott and Hazard free which is where our main threat is and where we are dangerous.
Valbuena will be our advanced playmaker. He has the ability to pick out the cutest of passes, which is just what we need with players like Higuain, Hazard, Walcott in the team. He has to manipulate the play and find these players in free space. Valbuena is also there to support Higuain. When needed he will drop into midfield and make it tight.
Walcott and Hazard will be the wingers, and both should provide us natural width I want them to put the opposition full backs under pressure. They will play in an attacking role. They must keep the ball if there is no support and wait for players to arrive. They may also go for long range shots as both are good at them. This will also make the opposition full backs not attack making our job in defence easier. Furthermore they both have the ability to do that and are very good at it. Hazard is instructed to come on his right foot sometimes and take a ‘shock’ shot, catching the keeper out. Look for Higuain’s runs also.
Higuain will play in an ‘advanced forward’ role. By this it means they will make dangerous runs in behind, and hold the ball up as well as various other things. They must be patient and wait for chances and when they do come they must finish them. A lot of movement is required from them also; keep the opposition defenders on their toes! He will attack the channels also and use his excellent crossing ability, especially the drilled cross.
If losing at 75mins –
Mikel off Milner on
Moutinho off Callejon on – Hazard AM
80mins:
Boateng off Llorente on
3-5-2
If Drawing 75mins:
Moutinho off for Callejon – Valbuena deeper, Hazard AM
If winning 75mins:
Walcott off for Milner, Valbuena RW
Higuain off for Gignac,
If Keeper gets sent off then AM comes off for keeper on bench
In this case: Moutinho > Al Habsi 4-2-2-2
If Defender gets sent off then AM comes off for Defender on bench
In this case: Moutinho > Marquinhos – Boateng RB/Lb if needed. If DM gets sent off (Mikel/Moutinho) then AM for DM on bench
If st gets sent off, the AM for St on bench
In this case: Valbuena > Llorente
posted on 17/5/13
Pompey Europa
-----------------------------Timo Horn--------
---Daniel Carvajal---David Luiz----Bonucci---Luke Shaw
----------------Javi Martinez---------Fellaini--
-----James Rodriguez------Mario Gotze--------Draxler
----------------------------Lewandowski
Subs: Lucas Moura, Lukaku, Icardi, Griezmann, Henderson, Matic, Papadopoulos
Game Plan: We will look to attack our opponents using a slick, pass and move game. We believe we have the abilities in defence to pass the ball out and start counter attacks, as Luiz is dynamic and will carry the ball forward, and alongisde him, Bonucci is an excellent passer of the ball, and mustn't be afraid of stepping into midfield at times to use his fantastic ball playing skills. Our two CB's must look to play the ball out if defence, as they both suit each other very well. Daniel Carvajal and Luke Shaw can also pick out a pass down the wings, and they should look to make supporting runs on the outside of our wingers. In midfield, Javi Martinez will defend our backline, and he is one of those DM's that will never give up, and always hassle and harry the opposition. He is also a very good passer, and he will look to spread play out to the wings, and break up play, before keeping the ball alongside Fellaini. Fellers is best known for his excellent aerial threat, physical presence and his great dominance in midfield so he will play in the b2b role, before turning into a kind of attacking mid when needed. Mario Gotze will control the game from AM, and will be in support of Robert Lewandowski at all times. He will look to pick the ball up from midway, and direct those shots into the corners. He will also look to use his top vision to find ways to release James and Julian Draxler. James' job will be to run at the LB, take him on, and whip in low balls for Lewandowski and Draxler, who are both guaranteed to finish them off. Julian Draxler will be on the other end, and use his dazzling dribbling ability, and superb acceleration to turn away from fullbacks, and clip in high balls for Lewandowski to throw himself at. Lukaku will be the one who will finish off every move, and he is top scorer in the League for a reason.His fantastic positioning and his marauding runs in the box will confuse opposition, and Lewandowski will then attempt to finish off every ball which comes into the box. Lewandowski will be winning everything in the air, and finishing with an aplomb. He his two-footed, and is a wonderful finisher, so will look to attack every ball, and link up well with James, Mario Gotze and Draxler. Luiz comes up for corners in the first half, Bonucci to come up for corners in the second half.
Freekicks - Gotze
Penalties - Lewandowski
Corners - Draxler
Captain - Javi Martinez
Full Backs
Daniel Carvajal will start at right full back. Powerful, full of tactical awareness, and he is as comfortable with the ball at his feet as he is defending. Luke Shaw is at left back. 2 very pacy and powerful full backs who while first and foremost are there to defend will also join in going forward when the moment is right and will cause the opposition wide men a few headaches with their directness and pace. Both the full backs first priority is to defend and leave no gaps to exploit. Both Daniel Carvajal and Shaw can match their wingers for pace.
Centre Halves
Bonucci and D.Luiz form a formidable no-nonsense unit in the centre of the defence and their aggression makes this a back 4 to be reckoned with. Both are very big men and possess great aerial ability and are very strong in the tackle and this should ensure that we can more than handle most things that are thrown at them. Two big men with not only defending but also footballing ability in their locker. Both with good positioning sense and very good decision makers. It’s a very powerful and pacy defence and all four players are very, very talented with the ball at their feet and remained composed and know exactly what to do when in possession. When we are under little pressure, Bonucci will step up into a Sweeper role, where he can utilise his excellent passing skills, linking up well with Martinez in midfield. Bonucci and Luiz will not be beaten by crosses, high or low, as Luiz attacks the first ball, and failing that, Bonucci will clean up. We will be playing a deep line where QPR will struggle to break down, as it limits their pacy wingers (Varela and Whoever else) to run in behind the defence. Javi Martinez will be expected to drop back a notch, ala De Rossi, when they attack, where he can keep his eyes on Kaka/AM and will act as a sweeper, with Shaw and Carvajal pushing up further:
------------Bonucci---------Luiz
--Carvajal------Javi Martinez-----Luke Shaw
But we must make sure Fellaini covers the FB out wide in this formation change
Central Midfield
Javi Martinez and Fellaini will be the central midfield pairing. They will be asked to keep the midfield ticking over and give protection to the back four. Each of them will cover for their full back if he has joined the attack. Javi Martinez will be the more defensive of the 2 and will boss the midfield. He’s a big, powerful midfielder with a huge engine and will cover every blade of grass on the field. Fellaini will operate as the box to box in midfield. Extremely comfortable with the ball he will keep our midfield moving. Equally as comfortable playing deep or on the front foot he will not neglect his defensive duties when necessary but we will see the best of him with the ball at his feet instigating our attacks. He has a wide range of passes in his locker and his mere presence will be a key factor in making sure our midfield has space penetration and that there is always someone in a position to receive the pass. Both of them possess a lethal shot so there will probably be a few efforts from distance if the chance arises. These 2 will be expected to run pull the strings from midfield from the off and will be crucial to our passing game. Fellaini will be the creator in the team and with a wide range of passing along with agility and shooting ability he will be linking with the wingers and striker to attack the opponents. He has the strength, aerial abiliy and is a real handful and this coupled with the physicality and style of Javi Martinez will mean our midfield will see a lot of the ball.
Attacking Midfield
Maio Gotze will be playing the AM role today. His job is crucial to the team, as they will sit just in front of the DM (Lucho), and will look to get the ball up to Lewandowski. Gotze will create that extra magic that is needed to unlock defences, whilst Fellaini will sit back, just behind him, ready to help out. He will be crucial in our attacking game, as he will be the ones to supply the striker, and deliver those long, lung-busting runs across the pitch. Gotze will link up the play from Midfield to attack, being an enormous threat from long shots and his movement will cause plenty of problems for Lucho as he will have a top class AM all over him, pressing him back towards his own defence.
Left and Right Wing
James and Draxler will play on the right and left wing. These are 2 wingers with bags of pace. They will be expected to supply things for Lewandowski, and their pace will cause a lot of problems. They will be expected to attack the opponents back four and supported by their full backs get past their man and get the ball in for Lewandowski. This is an area we will look to exploit with our pacy wingers and powerful marauding full backs. We will look to stretch their defence out of shape and with fast and direct running I can see a lot of space opening up for the very quick and cunning Lewandowski . Both wingers provide a goal threat so expect to see them vary their attacks and cut inside when the time is right and drag their full back to the byline as well. Their pace and width will be a key factor in opening up space for the attack and by making the pitch very big and hugging the touchline it will also give our two midfield lynchpins more time and space to manoeuvre hopefully meaning that we can get a real grip on the midfield battle. We have an abundance of speed out wide and up front and our attack have the edge over the opposition wide men – both in terms of speed and versatility. That coupled with a couple of marauding full backs (when on the attack) should prove a fruitful area for us. With Draxler and James both able to take on a man and hug the touchline we will look to exploit this area. Their 2 centre halves will not be able to match Lewandowski for speed so hopefully with the wingers stretching their full backs, we will be able to confuse their entire back line and cause mishaps in dangerous areas
Striker
Up front Lewandowski will spearhead the attack. We are relying on him to get the goals after his brilliant displays this season, in the hope he will get us a goal againsty a very weak defence. He has pace, and movement ability is top notch. There will be no shortage of chances created for him and I would expect it to be a hard day at the office for the opposition’s central defenders with Lewandowski equally as good in the air as with the ball at his feet. He is also a powerful runner and has a good reading of the game and runs fantastic lines. This doubled with James and Draxler's superb vision, support and passing ability will hopefully prove productive for him. He is great at playing off the shoulder of the last defender and his powerful physique usually ensures that he always gets a yard on the last defender. He’s also a great link up man and holding the ball up – so when he doesn’t feel that there is something on then he will be providing for other and bringing Gotze and the supporting wingers into play in dangerous areas. Lewandowski will be too much for Opposition's CB's, and will make deadly angled runs to get into a scoring position. He must also look to wriggle away from the attention of the CB's.
Summary
We will concentrate on doing what we do best and playing to our strengths – keeping hold of the ball and working it simply around the park. Nothing flash or risky – just possession football. Patience could be the key and if we keep it tight we have the personnel to get us a goal. We also pose a very dangerous threat on the counter. We have pace to move the ball forward very quickly and enough pace to regain our shape if the opposition turn it around and try and counter us. In defence Fellaini will sit deeper, with Javi Martinez dropping back into the sweeper role, and will be expected to be his energetic self and press the opposition midfield/forwards and knock them out of their rhythm. Our wingers and full backs will sit a bit deeper to stay alert and ready to use their speed at any chance of a counter, although our two FB will be stepping up a notch to allow Martinez to develop into his more defensive self. With the ability of our team to change formation depending on the circumstances we have enough in midfield and out wide to starve them from the ball and with. This will open up acres of space and with neat simple passing and bags of pace, this will be a very productive area for us. We will be looking to get bodies in the box. With fast and fluid attacking play Lewandowski and Gotze will always have support in this area and our wide men will always have a target to get the ball in to. With the trickery of Gotze, Draxler and James then the opposition can always expect the unexpected.
Subs:
If winning on 60: Matic > Fellaini, offers brilliant tackling, pressing and passing in midfield, will he more solid defensively too
Any score on 60: Moura > James, offers raw pace and a direct line of threat
If losing/drawing on 60: Lukaku > Draxler playing 4-4-2 with Gotze LW
posted on 17/5/13
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 18/5/13
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 18/5/13
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 18/5/13
--------------Courtois
Piszczek---Cahill---Dante---Marcelo
-----------Matuidi--Ramires
Lamela---------Mata----------Villa
----------------Martinez
Subs: Alves, Kalas, Asamoah, Benat, De Bruyne, Hernandez, Baptistao
Captain: Dante
Free kicks: Mata
Penalties: Martinez
Corners: Mata
Game Plan:
This is a huge game for us and will perhaps define our season! It's not going to be easy but we are a team full of players with the desire to win and to get to the next level, were going to go out there and give absolutely everything. City have gone the league season unbeaten but without setting any games alight, they're vulnerable defensively and were going to attack that vulnerability as much as possible. We believe we have the stronger midfield and were going to look to play a high energy pressing game, getting right in their faces all through the game, not giving them any time and space on the ball for their creative players to work a chance or for their deeper and defensive players to build attacks, make them rush their game. As soon as get on the ball we attack in numbers, Juan Mata at the centre of everything dictating this game and tearing the opposition open. We have to be on our guard defensively though, we will press them very quickly and high up the pitch, hunting down in numbers to stop them building attacks, staying very rigid at the back when under pressure and getting numbers back behind the ball, not giving them space to play in and making them work it side to side rather than backwards. We'll be 100% committed and look to win every lose ball, don't give City any time at all to settle in this game.
Tactics:
Courtois will command his area and look to come and collect crosses in order to relieve pressure. Quick off his line and alert to any danger, don't let the opposition score. I've told him not to so we won't, if he does there's something dreadfully wrong. If there's a chance of a quick counter he distributes it out quickly, if not he goes out to the CBs/CMs to get the attacks starting.
FBs have a key role today, they must be alert to the dangerous wingers but also giving support to our wingers when we attack down their side in order to really get at the opposition out wide. Offensively these two are excellent, they can make the runs outside the wingers to get in to crossing positions or to the byline for a cut back. Or they can make runs inside the FBs, using their pace to get at the heart of the defence, draw players out and open up spaces for the runs of other players, looking to play the ball into the spaces that open up. Both are very good on the ball and should link with their wingers, using their pace and skill to beat players and open things up. Defensively they use their pace to shut the wingers down early, getting tight and not allowing them to have a run down the line, putting tackles in and not allowing them to cut in. At the very most they allow them a run down the tough line, keeping very tight and not letting them get easy crosses in. Always be in their face when they're on the ball and don't let them support the striker.
Dante and Cahill form an excellent partnership at CB, both solid, quick defenders who will put their body on the line for the team. Dante will look to man mark the CF, getting very tight to him and not allowing him the chance to turn and face our goal, always looking to force him away from goal if he can't get the tackle in. He will stay close and use his pace to stop the striker getting in on goal, forcing him away from it. He will be dominant in the air and clear everything on the ground, not allowing the striker into the game. Cahill will be more of a sweeper, he gets in position to deal with any knock downs or flick ons from the striker, beating the City midfield runners to the ball and clearing the danger in his no nonsense style. Cahill will also make sure to get across if Dante is beaten, using his excellent last ditch tackles to clear the danger. He will also watch for midfield runners around our area, not leaving any gaps for them and getting tight to force them back, whilst also clearing all the crosses. Going forward these two can have a big impact, both have good passing and should look for the diagonal balls into the striker or the wingers to stretch the game and open the space up down the opposite flank, whilst at set pieces they'll be a huge danger, Cahill with his excellent movement to get to the ball first and Dante with his height and presence to win the headers as well.
Matuidi and Ramires form a very energetic midfield duo who can get in the face of the opposition and hound them off the ball. They work as a team, one pressing the man on the ball the other getting deeper to deal with the next opponent, constantly getting in their faces and putting the challenges in to win the ball back and stop the opposition building the attacks. These two will look to get us on top of the midfield battle. When under sustained pressure Matuidi will stick to the Am, staying tight and following him everywhere whilst Ramires disrupts their midfield. Matuidi will remain the deeper of the two looking to simply keep the ball moving as we attack, although at times he uses his great burst of energy to drive us forwards. Ramires provides the bigger attacking threat, using his incredible pace and dribbling to drive through midfield, pushing us forward as a team and making runs between the back 4 to get in on goal. He can run at the back 4 with the ball, forcing them back or into rash tackles, looking to play the ball on if he isn't fouled to open up the space.
The 3 behind the striker have the freedom when were on the ball to go where they like, building the attacks and getting at the back 4, working the space and creating chances. Mata will be the heart of the team, he goes where he likes, getting on the ball in space, either deep in midfield, closer to the striker, out wide, wherever he is needed. He finds the spaces with ease and then he uses he ball in killer fashion with the clinical passes down the line for the wingers, or in behind/over the top for the strikers and midfielder runners to attack. He should look to move wide and triple up on the opposition FBs, working the space for the FBs and wingers to make runs off him and get them into dangerous positions, or he can put the crosses in himself. Always be on the move either with the ball or of it, opening the game up with his dribbling or making runs between defenders to get in on goal. Get close to Martinez to link up with him and create things, float around the penalty box and just outside it to take chances that fall to him and look to link with Lamela and Villa as much as possible to release them into space. Lamela will look hold width as much as possible, looking to use his pace and skill to really get at the opposition FB and put lots of balls into the box. At times he can make the runs infield, linking the play and looking to cause trouble through the middle with his direct running, whilst also making the runs in behind the defence. He and Villa should swap sides to leave the FBs guessing, whilst he also arrives late at the far post to attack crosses. Villa will also be very direct, he can take a player on and leave them for dead, taking players out of the game and opening spaces, linking with team mates and making runs into spaces, looking to get close to Martinez and make runs around him. Hold width when possible, linking with Marcelo to get into space and open things up for a cross or cut inside and go for goal. At corners I want Lamela attacking the ball in at the back post or looking to finish off any flick on from one of our players, he attacks the ball so well and will be lethal in the air. They will also press high up the pitch when off the ball to stop City building from the back and looking to force errors high up. When under pressure, they drop back and work hard for the team but we always want them in the faces of the opposition.
Martinez looks to get on the shoulder of the Cbs, using his fantastic movement and pace to get in behind and take the chances that come his way, his movement is brilliant and this will be key to our attack as he provides the target for the excellent trio behind him. He is also unplayable in terms of strength and hold up play on his day, we get plenty of good service into him, allowing him to bully the CBs and link up the attacks with a ball into feet of Mata or the wingers of a clever flick for the runners working off the defence, especially looking for the burst of Ramires to get him in one v one. We particularly want him to focus on making runs off Puyol, pace wise he will destroy him and we can see plenty of chances coming from this.
Subs:
If Winning: De Bruyne for Villa 70', provides fresh legs and more defensive capability to stop the FB attacking. Asamoah for Mata 80', adds further power and pace to midfield, we really won't give City any time at all. Kalas for Martinez 85', play a back 5, Lamela pushes upfront with a flat midfield 4 protecting the defence and stopping the midfield of City.
If Drawing: Benat for Matuidi 70', fresh legs in midfield, someone who can create from deep. Hernandez for Martinez 75', his movement is incredible, he'll find the spaces to get in behind and we have the players to find him. Baptistao for Villa 80', something different to try and get the winner, he can really run at the opposition with his trickery and link well with Hernandez.
If Losing: Benat for Matuidi 65', start creating and pulling the strings from deep. Hernandez for Piszczek 70' 3-5-2, Marcelo will go CB and use his good burst to get the ball forward from deep. De Bruyne for Ramires 75', provides energy but gives us a great passer of the ball:
Courtois
Cahill Dante Marcelo
Benat De Bruyne
Lamela Mata Villa
Hernandez Martinez
posted on 18/5/13
-------------------Marchetti------------------
Uchida-----Jesus-----Ruiz-----Enrique
-------------Carrick-----Elm--------
Adrian--------------Costa----------Ayew--
--------------------Kiessiling-------------------
Subs: Smithies, Vrsaljko, Amorebieta, Nordtveit, Cork, Remy, Ilicic
We are facing a strong side today, and therefore have decided to play counter-attacking football. We have a strong enough defence, in conjunction with a hard working midfield to limit the space in which they can play through constant pressure and will look to break at speed with direct, quick passing in order to catch them out with too many players having pushed forwards. Content not to have the ball, we will stifle their play and absorb any pressure they create before breaking forwards at speed with direct, quick and fluid play. It is important to note that we are not being defensive, but rather maximising our chances of victory with a style of play that suits our game and means we are both a) More likely to score and b) Less likely to concede
Marchetti is a keeper whose experience gives him an edge 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 a pacey yet strong defence that has both experience and game awareness in abundance. With our counter-attacking style, they will have a realtively deep line to hold, as we snuffle out there creative impoetous with the pressure of our three man midfield, with the back 4 mopping up any balls that are attempted by them. Ruiz will have the role of marshalling the defence, and marking their main striker whilst Jesus will track any extra runners into the box. Enrique and Uchida 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 their pace and attacking intent will mean they can join our counter's 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. Uchida, in particular, has extra license to get beyond Adrian who is playing as an inside forward. 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.
We are effectively playing a three man midfield. Comfortable at AM, CM and DM, we have listed Costa at AM as when we break forwards on the counter he should be the most advanced of this trio. He will be looking to get in and around the box, providing another option and being the main link up with Kiessling and thus key to bringing other players into the move. However, when we are defending he is to drop to the center of the park, and help pressurize and cut out the creative impoteous of their creative players alongside Elm and Carrick. It will mean that their creative players in behind the striker have no room to find 'pockets' of space and will provide the basis of our midfield, meaning that we can break forward in numbers. Elm will be the box-to-box midfielder breaking from deep on the counter, and putting in a shift all over the pitch; whilst Carrick will be a 'quarterback' as our deep lying play maker, connecting the defensive and attacking phases together with his pinpoint passing which will create chances for us through finding players who are in space due to their likely attacking nature. 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. This trio in midfield is perfectly suited to a direct, counter-attacking style of football and with substitutes coming on after a period of time they will not get excessively tired.
The key for both Ayew and Remy today is to provide options when we counter with runs into space that can be picked out by our direct and fast passing. When on the ball, having found space, Ayew will look to the byline and get the ball into the box, towards Kiessling or the onrushing Costa. However, Adrian will be playing as an inside forward and with Uchida on the overlap will have more license to cut inside and target the space left between their sluggish LB/CB.They should both look to link up with the German when he is holding the ball up; providing options and movement to create space for both themselves and others.
Kiessling is the target man, and the focus point of our counter attacks. Ideally; we will be looking to get the ball to him in the box. He should occasionally look to bring others into the move, and link up with the trio behind him however his primary role as the focal point of our attack is to do what he does best - stick the ball in the back of the net. He should look to be utilising his pace to get behind the defence and beat their high line. His movement/pace will create chances for himself and others. Even in defence, he should look to push up the pitch, his presence being a nusiance for them as this will create the space for us to counter attack into.
Subs:
After 70 mins: Nordtveit > Nainnggolan, fresh legs in midfield
If losing after 70 mins: Remy > Costa, Remy CF - 4-4-2 attacking
Captain: Carrick
Set Pieces: Ayew
Penalties: Kiessling
If we recieve a red card, same style and replace Fernandinho with a like for like replacement for the man sent off.
posted on 18/5/13
Pompey vs QPR
-----------------------------Timo Horn--------
---Daniel Carvajal---David Luiz----Nastasic---Criscito
----------------Javi Martinez---------Fellaini--
-----------Lucas Moura---Mario Gotze------James
------------------------------Lewandowski
Subs: Draxler, Lukaku, Icardi, Griezmann, Henderson, Matic, Papadopoulos, Rode
Game Plan: We will look to attack our opponents using a slick, pass and move game. We believe we have the abilities in defence to pass the ball out and start counter attacks, as Luiz is dynamic and will carry the ball forward, and alongisde him, Nastasic is an excellent passer of the ball, and mustn't be afraid of stepping into midfield at times to use his fantastic ball playing skills. Our two CB's must look to play the ball out if defence, as they both suit each other very well. Daniel Carvajal and Luke Shaw can also pick out a pass down the wings, and they should look to make supporting runs on the outside of our wingers. In midfield, Javi Martinez will defend our backline, and he is one of those DM's that will never give up, and always hassle and harry the opposition. He is also a very good passer, and he will look to spread play out to the wings, and break up play, before keeping the ball alongside Fellaini. Fellers is best known for his excellent aerial threat, physical presence and his great dominance in midfield so he will play in the b2b role, before turning into a kind of attacking mid when needed. Mario Gotze will control the game from AM, and will be in support of Robert Lewandowski at all times. He will look to pick the ball up from midway, and direct those shots into the corners. He will also look to use his top vision to find ways to release Moura and James. Moura's job will be to run at the LB, take him on, and whip in low balls for Lewandowski and Gotze, who are both guaranteed to finish them off. James will be on the other end, and use his dazzling dribbling ability, and superb acceleration to turn away from fullbacks, and clip in high balls for Lewandowski to throw himself at. Lewandowski will be the one who will finish off every move, and he is up there with the top scorers in the League for a reason. His fantastic positioning and his marauding runs in the box will confuse opposition, and Lewandowski will then attempt to finish off every ball which comes into the box. Lewandowski will be winning everything in the air, and finishing with an aplomb. He his two-footed, and is a wonderful finisher, so will look to attack every ball, and link up well with James, Mario Gotze and Moura. Luiz comes up for corners in the first half, Nastasic to come up for corners in the second half.
Target areas:-
LB: we will look to take advantage of Wolves's weak LB spot, and make sure Moura takes advantage of him. Aly Cissokho is extremely attacking, and this will open up lots of space for Moura to get his feet on some flick ons/through balls
DM: Although Song is still half decent, he is more of a CM than a DM, and has been a flop this seasonl, so we will look to over power him and make sure Gotze gets the better of him where the game will be won
LCB: Terry is their only good CB, but we will be targeting his partner, as Mbiwa is injured, and the poor Samba and Kjaer will have to play- Lewandowski will cripple them.
RB: Sagna has been dreadful this season, and his knack of making mistakes really is costing the team he plays for, and this will be a real dream chance for James to shine, with him looking to bathe in the space given to him, he will cause problems down the left, which shows we will have the advantage down both flanks.
Freekicks - Gotze
Penalties - Lewandowski
Corners - James
Captain - Javi Martinez
Full Backs
Daniel Carvajal will start at right full back. Powerful, full of tactical awareness, and he is as comfortable with the ball at his feet as he is defending. Luke Shaw is at left back. 2 very pacy and powerful full backs who while first and foremost are there to defend will also join in going forward when the moment is right and will cause the opposition wide men a few headaches with their directness and pace. Both the full backs first priority is to defend and leave no gaps to exploit. Both Daniel Carvajal and Shaw can match their wingers for pace.
Centre Halves
Nastasic and D.Luiz form a formidable no-nonsense unit in the centre of the defence and their aggression makes this a back 4 to be reckoned with. Both are very big men and possess great aerial ability and are very strong in the tackle and this should ensure that we can more than handle most things that are thrown at them. Two big men with not only defending but also footballing ability in their locker. Both with good positioning sense and very good decision makers. It’s a very powerful and pacy defence and all four players are very, very talented with the ball at their feet and remained composed and know exactly what to do when in possession. When we are under little pressure, Nastasic will step up into a Sweeper role, where he can utilise his excellent passing skills, linking up well with Martinez in midfield. Nastasic and Luiz will not be beaten by crosses, high or low, as Luiz attacks the first ball, and failing that, Nastasic will clean up. We will be playing a deep line where Wolves will struggle to break down, as it limits their pacy wingers (Farfan and Moses) to run in behind the defence. Javi Martinez will be expected to drop back a notch, ala De Rossi, when they attack, where he can keep his eyes on Nasri and will act as a sweeper, with Shaw and Carvajal pushing up further:
-----------Nastasic---------Luiz
--Carvajal------Javi Martinez-----Luke Shaw
But we must make sure Fellaini covers the FB out wide in this formation change
Central Midfield
Javi Martinez and Fellaini will be the central midfield pairing. They will be asked to keep the midfield ticking over and give protection to the back four. Each of them will cover for their full back if he has joined the attack. Javi Martinez will be the more defensive of the 2 and will boss the midfield. He’s a big, powerful midfielder with a huge engine and will cover every blade of grass on the field. Fellaini will operate as the box to box in midfield. Extremely comfortable with the ball he will keep our midfield moving. Equally as comfortable playing deep or on the front foot he will not neglect his defensive duties when necessary but we will see the best of him with the ball at his feet instigating our attacks. He has a wide range of passes in his locker and his mere presence will be a key factor in making sure our midfield has space penetration and that there is always someone in a position to receive the pass. Both of them possess a lethal shot so there will probably be a few efforts from distance if the chance arises. These 2 will be expected to run pull the strings from midfield from the off and will be crucial to our passing game. Fellaini will be the creator in the team and with a wide range of passing along with agility and shooting ability he will be linking with the wingers and striker to attack the opponents. He has the strength, aerial abiliy and is a real handful and this coupled with the physicality and style of Javi Martinez will mean our midfield will see a lot of the ball.
Attacking Midfield
Maio Gotze will be playing the AM role today. His job is crucial to the team, as they will sit just in front of the DM (Lucho), and will look to get the ball up to Lewandowski. Gotze will create that extra magic that is needed to unlock defences, whilst Fellaini will sit back, just behind him, ready to help out. He will be crucial in our attacking game, as he will be the ones to supply the striker, and deliver those long, lung-busting runs across the pitch. Gotze will link up the play from Midfield to attack, being an enormous threat from long shots and his movement will cause plenty of problems for Song as he will have a top class AM all over him, pressing him back towards his own defence.
Left and Right Wing
James and Moura will play on the right and left wing. These are 2 wingers with bags of pace. They will be expected to supply things for Lewandowski, and their pace will cause a lot of problems. They will be expected to attack the opponents back four and supported by their full backs get past their man and get the ball in for Lewandowski. This is an area we will look to exploit with our pacy wingers and powerful marauding full backs. We will look to stretch their defence out of shape and with fast and direct running I can see a lot of space opening up for the very quick and cunning Lewandowski . Both wingers provide a goal threat so expect to see them vary their attacks and cut inside when the time is right and drag their full back to the byline as well. Their pace and width will be a key factor in opening up space for the attack and by making the pitch very big and hugging the touchline it will also give our two midfield lynchpins more time and space to manoeuvre hopefully meaning that we can get a real grip on the midfield battle. We have an abundance of speed out wide and up front and our attack have the edge over the opposition wide men – both in terms of speed and versatility. That coupled with a couple of marauding full backs (when on the attack) should prove a fruitful area for us. With Moura and James both able to take on a man and hug the touchline we will look to exploit this area. Their 2 centre halves will not be able to match Lewandowski for speed so hopefully with the wingers stretching their full backs, we will be able to confuse their entire back line and cause mishaps in dangerous areas
Striker
Up front Lewandowski will spearhead the attack. We are relying on him to get the goals after his brilliant displays this season, in the hope he will get us a goal againsty a very weak defence. He has pace, and movement ability is top notch. There will be no shortage of chances created for him and I would expect it to be a hard day at the office for the opposition’s central defenders with Lewandowski equally as good in the air as with the ball at his feet. He is also a powerful runner and has a good reading of the game and runs fantastic lines. This doubled with James and Moura's superb vision, support and passing ability will hopefully prove productive for him. He is great at playing off the shoulder of the last defender and his powerful physique usually ensures that he always gets a yard on the last defender. He’s also a great link up man and holding the ball up – so when he doesn’t feel that there is something on then he will be providing for other and bringing Gotze and the supporting wingers into play in dangerous areas. Lewandowski will be too much for Opposition's CB's, and will make deadly angled runs to get into a scoring position. He must also look to wriggle away from the attention of the CB's.
Summary
We will concentrate on doing what we do best and playing to our strengths – keeping hold of the ball and working it simply around the park. Nothing flash or risky – just possession football. Patience could be the key and if we keep it tight we have the personnel to get us a goal. We also pose a very dangerous threat on the counter. We have pace to move the ball forward very quickly and enough pace to regain our shape if the opposition turn it around and try and counter us. In defence Fellaini will sit deeper, with Javi Martinez dropping back into the sweeper role, and will be expected to be his energetic self and press the opposition midfield/forwards and knock them out of their rhythm. Our wingers and full backs will sit a bit deeper to stay alert and ready to use their speed at any chance of a counter, although our two FB will be stepping up a notch to allow Martinez to develop into his more defensive self. With the ability of our team to change formation depending on the circumstances we have enough in midfield and out wide to starve them from the ball and with. This will open up acres of space and with neat simple passing and bags of pace, this will be a very productive area for us. We will be looking to get bodies in the box. With fast and fluid attacking play Lewabdowski and Gotze will always have support in this area and our wide men will always have a target to get the ball in to. With the trickery of Gotze, Moura and James then the opposition can always expect the unexpected.
Subs:
If winning on 60: Matic > Fellaini, offers brilliant tackling, pressing and passing in midfield, will he more solid defensively too
Any score on 60: Draxler > James, offers pace and a goalscoring threat and great movement
If losing/drawing on 60: Lukaku > Moura playing 4-4-2 with Gotze RW
posted on 18/5/13
-------------------------Cech
Juanfran---Diakite-----Agger-----Clichy
-------------------------Inler
-------------Schweiny------Dembele
Payet------------------------------------Ribery
---------------------Auby
Subs
Begovic, Schmelzer, Johnson, McManaman, Modric, Barry, Osvaldo
Tactics
An attack-minded 4-3-3 formation with emphasis on keeping possession and playing with width to stretch the opposition.
Keeper
When distributing the ball, he should look to keep it simple and play the percentage pass. At crosses and set pieces, should look to punch rather than attempt any catches with an element of risk.
Full Backs
When going forward, the wingers will be playing a mostly wide game so should look to play behind the wingers, giving them an option to play it safely back if there is no forward option, and they should also look to provide width if the wingers cut inside. When defending, they should look to frustrate the wingers and keep them on their weaker foot wether that keeps them out wide or brings them inside
Centre Backs
Agger will compete with the striker for the aerial balls played up to him, and Diakite will look to collect the 2nd ball, when the ball is on the floor, Diakite will be the guy to venture forward to meet with the striker, and Agger will make sure he is making a covering run if Diakite is beaten. When on the ball, if the opposition are giving them space to come out with the ball, then they should look to take it forward, if not, just look to play it simple to a man in space and retain possession.
Defensive Midfielder
Inler will look to just sit in front of the back 4, staying deep when the full backs go forward to keep defensive numbers up in case of a counter. When attacking, he will look to take the ball of the centre backs and play it forward to the CM's or out wide to one of the Full Backs.
Centre Mids
Both are comfortable on the ball, and both have engines to last the full 90 with a high energy game, when they are on the ball both midfielders are suited to looking for a pass, but can take the ball forward if the space is there, if either man is running with the ball, they are comfortable with shooting from outside the box, so should look to test the keeper quite often. When defending, they will look to use their workrate to press the opposition midfielders when they are on the ball.
Wingers
They should look to stay as wide as possible when they receive the ball to try and stretch the defensive line and create space for midfield runners and/or Gomez. When on the ball, both wingers have the ability to stay wide and put a cross in, or cut inside to try and make space for a shot, so should look to pick out which is the best option at the time, if they do cut inside, the full backs should have moved forward to occupy the touchline and provide an out ball if there is no other option. If they have taken the opposition full back out of the game, they shouldnt be afraid to go into the box, as defenders will be extra cautious to not give away a penalty, and this provides the option of just drilling a cross to Auby or a simple drag back to an onrushing CM. When the opposite winger has the ball, the winger without the ball should look to find space between the CB and full back to add an extra body for any crosses or capitalise on any defensive errors.
Striker
When defending, he should look to buzz around the back 4 and DMs when they have the ball, working with the wingers to press from the front and try to force some errors, when attacking, he should look to hang onto the the shoulder of the last defender, looking to break any offside traps and get into 1 on 1's with the keeper, when setting up counter attacks, he should be drifting over to the left slightly.
Set Pieces
Corners - Schweiny takes corners, the 2 CB's go into the box, the FB's and Inler stay back to prevent counters, the CB's, and Auby attack the ball, Dembele hangs around the domain of the keeper, looking to limit his space without actually fouling him. Payet and Ribery take positions just outside the box to pick up any weak defensive headers or knockdowns.
Free Kicks - For direct FK's Schweiny will shoot most of the time, but Agger will be there for the option of shellacking the ball at goal. For Indirect FKs, follow the same directives for Corners
Penalties - Schweiny is the designated taker.
Subs
If Winning
68 mins - McManaman for Payet - Fresh legs and extra defensive workrate.
76 mins - Barry and Gomez for Schweiny and Gomez - Auby provides the out ball if we come under pressure. The wingers tuck back, but with the knowledge to get out quickly for the front 3 to try and counter if the opposition over-commit for a route back into the game. Barry slots in alongside Inler.
If Losing
71 mins - Modirc for Inler - extra attacking impetus in the midfield, line up like so
-------Dembele---Schweiny
------------Modders
77 Mins - Gomez and McManaman for Payet and Dembele - We go to 4-2-4, with the wingers bombarding crosses in to the 2 big men with the other winger adding the third option.
posted on 18/5/13
Crucial in this game to win the battle in the middle of the park, so we’ve gone with a 5-3-2, that should allow us to build and dominate from the back with the quality and fluidity going forward to really hurt Newcastle. What’s going to be the difference between Europe and my garden? There will be magpies in my garden next season.
----------- Buffon
--- Albiol – Pepe – Skrtel
Rafael ---------------- A.Young
---- Gerrard – Reus -Pirlo
------- Tevez – Lavezzi
Subs. Cesar, Ansaldi, Sandro, Banega, Hamsik, Ox, Eto’o
What may look like an a defensive formation has actually allowed us to get more of our strongest attacking players on the pitch. Young comes in to play as left wing back but to offer a more attacking threat than anything as without Filipe we wouldn’t be strong here anyway so he will bring another dimension to our play going forward. What we can't make up for in defence, add to our play in attack!
They wont be expecting this at all, they have pace but we have the power and in their confused mind set we will pounce like the lion on the gazelle! Great ability to counter with the lineup we have, attacking quickly with pace and brilliant movement.
High pressing from our forwards, wing backs, Pepe and Reus. Gerrard, Pirlo, Skrtel and Albiol keep rigid in position.
Newcastle’s strength is down the wings and with a wing back and cb to cover they should struggle to find space and if they do beat their man the cb is their to cover. The wing backs will off the width, Lavezzi will also drift wide while Reus will bomb forward, and Gerrard will also attack. Pirlo sits in front of the back 3 meaning we have a solid base and can get forward as long as we have one more defender than they have attackers. We have plenty of pace in Rafael and Young to get bodies back quickly to defend.
This formation is setup perfectly for Pirlo to dominate, pick up the ball and immediately put us on the front foot by finding our wing backs bombing forward or Reus/Tevez/Lavezzi. We want to control possession and have defenders who are used to getting on the ball.
Dominate from the back with the extra man. Newcastle have a lot of pace going forward so our defensive line will be a little deeper than normal.
We will be very fluid in attack. Lavezzi and Tevez as a front two would frighten any defence, their movement will be key to our victory. Reus has a very attacking role in the midfield three, playing as if he is the attacking mid and Pirlo and Gerrard are sitting. Which Pirlo is but Gerrard will break forward.
Rigid in defence. 5 man defence. When we are under the kosh with everyone back, one cb marks their st, one cb free next to him watching for danger, Pepe looks to support the full back that they will want to take on. We will look to have 4 players in front. Reus, Pirlo, Gerrard and Lavezzi all get back to form a second wall of four in front of the defence.
Buffon – Dominate the penalty area. Control the back line and lead from the back.
3 cbs – We want Skrtel to pick up their forward. Albiol has the ability to read the game and will spot the danger. Pepe has the pace and power to help the wing backs almost like a sweeper but not playing any deeper than the back line.
Wing backs – Have a difficult job up against tricky wingers, stay on your feet, don’t dive in. They have the pace to deal with them. Going forward is where they can offer a real threat as any full back would struggle at the back against their wingers.
Midfield 3 – Pirlo sits, picks the ball up from the defence and switches the play and plays the defence splitting passes from deep. Gerrard also starts from deep, but looks to go forward plays that little bit deeper than Reus. Reus has freedom through the middle, find space and get on the ball and run at Toon finding the passes that will create.
Lavezzi and Tevez – Two Argentines that can help us press high up the park. Plenty of movement, both like to drop deep/wide and get involved in the play pulling their defenders out of position and creating space to run into. Plenty of shots from Tevez.
Set pieces: Pirlo from deep, Tevez around the box.
Corners: Pirlo/Gerrard
Penalties: Pirlo
Subs. We have more quality than Newcastle on the bench to mix things up.
If losing after 60 mins bring on Ansaldi for Skrtel. Flat back 4. 4-2-3-1, with Pirlo and Gerrard the two sitting players. Ansaldi defence in his play in what is a very attacking formation.
If losing after 60 mins bring on Hamsik for Young. Play on the right, Lavezzi left, Reus central.
If losing after 80 mins bring on Ox for Ansaldi. Ox plays in am. Sub on for a sub. Simply all out attack. Pirlo playing as a third attacking cb.
If drawing after 70 mins bring on Hamsik for Gerrard. Brings drive to our play in the middle of the park, we need an all action display. Important he starts from deep positions.
If drawing after 80 mins bring on Eto’o for Lavezzi. Fresh legs and impetus up front as we search for a winner.
If winning after 70 mins bring on Sandro for Gerrard. Play dm, allow Pirlo to move into attacking areas.
If winning after 77 mins bring on Ansaldi for A.Young. Fresh legs
If winning after 80 mins bring on Hamsik for Lavezzi. Fresh legs and impetus up front as we search for a winner.
posted on 18/5/13
Last week tactics for Wigan please
posted on 18/5/13
European Tactics
We want to top our group and make things easier for ourselves in the next round, avoid the CL teams if possible.
--------------- Cesar
Abate – Caulker – D.Reyes – Haidara
---------- Lucas – Banega
Grenier ---- Pandev -----Ox
--------------- Eto’o
Subs. Buffon, Ansaldi, Campana, Sandro, Hamsik, Olinga, Di Santo
A balanced 4-2-3-1. Full backs will be very attacking as they naturally are and this will provide the width giving Grenier and Ox freedom. Lucas with a very defensive role in front of the defence while Banega will be our deep playmaker and have freedom to get forward.
The formation is our favoured setup and all the players know it. Rigid in defence and fluid going forward; simple. High pressure as soon as the opposition get into our half. We want to play with quite a high line in this game, we have an abundance of pace in defence to cover. Squeeze the game putting the opposition on the back foot and make it difficult for them to build attacks.
Get 9 men behind the ball when the opposition are attacking. Two walls of four. Pandev just in front, with Eto’o ready up top. He will run the channels as he likes to offering a great out ball to take pressure off us, and the opposition will be wary of the threat he poses.
One full back bombs forward at a time. The other goes forward ready to join the attack on opposite wing but stays deeper to allow the play to switch.
A big chance for a few players. Eto’o continues up top in Europe as he’s been banging in the goals for us here, still only 32 he is the best player in Russia and can still stake a claim to get in our first Xi. Pandev just behind we want to find spaces between their defence and midfield. Ox and Grenier will naturally drift into the middle but we want them to start from wide positions which they are more than capable of playing.
Banega and Lucas were our first choice cms not long ago, they offer a great blend in the middle of the park and will want to impress to get back in the first Xi. Lucas doing the dirty work and Banega winning the plaudits with his silky play! Banega to spread the play and find our players in dangerous positions, to try plenty of defence splitting passes as we have intelligent players moving forward who will be making all the right runs.
Cesar offers experience behind a young back 4. Caulker is the cb we want to challenge, with Reyes looking to cover and read the play.
Attacking midfield 3 have creative freedom when we are going forward. We need one to be close to Eto'o though, offering support.
Set pieces: Pandev and Banega
Captain: Eto'o
Penalties: Eto'o
Subs. After 70 mins bring on Campana for Pandev. Forming a central midfield 3, looking to over run the opposition in the middle of the park as the game opens up.
After 75 mins bring on Hamsik for Grenier. One of the big guns to push for victory.
After 80 mins bring on Di Santo for Ox. Di Santo offers target man up top. Make things difficult for the opposition defence as the game closes. 4-4-2, Campana on the left.
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