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Feck, sorry missed something - bear with me, those tactics are slightly off

THESE ARE THE RIGHT TACTICS, USE THESE


FL FART vs Colchester tactics

---------------------Jefferson

Matthews----Barzagli----Zapata----Armero

Wijnaldum---Toure Y--Kondogbia---Menez

-----------------Morata----Ba

Overview: 4-4-2 this week. We'll look to be compact in defence and spring forwards quickly on the counter. We have power and pace throughout the team and our wingers and Toure can really cause trouble when they get forward in support of the strikers. We'll sit deep in defence and central midfield but our strikers and wingers will press hard when the ball is in the opposition's half.

Keeper - Jefferson
He'll be asked to keep things simple today. No sweeping or anything daft like that. Brazil's #1 will save whatever would go in the goal, and distribute it short or with a quick throw to the flanks or Toure.

Full backs: Carvajal and Robertson
Matthews is in for the suspended Carvajal and he offers much the same as his Spanish colleague - defensive solidity and a good engine to get up the pitch, although he'll only do this when an overlap presents itself. Armero is rapid and will be comfortable playing alongside his Colombia compatriot Zapata. He'll push forwards when Menez cuts inside and will generally look to peg the Colchester wide men back.

Centre backs: Barzagli and Zapata
Barzalgi will be the sweeper, making up for his lack of pace with excellent positioning and distribution. Zapata is an excellent all-round defender, excellent in the air, quick and strong and an excellent and vocal leader. They'll sit deep to deny the Andover forward players any space to play the ball in behind them, and they'll distribute the ball quickly to our forward players on the counter. Zapata will enjoy playing alongside his compatriot Armero.

Central midfield: Yaya Toure and Kondogbia
Toure will do his normal thing, smashing his way through midfield with pace and power and getting forwards as much as possible when in possession. Kondogbia will sit deep and intercept and harry, sticking to any Colchester attacking mids like glue. He's a massive unit so he'll be hard to get past. When the full backs and Toure have gone forwards, Kondogbia will settle back onto the left side of a back 3, with Zapata on the right and Barzagli pulling deeper in the centre.

Wings: Wijnaldum and Menez
Both quick, direct, tricky and strong, they'll pull the Andover defence all over the place. Wijnaldum and Menez are both creative playmakers as well as wingers and will look to play balls in to Morata's and Ba's feet for the one-two, but they're also quick and have great energy so can get round the back of the Colchester defence and drill in low balls and cutbacks, or they can drive at the defence and cause them problems. They'll be allowed to switch at will. The left-sided winger will cut in and go for goal more often, exploiting the space left by Ba as he pushes his centre half back. The winger is then free to go for goal with his stronger right foot.

Up front: Morata and Ba
Both will do their normal things - being big, strong and a handful for defenders. Morata will pull deep more often to provide a link between midfield and attack, as a target man for Toure and the wingers to hit with balls to feet as he's excellent with his back to goal. Most crosses into Morata and Ba will be low-ish and hard. Morata will play an unselfish role bringing others into play, particularly the wingers and Toure as they look to get beyond, and his hard work will create plenty of space for Ba to operate in. Ba will push forwards as a proper #9, looking to get on the end of crosses and shooting on sight. Both strikers will harry the opposition when they have the ball in their own half.

Captain: Yaya Toure
Free kicks: Toure
Penalties: Toure
Corners: Wijnaldum (right); Menez (left)

Subs: Johnstone, Lampard, Ronaldinho, Cambiasso, Robertson

IF WINNING:
Ba off for Cambiasso, 70 mins - Cambiasso drops into a midfield 3 alongside Kondogbia and Toure and makes us more compact and difficult to break down. Toure given even more licence to burst forward on the counter.

Armero off for Robertson, 75 mins - like-for-like, but Robertson is more defensively disciplined and will keep the back 4 in a nice shape while providing fresh legs.

Menez off forRonaldinho, 80 mins - Like-for-like, ish. Ronaldinho will take his place on the left of the 4-5-1 in an advanced wing-playmaker role. The wingers will push a little further forwards in a 4-5-1 but they'll be expected to cover in defence as well.

IF LOSING/DRAWING:
Ba off for Ronaldinho, 70 mins - Ostensibly a defensive switch but we'll move to a 4-2-3-1 with Wijnaldum, Ronaldinho and Menez behind Morata. Ronaldinho will be the brilliant #10 we all know, and his floating position and trickery will create more space for the wingers and Morata.

Kondogbia off for Lampard, 85 mins - kitchen sink time. Lampard will burst forwards alongside Toure and ping in some long shots.

PEACE

Also, Ronaldinho to take pens and FKs once he comes on

Arsenal tactics

---------------------------Bravo----------------------------------
Jara----------De Vrij-----------Fernandez-----------Cole
----------------------------Silva--------------------------------
--------------------Gago----------Xavi---------------------
----Joaquin--------------------------------------Quaresma-
--------------------------Ibrahimovic-------------------------

Subs: Aranzubia, Naldo, Coman, Cabella, El- Haddadi

General: Playing against a formiddable like Taiwan and away from we need to set up in such a way that we press the oppositiion and have quality in numbers in the centre to press their midfield and defence in packs and hound them down. We will have a very high tempo with quick passing interchanges and we have to be direct and attacking in packs too. It is very important that we have defensive cover we if do lose the ball and thats where Silva comes in. Ibra will also be working the opposition defence but will be vital to our attack as he can make anything possible. We are going for a win and we are taking the game to Taiwan. We attack but we do it as a team.

Defence
We are to be highly organised and we have a superb and talented defence that has the ability collectively to stop any attack and they shall be all vocal and making sure that everyone is on the same page. This stems from the keeper who will be organising set-pieces and making sure that everyone is picked up on corners and he will be aggressive in the air. The keeper also to start attacks and look from Ibra if he is free. The full-backs have the licence to go forward but only one at a time so we are not fully exposed at the back. Cole and Jara distribute the ball well and are well aware of the threat so they will be cautious to not go gung-ho. De Vrij and Fernandez have the pace to catch most strikers and have the physical attributes to bully players and they both compliment each other well. We expect to win the ball in the air and also go hard for the 2nd ball too. De Vrij to marshall the defence.

Midfield
Silva will be more a deep lying midfielder who will be destroying play and distribute the ball quick and effeciently. Keep it simple and stay discipline is his game. Gago and Xavi will assist him but they are to be more creative and use their speed of thought to find killer balls to our tricky wingers and amazing striker. Defensively both will press down tha midfielders and stay central throughout. Quaresma and Joaquin will occupy the full-backs of the other team and make sure they wont be bombing forward as my players will press them hard and be biting on their heels when we are defendng. Offensively both to be direct and use the central players to have quick interchanges and dive forward towards goal.

Forward
Ibrahimovic leads the line and will be a constant thorn because he may be marked by two defenders but he still will find a way to receive the ball and hold it up for willing runners. He has the licence to shoot at sight too. Defensively Ibra to press the CB's and make sure we dont give them any time to think of a pass. Ibra is well supported by Joaquin, Quaresma and the central midfielders and he knows that he just needs to find an inch of space and they will deliver to him ona plate. Ibra to be aggressive and bullyish in the air.

Subs: Gago for Cabella. 75mins. Xavi to sit with Silva and play the deep midfielder role. Cabella to play in AM and assist Zlatan.

El-Haddadi for Joaquin 70mins. Munir to be direct and take on the tired legs. Attack minded and target to score.

TAIWAN

4-2-3-1

_____________________De Sanctis__________________
Coleman_______Musacchio_____Knoche_________Shaw
_________________Can________Alonso______________
Ward-Prowse___________Barkley____________Bellarabi
_______________________Drmic____________________
SUBS: Hendrix, Kolasinac, Tielemans, Brandt, Di Natale

Captain: Xabi Alonso
Right free-kicks: James Ward-Prowse
Left free-kicks: James Ward-Prowse
Penalties: Xabi Alonso
Right corners: James Ward-Prowse
Left corners: James Ward-Prowse

GEGENPRESSING is a highly-organised approach and will be our approach to regaining possession and minimising space for the opposition. My opponents are rapidly closed down by well-rehearsed, co-ordinated pressing movements, often by two or more players, allied with intelligent positioning to restrict space for opposition to pass and move into. The best moment to win the ball is immediately after after my team just lost it. Once we have regained possession, the transition from defence to attack will be explosive. We will be an attacking team. Aim is to move the ball around efficiently and with purpose, with many forward passes and none of Spain’s useless sideway passes. Play on the counter if dominated, but move the ball around when they sit back. Passing will be quick and intelligent, players moving into space and plenty of interchange between the three attacking midfielders. Team will look at the striker as the focal point with attacking midfielders running off and beyond him, linking up efficiently. When defending Ward-Prowse and Barkley will drop back to help, Bellarabi stays up as the out ball and Drmic prepared for anything lumped up to him. Team must attempt to block shots at all times. Deep defensive line. * When defending we will play two banks of four and be compact leaving little space in between the lines. So when defending we will go into this mode:

Ward-Prowse - Can - Alonso - Barkley
Drmic - Bellarabi

And when we get the ball we will look to set loose the speedsters up front with the whole team pushing up a bit to at least outside our 18 yard box and switch back to our normal formation.

De Sanctis:
Claim crosses if possible. Always clear lines and play safe, take no risks. Looks to set off counters with his distribution.

Musacchio and Knoche:
Deals with opposition attackers. Knoche keeps an eye on their attacking midfielder when he gets close to the 18 yard line. Knoche will also mark their striker closely not allowing him space to turn. Knoche or Can will deal with knock-downs to their supporting player depending on who is closer. Musacchio will try and win headers when long balls are played towards the back line. Musacchio will also clean up any balls / players who manage to get past Knoche. Knoche will be the centre half who steps up and clears up balls before it reaches their attackers, but must only go if he’s 100% sure he’ll get it. Go up for corners. If in the event that an attacking midfielder / second striker is not played then Knoche will just have to deal with the midfield runner but not get dragged too far out of his defensive line.

Coleman and Shaw:
Coleman will be disciplined for this match, but when we get the ball and whoever the opposition manager plays goes on one of his inside runs Coleman will look to overlap Ward-Prowse and run into the box. Coleman and Shaw both will show the opposition wide players to their weak foot, threat weakens when they are shown away from goal. Both will sit back when without the ball, but Shaw will bomb forward when the opportunity arises. Main aim is to provide width and provide extra bodies in midfield to link up play. Stays back for corners. Must not commit to tackles otherwise wingers will skip past them, just stay close, limit their space and show them onto their weaker foot.

Can and Alonso:
Sits deep, breaks up play and snap at their heels. Can is an engine that can cover a lot of ground when defending. Can will hardly ever go past the half-way line. Alonso will buzz around and dictate play, bursting forwards at times to provide an extra body in attack. Alonso will be a bit ahead of Can to be more involved in exchanging passes with full backs / Barkley, even going level with Barkley at times to use his incredible vision to find teammates. Alonso will need to make himself a goal threat with his late runs into the box in this match. Can stays close to the centre halves. Both sprays balls wide to fullbacks when they get forward. Stays back for corners. Will not allow the opposition any time on the ball in front of centre halves. Can sticks to position when fullbacks fly forwards, providing cover if needed. Alonso drops deeper when this happens.

Ward-Prowse, Barkley and Bellarabi:
Will constantly swap positions with each other. Will look to thread through balls to Drmic and exchange passes with each other. Constantly drifting in and out of position, into space to make it difficult to mark. Can cross when out wide. Ward-Prowse should always track back to help the fullbacks and midfield when defending. Barkley can burst past Drmic and shoot if needed. Constantly runs at their defence. All will press the opposition when without the ball. Ward-Prowse will be drifting inside a lot and because he has stamina of six men he will therefore chase down the ball a lot and aim to create when he gets the ball. In this match when we don’t have the ball I will need Bellarabi to sit on their deep lying midfielder and disrupt him from running forwards. When Coleman gets forward during his rare forward runs Ward-Prowse will attempt to find him at the far post for Coleman to knock the ball across goal for Drmic Bellarabi Barkley to knock in, with Ward-Prowse arriving late to gobble up possible rebounds. They will also try and double up on a full back if required (like Robben and Ribery both attacking the same fullback).

Drmic:
Holds up the ball, brings the three attacking midfielders into play. Play on the shoulder of the last man, always sets himself at the far post for crosses. Will keep the centre halves occupied. Will chase down opposition centre halves when they have the ball.

SUBS:
Winning/Drawing:
75 mins: Barkley OFF Tielemans ON
Tielemans replaces Barkley and we go 4-3-3 with Tielemans dropping back. We will then aim to keep the ball for as long as possible even if we have to do pointless sideway passing but if space opens up, work the ball forwards to try and create a chance.

Losing:
75 mins: Can OFF Di Natale ON
Go 4-2-4 with Di Natale Drmic centre Ward-Prowse right Bellarabi left. Barkley supports, Alonso holds and sprays passes from deep. All out attack, have to go level at least if not win it. When we lose the ball Ward-Prowse goes central to provide support in centre mid and Drmic goes to the right to provide that outlet. Switch back when we have the ball. Both full backs go forwards in turns and we will squeeze them back into their 18 yard box. Our CBs will not stick too close to the striker in case they get turned, Knoche will be ready to chase back towards goal while Musacchio will position himself to nick the ball off the attacker as soon as he gets it. Whatever second attacker from the opposition will be watched by the full back staying back depending on which side.

Scored the goal(s) to get all three points / to win the tie ONLY AFTER the Di Natale change:
Whatever minute: Drmic OFF Kolasinac ON
Whatever minute: Bellarabi OFF Brandt ON
They’re gonna pen us back whether we like it or not, so we will go 5-4-1 with Kolasinac slotting into a back 5. Barkley will come into the centre along with Alonso with Ward-Prowse right and Brandt left, Di Natale up front. Brandt will provide the counter attacking threat when we win the ball back and him and Di Natale will break at their (supposedly) abandoned defence. This is not me playing defensive football voluntarily, this is the opposition forcing us into our box like we would’ve forced them into theirs and me providing a counter measure to this situation.

*******************GW12**********************

Fart vs BLYTH SPARTANS (3-6-1)

.....................Reina.......................
....................Barzagli.................
..............Vlaar........Rugani......
Maggio...De Jong....Rojo...De Sciglio
................Totti.......Insigne.................
....................Crouch......................
Subs: Gordon, Maldini, Cirigliano, Dicko, May

Captain: Barzagli
Free Kicks: Insigne/Totti
Corners: Insigne/Totti
Pens: Totti

Massive changes today after our side came down with Welsh flu. Blyth's players showing great flexibility with another change of formation and some unfamiliar positions for certain players, but as good model professionals I feel that to reach their level they should be able to cover any position. Haak has done well to rebuild his squad and has made them a formidable unit and has eradicated the crapness he inherited from that useless Hodgey

This set-up is with controlling the centre of the pitch and thus the game in mind. We know that Fart have a fantastic midfield of their own and although in part this is to neutralise them it is also I feel our best way of coming away with at least a point.

Reina: Vastly experienced goalkeeper, has his critics but on his day is a fantastic shot stopper and can be relied upon should Fart breach our defence. with the ball should have plenty of options for either a quick throw out or a longer kick for Crouch to deal with.

The defence:
all 3 players are solid individuals and all 3 clear 6ft which gives them a real physical edge defensively but also going forwards for set-pieces. We're not sure how Fart will line up whether they stick with 2 up top or revert back to a lone striker. The sweeper system gives us the best all round opportunity to stop them either way.
Barzagli - may not have the pace in his legs anymore but has fantastic vision and is a great reader of the game and they do say the first yard is all in the head, will position himself behind the 2 CB's and be the voice of the defence organising the troops, will drift to the flanks to fill gaps between the CB and WB as and when required. When we're in possession he will step forwards ala Beckenbauer and effectively give us another body in midfield.
Vlaar/Rugani - if Fart as expected continue with Morata and Ba up front then it's man to man marking, with Vlaar taking care of Morata and Rugani dealing with Ba, both should be good match up's as Farts strikers are quick and strong, the key will be to get in hard and fast before they can turn, we have to keep them with their backs to goal, if they are turned they can either take them out (for the team) or shepherd them towards the covering Barzagli to deal with. Should Fart go back to a lone striker then Vlaar will man mark him allowing Rugani to be a free man who's main duty will be to contain their attacking midfielder when he makes his run. All 3 men will head up for all attacking set-pieces

Maggio/De Sciglio - Wing backs for today, both are very attacking by nature and I have no intention of curbing that desire as they are afforded a certain amount of freedom by our use of 3 at the back and 2 defensive minded midfielders, Farts widemen are fast and tricky but Maggio and De Sciglio have pace to burn themselves but they will try to resist diving in as missing is not an option, hold them up and force the pass backwards and then regroup is the way we'll deal with Farts threat out-wide, worse case scenario is force them down the line into the corners (and then smash them) don't allow the cut inside unless one of the holding mids is there to cut them off. Attackingly both men will provide the width that's otherwise missing from a naturally narrow formation, Crouch will be the primary target for all crosses but low pull back crosses for Insigne and Totti are also an option. Both men to stay back at set-pieces covering are CB's advance.

De Jong/ Rojo - Both men are fantastic physical specimens, comfortable on the ball quick and strong and both eager to get stuck into the opposition. De Jong is the battle hardened veteran of the partnership and is more defensive in approach so will be the shield for the defence looking to snap into tackles and break up Farts attacks before they fully take hold, he's the man to tame the beast that is Yaya, he wins this battle it's a long way to winning us the game. As Barzagli pushes forward (when we have the ball) he also pushes forward, it serves a dual purpose in that a) it gives us more bodies in their half helping with ball retention and b) should we lose the ball, we have a ball winner higher up the pitch to get it straight back. NDJ will stay back with Maggio/De Sciglio for set-pieces.
Rojo - I'm aware it's a risk playing him there but I feel it's a calculated risk, The man's a LB or a CB by trade, I don't much remember seeing him at CB but I was very impressed with him at LB for Argentina at the WC and he made team of the tournament. Positional discipline seems to be a weakness so we have given him box-to-box duties, very fast and great stamina as shown at the WC enabling him to charge up and down the pitch for the full 90. This high energy approach coupled with his aggressive streak and hammer like left foot could make this a master stroke, At worst it just gives us another solid defensive player in the middle of the pitch to match up against Fart's fantastic midfield, win/win no? unlike NDJ, Rojo will go up and make a nuisance of his 6ft+ frame in the box at set-pieces.

Totti/Insigne - Can a team play with 2 number 10's? well I think they can the prince and the heir side by side. Offensively these two men provide a link between the midfield,the wing backs, and 2 metre Peter (thanks Haak for that one) both have wonderful technique and the vision to fully utilise their range of passing whether they mix it up with short sharp passing triangles aimed to pull Farts defence and midfield out of position, or the more direct cross field balls stretching the play, with these 2 men threading balls through and our wing backs banging crosses in Crouch should have a field day. I'd normally play with one #10 and the 2 strikers but felt this way round best utilised their particular skills whilst condensing the midfield further. Defensively both men will press from the front not giving Farts defenders or DM's any time on the ball and with Crouch tracking back also this should lead to longer rushed passes for us to clear up nicely, the other positive of the two #10's is the indecision it could cause in Farts defence as to who marks them, does a defender step up does a midfielder stay back and give us the numbers advantage in the middle? we will look to exploit this by getting Totti and Insigne to target the space between CB and FB when making any runs trying to pull someone out of position, this coupled with our WB's running the line will mean Farts wingers having to track further back than perhaps they'd like and decreasing their effectiveness on the break.

Crouch - Lone striker? I wouldn't say so but certainly the target man, comfortable with his back to goal and at 6ft7" will tower above Fart's CB's. Crouch who has a fantastic touch on him for such a big man will look to get the ball down and lay it off for either Totti or Insigne to smash through from the edge of the D or flick it out wide for the wing backs to cross back into him. Will be on his toes and look to play between the 2 CB's and play off any confusion as to which man is meant to be marking him, as mentioned earlier Totti and Insigne will be making angled runs also so between the 3 of them we should be able to find plenty of space. Defensively the team as a whole is high pressing and Crouch will lead from the front closing down the defence quickly and forcing it long and hurried. Not surprisingly he'll come back for set-pieces.

Subs:
Don't have many options today through injuries so at 65 mins regardless of score
Dicko > Totti
This will change the shape as Dicko goes up top alongside Crouch and Insigne is the sole #10. Dicko is squat but very very quick with an eye for a goal will play off the shoulder of Crouch and chase hard any flick on's or loose balls, will continue the team ethic of hard fast pressing from the front

The end

Basingstoke Tactics (4-3-3)

-----------------------Fabianski------------------
Bellerin-------Zouma----Rekik-----Kurzawa
----------------------Carvalho------------------
----------------Ramsey-----Vilhena------------
Gayle-----------------------------------Boetius
-----------------------Berbatov------------------

Subs: Mersin, Heylen, Kallstrom, Kramer, Grimaldo

Captain - Ramsey
Vice - Zouma
All FKs & Corners - Ramsey

After a frustrating but unlucky defeat last weekend Basingstoke will be going back to what we know and getting back to basics. As usual we will play a high line trying to get into the Sehk midfield and get them rattled and get ourselves on the ball. With our fast defence we should be fine to get away with this, but if we're struggling we won't be rigid and we will drop 10 yard deepers if necessary. Our midfield has the perfect balance for me, Carvalho is strong, positionally aware and brilliant at protecting the defence as well as winning the ball and giving it to the better players. Ramsey and Vilhena in front of him too are great all rounders, and are a truly formidable partnership, which I'll explain in detail later.

GK - Standard stuff, he's a great shot stopper so needs to concentrate on his organisation skills and commanding of his area.

Full backs - Both are great athletes who can get up and down a lot. I want to see them both using their pace, stamina and power to get forward at every given opportunity. They're important for us to stretch the opposition allowing us more space in the middle where our dangerman can operate. They will be looking for the ball all the time. Vital to stretch the opposition.

CBs - Zouma to play at the 'first knock defender', meaning he will be the one attacking the ball when it comes into the defence and generally going up against the attackers. This suits his game plan as he's a physical specimen and aggressive to match. Rekik will play a more reserved role, but equally important. He will be calling the line - we will be playing with a high line as we have the energy in the middle and the pace to recover if the line is beaten - and reading the game aiming to be able to cover the rest of the defence at the right times. These two are a great young defence defence, and compliment each other perfectly and could be one of the best partnerships around in seasons to come.

Carvalho - Huge role in todays game plan. He's a player no-one will want to come up against and I'm looking to him to disrupt the oppositions rhymth. When the FBs are back in position he will be rampant in the MF, protecting the back 4. When the FBs are back he will drop into the defence and offer them support in numbers as he has all the attributes to play there.

Ramsey - Get to play their natural game today. They will dictate the play from deep often and will play as more traditional box to box CMs, almost like each playing in a 4-4-2, just with Carvalho slightly behind them. It's important that if Carvalho drops into defence Ramsey makes sure he's protecting the defence, but it's his natural game to sit from deep first and attack when the time is right, so we should be tough to break down, especially given his incredible energy levels which should make it extremely tough for the opposition to play the ball in the middle, especially with our high line. When the time comes he can break forward at a decent speed and he has a knack of popping up at the right time to get important goals. Vilhena will be the more attacking of the two, pressing high up the pitch and breaking forward at the correct times and trying to probe in the MF, keeping possession and looking for opportunities to hit our direct wingers. Although Ramsey is the more defensive of the two, both can play either role well and if Ramsey has a good chance to go forward Vilhena will cover him. Essentially the midfield energy levels and intelligence are vital today, as it will give us a solid foundation whilst also allowing us to get numbers forward to trouble the opposition.

Gayle and Boetius - Key role today as they are going to be our main outlets for the midfield, aside from the full backs. Whilst both have license to drift inside or swap wings, basically looking for weaknesses in the opposition defence, they still have defensive duties to perform. So it's important they keep an eye on each other and make sure between them both flanks are covered and they are willing to track back and help the defence. Their power and direct running will be key for getting at a lothargic Sehk defence.

Berbatov - Just to play his natural game today. Bring players into the game with his good hold up play and look to attack the box at the vital times as he is known for.

Subs - 65 mins - Grimaldo & Kallstrom for Kurzawa & Vilhena

Both changes are like for like, just to give us fresh legs and allow us to keep up with the style of play we want, whilst having genuine quality coming off the bench.

75 mins - Kramer for Carvalho - like for like in the middle to keep our pressing game at a high tempo.

Basingstoke Tactics (4-2-3-1) vs FC Pride

-----------------------Fabianski------------------
Johnson-------Zouma----Heylen-----Kurzawa
-----------------Kramer-----Ramsey-------------
Gnabry-------------Quintero------------Boetius
-----------------------Berbatov------------------

Subs: Mersin, Hayden, Vilhena, Kallstrom, Grimaldo

Captain - Ramsey
Vice - Zouma
All FKs & Corners - Ramsey

Press high, take control of the midfield and get at Pride and their shakey defence. We won't worry too much about their game plan, just drop a little deeper to stop Robben if needs be, but it shouldn't affect us too much as our FBs can match him and if we do drop deep our MF three is full of energy to cover the extra ground in MF.

GK - Standard stuff, he's a great shot stopper so needs to concentrate on his organisation skills and commanding of his area.

Full backs - Both are great athletes who can get up and down a lot. I want to see them both using their pace, stamina and power to get forward at every given opportunity. They're important for us to stretch the opposition allowing us more space in the middle where our dangerman can operate. They will be looking for the ball all the time. Vital to stretch the opposition.

CBs - Zouma to play at the 'first knock defender', meaning he will be the one attacking the ball when it comes into the defence and generally going up against the attackers. This suits his game plan as he's a physical specimen and aggressive to match. Heylen will play a more reserved role, but equally important. He will be calling the line - we will be playing with a high line as we have the energy in the middle and the pace to recover if the line is beaten - and reading the game aiming to be able to cover the rest of the defence at the right times. These two are a great young defence defence, and compliment each other perfectly and could be one of the best partnerships around in seasons to come.

Kramer - Huge role in todays game plan. He's a player no-one will want to come up against and I'm looking to him to disrupt the oppositions rhymth. When the FBs are back in position he will be rampant in the MF, protecting the back 4. When the FBs are back he will drop into the defence and offer them support in numbers as he has all the attributes to play there. His energy levels will be vital for us.

Ramsey - Gets to play his natural game today. He will dictate the play from deep often and will play as a more traditional box to box CM, almost like he's playing in a 4-4-2, just with Carvalho slightly behind him. It's important that if Carvalho drops into defence Ramsey makes sure he's protecting the defence, but it's his natural game to sit from deep first and attack when the time is right, so we should be tough to break down, especially given his incredible energy levels which should make it extremely tough for the opposition to play the ball in the middle, especially with our high line. When the time comes he can break forward at a decent speed and he has a knack of popping up at the right time to get important goals. Essentially the midfield energy levels and intelligence are vital today, as it will give us a solid foundation whilst also allowing us to get numbers forward to trouble the opposition.

Quintero - He's settled into the team now and I'm trying to get him playing his natural game and letting his talent flourish. Him and Ramsey will be the ones on the ball most often. He has license to come deep and pick the ball up if he likes and drive forward with it, but most of all I want him getting into the gaps left by the Pride midfield. They're not the most defensive midfield and have no natural anchorman, so there will be space for Quintero to exploit, and when he has the ball in this positions he can do it all - pick passes, beat men or hit them from distance. This variation will make him incredibly difficult to stop and will make the team less predictable as a whole. If people get drawn to Quintero, he can find the runners exploiting the space. If people back off him, he can drive forward or hit a twonker from range.

Gnabry and Boetius - Key role today as they are going to be our main outlets for the midfield, aside from the full backs. Whilst both have license to drift inside or swap wings, basically looking for weaknesses in the opposition defence, they still have defensive duties to perform. So it's important they keep an eye on each other and make sure between them both flanks are covered and they are willing to track back and help the defence.

Berbatov - Just to play his natural game today. Bring players into the game with his good hold up play and look to attack the box at the vital times as he is known for.

Subs - 75 mins - Grimaldo & Vilhena on for Ramsey and Kurzawa

Both changes are like for like, just to give us fresh legs and allow us to keep up with the style of play we want, whilst having genuine quality coming off the bench.

Fishguard Sports
Captain: Blind
Corners: Fischer/Andersen
Free kicks: Höjbjerg
Pens: Vietto

-------------------------------van der Hart
Ajer----------Christensen---------------- Höibraten---------------Günter
------------------------------------Blind
-------------------------Gaudino
-------Andersen-----------------------Höjbjerg ------------Fischer
-----------------------------------Vietto

Starting: van der Hart, Ajer, Christensen, Höibraten, Günter, Blind, Gaudino, Höjbjerg (Ödegaard), Andersen, Vietto, Fischer
Subs: Blackman, Bazoer, Schuurman, Ödegaard, Laursen




The first point to make about the players I have selected for this evening’s game is that they are all extremely comfortable on the ball. It is essential that this is the case as physically we are not the strongest team, but in terms of technical ability we have much quality.

In my opinion the position of defensive midfield is the key to all I want to achieve. For parts of the game Daley Blind will fill this position, but for stretches of the game it will be Gianluca Gaudino – this I will explain below. As touched upon we do not possess an ‘enforcer style’ defensive midfielder, however instead we possess two players who are equally excellent at intercepting opposition passes and quickly recycling the ball, doing both with unequalled composure.

Now the question is; why do I need two players who can play at DM?

I’m going to play what appears to be a standard back four, with Blind sat in front of the two centre backs. However, whilst Ajer, Christensen and Höibraten will need to follow a ‘defence first mentality’ I am going to use Günter for far more offensive purposes.

When Günter is advanced I will move Blind into the LCB position, with Gaudino becoming the DM, and Höibraten covering LB for the absent Christian Günter.

Günter has licence to combine with Fischer to terrorise the right hand side of Arsenal’s defence. Both players have blistering acceleration, searing pace and the aim is to concentrate on exposing any weaknesses on that side of the pitch time and time again. I really want to stretch the right hand side of their defence by using the pace of Günter down the line, allowing Fischer to cut in and do some serious damage. From there Fischer has a) licence to go at goal himself b) look to combine with Vietto to create goal scoring opportunities.

This all means that I can hammer their right sided defence but remain with 4 defenders and a defensive midfielder at all times.

When we are defending and Günter is back in position then Blind as DM will have both Gaudino and Höjbjerg as outlets ahead of him, when Gaudino is playing at DM then he has Höjbjerg or the Günter/Fischer combo as his main forward outlets (see notes on Andersen also).

However, Gaudino or Blind can also play backwards if necessary as all of the defenders are happy to be on the ball as we look to recycle and concentrate on looking to get the ball to our left hand side and back up the pitch.

At some point Arsenal will have to react to our relentless torture of the right hand side of their defence. At which stage, we’ll look to bring Andersen more into play. Whilst at times Andersen will appear to be a spare leg, this is far from the truth. If Arsenal try to cover the weakness in their right – then I’ll want to see beautifully weighted long balls from Blind or Gaudino over to Andersen on our right hand side and he can go direct towards the goal at pace. A box of tricks, screaming pace – he’s the threat that they won’t see coming.

Höjbjerg is young (like the rest of our team) but he’s a leader, and he has the important job of making sure that Blind/Gaudino have a forward option to play the ball whenever possible. He can then look to play Günter in, or look for a killer through ball into Vietto or Fischer. He can also defend well, so if we’re becoming swamped then he can provide support to Gaudino.

Whilst Vietto playing as CF he is equally known to play just behind a CF, which is good – as he’s prepared to drop deep if we’re losing the midfield battle, and with Fischer cutting in from the left hand side he’s not always going to be the most advanced player. However, when Günter /Fischer – or Andersen are on the attack – he can leave waste to the opponent’s defensive midfielder and put immediate pressure on the centre backs, who best not be caught ball watching as Fischer/Andersen close in on them. Vietto will also combine exceptionally well with players around him - Fischer in particular, so expect lots of clever movement, quick tidy interplay as we look to take apart the Arsenal defence.

Subs: Ödegaard on for Höjbjerg 80th Minute

------------------------Enyeama-------------------------
Janko----------Luisao-------Kouyate---------Aanholt
-----------------Masch----------Pirlo-------------------
Robben--------------Halilovic-------------------Hazard
-----------------------Immobile------------------------

Subs: Omerou, Rosicky, Pereira, Afobe, Wilson

Squad: Areola, Ondoa, Abidal, James, Perrey, Suliman, Lawrence, Schöpf, Britton, Baker, Lingard, Rowe, Roberts, Robert, Green

Injuries: Ozcipka, Samper, S. Ramirez

Suspended: From the ceiling

Enyeama takes his place in goal, he's an experienced, agile keeper with bags of experience. He'll command his area, playing the ball out on the deck.

Luisao and Kouyate take up the CB spots. They're both very strong and able to win the ball back by putting pressure on the opponents attackers. Luisao is the leader at the back, he'll command the defence and bark the orders. Kouyate has plenty of pace to cover if needs be. They will look to feed the ball out through Pirlo or the wider players if he's marked.

Janko and Van Aanholt will take up the wing back roles. Both players have high stamina and a good range of passing. They'll be able to get up the wings tirelessly contributing in both defence and attack.

Mascherano and Pirlo will take up their midfield roles. Pirlo will set the tempo of our play, he'll make the passes that make us tick, slowing the game down if we're under pressure or being more direct if the counter attack is on. Mascherano will sit deeper as the defensive midfielder marshalling the area in front of the defence.

Halilovic will take up the number 10 role, he'll have the freedom to move from one side of the pitch to the other to open up pockets of space and receive the ball. He's quick with a low centre of gravity so he'll be able to take the ball and turn quickly before feeding the ball through to the forwards or out into wider areas where the wing backs will be pushing on. He will be key in working with the wing backs.

Robben and Green will play in the wider areas, they'll have the freedom to drift inside and out (with Halilovic moving the other way) when we attack.

Immobile leads the line. He's young and quick with an eye for goal, who's also very good with the ball at his feet.


We play Basingstoke this week, a team that have 2 games and will be very very tired after the mauling by the lions, I'm sure this will be reflected in the fruity.
They're missing a key man in the middle of the park in Carvalho, we'll look to exploit this area of the pitch with out number 10, Halilovic. He should have more room to make his runs, without a solid DM snapping at his heels.

We're adopting a form of 4-2-3-1, though it is somewhere between that and a 4-4-1-1. Our 'number 10', is a link man between the wide-men and the centre forward.
Robben and Hazard will look to play one two's with Halilovic to work their way forwards.

We have a strong CB partnership pairing with two young energetic fullbacks either side. Mascherano will operate as the defensive midfielder screening the back 4 with Pirlo just in front pulling the strings through his passing and picking up intelligent positions.

When out of possession we want to drop back into position and press the ball when the opposition enter our half of the pitch. They can play it around all they like in their own third. We want to draw them out so there will be space for us to counter attack into. On the counter we will look to move the ball out via Pirlo, who will look to wider areas this week. When Robben gets the ball especially, he will look to beat his man/men and get a shot off, or duck the other way and fizz balls in for Immobile to attack in the centre and Green coming in at the far post. Halilovic will pick up a position on the edge of the area.

When in possession of the football we want to pass the ball in triangles, pulling their players here and there creating spaces for our attacker's to thrive in. Pirlo will look to use the spaces created to move the ball forward. He'll have Halilovic coming for the ball to feet and the wide men look to run in behind players to receive a pass.

Captain: Pirlo
Penalties: Robben
Freekicks: Pirlo


Subs after 75 mins if losing/drawing:

Rosicky on for Halilovic
Pereira on for Pirlo
Afobe on for Hazard

We'll move to a 4-1-2-12

-----Masch
Ros--------Per
------Rob
-Imm------Afo

This should free Robben from any wide markers and give Immobile support upfront with Wilson. Samper will add plenty of energy to get up and down the pitch with Rosicky no slouch either.

If winning:

Rosicky will come in for Halilovic
Afobe for Hazard

Arsenal tactics

--------------------------Bravo----------------------------
Arias------Fernandez--------De Vrij-----------Cole
-------------------Gago--------Diaby------------------
Joaquin--------------El-Haddadi-------------Perisic
-------------------------Ibrahimovic---------------------

Subs: Naldo, Van Anken, Susic, Coman, Drogba

General: I've gone for a packed midfield and an energetic one so we can set a high tempo from start to finish and take the game to the Spartans. I want to press them from midfield and defence which will make us have possession and use it quickly. Our tempo will be fast and direct. We will execute small, and simple passes but fast forward them as we think we have the ability and skill to score a few goals. We are organised at the back and believe we can handle their attack with pace and power. High tempo with crisp passig is our theme and we will out run and out outhink them by shifting the ball direct but making their defence run ragged.

Defence
Stemming from Bravo, we are to get our defence talking and organised. Bravo to be shouting his instructions, particularly in set pieces to defence and making sure we have all bases covered. The back for will be playing a high-ish line because we have the pace to get back and we want to help our midfield. The full-backs will also have licence to go for forward but one at a time. The CB's have good height and are powerful in the air as well as the pace to track back.

Midfield
We have chosen to have central midfielders that are not going to do one job and with Gago and Diaby, we have the muscle and experience of fighting it out and then they also have the ability to drive our midfield forward and creating fast paced football for Zlatan and co. Their main job is to keep the ball moving quickly too. With Joaquin, Perisic and Haddadi, you have three players that are quick, and can all interchange with quick passing as they are all so creative in their approach. They are to feed Zlatan and/or use him as a decoy so they can run at goal. I expect them to be direct and run at the midfield and defenders. They have to be be pressing high and against the midfield as we feel that we will get most joy and be most effective if we stifle their midfield and get the ball back to start our attack. The more pressure we pile on them, the more they will be hesitant to play it cool and make hasty decisions.

Forward.
Zlatan is enough for any world class defence and we expect him to score in every game with the ability and know-how he posseses. He has the freedom of the park but he will be playing as high as possible and not coming short to get the ball as he is more threatening when he is as close to goal as possible. He will be supported by Haddadi and link up well with the wingers who will try and feed Zlatan from every angle if he is only marked by the one defender.

Subs: Coman for Joaquin 70mins.
--Haddadi------------Coman---------------Perisic

Drogba for Diaby 80-mins

----------------Drogba-----Ibra---------------------

FL FART vs Blyth tactics

---------------------Jefferson

Zapata-------Amat-------Rami-------Armero

--------------Lampard----Toure----------------

Piazon-----------Wijnaldum-----------Menez

----------------------Morata---------------------

*******************

Overview: 4-2-3-1 this week. We've been hit by injuries at right back so Zapata steps in, he's played there before and has plenty of pace so he'll do fine. We'll look to be compact in defence and spring forwards quickly on the counter. We have power and pace throughout the team and our wingers and Toure can really cause trouble when they get forward in support of the strikers. We'll sit deep in defence and central midfield but our strikers and wingers will press hard when the ball is in the opposition's half.

*******************

Keeper - Jefferson
He'll be asked to keep things simple today. No sweeping or anything daft like that. Brazil's #1 will save whatever would go in the goal, and distribute it short or with a quick throw to the flanks or Toure.

Full backs: Zapata and Armero
Zapata is a centre half by trade and won't be expected to bomb forward quite so much as Armero; on the plus side when Armero does get forward Zapata will shuffle across and form a back 3 with Amat and Rami. Armero is rapid and will push forwards when Menez cuts inside and will generally look to peg the Blyth wide men back.

Centre backs: Amat and Rami
Both CBs are excellent all-rounders, good in the air and comfortable on the ball. Rami is a born leader, physically immense and not afraid to scream his head off to keep his back line organised. They'll push forwards aggressively to deny the Blyth playmakers any time on the ball, as we don't have to worry too much about Peter Crouch getting in behind the defence given that he's slower than molasses. The centre halves will distribute the ball quickly to our forward players on the counter.

Central midfield: Lampard and Yaya Toure
Toure will do his normal thing, smashing his way through midfield with pace and power and getting forwards as much as possible when in possession. Lampard will sit deep in the sort of role he's tended to play more since he hit the mid-30s. He'll keep possession ticking with sensible ball use and will keep his positional discipline to make interceptions in our own half. Toure will have extra defensive responsibilities today, looking to overpower the Blyth midfielders, and we'll look to him to win the ball aggressively from the Blyth #10s alongside the centre halfs before bursting forward in support of the forwards.

Behind the striker: Piazon, Wijnaldum and Menez
This is where the game could be won. All 3 attacking mids are quick, direct, tricky and strong, and I'm letting all three interchange at will to confuse the Blyth man-marking system and pull them out of shape all along their tight back line. The men starting on the wing will be Piazon and Menez, both creative playmakers as well as wingers who will look to play balls in to Morata's feet for the one-two, but they're also quick and have great energy so can get round the back of the Blyth defence and drill in low balls and cutbacks, or they can drive at the defence and cause them problems. The left-sided winger will cut in and go for goal more often, exploiting overloading the Blyth centre half who will have to deal with the winger and the man inside (Wijnaldum to start with). The winger is then free to go for goal with his stronger right foot.

In the hole: Wijnaldum
Wijnaldum will be in his element here; unlike most #10s he's got a great deal of pace and more importantly physical strength, so he'll relish the physical battle with Blyth's strong DMs De Jong and Rojo, especially when he has Toure and (less commonly) Lampard bursting forwards in support to outnumber the Blyth defensive men. He's got plenty of trickery in him too; I'll be looking for a big shift from the Dutch wizard as he hassles and harries all along the back line, free to move wherever he wants in a free role. He's also free to shoot on sight or play in the wingers/inside forwards and Morata whenever he wants. I expect Blyth to put a man on Wijnaldum at most times but I'm confident in his ability to slip a marker with his strength, pace and trickery, not to mention the fact that he'll be switching fluidly between the #10 position and the 2 wing positions with Menez and Piazon, so any man-marking Blyth try to put in place will hopefully go out the window.

Up front: Morata
Morata will do his normal thing - being big, strong and a handful for defenders. He pull deep to provide a link between midfield and attack, as a target man for Toure and the wingers to hit with balls to feet as he's excellent with his back to goal. Most crosses into Morata will be low-ish and hard. Morata will play an unselfish role bringing others into play, particularly the attacking midfielders and Toure as they look to get beyond, and his hard work will create plenty of space for them all by occupying one or the other centre half and leaving just the other centre half and the sweeper to deal with - the sweeper, Barzagli, has the turning circle of an ocean liner so he'll have a nightmare with my quick and slippery AMs.

Captain: Rami
Free kicks: Toure (Ronaldinho if brought on)
Penalties: Toure (Ronaldinho if brought on)
Corners: Wijnaldum (right); Menez (left)

Subs: Batth, Ronaldinho, Bakkali, Johnstone, Ba

*******************

IF WINNING:
Morata off for Ba, 70 mins - Like for like.

Piazon off for Bakkali, 75 mins - Like for like.

Lampard off for Batth, 85 mins - Batth drops into a back 3, Wijnaldum pulls back into central midfield and we go 5-4-1 to protect the lead. Armero given less licence to push on.

*******************

IF LOSING/DRAWING:
Piazon off for Ronaldinho, 70 mins - the old master comes on to show the youngster some tricks. Wijnaldum pushes to the right (although still allowed to switch with Menez) and Ronny sits in the #10 hole to conjure up some magic.

Lampard off for Ba, 70 mins - kitchen sink time. We look to overload Blyth's naturally defensive system (5 at the back and 2 DMs) by going with the following setup:

---------------------Jefferson

Zapata-------Amat-------Rami-------Armero

-----------------------Toure-----------------------

Wijnaldum------Ronaldinho-----------Menez

-----------------Morata--------Ba----------------

Ba and Morata to harry the backline more, Ba to really pen the defence back by playing on the shoulder.

PEACE

Stockport vs. Lubo who's not going to get tactics in so I'm taking my win

----------------------------Horn-----------------------------
Clyne--------Veltman---------Ginter---------Blackett
-----------------------Schneiderlin------------------------
---------------Rakitic-------------Clasie------------------
------Berardi---------Gallagher--------Draxler--------

Subs - Forster, Fonte, Hughes, Muric, Ings

Tactics -

Basically, I don't think Lubo's going to get tactics in. I want my team to focus their attention on getting the ball to Draxler (would like him to get in among the goals ) and Rakitic (atm I'd argue he's on course for a player of the season award and to pick up some stat points here would help). These two are the best players in my team, and whatever team Lubo does or doesn't put out.

Gallagher playing up top rather than Ings because Sam offers more of a build-up play striker, rather than apoacher, which is essential if I want Draxler and Rakitic to take the lead in scoring.

Blackett and Clyne to get forward as much as possible allowing Darxler and Berardi to work inside the box, posing more of a threat to the open goal. Schneiderlin to drop deep into a back three in case of a (non-existant) counter attack.

Rakitic to break forward as much as possible, with Clasie dictating the game from slightly deeper.

TAIWAN

4-2-3-1

_____________________De Sanctis__________________
Coleman_______Musacchio_____Knoche______Kolasinac
_________________Can________Alonso______________
Ward-Prowse__________Tielemans___________Bellarabi
_______________________Drmic____________________
SUBS: Promes, Rossiter, Teixeira, Brandt, Di Natale

Captain: Xabi Alonso
Right free-kicks: James Ward-Prowse
Left free-kicks: James Ward-Prowse
Penalties: Xabi Alonso
Right corners: James Ward-Prowse
Left corners: James Ward-Prowse

GEGENPRESSING is a highly-organised approach and will be our approach to regaining possession and minimising space for the opposition. My opponents are rapidly closed down by well-rehearsed, co-ordinated pressing movements, often by two or more players, allied with intelligent positioning to restrict space for opposition to pass and move into. The best moment to win the ball is immediately after after my team just lost it. Once we have regained possession, the transition from defence to attack will be explosive. We will be an attacking team. Aim is to move the ball around efficiently and with purpose, with many forward passes and none of Spain’s useless sideway passes. Play on the counter if dominated, but move the ball around when they sit back. Passing will be quick and intelligent, players moving into space and plenty of interchange between the three attacking midfielders. Team will look at the striker as the focal point with attacking midfielders running off and beyond him, linking up efficiently. When defending Ward-Prowse and Tielemans will drop back to help, Bellarabi stays up as the out ball and Drmic prepared for anything lumped up to him. Team must attempt to block shots at all times. Deep defensive line. * When defending we will play two banks of four and be compact leaving little space in between the lines. So when defending we will go into this mode:

Ward-Prowse - Can - Alonso - Barkley
Drmic - Bellarabi

And when we get the ball we will look to set loose the speedsters up front with the whole team pushing up a bit to at least outside our 18 yard box and switch back to our normal formation.

De Sanctis:
Claim crosses if possible. Always clear lines and play safe, take no risks. Looks to set off counters with his distribution.

Musacchio and Knoche:
Deals with opposition attackers. Knoche keeps an eye on their attacking midfielder when he gets close to the 18 yard line. Knoche will also mark their striker closely not allowing him space to turn. Knoche or Can will deal with knock-downs to their supporting player depending on who is closer. Musacchio will try and win headers when long balls are played towards the back line. Musacchio will also clean up any balls / players who manage to get past Knoche. Knoche will be the centre half who steps up and clears up balls before it reaches their attackers, but must only go if he’s 100% sure he’ll get it. Go up for corners. If in the event that an attacking midfielder / second striker is not played then Knoche will just have to deal with the midfield runner but not get dragged too far out of his defensive line.

Coleman and Kolasinac:
Coleman will be disciplined for this match, but when we get the ball and whoever the opposition manager plays goes on one of his inside runs Coleman will look to overlap Ward-Prowse and run into the box. Coleman and Kolasinac both will show the opposition wide players to their weak foot, threat weakens when they are shown away from goal. Both will sit back when without the ball, but Kolasinac will bomb forward when the opportunity arises. Main aim is to provide width and provide extra bodies in midfield to link up play. Stays back for corners. Must not commit to tackles otherwise wingers will skip past them, just stay close, limit their space and show them onto their weaker foot.

Can and Alonso:
Sits deep, breaks up play and snap at their heels. Can is an engine that can cover a lot of ground when defending. Can will hardly ever go past the half-way line. Alonso will buzz around and dictate play, bursting forwards at times to provide an extra body in attack. Alonso will be a bit ahead of Can to be more involved in exchanging passes with full backs / Tielemans, even going level with Tielemans at times to use his incredible vision to find teammates. Alonso will need to make himself a goal threat with his late runs into the box in this match. Can stays close to the centre halves. Both sprays balls wide to fullbacks when they get forward. Stays back for corners. Will not allow the opposition any time on the ball in front of centre halves. Can sticks to position when fullbacks fly forwards, providing cover if needed. Alonso drops deeper when this happens.

Ward-Prowse, Tielemans and Bellarabi:
Will constantly swap positions with each other. Will look to thread through balls to Drmic and exchange passes with each other. Constantly drifting in and out of position, into space to make it difficult to mark. Can cross when out wide. Ward-Prowse should always track back to help the fullbacks and midfield when defending. Tielemans can burst past Drmic and shoot if needed. Constantly runs at their defence. All will press the opposition when without the ball. Ward-Prowse will be drifting inside a lot and because he has stamina of six men he will therefore chase down the ball a lot and aim to create when he gets the ball. In this match when we don’t have the ball I will need Bellarabi to sit on their deep lying midfielder and disrupt him from running forwards. When Coleman gets forward during his rare forward runs Ward-Prowse will attempt to find him at the far post for Coleman to knock the ball across goal for Drmic Bellarabi Tielemans to knock in, with Ward-Prowse arriving late to gobble up possible rebounds. They will also try and double up on a full back if required (like Robben and Ribery both attacking the same fullback).

Drmic:
Holds up the ball, brings the three attacking midfielders into play. Play on the shoulder of the last man, always sets himself at the far post for crosses. Will keep the centre halves occupied. Will chase down opposition centre halves when they have the ball.

SUBS:
Winning/Drawing:
75 mins: Tielemans OFF Teixeira ON
Teixeira replaces Tielemans and we go 4-3-3 with Teixeira dropping back. We will then aim to keep the ball for as long as possible even if we have to do pointless sideway passing but if space opens up, work the ball forwards to try and create a chance.

Losing:
75 mins: Can OFF Di Natale ON
Go 4-2-4 with Di Natale Drmic centre Ward-Prowse right Bellarabi left. Tielemans supports, Alonso holds and sprays passes from deep. All out attack, have to go level at least if not win it. When we lose the ball Ward-Prowse goes central to provide support in centre mid and Drmic goes to the right to provide that outlet. Switch back when we have the ball. Both full backs go forwards in turns and we will squeeze them back into their 18 yard box. Our CBs will not stick too close to the striker in case they get turned, Knoche will be ready to chase back towards goal while Musacchio will position himself to nick the ball off the attacker as soon as he gets it. Whatever second attacker from the opposition will be watched by the full back staying back depending on which side.

Scored the goal(s) to get all three points / to win the tie ONLY AFTER the Di Natale change:
Whatever minute: Drmic OFF Rossiter ON
Whatever minute: Bellarabi OFF Brandt ON
They’re gonna pen us back whether we like it or not, so we will go 5-4-1 with Rossiter slotting into a back 5. Tielemans will come into the centre along with Alonso with Ward-Prowse right and Brandt left, Di Natale up front. Brandt will provide the counter attacking threat when we win the ball back and him and Di Natale will break at their (supposedly) abandoned defence. This is not me playing defensive football voluntarily, this is the opposition forcing us into our box like we would’ve forced them into theirs and me providing a counter measure to this situation.

Ward-Prowse - Can - Alonso - Barkley
Drmic - Bellarabi

should read

Ward-Prowse - Can - Alonso - Tielemans
Drmic - Bellarabi

sorry

***********************Week 13***********************

BLYTH vs Stockport 4-3-3

....................Reina.......................
De Sciglio...Barzagli..Vlaar....Rojo
..........De Rossi....Barkley......
.....................Totti...................
Maggio............Zaza...............Insigne

Subs: Gordon, Maldini, Essien, Gauld, Crouch

Captain: De Rossi
Free Kicks: Insigne/Totti
Corners: Insigne/Totti
Pens: Totti/Insigne

Tough game for us this week but then there are no easy games in this league, Stockport were the early pace setters but have dropped away slightly, but still posses a great squad with a lot of quality going forwards but we have a solid defence and should be able to cope with them. But we have set ourselves up to target in what I feel is their biggest weakness and that's at full back, we'll overload the wide areas of the pitch thus exposing Durm and Clyne as well as pegging back Berardi and Draxler.
We've gone for an experienced battle hardened squad with 4 world cup winners in there, players that know their jobs and go about them with minimal fuss, possession football today but with pace and purpose not Barca style where you pass for passing sake.

Reina - No nonsense keeper, great shot-stopper cool calm and collected, will command his box and be quick off his line to claim crosses, don't worry about taking the man too, make sure the ball is dealt with. In possession will have plenty of options as we have runners out wide for short balls or Zaza/Totti as targets for longer direct passes

De Sciglio/Rojo - Both excellent engines will run the lines all game supporting the attack, which as everyone knows is the best form of defence. Both will be expected to track their opposite winger, stay close and get stuck in. Their presence in attack will allow Maggio and Insigne to cut inside as we look to Overwhelm Stockpoor's defence. Defensively both will show their man the line and force the cross for our CB's to deal with. Draxler and Berardi alongside Rakitic are Stockports main dangers to us and will be watched closely. De Sciglio will stay back at set-pieces whilst Rojo will be allowed to push on.

Barzagli/Vlaar - Possibly one of the very partnerships in the league, as evidenced by us conceding only 9 goals. People well Haak criticise Barzagli for being slow but he built his defence around him for the 2 weeks he had him on loan Both men are physically tough and great readers of the game and this allows them to commit fully to any challenge. Park to his credit is tactically flexible so we can't second guess his formation so today no man marking purely zonal, use the 18 yard line as the marker and hold that ground, Keep Stockport infront of us and clear out anyone coming at us, don't allow ourselves to be turned and expose our "slowness" hence playing deeper than normal, That said our FB's are extremely pacey and can cover the run should our line be breached..As usual both men will go up for set-pieces.

De Rossi - The general comes in today to make his debut and takes the captains armband, would normally be given more freedom but as De Jong is suspened De Rossi plays the holding role, which entails the following responsibilities a) holding and allowing the full backs the freedom to bomb on
b) hand in hand with point A, De Rossi will be the heart beat to the midfield great vision and a fantastic range of passing will keep things ticking over with a sublime mix of short sharp passing ala Pirlo and the more rangy direct balls into space ala Gerard. As I touched upon earlier Stockports 3 dangermen are their 2 wingers and Rakitic, Rakitic becomes De Rossi's responsibility whenever he pushes on De Rossi lets him know he's there with hard crunching tackles and dirty little elbows as we look to intimidate our opponents. Goes up for all set pieces as has shown in the past gets a fair few headed goals from corners

Barkley - Comes in loan from Ludy's Taiwan team and hopefully will get on the pitch before we're busted for people trafficking. Ross has a lot of potential and although plays further forward normally he comes in at Centre Mid but because of De Rossi's solid defensive play Ross gets more attacking freedom as he plays as our box-box midfielder, comfortable on the ball and good dribbling skills should make him a real threat running from deep drawing tackles before jinking away from his markers. Defensively will tuck in and be an extra body in the middle chasing and harrying rather than having a specific man to mark. Will stay back for our set-pieces covering our defenders going up

Totti - The number 10, may be 38 now but he's still going strong, has fantastic technique and the vision to make the most of it, will drop deep to collect the ball before picking the right pass, for our forward runners. Have ran out of superlatives for him so is given the freedom to do what he wants to be fair

Maggio - Right mid naturally but a converted full back, today goes back to playing further forward, great pace and a fantastic engine, still one of the few players that I remember seeing regularly get the better of Jordi Alba...Going forwards will look to attack the space between full back and centre back as De Sciglio runs the line forcing Durm to make a decision as to whom he follows. Maggio playing for me is a master-stroke as I feel Draxler is a fanastic little player and this will allow two men to double up on him when Stockport have the ball but giving us enough pace to break without our side looking uneven

Insigne - My little wizard, where as Maggio will play as a proper winger, Lorenzo is more inside forward floating around the park (not the opposition manager) picking passes and trying from distance, Right footed Left winger means when he does cut inside which he will do frequently he can cause plenty of damage. We've singled Clyne out as their weak link and with Lornezo and the bombing forwards runs of Rojo we aim to fully smash the right side of their defence, if they go Blackett instead of Clyne the the result will be the same as we exploit his lack of experience and hammer home our advantage

Zaza - Powerful and squat even tho he clears 6ft, This bull like player for me very much reminds me of Tevez, full of running and plenty of hustle and bustle a real defenders nightmare as he will harry them constantly, putting them under pressure and forcing clearances to basically gift us the ball back. The team as a whole is hard working and presses hard and fast Zaza is a fantastic example of this as we defend from the front.

Subs: regardless of score at 65 mins

Gauld > Totti
The Prince will have run his race by this point in time so Gauld will go LW and Insigne #10. Gauld is young and raw but very talented, quick and direct another runner to further exploit what I think is Park's biggest weakness

Crouch > Zaza
We go more direct as Crouch becomes the target man...Maggio and Gauld banging in crosses for Crouch to attack and use his physical advantage to try and hammer Stockport into submission...With Lorenzo as the #10 we have the Big man Small man combo with Lorenzo latching onto any knock downs or flick ons

Essien > Barkley
A more defensive minded player as he comes in to add some bite and muscle, will give us a De Rossi/Essien platform allowing our attacking players more offensive freedom

That is all

Fishguard Sports
Captain: Marquez
Corners: Laursen/Andersen
Free kicks: Höjbjerg
Pens: Vietto

-----------------------------------Ryan
Karsdorp-----Márquez (c)-----------------Aké-------------Günter
----------------------------------Hendrix
--------------------- Höjbjerg
-------Laursen----------------- Denís Suárez --------Andersen
-----------------------------------Vietto

Starting: Ryan, Karsdorp, Márquez (c), Aké, Günter, Hendrix, Höjbjerg, Laursen, Denís Suárez, Andersen, Vietto
Subs: van der Hart, Christensen, Haye, Ödegaard, Nunnely




The first point to make about the players I have selected for this evening’s game is that they are all extremely comfortable on the ball. It is essential that this is the case as physically we are not the strongest team, but in terms of technical ability we have much quality.

In my opinion the position of defensive midfield is the key to all I want to achieve. For parts of the game Hendrix will fill this position, but for stretches of the game it will be Höjbjerg – this I will explain below. As touched upon we do not possess an ‘enforcer style’ defensive midfielder, however instead we possess two players who are equally excellent at intercepting opposition passes and quickly recycling the ball, doing both with unequalled composure.

Now the question is; why do I need two players who can play at DM?

I’m going to play what appears to be a standard back four, with Blind sat in front of the two centre backs. However, whilst Karsdorp, Marquez and Ake will need to follow a ‘defence first mentality’ I am going to use Günter for far more offensive purposes.

When Günter is advanced I will move Hendrix into the LCB position, with Höjbjerg becoming the DM, and Ake covering LB for the absent Christian Günter.

Günter has licence to combine with Andersen to terrorise the right hand side of Barcelona’s defence. Both players have blistering acceleration, searing pace and the aim is to concentrate on exposing any weaknesses on that side of the pitch time and time again. I really want to stretch the right hand side of their defence by using the pace of Günter down the line, allowing Andersen to cut in and do some serious damage. From there Andersen has a) licence to go at goal himself b) look to combine with Vietto to create goal scoring opportunities.

This all means that I can hammer their right sided defence but remain with 4 defenders and a defensive midfielder at all times.

When we are defending and Günter is back in position then Hendrix as DM will have both Höjbjerg and Denis Suarez as outlets ahead of him, when Hojbjerg is playing at DM then he has Denis Suarez or the Günter/Andersen combo as his main forward outlets (see notes on Laursen also).

However, Hojbjerg or Hendrix can also play backwards if necessary as all of the defenders are happy to be on the ball as we look to recycle and concentrate on looking to get the ball to our left hand side and back up the pitch.

At some point Barcelona will have to react to our relentless torture of the right hand side of their defence. At which stage, we’ll look to bring Laursen more into play. Whilst at times Laursen will appear to be a spare leg, this is far from the truth. If Barcelona try to cover the weakness in their right – then I’ll want to see beautifully weighted long balls from Hendrix or Hojbjerg over to Laursen on our right hand side and he can go direct towards the goal at pace. A box of tricks, screaming pace – he’s the threat that they won’t see coming.

Denis Suarez has the important job of making sure that Hendrix/Hojbjerg have a forward option to play the ball whenever possible. He can then look to play Günter in, or look for a killer through ball into Vietto or Andersen. I’ll also need him to defend well, so if we’re becoming swamped then he can provide support to Hojbjerg.

Whilst Vietto playing as CF he is equally known to play just behind a CF, which is good – as he’s prepared to drop deep if we’re losing the midfield battle, and with Andersen cutting in from the left hand side he’s not always going to be the most advanced player. However, when Günter /Andersen – or Laursen are on the attack – he can leave waste to the opponent’s defensive midfielder and put immediate pressure on the centre backs, who best not be caught ball watching as Laursen/Andersen close in on them. Vietto will also combine exceptionally well with players around him - Andersen in particular, so expect lots of clever movement, quick tidy interplay as we look to take apart the Barcelona defence.

FC Pride Tactics

------------------------Enyeama-------------------------
Coke------------Luisao-------Kouyate---------Aanholt
-----------------------Mascherano------------------------
-----------Halilovic--------------------Pirlo----------
Robben---------------Immobile---------------T.Hazard

Subs: Omerou, Rosicky, Pereira, Afobe, Wilson

Squad:

GK: Areola, Ondoa
DEF: Castro , Janko, Ozcipka, James, Perrey, Samper, Suliman,
MID: Lawrence, Baker, Rowe, Roberts, Robert,
FOR: Green

Injuries: Abidal, Britton, S. Ramirez, Schöpf, Lingard

Suspended:

Enyeama takes his place in goal, he's an experienced, agile keeper with bags of experience. He'll command his area, playing the ball out on the deck.

Luisao and Kouyate take up the CB spots. They're both very strong and able to win the ball back by putting pressure on the opponents attackers. Luisao is the leader at the back, he'll command the defence and bark the orders. Kouyate has plenty of pace to cover if needs be. They will look to feed the ball out through Pirlo or the wider players if he's marked.

Coke and Van Aanholt will take up the wing back roles. Both players have high stamina and a good range of passing. They'll be able to get up the wings tirelessly contributing in both defence and attack.

Mascherano takes up a defensive midfield role with Halilovic and Pirlo in more advanced roles. Pirlo will set the tempo of our play, he'll make the passes that make us tick, slowing the game down if we're under pressure or being more direct if the counter attack is on. Mascherano will sit deeper as the defensive midfielder marshalling the area in front of the defence. Halilovic will be the one to bring the ball forward. I'd liken them to the old Xavi (Pirlo), Iniesta (Halilovic) and Busquets (Masch) in terms of their responsibilities. We have the passer, the more direct player who can bring the ball forward and the defensive solidity.

Robben and Hazard will play in the wider areas, they'll have the freedom to drift inside and out (with Halilovic moving the other way) when we attack.

Immobile leads the line. He's young and quick with an eye for goal, who's also very good with the ball at his feet.


Our game plan this week is to dictate proceedings, playing a 3 man midfield all with unique qualities that should see them thrive and boss the centre of the park.
We have a strong CB partnership pairing with two energetic fullbacks either side. Mascherano will operate as the defensive midfielder screening the back 4 with Pirlo just in front pulling the strings through his passing and picking up intelligent positions, Halilovic is go to man either to receive the ball or open up space.

When out of possession we want to drop back into position and press the ball when the opposition enter our half of the pitch. They can play it around all they like in their own third. We want to draw them out so there will be space for us to attack into. On the counter we will look to move the ball out via Pirlo, who will look to wider areas this week. When Robben gets the ball especially, he will look to beat his man/men and get a shot off, or duck the other way and fizz balls in for Immobile to attack in the centre and T.Hazard coming in at the far post. Halilovic will pick up a position on the edge of the area.

When in possession of the football we want to pass the ball in triangles, pulling their players here and there creating spaces for our attacker's to thrive in. Pirlo will look to use the spaces created to move the ball forward. He'll have Halilovic coming for the ball to feet and the wide men look to run in behind players to receive a pass.

Captain: Pirlo
Penalties: Robben
Freekicks: Pirlo


Subs after 75 mins if losing/drawing:

Move to a 4-2-2-2

Wilson on for Halilovic

-----Masch---Pirlo
Rob-----------------Haz
-------Imm----Wil


If winning:

Rosicky will come in for Halilovic
Afobe for Hazard

Arsenal tactics

---------------------------Bravo-------------------------
Jara-----------Vidic-------------De Vrij---------Cole
------------------Gago----------Silva------------------
---Haddadi-------------Cabella----------------Perisic
------------------------Ibrahimovic-----------------------

Subs: Aranzubia, Fernandez, Piatti, Coman, Drogba

General: We are away from home and I've chosen to go for an energetic midfield and an experience defence against a very good team. We need to have a high tempo and move the ball from front to back as soon as possible. We are not going to have any patient build up play. We feel our attacking players have the skills to penetrate and get goals. Defensively we are solid and have cover with Silva.

Defence
We have strength, experience and quality throughout and we will dominate in the air with our CBs and our fullbacks are experienced enough and tough enough to defend whatever the opposition throws at us. Vidic captains the side and will the the more dominant CB whilst De Vrij will be sweeping up if Vidic misses anything. Cole and Jara will go forward but have to be very aware of the threat behind so not really gung-ho forward. They will let Silva and Gago know so that they will drop and slot in that position as cover. Attacking wise both CB's to be in the opposition pen box for coners and set-pieces. The full-backs to be on the line for defending our corners so Bravo can target the centre of the goal to defend.

Midfield
Gago and Silva are a great midfield combo as Silva is a out and out DM and Gago is a DM playmaker and can distribute the ball anywhere with precision. Gago to support Silva defensively as our attacking midfielders will be deep in the opposition and we need balance for potential counter attacks. With Haddadi, Cabella and Perisic we have 3 exciting young talent that have all the quality to give the other defence trouble as they may just concentrate on Zlatan but theey will be in shock when our three attacking midfielders run directly at them. These three players need to be on their toes and run at the players and make quick inter-changes. Cabella to be more forward than usual as we want Zlatan to have the support. Defensively, they all press the midfield and full-backs.

Forward
Ibra to occupy the line and stay with the last defender. He is in rich goal scoring form as he doesnt come back to receive the ball and I dont think he is as effective deeper. We want him as close to goal as possible and with our midfield, he should make runs to open spaces and expect the ball and the rest will be open to Ibra's talent.

Subs:
Perisic off for Piatti 70 mins.

Cabella off for Coman 75mins.

Tactics vs Colchester week 13


--------------------------------Scuffet-----------------------------------

Darmian---------Bonucci-----------Manolas-----------Kongolo

------------------------------Iturraspe-------------------------------

------------------Thiago------------Tielemans--------------------

Brahimi------------------------------------------------------Depay

-------------------------------Alcacer--------------------------------

subs: Stones, Diaz, Januzaj, Meyer, Zivkovic

Game plan: our plan today is to go at Colchester from the off,our second game of the season and after defeat last time out everyone will be fired up and raring to go. We will look to press high up the pitch and condense the space in the midfield. Successful pressing is dependant on group understanding, collective perception of ball, opponent and team mate, and a massive amount of hunger and desire to have the ball. It isn’t possible to press for 90 minutes. We will have to pick our times wisely in order to do it successfully. If our players are tracking back or not close enough to the ball it isn't sensible to press the ball, we will look to capitalise on poor passes by the opposition or when a player is facing his own goal or has his head down when receiving the ball, at these times to opposition player does not have a full view of the pitch and cannot pick a forward pass.

In possession we will have many lines of players in order to create easy triangles for the players on the ball, the player on the ball should always have at least 2 passing options, the full backs will also go forward creating an almost 3-4-3(2-3-2-3)formation when in possession, this reverts to a 4-1-4-1 formation when we lose possession.

In Possession

------------------------Bonucci-------Manolas------------------

Darmian------------------Iturraspe--------------------Kongolo

-----------------Thiago-------------------Tielemans------------

Brahimi------------------------------------------------------Depay

----------------------------------Alcacer-----------------------------

out of possession

Darmian-----------Bonucci-------Manolas-----------Kongolo

-------------------------------Iturraspe-------------------------------

Brahimi----------Thiago------------Tielemans---------Depay

---------------------------------Alcacer----------------------------------

Simone Scuffet: very young, but a fantastic goalkeeper, excellent shot stopper and very confident coming off his line, will look to release the ball quickly in order to start attacks, when he gets the ball the full backs will push forward and the centre backs will spread out offering themselves for the pass, will only go long if there is no other option.

Defence: as has been spoken about in the game plan section, the full backs will look to push up the field when we are in possession creating the multiple lines across the pitch which is the basis of our possession philosophy. The central defenders will look to stay close to one another when out of possession, the full backs will also tuck in leaving little room in the centre of the pitch as Colchester will look to do most of their attacking through the middle, while the midfield and attack will cover the defence of the wide areas, this is not the specific job of one player as we are playing in a fluid system, it will be whoever is available to do the job at that point in time, our players have great discipline and concentration to perform in this system.

Midfield and Attack: Ander Iturraspe will by and large stay in position in the holding role in the midfield. He will look to snuff out space for the opposition attacking players, and always be available for a pass when we are in possession, possesses great strength and is a very tidy user of the ball. The 4 midfield players in front of Ander will play very fluidly, and as has already been stated they will look to press the opposition when the time is right, all 4 possess good pace and stamina and are able to get up and down the pitch.

Thiago and Tielemans will get up and down the pitch throughout, both are very quick and very creative and can carry the ball. Both will look to move the ball quickly, as will the whole team, we will play with a high tempo throughout the game not giving Colchester any breathing space, without the ball they will look to pressurise the opposition in the centre of the pitch, but as spoken of earlier, only when it is sensible, no point doing it willy nilly and being picked off, we need to be very wary of the runs and movement of Colchester's midfield and give them as little space and time as possible, this will be key to winning the match.

Yacine Brahimi and Memphis Depay will look to move wide when in possession, both have the ability to run at the opposition and will look to move inside at times and take the opportunity to shoot and link with Alcacer they both have the pace and movement to make runs beyond Alcacer in the centre forward positions, we are playing a very fluid system and will not just be looking to throw the ball into the box at every opportunity so their movment, pace and runs into the channels will be crucial in creating space and chances during the 90 minutes. When Depay and Brahimi do move inside, Darmian and Kongolo will look to provide the outlet wide with overlapping runs.

Alcacer will play as the centre forward for us today, his pace, movement and energy suits the change in the way we are going to play, he will look to roam across the pitch, dragging defenders out of position which will leave space for the other attackers and our midfield to benefit from, as stated previously in the tactics he is part of the fluid front 5 we are playing with today so will pop in different areas of the pitch on occasion, we are not just going to throw the ball into the box at every opportunity so his running of the channels and his technical ability are crucial in the way we want to play.

Substitutions: Max Meyer for Yacine Brahimi on 70 minutes, switch to a midfield diamond, and look to keep the ball and be more patient in possession, the fullbacks Darmian and Kongolo must now push higher up the pitch to provide the width

------------------------------Iturraspe----------------------------

-------------------Tielemans--------------Thiago-----------------

--------------------------------Meyer-----------------------------

------------------Depay---------------Alcacer---------------------


Captain: Thiago
Freekicks: Thiago
Penalties: Thiago

SMOCKFORT vs Wolfs

--------------------------Forster--------------------------
-----Veltman---Fonte-------Ginter---Blackett------
----------------------Schneiderlin-----------------------
----------------Hughes---------Clasie------------------
---------------------------Rakitic--------------------------
-----------------Berardi---------Draxler-----------------

Subs - Green, Lascelles, Durm, Muric, Gallagher

Tactics -

General - Injuries, and the seizure of Lambert by Tino, have taken their toll this week, meaning we're having to set up with a reactionary, rather than ideal, lineup.

Ultimately, I'm conceding the width to Tino, with Clyne dead, and no natural point striker to play in the middle, I only have Durm who can really do that for me, so he's dropped. I'm playing 4 CBs, but with Veltman and Blackett being asked to play wider than your standard CB, but narrower than your prepackaged FB.

The aim is to dominate the game in the centre, 4 CMs who are all fantastic on the ball, with Blackett and Veltman stepping up (my two best ball playing CBs imo), and Draxler and Berardi dropping deep should see me have 8 bodies to keep the carousel reeling. Effectively, it's a narrow width passing game, waiting for the perfect opportunity for Draxler/Berardi to burn past Tino's defence onto a through ball.

Defence -

Right, this might be the most contentious area of my tactics today, but ultimately it's relatively simple. Blackett and Veltman are both capable of playing FB on their respective sides. so they're the 'wide CBs' today, with Ginter and Fonte playing their natural game.

The aim of this is to kill space in the centre/penalty area, and force the ball wide. It's going to nullify Tino's attacks to crosses alone. When the ball goes wide, the wide CBs move across to pressurise the crosser into rushing it and not aiming it as perfectly as they'd like. This leaves 3 CBs and Forster against Totti (Tino told me he was playing, so hopefully he's not lying ) to challenge for the aerial ball. Totti should have no chance.

The front CB of the three, needs to cover the 6 yard box, moving just in front of the post so that any clearances won't get turned into our net by accident, the middle CB will pick up Totti and use their strength to keep the Italian under pressure and, hopefully, away from the ball, the third defender should now have a clear run at the ball to launch a powerful header clear. Forster stays on his line in case Totti does manage to get to the cross.And just a note, Schneiderlin will chase any late runners into the box to have them covered too.

When we have the ball, Blackett and Veltman will both step up level with Schneiderlin, not as WBs or attacking FBs, but more central, so technically LDM/RDM respectively. This is to give us bodies (both proficient in the passing game) higher up the pitch so we can control the game.

Midfield - Schneiderlin to sit right back, dominating the ground between Clasie/Hughes and my back four. The destroyer role, as it were.

Him, Clasie and Hughes are asked to keep it simple, keep the ball moving and keeping us in control of possession, wearing Tino's side out. We should massively dominate the middle in terms of numbers, so keep calm, pass and move. They need to look to get it to the front three as soon as (safely) possible.

Rakitic is the key to this peculiar tactic working, he needs to get on the ball, swivel so he's facing their net, and instantly open up through balls to Draxler and Berardi (who on seeing the ball arrive at Rakitic's feet will be steaming forward). If he fails to spot a pass to make with a relatively strong chance of success, he's to turn back, play it into midfield again, and force Tino to chase us down in midfield (which, with Hughes, Clasie, Schneiderlin, Rakitic himself, Veltman and Blackett (both having stepped up), and Draxler and Berardi (I know I said they'd be moving forward, but bear with me, all will be explained later) all there in the middle of the park we should retain possession quite easily, and can rebuild an attack, recycling possession until Rakitic spots the killer ball.

Forwards -

Right, their first priority is to move forward as soon as the pass to Rakitic is made, this means they'll be running full tilt at the Wolves defence as soon as the pass is made, giving them a head start on any defences having to turn and chase back. Once they latch onto the through ball, they should be able to 'Jew' (sorry, I hate that vernacular, but that's what everyone knows it as) it, passing it across the keeper and onto the other speeding striker (who, because they're both sprinting before the pass is made, timing their runs so that they break passed the defence at the right time though), should be 2-1 against the keeper.

if Rakitic fails to make the pass and turns back, these two have to turn and come back into midfield, level with Rakitic - effectively making this formation in midfield -

-----Veltman---Schneiderlin---Blackett------
-------------Hughes---------Clasie--------------
------Berardi--------Rakitic-----Draxler--------

With 8 players there, all angled to make nice triangles around the middle of the pitch we should retain control even when an attack breaks down. Draxler and Berardi need to simply be ready to make that sprint forward again as soon as Rakitic reclaims the ball from the deeper players, and looks forward once again.

Subs -

Winning/Drawing -

70 - Hughes off for Durm, Play 5-3-2, Rakitic taking up a more nominal CM position. Veltman to RWB/RB, Durm to LWB. Blackett moves into the LCB position and Ginter and Fonte stay the same.

Adds a defensive rigidity which should see the game out against a now worn out Wolves.

Losing -

70 - Gallagher on for Schneiderlin

Gallagher moves up to a target man striker's role, we keep playing the same way, but Gallagher uses his strength to batter holes into the Wolves defence for through balls. He also offers the chance to go long, offering a new component to the attack which might crack Wolves down, going long leaves Gallagher free to knock it down to any of the original forward three who can then lash it in.