STOKE CITY v Newcastle United

Line Up:

Rulli
Cancelo Mammana Marquinhos Diop Gaya
F.Anderson Milinkovic-Savic Paredes Coutinho
Belotti

Substitutes: Dragowski; Chambers; Dendoncker; Kovacic; Jankto; Cyprien; Boschilia

Captain: Coutinho
Corners: Coutinho
Free Kicks: Felipe Anderson
Penalties: Coutinho

Game Plan:

We are lining up in a 5-4-1 for this game as a precaution to prevent Newcastle’s fast paced attack from picking holes in our line up. We will have 3 centre backs sitting deep, with our midfield covering and doing the pressing in front of them, and two wing backs in Cancelo and Gaya who will be tasked with tracking Newcastle’s wide men to prevent them from creating space. In attack, we will break out in to our usual 3-4-3 formation, with the two wide midfielders supporting Belotti and the wing backs going the midfield to create an outlet if our quick counter breaks down.

The key to our game will be organisation. When the team is out of possession, they press ferociously, as a unit, to win it back. However, if Newcastle manage to keep the ball in the face of the pressure for 10 seconds, we must be quick to transition in to a deeper formation to cover gaps in our back line and to start the pressing game again. By pressing in 10 second spurts before reforming deeper and waiting to move forward again, we can conserve our energy and make sure that we can keep pressing for the whole 90 minutes.

Once back into position, they look for triggers to start their pressing. Like, the ball towards the right-back is a trigger of the left winger to begin the pressing. The left-winger’s pressing is a trigger for the midfield and the rest of the team of what is their role in this pressing.

The positioning of our players in this pressing game is important - we want every player to know exactly where he needs to be and what his role is. Only through working as a complete unit will this system work.

We want to keep our players as close to theirs throughout the game as possible. We don't want to give them time to relax on the ball and think about where the next pass is going and force them to play with their backs to goal. We want to crowd the pitch, effectively splitting the playing surface in to halves and quadrants, and dictate where they can pass the ball and when.

One of our trident intercepts the space between the CBs so that they can't move the ball along the back four. The two others then press inside and our midfielders press up and stick close to their man so that space is lacking for their centre backs. Along with this, our defensive line presses high so that the midfield becomes further congested (the pace in our back line is more than capable of covering ground in the events of a long ball - hit too long and Rulli comes out to mop it up) and the centre back in possession is left with a choice: play it back to the keeper, wherein the play starts again, or attempt a risky ball forward that has a good chance of being intercepted.

The key to stopping Newcastle’s attack is to control the middle of the pitch and to stop them breaking in numbers and so, by using a trident to harry their defence when on the ball and pressing up with our midfield to stop them from moving the ball up in stages, we force them to play quicker, riskier or more direct passes than they normally would like, and this will play in to our advantage with a trio of clever centre backs with top positional awareness and good physical attributes.

In attack, we want to break forward with numbers and overload the opposition defence - quick interplay and lots of movement will mean that they can’t settle in position and will inevitably leave gaps for us to penetrate. We want the front trio to switch position regularly, with no player playing as an out-and-out striker. All three are great on the ball, can dribble at speed and have good passing and shooting ability so will keep the defence on the back foot. Our two wing backs will push forward down the flanks to keep Newcastle’s line up stretched and our two creative centre mids will also push forward to keep Newcastle’s midfield occupied and to dictate play - both have great passing ability and are difficult players to close down due to their close control so they will be able to perform under heavy pressure from the opposition.

While Newcastle have a great defensive partnership, and are very good in the air, Belotti is a master of finding space in the box and, so, we want to drill low balls in to the box that will be harder for Newcastle to head away, and are more likely to reach Belotti’s outstretched leg.

This leaves us with our three centre backs in reserve in case of a quick break by Newcastle, Marquinhos will look to man mark the striker, with his impressive ability in one-on-one defending vital to preventing Suarez from getting the space he requires. While Mammana and Diop will take it in turns to either drop deep to cover or keep a close eye on the Newcastle advanced playmaker.

It is absolutely vital that we play at pace when on the ball so that Newcastle cannot settle in to a deep defensive formation that then becomes difficult to break down - if Newcastle look to come out and close us down with a high defensive line, this will play directly into the strengths of our overload tactics and we anticipate that we will carve out a number of chances.


Substitutions:

70 minutes: Dendoncker for Paredes - Dendoncker’s positioning and physical prowess, coupled with his eye for a pass, will help us to hold our own against a strong Newcastle defence.

75 minutes: Kovacic for Milinkovic-Savic - Kovacic is a tenacious midfielder who isn’t afraid to get stuck in to a challenge. More importantly, though, he is a key creative midfielder and his passes from midfield could be the key to unlocking Newcastle’s defence.

80 minutes: Jankto for Anderson - Jankto will join the midfield, with Coutinho pushing forward to support Belotti in attacks, or slipping in to the right side of midfield when defending.

------------------------Leno--------------------
--Juanfran---Smalling---Sokratis---Hector--
----------------Danilo------Dembele-------------
---Candreva-------Eriksen------------Son---
-----------------------Morata-------------------
Subs: Mussachio, Glik, Can, Milner, Castro, Schurrle, Giroud.

As we are already down, we are looking to play for pride now and finish on as many points as we can and we will look to make it difficult for Wolves.

Defensive: We set up with a rigid 4 in midfield and Danilo and Dembele look to set up just in front and look to recycle and retain possession for as long as they can to take the pressure off and to start attacks with energy in midfield. We will look to keep our wingers pushed up the pitch for breaks as well as to try and pin their full backs into a deeper area if we can to thwart their attacking threat. Eriksen presses the deepest man in midfield as well as tracking deep runners and Morata looks to peel away quickly for counter attacks. The transition period is important to ensure that both attacking and defensively we are both sound and we do the running to recover our shapes.

Attacking: We want to keep hold of the ball well and really stretch the game with our full back and wingers. Our wingers want to occupy the 2 full backs that will invert as inside for Wolves but we want our full backs to really press on and open up the game by bringing their wide men back and out wide so we can open up the game in the middle of the park for Eriksen and Dembele to feed off and create. Our wingers will look to run in behind the full backs when they can and Morata looks to work in front of that 3 at the back to ensure that he can link moves and keep them working so that we can get in behind them quickly. Attacking crosses is crucial here as well.

Subs:

Schurrle > Son, 75 mins
Giroud > Morata, 80 mins
Castro > Danilo, 85 mins

------------------------- Heaton ------------------------
Bellerin ------ Caldara ------ Manolas ------ D.Rose
------------------------- Fabinho ------------------------
----------------- Arturo -------- Pogba -----------------
Sanchez ---------------------------------------- Neymar
------------------------- Aguero -------------------------

Lafont, Lahm, Rugani, Kessie, Sterling, Mbappe, Dybala

Another big game today against a fired up Wolves team looking to upset the odds, no doubt we are big favourites but we have to prove it, same team talk, we have to get right in there faces, don't give them the time to play it about, press them high and force them back. We still play our quick one touch free flowing football tho.

In goal Heaton a really good shot stopper and a keeper that instills confidence in the back four, shouting instructions to his defenders. Out very quickly to shut down strikers and close there shooting angles down. Punches clear what he cant catch from high balls and likes to release early to set up quick counters.

Caldara in to repace the injured Bonucci and will go in beside Manolas, on this occassion Manolas will man mark the CF. Manolas is a very cultured defender who is quick and skillfull for a CB, with great marking abilities, powerfully built so marking the CF should be no trouble as he has to man up to him, will keep him away from goal and be on to him quickly as he comes forward so he can intercept any though he has of going for goal. When in possession he will carry the ball out and start attacks from the back. Caldara is of similar mould of Bonucci he alongside Manolas is fantastic in the air, so will mark any other players that come into our danger area, strong in the air and strong in the tackle and make sure he is strong enough to get the ball away from danger. A clever player who can intercept attacks very quickly before they begin and he does this with great effect and simply takes the ball away from attackers. He too can carry the ball out from defence but we must be careful and only do this when it is possible. His passing is good and he at times just plays the simple ball, however his range is fantastic and can quite easily ping a 50 yards pass forward for the front line to chase or take down. Both go up for corners and are a huge threat.

Bellerin and Rose in at fullback, we must keep the wingers/wingbacks quiet, stop them and we stop a lot of there attacks. Both are perfect for this, They will look to keep them away from shooting areas where is dangerous in any position. This is a vital clash in this game. They will be up against quality wingers so look to force him away from goal and backwards. I want them to attack when in no danger (one at a time, dont be left exposed)so time these runs perfectly. One sits back a bit and allowing the other to attack, this is keeping a 3 at the back at all times. Their marking abilities are sound, both have good positional sense and very quick, do not make rash desicions and will stay on their feet. When one goes the other stays as they look to make an extra man down the flank for our wingers to cut inside or play neat one twos to free the wingers up as there fullbacks get dragged out of position. As they make the runs the wingers will be pushing inside to help out Aguero.


Fabinho drops in behind both Vidal and Pogba he is there to stop the main AM getting the ball from midfield to the striker and taking him completely out of the game, he must be right on top of him looking to close him down at the quickest opportunity, let him dictate play and there striker will get plenty chances, we must not let this happen. So quick and into him, fairly and stop this! Fabinho himself will look to dictate from deep as he picks up from the defence and looks to drive us forward with precision passing to the players in front of him.

Vidal v the second most advanced midfielder much the same, but obvs when we have the ball he is allowed to move forward and move into dangerous areas where he is best and force there players back, Vidal should have a bit of time to look around him for the pass as he looks to find his team mates with ease. Pass and move always look for the return pass. When they have then close down the CM, he will look to ping the ball about so get to him before that opportunity arises. We have put Pogba in beside Vidal in a role that pretty much puts him against there DM, he must be strong, he is an all round fantastic midfielder,, however he will look to take the DM on one v one drag him about open up spaces for others to drive into, with the ball at feet look to play quick one twos with those around him so he makes the runs into the box looking for that return ball that will get him in on goal. If the ball is played to him with his back to goal hold it up, draw the foul from the DM, if it doesnt come then look to lay it off, look to play the slide pass into Aguero, he must support Aguero as best he can and the two must link up very well, very quickly, Pogba is fantastic in front of goal. All three are good all round midfielders, But Fabinho i want to sit in the hole with the two either side when defending. I want our defence and midfield shutting down everything quickly, even if its high up the pitch I want us pressing them all the time, if they have time on the ball they can really hurt us, so we don't give them time on the ball to get it to their dangerous front three. If we can contain there AM and playmaker especially then their front three wont get many opportunities.

Neymar and Sanchez are known for their creativity, speed, and technical ability and are fearless, explosive attacking midfielders who can change the game with a turn of pace or a dribble. More importantly both scorers of wonderful and important goals. Both technically excellent in limited areas, fast explosive acceleration during the first ten yards. Which more often than not takes them passed defenders and allows them to get into dangerous areas. Always play with there heads up looking for the runs of others to get the ball into there feet. Sanchez I want to be a proper winger today and look to drive down the line and keep it to the outside making them come to him, which will leave holes in the centre of the pitch hopefully he will get the ball into. When they have the ball look to stick close to fullbacks/wingbacks and stop them coming forward., Sanchez must track the fullback when he has the ball and give Bellerin as much assistance as possible. Just track the fullbacks and use pace to get back and in around there faces to stop them becoming a threat. Always be looking for Pogba/Vidal inside as the four make an awesome attack in behind Aguero and a scary proposition for there back line.

Aguero will get plenty chances, he is bang in form, he must put away there side who will be solid at the back, however I want to target the slower of the two. Get into positions that he can go for goal or at very least drag players away for other players to drive into the space. Target the slower of the cbs, split them apart to create space, we are quick, so our forwards must hit them with pace to drag them all over the place. He can score from various angles/ranges..All of our front four/five will be a threat today we must go for it and keep pace with the league leaders. Can hold it up and look for runners, in particular Neymar and Sanchez, Pogba, Vidal will be making their runs also so be watchful of them just to lay it off to the side. But especially look for Pogba as he times his runs perfectly so a little touch back to him allows him to go for goal.

Captain - Manolas (if we win Lahm lifts the trophy)
Penalties - Neymar
Free kicks - Neymar
Corners - Wingers

Subs

Losing -
65 Mins - Sterling for Sanchez, Dybala for Pogba, we go 4231 with Dybala just off Aguero's shoulder, Sterling to push the fullback wide
80 Mins - Rugani for Rose, Rugani goes into a 3 man defence, Bellerin to RM, Sterling to LM and Neymar up top

Caldara-Manolas-Rugani
Bellerin-Arturo-Fabinho-Sterling
Dybala-Aguero-Neymar

If this goes to ET then Rugani will have to go to LB in a 4 man defence, Sterling RM, Neymar LM Dyabal No.10

Winning -
75 Mins - Dybala for Aguero straight swap
80 Mins - Kessie for Pogba, more defensive/aggressive and will close down any new CM
85 Mins - Sterling for Neymar, get on the ball take to corners

Drawing
70 Mins - Sterling for Sanchez, Dybala for Pogba and to No.10
80 Mins - Mbappe for Aguero

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ARSENAL @ Newcastle

Injuries:
Hamsik, Kownacki, Shaw, Hysaj

……………………………………Buffon…………………………..
……………Marquinhos……De Vrij….…Rugani……
……………………Matuidi……..Pellegrini………..
Candreva………………….Lallana…………………Papu Gomez
…………………Aubameyang…….Mandzukic…………………

Subs: Pickford, De Sciglio, Howedes, Neves, Mboula, Simeone, Deulofeu

Tough away game up in Newcastle, Tranq’s boys won the cup last season and have taken this year’s first bit of silverware so their confidence will be sky-high.
Injuries have hit us pretty hard so we go with a formation that is pretty damn risky, especially considering the pace of Salah and Mane out-wide – but we’re not gonna dwell on that, we want to pose Newcastle so problems of their own. Which is why we’re going with 5 attackers and 5 defenders.
We’re playing predominantly on the counter today, soak up the pressure and then hit some long diagonal raking balls bypass the midfield and get into their final third as quickly as possible using our numerical advantage for the overloads.

The Defence:
Buffon leads the team out and will be the calming influence at the back, short crisp throw-outs or the odd long punt to get the counters going. Marquinhos and Rugani are up there with best in the world in their age group, gonna be a tough game for them today, I want them shuffling wide as auxiliary full-backs – don’t dive in and show the winger the line. If you have to dive in make sure if you miss the ball you play the man. De Vrij is my more experienced CB and he’s the one to man-mark Suarez (or Kane) not going to be easy but he’s big and strong just has to stay close to him and get him on his touch – don’t worry about bringing him down. Just stop him.

The Midfield:
Matuidi and Pellegrini give me a solid if unadventurous foundation, but that’s what they’re there for. No need to venture forwards, just keep it simple and hold the line, don’t allow Newcastle to play through you – it’s not often a CM marks another CM BUT Matuidi is tasked with nullifying the presence of Radja as he’s the man to drive the barcodes on. Pellegrini will sit and watch Coutinho, every lil trick he plays just give him a kick.
The 3 AM’s:
Candreva and Papu Gomez are well-known hard workers and they’ll track back to half-way no deeper as we want them in a position to use their boost of speed to full-effect in the final third, we want them nice and up high (tracking the FB’s not the wingers) lets peg that Geordie defence back and isolate Newcastle’s speed merchants. Auba and Mandy are sizeable targets whether it’s the slide balls for Auba to run onto or the aerial bombardment of Mandzukic. Lallana is a classy player who always seems to find a touch and create something – with runners wide of him and 2 men infront of him, he should be able to have a bit of fun today, arriving late on the edge of the box for the odd pot-shot.

Auba & Mandy:
Auba brings the pace we were lacking last year and with us playing on the counter he’ll make our side a real threat I want him lining up against Koulibaly, turn the big unit and out-run him, PEA is a good finisher and the chances will come. Mandy is a solid target-man and we’ll play to his strengths let him enjoy the battle with Godin (be a better tussle than Mayweather McGregor atleast)

Subs:
65 mins
Mboula > Candreva – league debut for the youngster, like for like change
Deulofeu > Papu Gomez – like for like change
Neves > Pellegrini – Like for like change

First day of the season

Leicester vs Brum

Attacking 4-4-2

After being forced to sit through hours of love island, the beautiful tones of the Brummie accent ringing through their ears is the wake up call the players need to let them know the season has started. We go into the game looking to get the win, injuries have been kind and we look to take advantage. We go and look to score more than the opposition.

Key to our game plan today is attacking quickly, playing with width, stretching the game. Two hardworking wide players, Vitolo the natural right winger and Koke who will drift inside more and allow Marcelo to bomb past him. We want our wide players to double up on the opposition, in attack and defence.

Up top Hazard will play off Ronaldo. Let the big man look for glory in the box, while he looks for pockets of space in the final third where he can get on the ball. We want him involved as much as possible so are giving him a free role. Looking to get wide and deep to link up with the midfeild.

In our cm pairing we have everything we need, Kante the more defensive, Thiago the more attacking. Both are great contributing defensively, Thiago is one of the best in Europe at intercepting the opposition play and that's what we want from him today, stopping the opposition attacks before they get anywhere.

We go 4 at the back, Musacchio will be our sweeper type. Good balance. 4 players who can play out from the back. With pace at the back, and in attack, we want the defence to push up, help us take the game to the opposition.

------------------ Neuer
Vrsaljko - Ramos – Musacchio - Marcelo
Vitolo ---- Thiago --- Kante ---- Koke
----------- Ronaldo -- Hazard

Subs. Pereira, Otamendi, Bakayoko, Asensio, Mkhitaryan, D.Costa, D.Costa

Key to our attack is quick attacking play. Varying our play and how we get the ball to our wingers/Ronaldo quickly. If they leave two players up top, only one fb bombs forward at a time. If they leave one up top, both bomb forward. Kante sitting in front of the defence to sweep up.

Defensive

We will be wary of the counter when we lose the ball. We drop into two lines of four, Ronaldo or Hazard look to close down the ball as soon as we lose it allowing the other players to get into shape.

In this 4-4-1-1 formation, when the opposition go wide, the winger opposite to play comes narrow, giving us 3 central players and one wide player. Hazard looking to simply sit on their dm, take the option away.

Of the 2 cms, Thiago seeks to play diagonally ahead of Kante, pressing the ball, Kante always goal side of Thiago. Slightly deeper pressing the space in a position to sweep in and clean up. The free wide man can then come inside to help close the ball.

Attack.

We will be quite direct with our attacking play.
Get the ball to our wingers, and fbs get them doubling up on their fbs. Get Ronaldo in the box and get balls in the box for him.

By playing with width, we hope to create space for Hazard. Stretch the opposition, so Hazard can find space and we can get the ball to him.

In possession, the defence push up playing a reasonably high line as all are comfortable in possession and have great pace. The cms seeking to collect the ball from the defence, and give them an option. Spreading play, and setting the tempo of the game.

We are happy for our defenders to switch play up and go long at times.

We want quick one twos in the opposition half. We have great pace up top, so we want to get them in behind if we can. If not we are happy for our players to take them on, and force the opposition back.

Ronaldo has freedom to play his natural game and get the goals.

Captain: Ramos

Subs.
If winning after 65 mins bring on Diego Costa for Ronaldo. Give their defence something totally different to deal with.
If winning after 72 mins bring on Bakayoko and Asensio for Hazard and Koke. 4-3-3. Give us power and fresh pace. Asensio goes left.

If drawing after 70 mins bring on Diego Costa for Koke. Hazard goes left. Gung ho.
If drawing after 75 mins bring on Douglas Costa for Vitolo.
If drawing after 82 mins bring on Asensio for Thiago. Attack attack attack.

If losing after 55 mins bring on Douglas Costa for Vitolo. Go 4-3-3. Koke goes central with Thiago, Kante. Hazard left.
If losing after 65 mins bring on Diego Costa for Koke. 4-2-4.
If losing after 80 mins bring on Asensio for Vrsaljko 3-3-4.

ASTON VILLA 4-3-3

Captain: Arjen Robben
Penalties: Arjen Robben
Corners: Luka Modric
Freekicks: Arjen Robben
Crossing Freekick: Luka Modric

—————————— Oblak
Toure — Alderweireld — Boateng — Luis
————————— N'zonzi
—————— Modric — Marchisio
Robben————————————————— Pedro
——————————— Benzema

SUBS: Chesney, Rudiger, Strootman, Fabregas, David Silva, Kovacic, Cavani


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

Today we will start with Marchisio in midfield to keep the ball rolling. Fabregas will be coming on later to unlock their defence as their legs tire.

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

Offensive & Defensive Transitions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Substitutions:

If winning after 80 mins bring on Strootman for N'zonzi. More physical presence in midfield, and gives greater defensive cover.

If drawing or losing after 65 mins bring on Fabregas for N'zonzi. Fresh creativity and legs. Marchisio will drop back to DM to control the game while Fabregas and Modric will push up into the 10 role from behind Benzema.

If drawing or losing after 75 mins bring on Cavani for Modric. Fabregas drops back into centre mid. Cavani with more goal threat, plays up front with Benzema.

------------------------- De Gea ---------------------------
Carvajal ---- L.Bonucci ---- Romagnoli ---- A.Sandro
----------------- Khedira ----- Busquets -----------------
--- Griezer -------------- Alli --------------- Neymar ---
------------------------- Aguero ---------------------------

Heaton, Danilo, Benatia, Henrichs, Sterling, Mbappe, Berardi

A new season, and a few new faces come in to improve the Champs so everyone will be gunning for us, one of those teams is Villa, who we need to go and show who is boss from the start.

In goal De Gea a fantastic shot stopper and a keeper that instills confidence in the back four, shouting instructions to his defenders. Out very quickly to shut down strikers and close there shooting angles down. Punches clear what he cant catch from high balls and likes to release early to set up quick counters.

Bonucci in beside Romagnoli, on this occassion Romag will man mark the CF. Romag is a very cultured defender who is quick and skillfull for a CB, with great marking abilities, powerfully built so marking the CF should be no trouble as he has to man up to him, will keep him away from goal and be on to him quickly as he comes forward so he can intercept any though he has of going for goal. When in possession he will carry the ball out and start attacks from the back. Bonucci alongside is fantastic in the air, so will mark any other players that come into our danger area, strong in the air and strong in the tackle and make sure he is strong enough to get the ball away from danger. A clever player who can intercept attacks very quickly before they begin and he does this with great effect and simply takes the ball away from attackers. He too can carry the ball out from defence but we must be careful and only do this when it is possible. His passing is too top class as he at times plays the simple ball, however his range is fantastic and can quite easily ping a 50 yards pass forward for the front line to chase or take down. Both go up for corners and are a huge threat.

New fullbacks Carvajal and Sandro, we must keep the wingers quiet, stop them and we stop a lot of there attacks. Both are perfect for this, They will look to keep them away from shooting areas where is dangerous in any position. This is a vital clash in this game. They will be up against quality wingers so look to force him away from goal and backwards. I want them to attack when in no danger (one at a time, dont be left exposed)so time these runs perfectly. One sits back a bit and allowing the other to attack, this is keeping a 3 at the back at all times. Their marking abilities are sound, both have good positional sense and very quick, do not make rash desicions and will stay on their feet. When one goes the other stays as they look to make an extra man down the flank for our wingers to cut inside or play neat one twos to free the wingers up as there fullbacks get dragged out of position.

We have a very industrious pairing in the middle, Busquets to stop the AM getting the ball from midfield to the striker, he must be right on top of him looking to close him down at the quickest opportunity, let him dictate play and there striker will get plenty chances, we must not let this happen. So quick and into him, fairly and stop this! Busquets himself will look to dictate from deep as he picks up from the defence and looks to drive us forward with precision passing. Khedira comes in for Kante and he will go v the second most advanced midfielder or anyone else that is around that area. Even tho Busquets has the man marking role Khedira covers much of the pitch, hassling and harassing anyone who has the ball, he doesn't give any one time on the ball as he moves side to side and forwards and back, this style pressurizes the opposition to pass erractically. Our deep lying pair will look to pass and move always look for the return pass. When we have the ball Khedira in particular will get us moving forward from the centre as he pushes up to bring our forwards into the game. When they have then close down the CM, he will look to ping the ball about so get to him before that opportunity arises. We have put Dele Alli in a No.10 role against there DM he must be strong, he is an all round fantastic midfielder,, however he will look to take the DM on one v one drag him about open up spaces for others to drive into, with the ball at feet look to play quick one twos with those around him so he makes the runs into the box looking for that return ball that will get him in on goal. If the ball is played to him with his back to goal hold it up, draw the foul from the DM, if it doesnt come then look to lay it off, look to play the slide pass into Aguero, he must support Aguero as best he can and the two must link up very well, very quickly, Alli is fantastic in front of goal, I think his record speaks for itself. All three are good all round midfielders, But Busquets i want to sit in the hole with the two either side when defending. I want our defence and midfield shutting down everything quickly, even if its high up the pitch, we don't give them time on the ball to get it to their dangerous front three.

Neymar and Griezmann are known for their creativity, speed, and technical ability and are fearless, explosive attacking midfielders who can change the game with a turn of pace or a dribble. More importantly both scorers of wonderful and important goals. Both technically excellent in limited areas, fast explosive acceleration during the first ten yards. Which more often than not takes them passed defenders and allows them to get into dangerous areas. Always play with there heads up looking for the runs of others to get the ball into there feet. Griezmann will look to drive down the line and keep it to the outside making them come to him, which will leave holes in the centre of the pitch hopefully he will get the ball into. When they have the ball look to stick close to fullbacks/wingbacks and stop them coming forward especially there fullbacks, Griezmann must track him when he has the ball. Just track the fullbacks and use pace to get back and in around there faces to stop them becoming a threat. Always be looking for Alli inside as the four make an awesome quartet in behind Aguero and a scary proposition for there slowish back line.

Aguero will get plenty chances, hat trick last week so bang in form, he must put away there side who will be solid at the back, however I want to target the slower of the two. Get into positions that he can go for goal or at very least drag players away for other players to drive into the space. Target the slower of the cbs, split them apart to create space, we are quick, so our forwards must hit them with pace to drag them all over the place. He can score from various angles/ranges..All of our front four/five will be a threat today we must go for it and keep pace with the league leaders. Can hold it up and look for runners, in particular Neymar and Griezmann, Alli will be making his runs also so be watchful of him just to lay it off to the side. But especially look for Alli as he times his runs perfectly so a little touch back to him allows him to go for goal.

Captain - Bonucci
Penalties - Neymar
Free kicks - Neymar
Corners - Wingers

Subs

Losing -
70 Mins - Sterling for Alli, he will got to RW and Griezmann will go to No.10
80 Mins - Mbappe for Aguero and we go 442 with Griezmann up front with Mbappe
85 Mins - Berardi for Sandro he goes up top 343

Winning -
75 Mins - Henrichs for Alli he will go into a CM role which he capable of and sit to the right of Busquets
85 Mins - Danilo for Neymar sit at LM and track back

Drawing -
70 Mins - Sterling for Alli, Griezmann to No.10, Sterling RM, Mbappe for Aguero

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS v Portsmouth

Injuries: Immobile, Matic, Cahill, Fekir

------------------ Ter Stegen
Cancelo - Mustafi - Pepe - Hector
---------- A.Herrera - Jorginho
Lucas M ------- Mata -------- HM Son
-------------------- Higuain

Subs: Rulli, Mathieu, Trippier, Dendoncker, Amiri, Gaitan, Rooney

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

A very tough game today, but we can get at this Portsmouth side who are definitely vulnerable defensively, so I feel we can target them down the middle and create chances for Higuain to finish.

Playing a positive 4-2-3-1, Ter Stegen in goal, Cancelo, Mustafi, Pepe and Hector in defence, Herrera and Jorginho in midfield, Lucas Moura, Mata and Heung-Min Son behind Higuain upfront.

This game is about controlling the tempo and giving us the best chance of getting three points today. Portsmouth have some world class players in their side although we have some class players of our own to hurt them and cause them real problems. Our front four with assistance from the fullbacks should create plenty of chances, and in midfield we have a duo who can dictate the game in Herrera and Jorginho, with Mata ahead of them, we can control the possession and the flow of the game. Lucas Moura at RW and Heung-Min Son at LW both able to use their pace and get at the Portsmouth defence with Cancelo and Hector overlapping. Higuain upfront to give us a physical presence and somebody who is able to hold up possession as well as create chances for himself and his teammates.

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

Mustafi/Pepe - Pepe to mark their striker, force him high up the pitch thus limiting his impact close to goal, and Mustafi to be the spare man, be first to the second ball and their second striker/AM making runs from midfield. If they play two strikers pick up a man each and leave Jorginho to deal with the AM. When in possession bring the ball out of defence and use the midfielders ahead of you to help us play out from the back. Both of you go forward for setpieces.

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

Herrera/Jorginho - Herrera playing the box to box role, assist Jorginho in dealing with the Portsmouth attack when we don't have the ball, if they play an AM Jorginho stay on him, but don't follow if he drifts wide. Be first to any loose balls, in possession Jorginho to look for the attackers and pass rather than bring the ball out, Herrera to burst forward to join the front four on occasion and bring the ball to create space for others.

Lucas Moura/Heung-Min Son - Both playing out wide and both have the pace and trickery to beat the Portsmouth fullbacks and get crosses in, but both of you will also have our fullback overlapping giving you the chance to cut inside and get shots in. Look to supply Higuain with chances and also provide yourselves with chances. Link up with Herrera/Jorginho/Mata, and capitalise on the space Higuain's presence will create for you. Without the ball I expect you two to track back and assist your fullback.

Mata - Mata to burst forward to join the front three as our AM, look to receive the ball and run at the Portsmouth defence, bring the ball to create space for others and look for the runs of Lucas/Son/Higuain. Shoot if you get into position, also force the Portsmouth defenders to foul you when you're attacking as setpieces could be our best chance to score today. Link with Higuain regularly. Able to drop into midfield with Herrera/Jorginho when under pressure and make a 4-5-1. Get behind Higuain on occasion.

Higuain - you will be expected to occupy the Portsmouth centrebacks, hold up possession and look to turn the defender and shoot. Be strong in the air and look for your teammates trying to pick you out from deep. Shoot on sight. Stay on the last defender's shoulder for any passes in behind. Look to interchange with Lucas/Son/Mata on occasion.

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

Subs 70 mins:
If winning: Mata off, Dendoncker on. Switch to a flat 4-5-1 with Dendoncker alongside Herrera and Jorginho in midfield. Lucas and Son wider and look to punish Portsmouth on the break.

If drawing: Lucas and Mata off, Gaitan and Rooney on. Same formation but with Son at RW, Gaitan at LW and Rooney at AM/SS behind Higuain. Change of ideas to force the winner.

If losing: Pepe and Herrera off, Gaitan and Rooney on. Change to a 3-1-4-2, back three of Cancelo - Mustafi - Hector, Jorginho the playmaker, Lucas - Rooney - Mata - Gaitan behind a front two of Higuain and Son. Push for goals.

ARSENAL WEEK 2 (VS VILLA) 4-2-4

Injuries: Allan, Deulofeu, Lookman, Pellegrini


……………………………….Buffon……………………
Hysaj…………Marquinhos…..Rugani……..Shaw
…………………….Hamsik………Matuidi………………
Candreva……………………………………………..Lallana
………………………Auba…………Mandzukic……………….
Subs: Pickford, Blind, Howedes, Neves, Barbosa, Papu Gomez, Simeone

Our tough opener to the season continues with a home game against top-four chasing Aston Villa, Ludy is the Hipsters hipster so if past performance is an indicator he’ll continue his Jurgen Klopp inspired 4-3-3 gengenpress love-in. leave him too it
Last time out he went with a trident of N’zonzi/Modric/Marchisio who don’t strike me a s the best pressing trident out-there and with Cesc as the alternative it’s a slow midfield for us to circumnavigate.

We will lose the midfield match-up by going with a 2 in this “old fashioned” set-up but we don’t care, we’re not playing through the middle. We’re dissecting his system and turning them on their heads. Matuidi is our midfield destroyer and he’ll go about his business as usual, Hamsik is key to our plan today – as the expected heavy press comes from the Villa midfield, Hamsik will dink the ball over their heads t our front-four…simple as feck but brutally effective. Rinse and repeat until they learn their lesson.


Defence:

Nice and youthful defence this, Hysaj and Shaw will be given the freedom to push up nice and high giving us additional over-loads on the counter. Both have the required pace to get back…..Don’t dive in as we all know that Robben and Pedro need little excuse to hit the deck – if you are gonna go in strong make sure you hit Arjen man of glass properly. Villa will likely go one up-top so Marquinhos will be the man-marker and Rugani will be the sweeper/second knock defender.

The Front Four:

Candreva and Lallana will stay as far up as possible, Candreva the more old fashioned wide-man will tow the line and really peg Luis back, if Luis goes then let him, it won’t hurt I want him high up the pitch to collect Hamsik’s hail mary passes. Lallana on the other flank isn’t a natural winger but he’s a really clever player and warrants the shirt, will start off out-wide but as Shaw makes the run he’ll have the freedom to come inside and do his thing.
Auba has proven in Germany he’s more than just a pace abuser – he has a good touch and certainly carries a goal threat, he’ll play off the shoulder of his marker looking to use his pace to take him away from his man. Mandy is our muscle up-top will position himself infront of both of Villa’s CB’s and look for the pull downs and flick-ons – an underrated player in my opinion but the type of striker all sides could do with.

In summary:
4-2-4…..fast paced direct wing play, draw Villa’s midfielders on to Hamsik and then by-pass them with a ball over top to our front-four.

Subs:
60 mins – Howedes > Rugani, like for like, use his experience to see the game out.
70 mins – Barbosa > Lallana. Gabigol gets a run out against tiring legs.
75 mins – Papu Gomez > Mandzukic – More pace up-top njected into the side. Totally different players but after the physical battering Mandy brings for 75 mins, the pure pace of Papu will sting

--------------------Forster--------------------
Sidibe----Kompany----van Dijk----D.Rose
--------------------Morgan--------------------
------------Dembele----Verratti------------
C.Lewin-------------------------------L.Sane
--------------------Lukaku--------------------

Butland, Keane, Tolisso, Barkley, Roberts, Politano, Belotti

We have kept the powerful trio of Forster, Kompany and van Dijk together, for me this is very important to our team, to have a solid defence like we have done in the past you have to keep it strong in the middle, these three experienced players give us a solid foundation to build on. Forster remains vigilant at all times, with his huge frame he is a tough obstacle to get through, quick on his feet for a big man and a very good shot stopper. Built a very good relationship with his two centre backs so knows when to come off his line and when not too. van Dijk being the more mobile of my two centre backs will man mark the centre forward, A calm uncompromising defender, Van Dijk’s a man of considerable size & strength, Virgil commands aerial duels. One of his biggest strengths is his ability to win aerial duels defensively & provides an aerial threat going forwards too, his marking abilities are top notch also. When he has the ball he is very comfortable bringing the ball out to start from the back. Kompany beside him is robust and no nonsense, he will take care of any other business, powerful in the air and an outstanding reader of the game. Also a huge threat at set pieces so both he and VVD go up for corners leaving our fullbacks and Morgan back. We have attacking fullbacks who will bomb up and down the pitch to support the forwards, both Sidibe and Rose are quick and skilful for defenders so are a huge plus for us going forward, however we will be under the cosh at times so they must be robust and keep the wingers at bay and think about the runs they are making.

Morgan Schneiderlin offers the defence protection, he has a simple role, he will look to boss the deep midfield area and stop the attacking midfielders or indeed a No.10 or second striker. He will look to patrol that area from side to side, doesn't have to exert himself, just be clever and look to fill th spaces the opposition player will look to accommodate. Dembele and Verratti will be just ahead of him either side, I feel this is a powerful midfield with plenty of energy to move around the pitch. I am looking for these two to drive us forward into opposition areas of danger, Verratti is the pass master whilst Dembele is the powerhouse who will push forward, both good defensively so will create, with Morgan a very tight knit midfield. They will look to supply Lukaku with as many balls as they can, with Dembele pushing forward to support him. Also, with quick wingers making themselves available we will hope to push them backwards, instead of them coming at us.

Calvert-Lewin and Sane are dangerous and will be a threat, Sané provides fast and direct wing play. His ability to use his physical strength and superb technique when running with the ball at pace allows him to swiftly stretch the opposition defence, often with devastating results. So along with Lukaku these two will look to form a fantastic relationship as we will need them on the best form for the majority of the season. Lewin is uncompromising, he is tall and strong and likes to try and beat his markers with this. He also likes to drift in unnoticed at the back for crosses coming in from the other side as he and Lukaku look to beat the defenders to the ball. I want Sane and Lewin to shuffle back into a midfield five when we don't have possession.

Lukaku is powerful, strong, brilliant in the air and immensely talented. He scores goals; lots of them, and in all sorts of ways. Having the likes of Verratti and Sane supplying for him I cant see him not scoring, he can beat defenders for pace, he can bully them, he will also have to be clever against defenders as he makes his runs trying to lose them.

Captain this season is again Virgil van Dijk
Penalties will be taken by Lukaku
Corners will be Sane
and Free Kicks will be Verratti

Substitutes

If we are winning on 70 minutes Tolisso will go on for Dembele in a straight swap looking to add freshness to the team and on 80 minutes Belotti on for Lukaku

If we are losing then Belotti will come on for Dembele and we will play 4-4-2 on 75 minutes with Roberts coming on for Lewin and Tolisso for Morgan

If we are drawing on 70 minutes Tolisso for Dembele, Roberts for Lewin and Belotti for Lukaku

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

------------------------ Ederson
---------- Varane ------ J.Tah ----- Laporte
Juanfran ------ A.Vidal --- Eriksen -------- Ghoulam
----------- De Bruyne ---------- A.Sanchez
--------------------- Lewandowski

Handanovic, Bellerin, Mendy, Rabiot, Gundogan, Martial, Werner

First game of the season and it's essential we make a good start, few changes made so a fresh side looking to hit the opposition hard.

3-4-3, Possession based.
A solid structure defensively allowing our attackers to play with freedom. We want fast attacking moves and intricate play looking to make the opposition chase the ball and looking to feed our attackers in the final third as much as possible.

The three at the back very quick on their feet and comfortable in possession with high passing success rates, ensure we can build from the back and work the ball into midfield as quick as possible. When we on the offense shifting slightly wider allowing our wing-backs to get forward, Varane is tasked with bringing out the ball from the back or collecting short from Ederson when possible.

Vidal and Eriksen will provide the base in midfield. Two who are very good at picking a pass but more importantly can give us that energy and workhorse like dimension in midfield. On average per game last season Eriksen covered the most distance in the premier league so expect him to pop up everywhere, buzzing about working collectively with Vidal to press vigorously in the middle of the park.

Our attackers give us a real edge this season. A bit of everything between the three and will be a nightmare for the oppositions defenders. Sanchez and De Bruyne have the freedom to roam, pick their passes and run with the ball at their feet, De Bruyne at times coming back to play slightly deeper as ‘feeder’ allowing Sanchez to partner Lewandowski as a duo in attack, plenty of creativity in the side so quick movement is key.

We opt for experienced wing-backs, first and foremost defensive duties priority today as we expect Wolves to try and get their wingers into the game, when one goes forward to attack the other stays back, stay focused and limit any opportunities for the opposition to counter on the break.

When Wolves are in possession we will look to get 10 men the ball and look to press. Don’t allow them to play out from the back and hurry their passes. Our attackers form a trio looking to cut avenues into midfield as one goes to press the ball, force them into tight spots with their backs to goal towards the touchline.

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

Sanchez and De Bruyne go to support our wing-backs, preventing overloads on the flanks or from them cutting inside. Keep them wide with little space to deliver a cross.

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

If we manage to win the ball we must immediately look to counter and hit the opposition hard. Ghoulam can come up to support the play and provide the width with Eriksen and De Bruyne looking to get Sanchez and Lewandowsk free and in space.

Attacking wise we will look to play out from the back and control the tempo of the game. Zipping the ball about, creating space for one another and using overloads on the flanks.

Vidal and Eriksen can sit and run the game, looking use their creativity. Allow one of our wing-backs to come up and support the play and look to find Sanchez and De Bruyne in the ‘hole’ between their midfield and attack to allow them to dictate the play.

Lewandowski play his natural game, occupy the CB’s and make himself an outlet. He doesn’t need many chances to score so always on his toes and look to score when he gets the chance.

Always keep numbers back in case of an opposition counter, right balance between defence and attack.

Subs:

If winning: (60th minute – (3-4-3)
Gundogan > Eriksen
Werner > Sanchez
Gundogan look to sit deep and support Vidal, Werner use his movement to get in behind and create space for others looking to get at their tiring defence.

If draw: (70th minute – 4-3-3 wide)
Bellerin > Juanfran
Gundogan > Tah
Martial > De Bruyne
Get some more pace on and look to attack the flanks, quick build up play and lots of movement off the ball

If losing: (80th minute - 4-4-2)
Werner > Tah
Rabiot > De Bruyne
Bellerin > Juanfran
4-4-2. direct. Lewa and Werner up front, attack and look to get the ball into the box as much as possible.

C - Lewandowski
FK’s – Sanchez
Corners – KdB
Pens - Lewandowski

-----------------------Lloris
Clyne-----Hummels-----Godin-----Bertrand
--------------------Casemiro
--------------Pjanic----------Radja
Salah-----------------------------------Coutinho
----------------------Suarez
Subs
Hart, Koulibaly, Florenzi, Henderson, Di Maria, Firmino, Kane


Lloris is a commanding presence at the back, when he calls for a ball, the defence know he will take control of the situation, he and the defence have complete confidence in each other and stops those little split second doubts which could lead to a chance being conceded When he has the ball he will look to offload quickly in the direction of the front 5 to get those quick counters started.


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




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

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


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


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



When Suarez is attacking, he will look to constantly drift around the defenders looking to get himself a bit of space enough for him to get the ball and pass it along to another attacker or face up the defenders and take them on. When running onto a ball, He will also be looking to use his reactions to get ahead of the defender and then use his strength to cut in front of the defender, causing them to either stop their forward momentum completely, or make the foul, his unpredictable style when on the ball will look to cause a bit of doubt in the minds of the defenders as he has a knack of bouncing it off peoples shins and it landing in a perfect position for himself to create a chance for himself or others. He also has a knack of being the first to react to get onto rebounds or parries and taking those one touch chances.
When defending, he will be working with the wingers to cut off the passing lines for their CB's, forcing them or the keeper to launch it long, then using his tireless energy reserves to work back and press their centre mids.



Set Pieces


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





Free Kicks - Suarez takes Direct FK's



For Indirect FK's, same instructions as Corners





Penalties - Suarez is the designated taker.

Subs



If Winning


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




81 + 85 Mins - Florenzi for Pjanic and Di Maria for Salah - Actively time waste and really frustrate the opposition.



If Drawing
70 Mins - Firmino for Radja - Bring Coutinho infield and add a bit more urgency into attacks, show the opposition we are going for the win.

If Losing



67 Mins - Koulibaly, Kane and Di Maria for Bertrand, Casemiro and Clyne - switch to a 3-5-2 with emphasis on the wings backs acting as wingers and just pile forward in numbers.

STOKE CITY vs Tottenham Hotspur

Line Up:

Rico
Passlack Elvedi Gnagnon Jorge
Cyprien Diawara Soler
Gelson Rashford Lemar

Substitutes: Dragowski; Mere; Chilwell; Lopez; Coman; Jankto; Boschilia

Captain: Rico
Penalties: Rashford
Corners: Lemar
Free Kicks: Lemar

Game Plan:

The key to our defensive structure will be the organised press, designed to suffocate the opposition's build up play and starve service to the forward line. We will try to recover possession immediately by applying pressure to the opponent in question high up the pitch. This pressure is ball-oriented, meaning our players shift their position relative to the location of the ball. This entails pressuring the ball-player, as well as cutting off his immediate passing options and any other potential passing lanes. Rather than focusing on the movement of individual players, we concentrate on the ball-player and his options.

If they are in a more established stage of the defensive phase, however, we will take up a slightly less assertive stance. The wingers fan out so the defensive shape is more of a 4-5-1, and individual players then take it in turns to join Rashford in pressuring the opposition. If the ball is on the left inside channel, Soler will step out of the midfield line to apply pressure. This is most often used against sides with strong build-up play. However, even here, the focus continues to remain on the collective defensive positioning while using the ball as a trigger for any changes in shape.

The defence must move to where the ball is, not the position of the opponents. Balance is also fundamental, as if one full-back goes on the attack, the other one has to stay close to the centre-backs.

In order to avoid space opening up between the lines, this ball-oriented movement is something that must be carried out by the entire team, rather than just the attackers and midfielders. In this vein, we will play with a high defensive line which is integral to them in supporting this particular aspect of the team’s play.

When the opposition have the ball on one wing, the ball-near full-back will move up, while the other one will form a fairly compact three-man, one-line cover with the centre-backs. This move is done to scrutinise the opponent’s ball-player while maintaining good zonal coverage for passes or movements infield.

Our back four hold a high defensive line, often on or around the halfway line, depending on who has the ball and where the ball is within the opposition’s half. The primary reason for this positioning is to support the team’s high pressing scheme. Were the defensive line to play slightly deeper, this would leave a sizeable gap to the midfield line. This vertically incompact setup would then offer space between the lines for the opposition to exploit.

In holding a high line, the defence is able to support the high press of the attacking players, ensuring more comprehensive coverage. Should the opponent look to bypass the initial press with a ball over the top into midfield, our defensive line is in position to recover the loose ball or compress space for the opposition ball receiver, making the opponent’s possession less stable. Gnagnon, in particular, will play an important role in this set up by being the physical centre back tasked with fighting the opposition centre forward, allowing Elvedi room to sweep in behind, with the fullbacks and the keeper in cover.


Early build-up play is integral to our possession game. Instead of giving the ball to the deep-lying midfielder to then progress it immediately forward, the ball often circulates, with play often moving back to the central defensive and fullbacks. This circulation is done deliberately in an attempt to destabilise the opposition by undercutting their defensive shape and creating opportunities to move the ball into more dangerous areas or situations by drawing the opposition out of their defence.

Triangles are prominent within the team. Every player on the pitch is comfortable on the ball, this allows us to adopt a quick passing sequence that often results in a chance being created. As soon as the ball crosses over into the opposition's half, the movement of the midfield three and the attacking trio changes as the striker and the left winger will often come short to link up with the midfielders.

The intent here is to create an overload scenario when we move forwards with the ball. Rather than dropping into the defence like many DMs do in this formation, Diawara is integral to the team's passing ability in the middle and final thirds of the pitch. This, emboldened by the advancement of the full backs into wide midfield positions gives us strength in numbers to play the ball around the opposition's formation. The opposition is then left with two choices: they can either press and leave themselves open to quick movement and passes that dissect their midfield and defence, or they can sit back and refuse to press the line, allowing our centre backs to carry the ball further forward and for us to dictate play and look for openings at our own leisure.

The ball control and passing ability of our midfield is matched only by their intensity and work rate. Cyprien, in particular, will be key to our attacking build up as his dribbling skills and propensity to drive forward with the ball will create space for Solar and Diawara to dictate the tempo. Cyprien's runs on the right hand side will also free Gelson Martins to get in behind the defence - accompanied by Passlack's passing ability on the right flank - and will also facilitate in Tottenham's shifting to our right, which will give Lemar space to get into creative positions and unlock their defence.

Our MO during the game is to move constantly. More importantly, we will, also, often operate in the space between the lines. This set-up will allow us to take advantage of the blindside of our opponent’s players. The opponents will always face our player’s movements and have to make decisions on whether to defend/chase/tackle a player or not at a frequency more than they used to. The end result is that the opponent often loses the defensive shape they prefer.


Substitutions:

65 minutes: Jankto for Soler - Like Cyprien, Jankto is young and industrious and his high work rate, as well as technical ability, injected late in the game will be a difficulty for the opposition midfield to handle.

70 minutes: Coman for Gelson Martins - Almost like for like, Coman comes on as a supremely fast wing forward, whose attacking intentions will be a cause of concern.

80 minutes: Lopez for Cyprien - With these tactics, our midfield is likely to become winded later in the game, so Lopez will be introduced to play the same style that Cyprien had managed.

-----------------Cech
Corchia---Benatia----Luiz--Bernat
---------Krychowiak---Kondogbia
Walcott-----------Payet---------Iwobi
------------------ Paco

Subs: Gunn, Riedewald, Zouma, Ramsey, Nasri, Cazorla, Falcao

Subs:

Falcao for Paco - 65 mins
Ramsey for Kondogbia - 70 mins
Nasri for Walcoty - 80 mins

In today's game we are playing an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation. We want the win and we are gonna get it.

As team we will play super dooper quick. Daze the opposition. We need to be getting the ball to our pacey players. They will bring the players away from the positions thus allowing our other players to take advantage. This also means quick passing in order to keep the fast players in space.

Defensively we will play a high line and keep their forwards offside while trying to open up space for our faster players. This means our full backs will need to stick with our centre backs when we are off the ball. We will have a defensive midfielder who will stay just in front of our defence to protect them so we are not at a total weakness of being counter attacked.

Attacking wise we will get the ball into space and the fast players will take advantage. The full backs in an attacking sense will also help. We need to play quick passes, quick runs and quick changes of direction. We also need to allow a quick response to recover from mistakes.

If we are winning from the 70th minute I want us to start to keep the ball for longer periods and hold possession. Slow play right down and seriously time waste.

Positional Tactics

Our full backs defensively will stick in a high line with our centre backs. We need to trap our opposition offside making it hard for them to counter attack. However in times when it doesn't work they need to push the opposition back and reduce the space made available on this side of the pitch. They need to prevent the wingers from running in behind them and cutting inside of them. Offensively they will need to move forward with the ball and use up the space left by the opposition. When our wingers cut in, I want our full backs to take up the wide position and put the crosses in.

Our centre backs will be apart of this high line we are playing. Use their strength and pace to keep the opposition offisde and then clear the ball away. They must stay on guard for any potential runners and therefor close them off as soon as they get going. We need to limit the opportunity for them to find space by keeping goal side of them at all times. They need to use their height and strength to beat them off the ball. They also must be aware of any high balls into the box. Offensively only go up for corners.

We will play a defensive midfielder today who will protect the defence and hold up play. This means filling the gaps and creating a defensive wall to stop the opposition from breaking through. Kondogbia must keep with the playmaker by discouraging him from moving into space, limit the chances he's able to create and keeping goal side of him at all times. Limit the available players for them, and force them to pass the ball back. Offsensively I will not allow Kondogbia to go forward.

Krychowiak will control play more by creating and forming the attacks. He should look to move forward to be the new option. His passing must be quick, slick and clever. He with Payet will control our passing that allows the pacy players to take advantage of defensive frailties.

Our attacking midfielder will be Payet who will look to run into space and finding the opportunity to change and dictate the game. He must force the opposition to open up space and allow the attacking players to break through. I want him to move about all across the centre and depending on move towards the right or the left to the ball. Defensively he must prevent people running forward and creating more ability for runs. He must try and collect the ball and release it to our wingers to form attacks since.

Our wingers need to use plenty of their skill, strength, power, pace and physicality to open up the opposition. I want them to force the attacks straight at them, bring the defenders out and then allow our attackers to take advantage. They must cut inside, run in from behind and cross the ball in so that our attacks don't end up predictable. Try and use our full backs as much as possible when attacking the opposition so that having to handle more than one player forces a mistake. Defensively they should fall back and help the full backs to defending and prevent the wingers from creating opportunities. Walcott should stay further forward as most players will look to leave the ball for him in the next attack.

Our striker needs to use their brain to workout how the defence works. They need to run at them using their strength and skill to cause nerves in their defence and force mistakes. The striker needs to open up space and find space as he is good at getting On the end of crosses and opportunities created. He needs to use his height to open the scoring and also use his power to force his way into goal scoring opportunities. Defensively I want him to move back to the centre circle and wait for the midfield to supply the ball to him in the event of an attack, if after 70 mins and we are winning I want the striker to move further back to control and protect the nation. We just time waste as much as possible.

Pens: Payet
Long FK: Payet
Short FcK: Payet
Corners: Payet

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

Benatia out my squad, an unused sub anyway

Comment deleted by Article Creator

Delete the above fan

--------------------------------Lafont-----------------------------------
---------------Bailly---------Verthonghen---------Ake--------------
---------------------------------Carvalho-------------------------------------------
------------------------Sanson----------Brozovic------------------------
Coleman-------------------------------------------------------------Willian
--------------------------------James-----------------------------------------------
--------------------------------Benteke-----------------------------------

Subs - Batalla, Holgate, Mario, Depay, Keita, Calhanoglu, Jesus

CAPTAIN - VERT
CK'S - JAMES
FK'S - JAMES
PENALTIES - JAMES

Opening game of the season against a strong Leicester side. With our injuries we'll be looking to play 3atb but with an emphasis on our midfield trident of Sanson and Brozovic who will be the b2b'ers and James, who will be the attack mid.

This formation is solid in defence with 3 CB's but also offers an attacking outlet with 2 very energetic CM's and an AM and striker who will use his physical strength to hold the ball up. I want us to play a deep defensive line so the oppo cant run in behind us. When we don't have the ball I want the team to defend from the front line and pressure the oppo and try and win possession back. Do this in fits and bursts as it is a tiring tactic.

Defence
I got a top class keeper in goal so he will be hard to beat. The defence is well balanced, with all 3 CB's playing in the top flight regularly irl. Bailly and Verthonghen are an excellent partnership and bring experience at the back. Ake will have to be very alert as we don't have a real LWB but I believe Willian has the defensive quality to play there. He will also be helped a lot by Carvalho, who will help aid Willian in defending. Wing backs will start of with a conservative mind set and not attack too much but as the game goes on I want them to make overlapping runs and get some crosses in to the box.

Defence Mid
William Carvalho
Main job is to act as a destroyer in the centre. When the oppo AM has the ball close him down asap. Main job will be to help Willian in his defensive duties by double teaming the oppo right winger.

Centre Mids
Sanson + Brozovic
Sanson and Brozovic will play a b2b role. When 1 attacks, the other will stay back to defend and vice versa. Close the oppo AM down and don't let the other team have any time on the ball in the centre of midfield. Sanson has the ability to pick out a pass while Brozovic is an engine which can run all day long. They complement each other perfectly.

Wing backs
Coleman + Willian
Coleman and Willian will look to help both in attack and defence. When the oppo has the ball come back into the defence to make a rock solid back 5. Make forays forward when we have the ball in the oppos side of the pitch but track back when we don't. Get some crosses into the box as Benteke will be an aerial threat.

Striker
Benteke
I want you to use your strength to bully the oppo CB's. Use your superior hold up play to bring others into play. Get on the end of crosses as you are one of the best on the world when it comes to scoring headers.

Subs if LOSING BY 65MINS
Change formation to 352 with Jesus partnering Tekkers up top. Put on Jesus for Sanson. Also bring on Balde Keita for Coleman and Depay for Carvalho. Play a very high line and try and get a goal.
-------------------------------Lafont-----------------------------------
------------Bailly---------Verthonghen---------Ake--------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------Brozovic------------------------
Willian-------------------------------------------------------------Keita
-----------------------Depay---------James--------------------------------------
--------------------Benteke-------------Jesus----------------------------------


Subs if WINNING BY 65MINS
Take off James and put on Bentaleb in CM. Mario on for Willian aswell to offer more defensive support.

-------------------------------Lafont-----------------------------------
------------Bailly---------Verthonghen---------Ake--------------
-------------------------------Carvalho-------------------------------------------
-------------Sanson------ Bentaleb------Brozovic------------------------
Coleman-------------------------------------------------------------Mario
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------Benteke----------------------------------

Subs if DRAWING BY 65MINS
Jesus ON for Tekkers
Bentaleb ON for Sanson
Calhanoglu ON for James

comment by Fan Gillhaus 1903 (U3339)
posted 3 hours, 34 minutes ago
Benatia out my squad, an unused sub anyway
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh sorry

its cool, I never told you, unused anyway