BRUM vs Man City

---------------------------------Lafont--------------------------------
Hysaj------------Skriniar---------------Diop---------------Dalot
----------------------------------Ndidi--------------------------------------
-----------------Hamsik----------------Cristante---------------------
Neres-------------------------------------------------------------Kluivert
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------Higuain------------------------------------------

Subs - Lunin, Mukiele, Fabian Ruiz, Kondogbia, F Anderson, Zaha, Benzema

CAPTAIN - HAMSIK
CK'S - HAMSIK
FK'S - NERES
PENALTIES - HIGUAIN

I want us to start the game with a high tempo, close the oppo down and win the ball back quickly. Play quick passes forward and try and get an early goal. I want Neres and Kluivert to use their pace on the wings to create chances for the rest of the team. When we have the ball I want the team to play pass and move football. Don't stay static, try and get in behind the oppo defence as there is a lot of pace in our attacking players.

Defence
Lafont is a quality young keeper. Don't take risks. Punch the ball away if the shot is too powerful. Command your area. The defence is well balanced. Skriniar and Diop bring a whole lot of experience and pace to the defence. Skriniar will use his experience to marshal the defence and Diop will look to use his pace to close the oppo strikers down. Stay vocal with each other and cover for each other if oppo gets past one of you. Full 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. Ndidi and Cristante will be covering for them when they go attacking.

Defence Mid
Ndidi
Ndidi will be the anchor in the middle. Stay back in front of the defence and protect the defence with your life. If the oppo play an AM then stick close to him and mark him if possible. When our fullbacks are attacking then your main priority will be to cover for them. When in possession pass the ball out to the wings or play a through ball from deep to our wingers.

Centre Mids
Cristante + Hamsik
Cristante will play more as a b2b mid but will be able to help both in attack and defence as he has a lot of stamina. He will be making run's forward and helping our attackers with quick passes and penetrating runs from deep. Hamsik will be playing CM on paper but his main role will be to help in attack. When not in possession of the ball Hamsik will look to close down the oppo DM's and win the ball off them. No need to stay too deep as Cristante and Ndidi are adequate cover in the middle. When attacking I want Hamsik to make runs into the oppo box and bring others into the game. Play 1 2's with the wingers and create space for yourself and your teammates. Shoot if you see an opening at goal.

Wingers
Neres + Kluivert
These 2 will be the focal point of my attack. They are 2 young and hungry players and I want to give them the freedom to express themselves in attack. Kluivert will be looking to cut in from the left and Neres likewise from the right. I want you both to try and beat the oppo fullbacks with your pace and dribbling ability but don't try too hard as if you see them doubling up on you you can either pass back or into the centre of the pitch to one of our CM's. I want you both to be aware of our fullbacks and play pass and move 1 2's with them to try and penetrate the oppo back line. Hysaj and Dalot are no slouches attacking wise so use them! If you can cut in onto your stronger foot, don't be afraid to shoot from range as you both have the ability to score from long range. If there is no space to do so then take the ball to the byline and whip in crosses for Higuain to get his head on. When we are defending corners I want both of them to stay near the halfway line so we can hit the oppo on the counter attack.

Striker
Gonzalo Higuain
Higuain will look to use his strength to get the better of the oppo defence. Be vary of crosses into the box as you are decent in the air, and if you are through on goal, use your expert finishing to score. Time your runs off the shoulders of the oppo CB's and hold the ball up for Kluivert/Neres to make infield runs ahead of you.

Subs if LOSING BY 65MINS
Put on Benzema for Cristante, Anderson for Neres and Zaha for Hamsik to bring some more pace on. Play a high line and try and get a goal. Change formation to 41212.

--------------------------------Lafont--------------------------------
Hysaj-------------Skriniar-----------Diop------------Dalot
-----------------------------------Ndidi------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anderson------------------------------------------------------Kluivert
-----------------------------------Zaha------------------------------------
---------------------Benzema-----------Higuain--------------------------


Subs if WINNING BY 80MINS
Take off Hamsik and put on Mukiele in CB and play defensive with everyone in our own half defending for their lives, waiting to hit the oppo on the counter attack. Anderson on for Neres and Zaha for Higuain.

-------------------------------Lafont--------------------------------
Hysaj-------Mukiele------Skriniar--------Diop-------Dalot
------------------------Ndidi--------Cristante ----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------Anderson--------------------------------Kluivert----------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------Zaha----------------------------------------


Subs if DRAWING BY 65MINS
Anderson on for Neres
Kondogbia on for Hamsik
Zaha on for Higuain
Fresh legs to bring on.

NEWCASTLE 4-3-3

___________Alisson
Azpi____Alder___Godin___Robbo
__________Jorginho
________Kante___Koke
Salah______Suarez________Reus

SUBS: Umtiti, Radja, Milner, Suso, Alli, Rebic, Bobby

Captain: Diego Godin
Penalties: Luis Suarez
Corners: Koke
Freekicks: Luis Suarez
Crossing Freekick: Koke

The formation deployed today is so that we gain as much control as possible higher up he pitch. We expect to have more of the ball so patience is key. We also expect the four behind the striker to drift around a bit, getting into positions where their natural play can cause damage. The striker up front presses when we don’t have the ball and the entire team will support him cut passing lanes to help win the ball higher up. The quality of our players will allow us to break through the oppositions press. When we have the ball we will want to attract the press and use the spaces that they open up to attack.

Full backs will get forward when the opportunity arises. Our full backs are good at feeding our forward line with their ability on the ball and we aim to utilize that with their ability to get up the pitch and tactical arareness. We also need our full backs to widen the pitch for us. Our centre halves are good on the ball, and a long punt every now and then to utilize our pace out wide is encouraged. Our right back will also tuck in to help solidify the team.

The regista will drop in to form a back three so that the centre backs can split wide to push the full backs general position higher up in line with the midfielders (and wide forwards engage their back line along with the striker). In doing so we create a four man midfield to overpower their midfield. This will allow our midfield to be flexible, if one of their midfielders steps forward, one of ours will move into the space they vacated. The regista will be the link between our defence and midfield and because of the way he plays, he will draw the opponents forward towards him to attack the ball, pulling their team’s lines apart. This will create more spaces between the lines for our midfield and forward lines to move into. The right centre mid will be the more defensive one in his box to box role, closing down space and cutting passing lanes with his incredible interception ability. Playing alongside the regista will give him less areas of the pitch to cover, and shorter distance needed to win the ball back to start the next attack. Both centre mids will float between the lines during the attacking phase just behind our forwards.

By having our wide forwards up front when we have the ball it will effectively create space out wide. We would expect our full backs to sometimes go infield to collect the ball from the keeper, while one of the midfielders goes wide so when he receives the ball he will have time to look up and pick passes as the opposition midfield will be reluctant to press which will leave a man free in midfield. This can be done by a midfielder too, dropping deep to create a free man in the first line with time on the ball, ping it straight to the striker who can lay it off to the other onrushing midfielder.

If short passing options aren’t available the passing range and accuracy of our keeper will safely transfer the ball forwards via our full backs, wherever they are on the pitch. The keeper can also dink the ball into space for the striker or wide forward to control taking out 6 or 7 opposition players in the process.

The striker’s main role will be to create space for the wide forwards. He will drop deep into a ten to drag defenders out and create space for our wide forwards to run into. This will tie into our quick short passing which is aimed at dragging their players out of position and create space between their lines. Our team will always recycle the ball back to the regista to keep possession and to keep the ball moving.

When we don’t have the ball we will expect our four behind the striker to drop into a 4-5-1 in support of our regista and right centre mid. We will also create triangles to trap the opposition players that have the ball, cutting the passing lanes and others putting pressure on players that might receive the ball. We stop the oppositions rhythm and force them into mistakes with our pressure. To stop their counter attacks after we lose the ball, three players will swarm the ball carrier before he can get his head up to play. If they beat the immediate press when the team’s main goal is to push their play wide where they can do the least damage. Our midfielders are an integral part to our play, when we win the ball back we will create space and time for them with our team shape. There will be times when we are under the cosh and will have the option of deploying a bowl shaped 5 at the back, with the right centre mid dropping in to make closing down the opponents very effective.

Subs

65 mins: Radja comes on for Koke, our legs will start to tire, so will theirs, Radja will add box to box ability and energy late in the game.

75 mins: Bobby comes on for Suarez, a different style of forward play for the opposition to think about.

If winning 80 mins: Milner comes on for Jorginho to close out the game. He is capable in defensive midfield alongside Kante in a 4-2-3-1.

If losing/drawing 80 mins: Rebic comes on for Jorginho and play 2 up front.

-----------------------Perin
Conti----Baumgartl-----Söyüncü---Guerreiro
-------------Rudy-----------Kampl
Thauvin-----------Ziyech--------------Forsberg
---------------------Mariano

Subs: Horn, Klostermann, Elvedi, Tierney, Traoré, Brekalo, Batshuayi


Our defensive unit consists of Timo Baumgartl and Caglar Söyüncü paired up at centre-back, Andrea Conti at right-back and Raphaël Guerreiro at left-back, with Sebastian Rudy and Kevin Kampl as our midfield ‘double pivot’ screening them.

This ‘double pivot’ is the key to our team and in Rudy and Kampl we have a perfect pairing to initiate attacks by distributing the ball in an intelligent fashion, to be key players in circulation and to prevent dangerous opposition attacks, being disciplined in positioning and limiting space in between the lines.

The strength of our double pivot is that Kampl can press the ball without leaving lots of space, as Rudy can maintain a good position to react if the initial press is bypassed. Our double pivot will offer huge defensive stability and will ensure that a structured shape is maintained.

Having two defensive midfielders centrally prevents others being dragged out of position to press.

Helping the defenders maintain solid positioning is a key part of Kampl’s role, he will press almost anywhere in his own half to allow defenders to stay in the defensive line.

With Kampl running his socks off for the team, our high tempo will dictated by his partner in holding midfield, Sebastian Rudy.

A holding midfielder through and through, Rudy is not just your “win the ball and pass it on to the closest player” – there is a real creative mind in his locker, but it’s his ability to be the shield of the back four and then be creative once he gets the ball that makes Rudy such a talent.

The attacking unit consists of Florian Thauvin, Hakim Ziyech and Emil Forsberg as our band of three attacking midfielders with Mariano Díaz as our lone central striker.

Our 4-2-3-1 is set up to have that wonderful ‘springy' quality - it absorbs pressure without breaking and then snaps back with surprising force.

In defence our 4-2-3-1 covers space very effectively, with the band of three attacking midfielders and centre forward able to press the opposition high up the pitch while the two defensive midfielders ensure that there is no space left in front of the defence. Then the back four can either play a high line, compressing the space even further, or drop deeper as preferred.

Once we have won the ball back, often by Rudy or Kampl, then our 4-2-3-1 can spring into attack.

Conti and Guerreiro can surge up the wings in the knowledge that Rudy and Kampl can drop into the space left behind if needed. As they come up the wings, both Florian Thauvin and Emil Forsberg, who are fast speed merchants, excellent in tight spaces and fantastic dribblers will cut inside or make runs into the box. Hakim Ziyech our attacking central midfielder’s low centre of gravity will enable him to navigate away from defenders at a frighteningly quick pace. Ziyech is blessed with an instant first touch and can dribble with the ball at such a close proximity to his feet that it makes him almost impossible to tackle this creative passer who will look to play Thauvin, Forsberg and Mariano in via fast passing combinations.

An out and out explosive centre-forward, Mariano is known for the abundance of pace and power that he possesses. Standing tall at close to 6ft, Mariano has a strong and sturdy physical frame that he’ll use well to bully the opposition defence.

Mariano has a fierce right-foot and is an equally strong header of the ball too, which will make him a huge threat in and around the penalty box. With his pace combined with his dribbling ability and the power that he possesses, Mariano will brush aside defenders and run past them with nonchalance.

While he is explosive and dangerous with the ball at his feet, what makes Mariano even more exciting is his excellent movement off the ball and the ability to make those smart runs in behind the defenders.


Subs on 75 mins
Traoré for Thauvin, and Batshuayi for Mariano

Lots of fresh legs and pace to trouble the opposition for a late goal regardless of the scoreline

Bournemouth v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Injuries: Perisic, Gerson, Vida, Diawara

------------------ Arrizabalaga
Hakimi - Marquinhos - Tah - Strinic
---- Rakitic - Fernandinho - Meyer
----- Vitolo - Immobile - Di Maria

Subs: Leno, Mina, Shaw, Sturaro, Matic, Ozil, Alcacer

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

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

We are playing a 4-3-3 today, Arrizabalaga in goal, Marquinhos and Tah at centreback, Hakimi and Strinic at fullback, Rakitic, Fernandinho and Meyer in midfield, Vitolo and Di Maria either side of Immobile upfront.

This game is about controlling the tempo and giving us the best chance of getting the win today. Bournemouth are going to fight hard and our best hope is to be strong, disciplined and keep our concentration levels at maximum.

Arrizabalaga - 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 Immobile.

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

Hakimi/Strinic - Both of you to force the Bournemouth 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 Vitolo and Di Maria 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 Immobile and link with Rakitic and Meyer. You will need to track back very quickly to ensure we don't get caught on the break.

Fernandinho - Our DM today, sit in front of the back four, break up play, watch out for runs from deep from the opposition, when in possession use your range of passing to look for teammates in advanced positions, use Rakitic and Meyer alongside you if you're closed down.

Rakitic/Meyer - Two box to box midfielders today, one either side of Fernandinho at DM. Both of you are required to get back and assist Fernandinho in front of the back four when we don't have the ball, but both with the ability and the freedom to push forward and join the front three, while always leaving at least one of you behind the ball. Look to link with Vitolo, Di Maria or Immobile.

Vitolo/Di Maria - Both with the trickery to beat the Bournemouth fullback and get crosses in, you will also have our fullback overlapping giving you the chance to cut inside and get shots in. Look to supply Immobile with chances and also provide yourself with chances. Link up with Rakitic and Meyer, and capitalise on the space Immobile's presence will create for you.

Immobile - you will be expected to occupy the Bournemouth 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 Vitolo or Di Maria on occasion. Try and link with the two alongside you to create opportunities.

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

Subs 70 mins;
If winning: Di Maria, Vitolo and Meyer off, Mina, Sturaro and Ozil on. Change to 5-3-1-1, Mina an extra CB, midfield trio of Sturaro, Fernandinho and Rakitic, with Ozil in the AM role providing support to Immobile upfront.

If drawing: Meyer off, Ozil on. Switch to a 4-2-3-1, Rakitic and Fernandinho in midfield, Ozil to AM behind Immobile. Try and find a winner.

If losing: Tah and Meyer off, Ozil and Alcacer on. 3-1-4-2, Hakimi - Marquinhos - Strinic at the back, Fernandinho the playmaker from deep, Vitolo - Ozil - Rakitic - Di Maria behind Immobile and Alcacer upfront. Push for goals.

——————————Ter Stegen
Odriozola————Sule————Upamecano———Gaya
———B.Silva——Torreira——N.Keita——Guedes
——————————Milinkovic
———————————Dybala

Subs: Svilar, Rudiger, Castro, Rodri, Lozano, Brandt, Harit

Captain: Marc Andre Ter Stegen
Free Kicks: Paulo Dybala/Lucas Torreira
Corners: Bernardo Silva
Penalties: Paulo Dybala

We expect Leicester to naturally control possession, so we fall into a narrow mid-block in a 4-4-2 shape. Leicester usually drop Casemiro into defence to build, so instead of going in and pressing and being easily outnumbered, Milinkovic and Dybala will play diagonally off of each other, angling their bodies to block the route into the CMs, using their presence and disciplined positioning to show the opposition out to the wings. The only time these two need to aggressively press, is when a player like Thiago drops in to receive the ball, hounding him together, so that he is forced to pass sideways or backwards where they can’t hurt us, before dropping in close to the midfield to keep the centre secure.

Our 4-4-2 will be positionally focused, the team moves in unison, horizontally and vertically to maintain its compactness. Our midfield line is set very narrow, Silva and Guedes tucked right in, to prevent the opposition passing between the lines and insuring that the CMs can’t be outnumbered by Leicester’s wingers moving infield, instead forcing them to have to keep shifting the ball wide. The defence is set slightly wider than the midfield, so that the FBs can maintain easy access to the flanks, so that when Leicester do move the ball high up the field, they can press the player on the flank and force the ball backwards, before dropping back into position. It also means that when the team moves wider to defend, the far-side FB has a good starting position to be able to go and cut out any switches of play, allowing the midfield to remain compact ball-side.

Positionally-orientated means our players focus their position in relation to their team mates, so when Leicester have the ball in the midfield third and are building, all 3 of our lines step up to remain compact, rather than leaving space between midfield and attack and defence and midfield, and when the ball is in our third, all three lines again drop into a low block, protecting our box. Likewise when the ball goes wide, we go wide. When with their FBs, our midfield moves across so our wingers can cut the passing lane to their wingers, and our CFs move across so that they can block the route into the CMs/DMs, looking to box them in with numbers so that any loose balls can be turned over.

When we win the ball, the first look must always be forward, using high intensity runs, and quick, vertical passing combinations. Our compact block means the opposition will tend to commit extra men to the attack, usually the DM or an extra FB, which means there is always a good chance that the first pass can be used to find someone in space out wide, or between midfield and defence, and either side of their DM. The receiving player will either turn and run directly at the opposition, causing panic in their ranks and provoking one or two of the remaining defenders to leave their position to press, opening space elsewhere, or he will combine with a lay off to a team mate in a better position to run at them. Our key man in attack is Milinkovic-Savic, with Kane out, we suspect that their CBs will focus on trying to bully the smaller Dybala out of the game, which should free some space up for Milinkovic to receive direct passes and longer balls between the midfield and defence and combine with Dybala and the wingers. His strength and hold up play make him the perfect target for the first pass in transitions, and for our faster, more agile players to make third man runs off of to get motoring at the opponents remaining defenders.

Our movement varies dependent on where the space opens up, if the space is behind the FBs, then we look to get Guedes and Silva running into the space, either playing a direct ball to them, or using a ball into Milinkovic who can turn it wide quickly. If the space opens up between the defence and midfield, then we can either play direct balls into Milinkovic, to lay off to our wingers who will make runs inside to attack the space between the lines, with Dybala making runs behind to stretch the defence, or Milinkovic holding the ball up for Dybala who can drop deep into the space between the lines, and look play in Guedes/Silva between FB and CB or between CB and CB. We also have Keita who can break the lines and press with his purposeful runs and quick interplay with Dybala and the wingers, with Milinkovic able to drop deep as cover.

We can’t counter for 90 minutes, at times we do build from deep, inverting Guedes and Silva, with the FBs staying deeper so that we can play the ball to them, draw their press, and then use the CM and winger together to overload their press and move forward. Having the wingers inverted in these attacks means we can create close combinations between CM, wingers and Milinkovic and Dybala, but also means that the opposition will look to defend narrow, allowing our FBs to push forward from deep and attack the vacated space, we look to switch it out to them in high areas so they can get crosses into the box or cut the ball back, aiming for the movement of Guedes/Dybala, or the aerial threat of Milinkovic.

Subs:

If Winning: Rodri for Keita 70’, fresh legs in CM to keep us on top. Castro and Rudiger for Gaya and Silva 75’, 5-3-2, Milinkovic drops into midfield 3, with Guedes and Dybala up front as out balls with their pace.

If Drawing: Lozano and Brandt for Silva and Guedes, fresh legs out wide to get at them on the break, 65’. It also means that if Milinkovic hasn’t worked as a target man in transitions, we can drop him into a midfield 3 and play a 4-3-2-1 with Brandt and Lozano closer to Dybala, start to use pace and one touch football between those 3. Rodri for Keita 75’, fresh legs in a key area.

If Losing: Lozano for Milinkovic 60’, 4-3-3 with Silva in midfield to get us moving forward. Brandt for Guedes 70’, fresh legs out wide. Harit for Keita 75’.

If Red card:

In all scenarios we will copy the greatest manager of all time, when it comes to playing with 10 men, Steven Gerrard. We will move into a 4-3-2. This provides us with the legs in midfield to not be overrun completely, and still forces them wide, which takes them longer to attack us, and still gives us the players in close quarters to get forward.

GK > Svilar for Silva = Guedes and Dybala up front.
FB > Castro for Silva
CB > Rudiger for Silva
Silva/Guedes > no sub = Silva up with Dybala if Guedes goes
CM/Milinkovic > Rodri for Silva
Dybala > Lozano for Silva = Guedes and Lozano up front.

Birmingham City v MAN CITY

Line up:

Rico
Pereira Caldara Romagnoli Digne
Zielinski Witsel Rafinha
Robben Fekir Richarlison

Substitutes: Dragowski; Zagadou; Toure; Strootman; Marchisio; Willian; Oyarzabal

Captain: Witsel
Penalties: Fekir
Direct Free Kicks: Richarlison
Indirect Free Kicks: Zielinski
Corners: Zielinski

Game plan:

Away from home against a strong side and with a poor selection of injuries this week, we choose to deploy hard-working players at the centre of the park so that they can press the home side into making mistakes while providing enough cover for our backline. We setup with a strong defensive platform, hitting Birmingham with quick attacks in numbers as we go direct and down the wings, with our full backs pushing up to stretch the opposition formation. We go with 3 all-action box-to-box midfielders in front of the defence, looking to give the defence strong cover and give the attacking players more freedom to break forward quickly.

We will start in a 4-3-3 formation, dropping back to 4-5-1 in defence, in order to reinforce the midfield out of possession. Witsel plays as the central midfielder, flanked by Zielinski and Rafinha, while Robben and Richarlison operated down the wings and Fekir holds the False 9 position. All 3 front men can play across the pitch and will be encouraged to swap positions to keep defenders guessing.

The main objective of the frontline is to force the opposition GK to look for direct balls up to the forwards, where our large back four are set up to control any aerial threat. If the goalkeeper does try to go short to his centre-backs, we will them towards the central channel, while blocking the passing lanes to the either the holding midfielder or CM partnership. Our central forward player is key here, as he will constantly be closing the passing lanes through the middle.

We will prevent the Birmingham midfielders from linking up with their forwards, forcing them to play backwards and then piling the pressure on the player in possession. Zielinski and Rafinha stand out in particular here, organising the defensive effort with high-octave pressing, and ensuring Birmingham cannot establish a dominance in the centre of the pitch.

Should Birmingham launch an attack, the aim is to remain tight in the defensive third - the two wing forwards will drop into midfield to cover any overlapping runs made by the Birmingham full backs, and we will completely crowd the central channel of the pitch; this will force Birmingham to either make their play down the flanks against 2 athletic defenders, or play backwards where our forward will be waiting to press and intercept.

We will be lethal on the counter-attack. The speed of the first wave of our breaks will ensure they escape concerted pressure from Birmingham. Our attackers surge forwards, positioning themselves in behind the line of pressure ahead of the ball, thus providing the player who won the ball plenty of possession. Zielinksi will be the standout player in these situations; with an impressive understanding of when and where to attack the free space both with and without the ball.

We will vary our approach in attack, alternating between direct play and passing through the thirds. Rico will often look to move the ball into the opposition half as quickly as possible, while the midfield has plenty of strength, aggression, and attacking intent in the middle of the park, constantly seeking to exploit any gaps in behind their opposing midfielders. Zielinski and Rafinha have the ability to make particularly good use of the space on the inside, projecting their side forwards in attack where they will outnumber the Birmingham defensive midfield area. Moreover, giving Zielinski free reign in the midfield will add another dimension to our attack, as his dribbling through the centre of the pitch can draw players out of position and open up space for our attackers to run into. In addition to this, his technical prowess at feeding through-balls in tight spaces will create numerous chances for our forwards to put away.

In the attacking phase, we will opt for combination play, swapping between short passes to lure the Birmingham defenders into the opposition half and more ambitious passes through the thirds. Our high tempo will disrupt our opponents, both in midfield and in the final third. The pace and movement of our forwards will cause chaos for the Birmingham midfielders, who will be put under severe pressure to attempt to protect their midfield against the pace and direct nature of our attack. We will put our opponents under constant pressure, with our dangerous front three of Robben, Fekir and Richarlison forcing their way in behind their full-backs and posing constant problems for the centre-backs. At the same time, our full backs have the athleticism and talent to get up the pitch along the byline and drill in low, hard crosses that will cause panic among the defenders.

As a collective, we are well balanced. In the final third we will locate our biggest threats in prime positions, where they will cause constant uncertainty in the last line of defence. Richarlison, Fekir and Robben will regularly find openings with their pace and direct play, successfully exploiting the space in between the centre-backs and the full-backs alongside them.

In the defensive transition, we will re-organise quickly and effectively after losing the ball, Rafinha and Zielinski leading the way in swarming around the man in possession, with both being used to implementing a high pressing system, with Witsel adept at covering the inside lanes and intercepting play. We will prevent Birmingham from outnumbering us in this phase of the game, reducing the threat of the counter-attack.

Substitutes:
60 MINUTES (If winning, save this change for the 65th minute, otherwise)
If drawing: Marchisio for Zielinski – Marchisio will add a humongous well of experience to the midfield, as well as a powerful engine that hasn’t yet been majorly impacted by age. He will be able to get himself about the pitch in defence, and can dictate the tempo of the midfield when on the ball.

65 MINUTES (If winning, save this change for the 75th minute, otherwise)
Oyarzabal for Richarlison – Oyarzabal will provide more defensive cover for Toure on the left hand side. He is also an accomplished finisher and able to pop up, seemingly unnoticed, to grab a goal.

75 MINUTES :-
Willian for Rafinha – This facilitates a slight tactical adjustment to a 4-2-3-1 but with the same overall ethos. Marchisio and Witsel form a deeper pivot, allowing Willian to work in the pocket

DELETE THE ABOVE

Birmingham City v MAN CITY

Line up:

Rico
Pereira Caldara Romagnoli Caricol
Zielinski Witsel Rafinha
Robben Fekir Richarlison

Substitutes: Dragowski; Zagadou; Toure; Strootman; Marchisio; Willian; Oyarzabal

Captain: Witsel
Penalties: Fekir
Direct Free Kicks: Richarlison
Indirect Free Kicks: Zielinski
Corners: Zielinski

Game plan:

Away from home against a strong side and with a poor selection of injuries this week, we choose to deploy hard-working players at the centre of the park so that they can press the home side into making mistakes while providing enough cover for our backline. We setup with a strong defensive platform, hitting Birmingham with quick attacks in numbers as we go direct and down the wings, with our full backs pushing up to stretch the opposition formation. We go with 3 all-action box-to-box midfielders in front of the defence, looking to give the defence strong cover and give the attacking players more freedom to break forward quickly.

We will start in a 4-3-3 formation, dropping back to 4-5-1 in defence, in order to reinforce the midfield out of possession. Witsel plays as the central midfielder, flanked by Zielinski and Rafinha, while Robben and Richarlison operated down the wings and Fekir holds the False 9 position. All 3 front men can play across the pitch and will be encouraged to swap positions to keep defenders guessing.

The main objective of the frontline is to force the opposition GK to look for direct balls up to the forwards, where our large back four are set up to control any aerial threat. If the goalkeeper does try to go short to his centre-backs, we will them towards the central channel, while blocking the passing lanes to the either the holding midfielder or CM partnership. Our central forward player is key here, as he will constantly be closing the passing lanes through the middle.

We will prevent the Birmingham midfielders from linking up with their forwards, forcing them to play backwards and then piling the pressure on the player in possession. Zielinski and Rafinha stand out in particular here, organising the defensive effort with high-octave pressing, and ensuring Birmingham cannot establish a dominance in the centre of the pitch.

Should Birmingham launch an attack, the aim is to remain tight in the defensive third - the two wing forwards will drop into midfield to cover any overlapping runs made by the Birmingham full backs, and we will completely crowd the central channel of the pitch; this will force Birmingham to either make their play down the flanks against 2 athletic defenders, or play backwards where our forward will be waiting to press and intercept.

We will be lethal on the counter-attack. The speed of the first wave of our breaks will ensure they escape concerted pressure from Birmingham. Our attackers surge forwards, positioning themselves in behind the line of pressure ahead of the ball, thus providing the player who won the ball plenty of possession. Zielinksi will be the standout player in these situations; with an impressive understanding of when and where to attack the free space both with and without the ball.

We will vary our approach in attack, alternating between direct play and passing through the thirds. Rico will often look to move the ball into the opposition half as quickly as possible, while the midfield has plenty of strength, aggression, and attacking intent in the middle of the park, constantly seeking to exploit any gaps in behind their opposing midfielders. Zielinski and Rafinha have the ability to make particularly good use of the space on the inside, projecting their side forwards in attack where they will outnumber the Birmingham defensive midfield area. Moreover, giving Zielinski free reign in the midfield will add another dimension to our attack, as his dribbling through the centre of the pitch can draw players out of position and open up space for our attackers to run into. In addition to this, his technical prowess at feeding through-balls in tight spaces will create numerous chances for our forwards to put away.

In the attacking phase, we will opt for combination play, swapping between short passes to lure the Birmingham defenders into the opposition half and more ambitious passes through the thirds. Our high tempo will disrupt our opponents, both in midfield and in the final third. The pace and movement of our forwards will cause chaos for the Birmingham midfielders, who will be put under severe pressure to attempt to protect their midfield against the pace and direct nature of our attack. We will put our opponents under constant pressure, with our dangerous front three of Robben, Fekir and Richarlison forcing their way in behind their full-backs and posing constant problems for the centre-backs. At the same time, our full backs have the athleticism and talent to get up the pitch along the byline and drill in low, hard crosses that will cause panic among the defenders.

As a collective, we are well balanced. In the final third we will locate our biggest threats in prime positions, where they will cause constant uncertainty in the last line of defence. Richarlison, Fekir and Robben will regularly find openings with their pace and direct play, successfully exploiting the space in between the centre-backs and the full-backs alongside them.

In the defensive transition, we will re-organise quickly and effectively after losing the ball, Rafinha and Zielinski leading the way in swarming around the man in possession, with both being used to implementing a high pressing system, with Witsel adept at covering the inside lanes and intercepting play. We will prevent Birmingham from outnumbering us in this phase of the game, reducing the threat of the counter-attack.

Substitutes:
60 MINUTES (If winning, save this change for the 65th minute, otherwise)
If drawing: Marchisio for Zielinski – Marchisio will add a humongous well of experience to the midfield, as well as a powerful engine that hasn’t yet been majorly impacted by age. He will be able to get himself about the pitch in defence, and can dictate the tempo of the midfield when on the ball.

65 MINUTES (If winning, save this change for the 75th minute, otherwise)
Oyarzabal for Richarlison – Oyarzabal will provide more defensive cover for Toure on the left hand side. He is also an accomplished finisher and able to pop up, seemingly unnoticed, to grab a goal.

75 MINUTES :-
Willian for Rafinha – This facilitates a slight tactical adjustment to a 4-2-3-1 but with the same overall ethos. Marchisio and Witsel form a deeper pivot, allowing Willian to work in the pocket

3-5-2 Total Football

We go to Liverpool looking to dominate possession and control the game. With Liverpool missing their key forward we look to go with a back 3, ensuring we have 3 natural defenders back at all times to guard against counters. Importantly, we have great pace either side of Hummels, who gets the nod for his ability on the ball and his ability to read the play and sweep up in a sweeper role.

Key to our tactics is getting the back 3 pushing up on the ball and playing out from the back, which all are excellent at. Our full backs both like to attack anyway so having them as wing backs with that extra cover makes us strong at the back. Hummels also gives us the option of going long to our front two who are both excellent in the air. Allowing us to mix up our play if we are finding Pool difficult to break down.

The two wbs looking to get wide and swing in crosses four our front two, or quick one twos through the centre we feel we can open up Pool and outscore them.

With the added cb, we also move Thiago to the Busquets role which he has played for Spain and Bayern brilliantly showing great positional defensively play. More importantly he can play out. We don't need Casemiro's grit with the added cb.

The midfield 5 are excellent on the ball in tight space and we look to let them enjoy their football in attack. Coutinho always looking to play in between the lines and find space between the Liverpool defence and midfield. Coutinho will always be offering an option off the front two, Gundogan and Thiago linking the defence and attack with both wbs offering width.

Up top we have two strikers who will cause huge problems. Costa's hard work and bullying tactics will get at the opposition, and importantly create space for Ronaldo. Having two also allows Ronaldo to drift left, linking up with the midfield and dragging players out of position.


------------------- Neuer
---- T.Kehrer - Hummels - Laporte
Carvajal -- Thiago -- Gundogan -- Marcelo
------------------ Coutinho
------------- D.Costa --- Ronaldo

Subs. Schmeichel, Ramos, Casemiro, Ceballos, Martial, Sane

Defending high up the pitch

We look to control the opposition by pressing the space high up the pitch with a narrow rigid defensive unit. Simply having our attacking players in the right defensive positions in front of our strong to defence to make us difficult to break down. Make it difficult for the opposition to play out.

When we lose the ball the closest player presses the ball, the second closest presses the obvious passing channel. As they’re doing this everyone else bar Ronaldo gets behind the ball into position. Stop them breaking.

As the Liverpool advance into higher areas of the park and into our thrid shape will resemble a 4-4-1-1, narrowing to the side of play. With the wb opposite play dropping to fb. Giving us a wide cb and a wb in front defending the side of play that Liverpool are attacking. With a midfield four and Costa seeking to play just a little deeper than Ronaldo helping defensively.

In this tight rigid formation, ensuring there are no gaps in the formation. Thiago will be key defending the space in front of the cbs, pressing the space with Gundogan pressing the ball. Narrowing the play to the side the Liverpool are attacking, pushing them backwards and wide away from danger. When they switch play, we switch over.

Attack

Centre backs play out, they have the option to go long or have Thiago, Gundogan and wbs all offering options. We have a lot of quality on the ball in midfield, let them play.

We want quick one twos in the opposition half, using our forward to get in behind and dragging centre backs out of position. If it is not on, we are happy to keep possession, attacking down the wings, get balls into the box.


If winning after 65 mins bring on Casemiro for Gundogan. More power and fresh legs in midfield.
If winning after 70 mins bring on Martial for Costa. More pace up top.
If winning after 75 mins bring on Sane for Coutinho. More pace. 3-4-2-1. More defensive looking to hit Pool with pace on break as they push for a goal.

If drawing after 60 min bring on Sane for Costa. 3-6-1.
If drawing after 70 mins bring on Casemiro for Kehrer. 4-2-3-1. Sane right, Coutinho left.

If losing after 55 mins bring on Sane for Kehrer. 4-4-2.
If losing after 65 mins bring on Casemiro for Gundogan. Allow others to be more attacking.

If a red: Move to defensive 4-4-1.
Bring on Casemiro for Costa.
Move Kehrer to rb. Marcelo lb. Coutinho/Gundogan at lm. Carvajal at rm.

-------------------------- Ederson
Walker -------- Van Dijk ------ Koulibaly ------- Mendy
------------------------- Busquets
----------------- De Bruyne ---- D.Silva
O.Dembele ----------- Griezmann ------------- T.Lemar

Subs: Butland, Pavard, Otamendi, Tolisso, Mahrez, Mertens, G.Jesus

4-3-3, possesion based, control the game in mf and look to play with plenty of width isolating Hull's fb's, attacking with pace going forward and using their movement to penetrate.

FB's go forward one at a time, one generally sits deeper most likely Walker. We use their pace to track their forwards looking to get their foot in when they're wide and isolated down the flanks with our wingers track back. Mendy then given freedom to attack going forward and provide the width.

Up top look to keep it simple, no risks of over playing but generally mixing it up as we dont want to be too predictable, a quick counter attacking overload from deep will be key especially in wider areas with Walker's and Mendy's pace, De Bruyne, Silva and front 3 burst forward and hit our opponents hard when they over commit.

At times going long ball as we feel our forwards are more of a match for their defence. Griezmann look to stay on his toes looking to occupy their CB's in behind and creating space in the final third for the two alongside him, targeting the slower of the CB's, look to turn him with that change of pace and expose the channels.

De Bruyne and Silva as a duo in mf, look to control the tempo of and get us going forward, stretch the play and look to take control of the game with the front 3 attackers constantly making runs in behind and making themselves available off the ball.

4-3-3 - On the ball:
It starts from the back. Ederson is very able with his hands and feet and should look to find our players in space.

The CB duo are excellent on the ball, very good passing success rates and should look to move the ball into mf quickly. At times collecting short from Ederson and getting their heads up, looking for movement from the attackers and attempting diagonal or long balls into feet, so we can can counter at pace and bypass their mf press.

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

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

De Bruyne and Silva will look to play more the AM role and inbetween the lines, roaming in the oppositions half and looking to act as the link between midfield and attack. Picking up pockets of space and using their awareness to dictate the play, running at their backline and using quick pace and incisiveness to commit defenders on the break.

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

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

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

When Hull are in possession we will sit deep as a unit with 10 men behind the ball ensuring their is no space left in behind.

We form a rigid structure looking to press the space and dropping off with men behind the ball, only allowing them to play where we want them too, stifle the midfield and stop them from picking their passes into a forward attacker.

Essentially a 4-5-1, 5 in mf working to minimise the space in midfield zones and preventing them from finding their attackers. Our wingers then drop off to mark the oppositions wingers and help our CB's to prevent any space being left in behind.

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

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

If we manage to win the ball we must immediately look to counter and hit the opposition hard. Walker & Mendy can come up to support the play and provide the width. The front 4 burst forward.

Subs:
IF WINNING: 70th minute – (4-2-3-1)
- Tolisso > D.Silva
- G.Jesus > Griezmann
Compact 4-3-3, we get fresh legs on and keep things solid, Jesus used as an outlet to surge forward when possible

IF DRAW: 70th minute – (4-3-3)
- Mahrez > Lemar (Mahrez RW, Dembele LW)
- Mertens > Griezmann
- Tolisso > D.Silva (75th min)
Stretch the play and look to play more in wider areas at this stage where we think Hull are most susceptible to being exposed.

IF LOSING: 77th minute – (4-4-2 - direct)
- G.Jesus > D.Silva
- Mahrez > Lemar (Dembele LW, Mahrez RW)
- Mertens > Griezmann
4-4-2, direct. long balls into the box and constantly looking for the two strikers.
Flood forward and look for an equalizer/winner.

C - Van Dijk
FK's - De Bruyne
Corners - De Bruyne / Dembele
Pens – Griezmann

------------------------Pickford
---------Llorente---Kompany---Sane
Danilo------Goretzka---Herrera---Rodriguez
--------Malcom-------------------Costa
------------------------Cavani
Peacock-Farrell, Maitland-Niles, Van Aanholt, Cook, Tadic, Aspas, Foden
Another change of formation today should bamboozle the opposition a bit. We picked up our first point last time, and I expect to go a step further today. I have picked a side that I think allows us license to attack and commit men to attack whilst also providing us with an adequate defensive base. For this system to work we have to focus on the energy and pace that we possess both through the middle and out wide, and need to know our positional game and how to work with the ball and without it.
We do intend to play with the ball out the back, relying on Llorente and Sane spreading the play to our attacking wing backs. Kompany will look to provide an option between them, and will focus his distribution forward to our central midfield players. Balls out should be kept as simple as possible, with options provided short and simple, as players drop deep to pick up the ball. When off the ball they will work as a unit, allowing them to press members of the attack, whilst not creating positional space to be exploited behind them. Kompany will cover the others as they press forward, making sure that space behind is not present. All three will get forward for free kicks providing an aerial threat.
Goretzka and Herrera will also contribute to the defensive system, with them alternating between pushing forward and sitting deep. When the opposition has the ball they will sit in front of the three men, covering the space and pushing out wide, to cover the spaces vacated by the wing backs. Both players have the manoeuvring ability to operate in this sort of deep lying system. When we pick the ball up, they will look to spread the play out wide, either to the wing backs or the inside forward wingers. One of them will also be allowed to operate as a box to box midfielder so that we can get as many men into the box as possible. When this happens, the other will sit back to shield the defence.
Danilo and Rodriguez are both attacking full backs, and so today I have decided to give them license to bomb forward and contribute to the attack. Both will push forward and overlap their respective narrow wingers. They won’t cut inside due to the fact that they should both be on their stronger foot and are both capable of whipping in great balls for our aerially strong striker. When off the ball they will get back into position, so as to cover the space out wide and prevent the opposition wingers from attacking effectively. They will keep their opposite number pinned out wide, before winning the ball back and attacking with pace on the counter. When our defenders have the ball they will pull out wide and provide a short passing option for the defenders.
Our narrow wingers are both direct players that are very capable of utilising their pace to run at the opposition and get in behind their defence. They sit slightly more narrow than conventional wingers so that they can target the central areas of the opposition defence, whilst the wing backs occupy the opposition wide players. Malcom and Costa are both quick players and so can stretch the opposition’s central areas, which will create a bit more space for Cavani that he can utilise to best effect. When we don’t have the ball they will stay forward, so as to either keep the opposition full backs in their defensive third, or to utilise the space that they leave behind when they push forward, running into space to make themselves available for the ball in behind.
Edinson Cavani has already proved himself to be potent in front of goal so far this season, and with Costa and Malcom he has two supporting players that are very capable of not only running at defenders, but also getting in behind, pulling their defenders apart, and creating space for Cavani to drop off slightly so that he can pick up the ball. He is physical enough to deal with the attention that he will no doubt be getting, and also to provide a consistent threat from set pieces and the crosses from our wide wing backs. With Costa, Malcom and a CM also getting into the box, there will be plenty of players to pick up the second ball should it drop to them.
Substitutions
If drawing/losing
Salif Sane off for Iago Aspas 65 mins
Switch to a 4-2-3-1 with Aspas playing in behind Cavani as a second striker. Goretzka and Herrera will sit deep in midfield, covering the loss of a defender. Aspas can get in behind defenders along with Costa and Malcom.
Herrera off for Phil Foden 75 mins
A more attacking midfielder to come on for Herrera. Foden will look to engineer it that we are playing further up the pitch. Goretzka will sit further back, whilst foden looks to drift into space higher up and dictate the tempo and pace of the game.
Danilo off for Ainsley Maitland-Niles 80 mins
Maybe not a tremendously attacking substitution, but Maitland Niles is a strong player capable of bursting forward and contributing up the pitch. Fresh legs to the attack down the right, and we will look to utilise this side most for the last ten minutes.
If winning
Malcom off for Lewis Cook 70 mins
Switch to a 3-5-1-1, with Lewis Cook playing at the heart of the Arsenal midfield. He will serve as the linchpin, looking to dictate the play by hitting balls over the top to our attackers, specifically through to Douglas Costa, who will look to run past Cavani.
Edinson Cavani off for Iago Aspas 80 mins
Aspas comes on to act as a pacy counter attacking outlet for when we try and pick up the ball late in the game, as the opposition have to commit more men to the attack. We will be looking to hit balls in behind for him to chase.
Douglas Costa off for Dusan Tadic 85 mins
Tadic is a tidy player capable of keeping possession, and when we hold possession we are unlikely to concede. At this point we are making changes to close out the game.

Week 8

Bournemouth Tactics:

TEAM – 4-2-3-1
Captain – Danilo
Vice Captain - Conti


------------------Rossi
Militão---Conti---Senesi--- Saracchi
------------Danilo--Paredes
Pussetto-----Paquetá-------Everton
-----------------Gómez


SUBS – Ramírez, Veríssimo, Álvarez, Wendel, Rodríguez, Cunha, Pedro Guilherme



Today we will concentrate on doing what we do best and playing to our strengths – keeping hold of the ball and working it simply around the park. Nothing flash or risky – just possession football. Patience could be the key and if we keep it tight we have the personnel to get us a goal. We also pose a very dangerous threat on the counter. We have pace to move the ball forward very quickly and enough pace to regain our shape if the opposition turn it around and try and counter us. This is a formation that can slot into a number of systems. We can easily slip into a 4-3-3, 4-5-1 or a 4-4-2 depending on how the match pans out. When defending it will be more of a defensive 4-3-3 with Paredes and Danilo holding in the middle with Paquetá just in front pressing the opposition and making a nuisance of himself. The whole team will sit that wee bit deeper but always ready for any possible counter.
When/if under sustained pressure Paredes will sit deeper alongside Danilo and Paquetá will be expected to be his energetic self and press the opposition midfield and knock them out of their rhythm. Our wingers and full backs will sit a wee bit deeper too but always alert and ready to use their speed at any chance of a counter
With the ability of our team to change formation depending on the circumstances I think we have enough in midfield and out wide to starve them from the ball. We will be looking to get bodies in the box. With fast and fluid attacking play Gómez will always have support in this area and our wide men will always have a target to get the ball in to. With the trickery of Paquetá, Pussetto and Everton, the opposition can always expect the unexpected when we are on the attack. We will not need to rush and we can take our time. We will not be afraid to hit them on the counter as in our full backs and wingers we have enough speed and skill to beat most teams. We will also be wary of what the opposition can do and will look to press them with urgency when we are looking the ball. We will take the risks we need to open them up ONLY when the correct chance arises. In saying that we will have a measured approach and if they try to play with a high tempo we will match that. We are not here to let them dictate the game. We will play it how we want to play and we will have a right go at them.
We will use Danilo and Paredes to dictate the tempo of the play to suit our moment. I think with our mobility and physicality we can really stamp our authority on this area right from the off. The wingers will be asked to vary the attack between taking on the full backs on the outside, or cutting inside. Whatever seems right at the moment – in order to carve up their defence. The pace of the wingers will cause a lot of headaches and the ability of both wingers and the AM to interchange positions will be something we will use to add to the confusion in the opposition ranks. We will look for our midfield to control this area and make it very difficult for them to link up play between their midfield and the front men – hopefully meaning their attack will not see a whole lot of the ball.
Without the ball we will look to Paquetá/Paredes to press this area and give them no space at all to work. When in possession we will take our time and keep our passing neat and simple. We will be looking for Paquetá (supported by Paredes) to orchestrate our attacks. He will be the main man in creating the openings. We will look to our speed outside and on the overlap as well as the cleverness of Paquetá in playing the ball through and behind the defenders giving our attacking widemen and CF plenty of ammunition to get on the end of.
Free Kicks/Corners - Paquetá, Everton and Pussetto with Senesi, Conti and Paredes expected to go up for attacking set plays.

Penalties - Gómez or Paredes

SUBS

If Winning (on 75 mins) – Veríssimo for Senesi and Rodríguez for Pussetto – (Straight Swap)
If losing (on 70 mins) – Pedro Guilherme for Danilo, and Rodríguez for Pussetto (Switch to attacking 4-1-3-2):
------------------Paredes
Rodríguez---Paquetá---Everton
------------Gómez--Pedro Guilherme-----------------------

Comment deleted by Article Creator

Comment deleted by Article Creator

Week 8 v Brum

----------------------- Oblak -----------------------
Vrsaljko ----- Stones ----- Varane ----- Sandro
---------------------- Fabinho ---------------------
-------------- Zielinski ---- P.Pogba -------------
Mbappe ---------------------------------- Neymar
------------------- Lewandowski ------------------

Gunn, Rugani, Tousart, Aouar, Bernardeschi, Gelson, Rodrigo

Possession football, quick on the break and really pressurise the opposition with an in your face performance from the front, we want to hit them quickly so we need to press them quickly to get the ball, when we defend, we don't sit too deep with Zielinski, Fabinho & Pogba just in front harassing the man with the ball before they get to our back 4 and the front 3 in and around the half way line, Lewandowski slightly higher up, this will congest the midfield and allow Zielinski and Pogba to dictate play, stop them coming forward from the back, however, if they do push forward onto us and we get the ball they will be on the back foot and will really struggle with our front 3/4 with Fullbacks who are always ready to pounce and hit them with pace.

Varane picks up the CF, Stones spare picks up the AM if he gets away from our midfield, keep the forward(s) away from the danger area, get onto them quickly and be strong, take the ball away from them and play it out of defence, look to get it out wide quickly when we have possession, Both are comfortable on the ball so can bring it out when in no danger and look for the pass longer to the forwards to hit them with pace, fullbacks must keep the wingers quiet, stop them and we stop a lot of there attacks They will look to keep them away from shooting areas and stop them becoming dangerous in any position by standing tall against them and keeping them on there 'bad' foot. When they attack, only one at a time as to not let ourselves be exposed, they drive down the line in support of the wingers, Sandro and Vrsaljko get outside Mbappe and Neymar to allow them to cut inside. the two always make themselves available to the wingers. I want both Varane and Stones to go up for corners, with the fullbacks and Tousart sitting back.

In the centre of the pitch are Zielinski, Fabinho and Pogba. Fabinho our deepest player sitting just in front of the CB's he will shadow there AM and not allow him to control the game, Zielinski and Pogba must be disciplined and lend a hand to stop them coming through. Fabinho must be aware of all that is around him, be in the right place at the right time and look to cover for defensive players moving forward, he has to impose himself early on the AM to make him wary of holding onto the ball too long, once on the ball look around, head up and pick the pass that will get us moving forward quickly always making himself for a return ball from a deeper angle as he he spreads it from side to side then eventually forward, can be out to the fullbacks or indeed a longer ball to the front three to take the opposition out of it as they are still high up the pitch. Zielinski slightly higher up the pitch, he will stop the run of play quicker to make our defenders jobs a lot easier, make our midfield very difficult to pass through, protect our defence and Fabinho as best as possible and again in possession get it to the front 3 but also look for fullbacks and Pogba as they move into space, keep it simple, he has a very good range of pass. Either pass and move(triangles) into space or look for a piercing through ball to our front three to drive onto.Can move forward to assist and look for balls coming out so he can either, shoot or whip straight back in. Pogba is essential to our style of play, he is the link(alongside Zielinski) between defence and attack, as we break quickly he will look to set up our front three and at times be in a 10 role and look for the Zielinski pass. he will follow his pass and make up the numbers up front. When he doesn't drop deep i.e when the defenders go long, he will look to form a front four as they move around and look to tear the defence apart. All of our midfield three must press the opposition and get to grips with this game very early on.

Our wingers are extremely quick, when we don't have the ball they drop back a bit to make up the numbers as they attack, push into the faces of the opposition to force them into mistakes and hopefully in the end they lose the ball, when they do lose the ball we charge at them and we do it quickly, either a long ball over defenders, go through the cms or out to one of our attacking fullbacks.however, the movement up front between Neymar and Mbappe will cause them problems as they switch around at times, will see us make their defenders move out of position to follow their player, thus allowing Pogba to pick his moment to move into space either as a 10 or out wide. If he does push wide this will allow Mbappe/Neymar to go in central as we will have an attacking fullback up and supporting. Quick passing in triangles that will get us in and beyond their defenders and eventually to Lewandowski who has the power and ability to beat any defender and the other winger who will look to get into space to get a shot off, if there defence is on top then we can always go direct at times and fire early crosses especially from deep from the fullbacks into Lewandowski right on top of the young goalkeeper to put a lot of pressure on him, we must always make sure he is well supported, if he cant get the shot away he will be looking to bring others into the game.

Captain - Varane
Pens - Lewandowski
Corners - Zielinski
Free Kicks - Pogba/Neymar

Subs

Losing -
65 Mins - Rodrigo for Pogba, Rodrigo go to RW, Mabppe up front with Lewa
75 Mins - Rugani and Gelson for Vrsaljko and Sandro, Rugani into a back 3, Gelson RW, Rodrigo LW, Neymar in a free role behind the front 2 this shakes things up

Winning -
75 Mins - Tousart for Pogba into a solid midfield 3
85 Mins - Bernardeschi for Neymar to help out Sandro
88 Mins - Rodrigo for Lewandwoski to run things down

Drawing -
70 Mins - Rodrigo for Pogba he goes to RW and Mbappe just behind Lewandowski
80 Mins - Gelson for Lewandowski 442 with Rodrigo/Mbappe up front, Gelson RW

Week 9 v City

----------------------- Oblak -----------------------
Vrsaljko ----- Stones ----- Varane ----- Sandro
---------------------- Fabinho ---------------------
-------------- M.Pjanic ---- P.Pogba -------------
Mbappe ---------------------------------- B'deschi
------------------- Lewandowski ------------------

Gunn, Henrichs, Tousart, Zielinski, Gelson, Maddison, K.Piatek

Possession football, quick on the break and really pressurise the opposition with an in your face performance from the front, we want to hit them quickly so we need to press them quickly to get the ball, when we defend, we don't sit too deep with Pjanic, Fabinho & Pogba just in front harassing the man with the ball before they get to our back 4 and the front 3 in and around the half way line, Lewandowski slightly higher up, this will congest the midfield and allow Pjnaic and Pogba to dictate play, stop them coming forward from the back, however, if they do push forward onto us and we get the ball they will be on the back foot and will really struggle with our front 3/4 with Fullbacks who are always ready to pounce and hit them with pace.

Varane picks up the CF, Stones spare picks up the AM if he gets away from our midfield, keep the forward(s) away from the danger area, get onto them quickly and be strong, take the ball away from them and play it out of defence, look to get it out wide quickly when we have possession, Both are comfortable on the ball so can bring it out when in no danger and look for the pass longer to the forwards to hit them with pace, fullbacks must keep the wingers quiet, stop them and we stop a lot of there attacks They will look to keep them away from shooting areas and stop them becoming dangerous in any position by standing tall against them and keeping them on there 'bad' foot. When they attack, only one at a time as to not let ourselves be exposed, they drive down the line in support of the wingers, Sandro and Vrsaljko get outside Mbappe and Bernardeschi to allow them to cut inside. the two always make themselves available to the wingers. I want both Varane and Stones to go up for corners, with the fullbacks and Tousart sitting back.

In the centre of the pitch are Pjanic, Fabinho and Pogba. Fabinho our deepest player sitting just in front of the CB's he will shadow there AM and not allow him to control the game, Pjanic and Pogba must be disciplined and lend a hand to stop them coming through. Fabinho must be aware of all that is around him, be in the right place at the right time and look to cover for defensive players moving forward, he has to impose himself early on the AM to make him wary of holding onto the ball too long, once on the ball look around, head up and pick the pass that will get us moving forward quickly always making himself for a return ball from a deeper angle as he he spreads it from side to side then eventually forward, can be out to the fullbacks or indeed a longer ball to the front three to take the opposition out of it as they are still high up the pitch. Pjanic slightly higher up the pitch, he will stop the run of play quicker to make our defenders jobs a lot easier, make our midfield very difficult to pass through, protect our defence and Fabinho as best as possible and again in possession get it to the front 3 but also look for fullbacks and Pogba as they move into space, keep it simple, he has a very good range of pass. Either pass and move(triangles) into space or look for a piercing through ball to our front three to drive onto.Can move forward to assist and look for balls coming out so he can either, shoot or whip straight back in. Pogba is essential to our style of play, he is the link(alongside Pjanic) between defence and attack, as we break quickly he will look to set up our front three and at times be in a 10 role and look for the Pjanic pass. he will follow his pass and make up the numbers up front. When he doesn't drop deep i.e when the defenders go long, he will look to form a front four as they move around and look to tear the defence apart. All of our midfield three must press the opposition and get to grips with this game very early on.

Our wingers are extremely quick, when we don't have the ball they drop back a bit to make up the numbers as they attack, push into the faces of the opposition to force them into mistakes and hopefully in the end they lose the ball, when they do lose the ball we charge at them and we do it quickly, either a long ball over defenders, go through the cms or out to one of our attacking fullbacks.however, the movement up front between Bernardeschi and Mbappe will cause them problems as they switch around at times, will see us make their defenders move out of position to follow their player, thus allowing Pogba to pick his moment to move into space either as a 10 or out wide. If he does push wide this will allow Mbappe/Bernardeschi to go in central as we will have an attacking fullback up and supporting. Quick passing in triangles that will get us in and beyond their defenders and eventually to Lewandowski who has the power and ability to beat any defender and the other winger who will look to get into space to get a shot off, if there defence is on top then we can always go direct at times and fire early crosses especially from deep from the fullbacks into Lewandowski right on top of the young goalkeeper to put a lot of pressure on him, we must always make sure he is well supported, if he cant get the shot away he will be looking to bring others into the game.

Captain - Varane
Pens - Lewandowski
Corners - Pjanic
Free Kicks - Pjanic

Subs

Losing
65 Mins - Gelson for Pogba 442 with Gelson going to RW and Mbappe up top
75 Mins - Sandro to LM, 3 at the back, K.Piatek for Bernardeschi and the in form striker goes into a front 3

Winning -
75 Mins - Tousart for Pogba and into a 3 man mid
85 Mins - Gelson for Lewandowski he goes to RW and Mbappe up top

Drawing -
70 Mins - Zielinski for Pogba
80 Mins - Gelson for Lewandowski, try hurt them with pace last 10

Gelson to RW and Mbappe up front that last sub when drawing

-----------------------Perin
Conti------de Vrij------Söyüncü---Guerreiro
-------------Rudy----------Dahoud
Thauvin-----------Ziyech--------------Brekalo
---------------------Mariano

Subs: Horn, Klostermann, Baumgartl, Lobotka, Kampl, Lallana, Batshuayi


Our defensive unit consists of Stefan de Vrij and Caglar Söyüncü paired up at centre-back, Andrea Conti at right-back and Raphaël Guerreiro at left-back, with Sebastian Rudy and Mahmoud Dahoud as our midfield ‘double pivot’ screening them.

This ‘double pivot’ is the key to our team and in Rudy and Dahoud we have a perfect pairing to initiate attacks by distributing the ball in an intelligent fashion, to be key players in circulation and to prevent dangerous opposition attacks, being disciplined in positioning and limiting space in between the lines.

The strength of our double pivot is that Dahoud can press the ball without leaving lots of space, as Rudy can maintain a good position to react if the initial press is bypassed. Our double pivot will offer huge defensive stability and will ensure that a structured shape is maintained.

Having two defensive midfielders centrally prevents others being dragged out of position to press.

Helping the defenders maintain solid positioning is a key part of Dahoud’s role, he will press almost anywhere in his own half to allow defenders to stay in the defensive line.

With Dahoud running his socks off for the team, our high tempo will dictated by his partner in holding midfield, Sebastian Rudy.

A holding midfielder through and through, Rudy is not just your “win the ball and pass it on to the closest player” – there is a real creative mind in his locker, but it’s his ability to be the shield of the back four and then be creative once he gets the ball that makes Rudy such a talent.

The attacking unit consists of Florian Thauvin, Hakim Ziyech and Josip Brekalo as our band of three attacking midfielders with Mariano Díaz as our lone central striker.

Our 4-2-3-1 is set up to have that wonderful ‘springy' quality - it absorbs pressure without breaking and then snaps back with surprising force.

In defence our 4-2-3-1 covers space very effectively, with the band of three attacking midfielders and centre forward able to press the opposition high up the pitch while the two defensive midfielders ensure that there is no space left in front of the defence. Then the back four can either play a high line, compressing the space even further, or drop deeper as preferred.

Once we have won the ball back, often by Rudy or Dahoud, then our 4-2-3-1 can spring into attack.

Conti and Guerreiro can surge up the wings in the knowledge that Rudy and Dahoud can drop into the space left behind if needed. As they come up the wings, both Florian Thauvin and Josip Brekalo, who are fast speed merchants, excellent in tight spaces and fantastic dribblers will cut inside or make runs into the box. Hakim Ziyech our attacking central midfielder’s low centre of gravity will enable him to navigate away from defenders at a frighteningly quick pace. Ziyech is blessed with an instant first touch and can dribble with the ball at such a close proximity to his feet that it makes him almost impossible to tackle this creative passer who will look to play Thauvin, Brekalo and Mariano in via fast passing combinations.

An out and out explosive centre-forward, Mariano is known for the abundance of pace and power that he possesses. Standing tall at close to 6ft, Mariano has a strong and sturdy physical frame that he’ll use well to bully the opposition defence.

Mariano has a fierce right-foot and is an equally strong header of the ball too, which will make him a huge threat in and around the penalty box. With his pace combined with his dribbling ability and the power that he possesses, Mariano will brush aside defenders and run past them with nonchalance.

While he is explosive and dangerous with the ball at his feet, what makes Mariano even more exciting is his excellent movement off the ball and the ability to make those smart runs in behind the defenders.


Subs on 75 mins
Kampl on for Ziyech, and Batshuayi for Mariano

Lots of fresh legs and pace to trouble the opposition for a late goal regardless of the score line

In the case of a I'll just hope it's for the opposition

Hull City v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Injuries: Strinic, Begovic, Ozil, Diawara

------------- Arrizabalaga
Hakimi - Marquinhos - Tah - Shaw
-- Rakitic - Fernandinho - Meyer
--- Di Maria - Immobile - Perisic

Subs: Leno, Maffeo, Vida, Sturaro, Matic, Vitolo, Alcacer

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

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

We are playing a 4-3-3 today, Arrizabalaga in goal, Marquinhos and Tah at centreback, Hakimi and Shaw at fullback, Rakitic, Fernandinho and Meyer in midfield, Di Maria and Perisic either side of Immobile upfront.

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

Arrizabalaga - 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 Immobile.

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

Hakimi/Shaw - Both of you to force the Hull wingers out wide, do not allow them to come inside as this will cause more problems for our midfield. They will want to cut inside so force them outside and block their crosses at source. They will try to create problems infield so its vital you only show them down the wing. If they play a diamond with no wingers you will need to form a narrow back four with the CB's and leave no spaces in behind. When we have possession, push forward and support Di Maria and Perisic 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 Immobile and link with Rakitic and Meyer. You will need to track back very quickly to ensure we don't get caught on the break.

Fernandinho - Our DM today, sit in front of the back four, break up play, watch out for runs from deep from the opposition, when in possession use your range of passing to look for teammates in advanced positions, use Rakitic and Meyer alongside you if you're closed down.

Rakitic/Meyer - Two box to box midfielders today, one either side of Fernandinho at DM. Both of you are required to get back and assist Fernandinho in front of the back four when we don't have the ball, but both with the ability and the freedom to push forward and join the front three, while always leaving at least one of you behind the ball. Look to link with Di Maria, Perisic or Immobile.

Di Maria/Perisic - Both with the trickery to beat the Arsenal fullback and get crosses in, you will also have our fullback overlapping giving you the chance to cut inside and get shots in. Look to supply Immobile with chances and also provide yourself with chances. Link up with Rakitic and Meyer, and capitalise on the space Immobile's presence will create for you.

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

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

Subs 70 mins;
If winning: Di Maria, Perisic and Meyer off, Vida, Matic and Sturaro on. Change to 5-3-1-1, Vida an extra CB, midfield trio of Sturaro, Fernandinho and Matic, with Rakitic in the AM role providing support to Immobile upfront.

If drawing: Meyer off, Vitolo on. Switch to a 4-2-3-1, Rakitic and Fernandinho in midfield, Vitolo to RW, Di Maria to AM behind Immobile. Try and find a winner.

If losing: Tah and Meyer off, Vitolo and Alcacer on. 3-1-4-2, Hakimi - Marquinhos - Shaw at the back, Fernandinho the playmaker from deep, Vitolo - Di Maria - Rakitic - Perisic behind Immobile and Alcacer upfront. Push for goals.

In case of , change to a flat 4-4-1.
Arrizabalaga - Meyer off, Leno on
Hakimi/Shaw - Meyer off, Maffeo on
Marquinhos/Tah - Meyer off, Vida on
Fernandinho - Meyer off, Matic on
Rakitic - Meyer off, Sturaro on
Meyer - no sub
Di Maria/Perisic - Meyer off, Vitolo on
Immobile - Meyer off, Alcacer on

Villa week 8 v Everton

---------------------- De Gea ------------------------
Bellerin ---- Bonucci ---- Chiellini ---- Phil Max
-------------------- Strootman ----------------------
--------------- A.Vidal ---- R.Neves ----------------
F.Chiesa ---------------------------------- K.Coman
----------------------- Icardi -------------------------

Scuffet, Sidibe, Iniesta, Barkley, Rashford, Benzema, Mepham

Control possession high up the field, pass and move into positions that can hurt them, when we defend we do so as a team from the front and really pressurise them into quick , misplaces passes for us to pick up, in their face performance as we look to move from the bottom of the table

Bellerin and P.Max have freedom to attack, but only one at a time, one always staying back so we will have a back 3, they will bomb down the line supporting the wingers, which will allow the winger to cut inside and support Icardi. They look to play one twos with the attacking midfield 3 which will get him beyond there fullback and whip in dangerous crosses. Both tough defenders and intelligent so know when to tackle and when just to try and shimmy out wide. When defending and on the cautious side and remain vigilant at all times in the line of four, keep it tight.. Bonucci the more mobile and quicker CB will mark the CF, use his strength and speed to keep the CF away from the danger area. Chiellini alongside is the spare defender and helps out where needed, bot hstrong defenders, dominate in the air and good on the ball, so when in possession they can carry the ball out from defence and look to send our forwards away. Stay tight as a four and let nothing through. Both up for corners, fullbacks and Strootman stay back. When we are in possession the ball will come from the back, so these guys must look for movement ahead of them so they can pick there pass, both CBs are comfortable with ball at feet and will take the ball out of defence to allow them to come on to us before he passes, this will create space as hew will force them to break away from the players they are marking..

Strootman's primary role is to win possession and then start an attacking phase. Within this he needs to cover spaces in between the midfield and defence where the opposition’s number 10 will likely to be operating whilst also being aware when the full-backs had pushed forward.Take care of of the No 10/SS is also a main focus, stick to him like glue and stop him becoming a threat

Vidal is our box-to-box midfielder and has responsibility throughout the pitch. He is expected to score goals and create chances for team mates, whilst also helping in the defensive third. One requirement of this role are high fitness levels due to the amount of running they are expected to do. The box-to-box midfielder is more likely to be found on the side of the pitch where the full-back that is less efficient in the attacking third plays to provide balance on both flanks. Neves main responsibility is to create chances for the three attackers in front of him. He will often find himself the furthest forward of the three midfielders and sometimes even in the number 10 role if the correct situation arises. The main requirement of Neves is creativity; he needs to be able to play a pass that penetrates the opposition’s defense or dictates the direction of the attack These three should work well together and between them have everything a midfield needs.

Wingers are going to cause problems out wide, with the support they will have, they will look to push the fullbacks back and get into the danger area. both sides will definitely pose a threat with quick one twos, using Neves to play around them with the ball going in triangles quickly until the break is on. If fulbacks drives passed wingers they can cut inside looking to make a nuisance of himself centrally. Sane will use his tricks and flicks and pace to get him where he wants to be, again using Neves to get into danger areas. Both wingers have a fantastic forward to aim for in Icardi so if they get to the bye line then get the crosses in for him to attack.Icardi will get plenty chances, however he must put away there side who will be solid at the back, however I want to target the slower of the two/three with the aid of Neves and the wingers. Get into positions that he can go for goal or at very least drag players away for other players to drive into the space. Again, 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 with hopefully a few crosses coming in he can get up and above defenders for. Can hold it up and look for runners, in particular Coman, Chiesa and Neves will be making his runs also so be watchful of them just to lay it off to the side if he cant go for goal himself. But especially look for Neves as he times his runs perfectly so a little touch back to him allows him to go for goal.

Captain - Chiellini
Pens - Icardi
FK's Neves
Corners - Wingers

Subs
Losing
65 Mins - Rashford for Coman
75 Mins - Benzema for Vidal go 4-4-2 (424)
80 Mins - Iniesta for Neves try and open things up

Winning -
75 Mins - Sidibe for Coman, Sidibe to LB, Max just in front 451
85 Mins - Benzema for Icardi

Drawing -
70 Mins - Rashford for Coman
75 Mins - Barkley for Vidal

Week 9 v Liverpool

---------------------- De Gea ------------------------
Bellerin ---- Bonucci ---- Barzagli ---- Phil Max
-------------------- Strootman ----------------------
--------------- A.Vidal ---- R.Neves ----------------
F.Chiesa ---------------------------------- K.Coman
----------------------- Icardi -------------------------

Scuffet, Sidibe, Iniesta, B.Traore, Rashford, Benzema, Mepham

Control possession high up the field, pass and move into positions that can hurt them, when we defend we do so as a team from the front and really pressurise them into quick , misplaces passes for us to pick up, in their face performance as we look to move from the bottom of the table

Bellerin and P.Max have freedom to attack, but only one at a time, one always staying back so we will have a back 3, they will bomb down the line supporting the wingers, which will allow the winger to cut inside and support Icardi. They look to play one twos with the attacking midfield 3 which will get him beyond there fullback and whip in dangerous crosses. Both tough defenders and intelligent so know when to tackle and when just to try and shimmy out wide. When defending and on the cautious side and remain vigilant at all times in the line of four, keep it tight.. Bonucci the more mobile and quicker CB will mark the CF, use his strength and speed to keep the CF away from the danger area. Barzagli alongside is the spare defender and helps out where needed, bot hstrong defenders, dominate in the air and good on the ball, so when in possession they can carry the ball out from defence and look to send our forwards away. Stay tight as a four and let nothing through. Both up for corners, fullbacks and Strootman stay back. When we are in possession the ball will come from the back, so these guys must look for movement ahead of them so they can pick there pass, both CBs are comfortable with ball at feet and will take the ball out of defence to allow them to come on to us before he passes, this will create space as hew will force them to break away from the players they are marking..

Strootman's primary role is to win possession and then start an attacking phase. Within this he needs to cover spaces in between the midfield and defence where the opposition’s number 10 will likely to be operating whilst also being aware when the full-backs had pushed forward.Take care of of the No 10/SS is also a main focus, stick to him like glue and stop him becoming a threat

Vidal is our box-to-box midfielder and has responsibility throughout the pitch. He is expected to score goals and create chances for team mates, whilst also helping in the defensive third. One requirement of this role are high fitness levels due to the amount of running they are expected to do. The box-to-box midfielder is more likely to be found on the side of the pitch where the full-back that is less efficient in the attacking third plays to provide balance on both flanks. Neves main responsibility is to create chances for the three attackers in front of him. He will often find himself the furthest forward of the three midfielders and sometimes even in the number 10 role if the correct situation arises. The main requirement of Neves is creativity; he needs to be able to play a pass that penetrates the opposition’s defense or dictates the direction of the attack These three should work well together and between them have everything a midfield needs.

Wingers are going to cause problems out wide, with the support they will have, they will look to push the fullbacks back and get into the danger area. both sides will definitely pose a threat with quick one twos, using Neves to play around them with the ball going in triangles quickly until the break is on. If fulbacks drives passed wingers they can cut inside looking to make a nuisance of himself centrally. Sane will use his tricks and flicks and pace to get him where he wants to be, again using Neves to get into danger areas. Both wingers have a fantastic forward to aim for in Icardi so if they get to the bye line then get the crosses in for him to attack.Icardi will get plenty chances, however he must put away there side who will be solid at the back, however I want to target the slower of the two/three with the aid of Neves and the wingers. Get into positions that he can go for goal or at very least drag players away for other players to drive into the space. Again, 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 with hopefully a few crosses coming in he can get up and above defenders for. Can hold it up and look for runners, in particular Coman, Chiesa and Neves will be making his runs also so be watchful of them just to lay it off to the side if he cant go for goal himself. But especially look for Neves as he times his runs perfectly so a little touch back to him allows him to go for goal.

Captain - Chiellini
Pens - Icardi
FK's Neves
Corners - Wingers

Subs
Losing -
70 Mins - Rashford for Coman and B.Traore for Chiesa fresh legs v tiring defenders
80 Mins - Benzema for Vidal 4-4-2

Winning -
70 Mins - Sidibe for Coman, Max to LM, Sidibe to LB
80 Mins - Mepham for Neves he goes into a back 5 (541) to shore it up
85 Mins - Benzema for Icardi

Drawing -
70 Mins - B.Troare for Chiesa, Rashford for Coman
80 Mins - Iniesta for Neves

BRUM vs chelsea

------------------------------------Lafont--------------------------------
Hysaj------------Skriniar---------------Maguire------------Chilwell
-----------------------Valverde----------Kondogbia-----------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neres------------------------------------------------------------------Kluivert
-----------------------------------Philipp----------------------------------------
-----------------------------------Zaha------------------------------------------

Subs - Lunin, Diop, Fabian Ruiz, Cristante, Pellegrini, Anderson, Gnabry

CAPTAIN - SKRINIAR
CK'S - ZAHA
FK'S - ZAHA
PENALTIES - ZAHA

I want us to hold a deep defensive line to start of with so the oppo dont get an early goal. Keep things simple in the beginning and only pressure the oppo when they get in our half. When we have the ball I want the team to play pass and move football. Don't stay static, try and get in behind the oppo defence as there is a lot of pace in our attacking players. As the game goes on, 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
Lafont is a quality young keeper. Don't take risks. Punch the ball away if the shot is too powerful. Command your area. The defence is well balanced. Skriniar and Maguire bring a whole lot of experience and pace to the defence. Maguire will use his experience to marshal the defence and Skriniar will look to use his pace to close the oppo strikers down. Stay vocal with each other and cover for each other if oppo gets past one of you. Full 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. Kondogbia will be covering for them when they go attacking.

Defence Mids
Kondogbia + Valverde
Kondogbia will be the anchor in the middle. Stay back in front of the defence and protect the defence with your life. If the oppo play an AM then stick close to him and mark him if possible. When our fullbacks are attacking then your main priority will be to cover for them. When in possession pass the ball out to the wings or play a through ball from deep to our wingers.
Valverde will look to sit deep and be the gap between the defence and the midfield and play as the deep lying playmaker. When he has the ball I want him to pass the ball forward and try and play through balls for our wingers to run onto. I want the team to use him as an outlet to get play started or when the oppo is pressing us I want him to use his expert ball control to keep hold of possession of the ball. When not in possession of the ball I want him to sit alongside Kondogbia in the middle and protect the defence.

Wingers
Neres + Kluivert
These 2 will be the focal point of my attack. They are 2 young and hungry players and I want to give them the freedom to express themselves in attack. Kluivert will be looking to cut in from the left and Neres likewise from the right. I want you both to try and beat the oppo fullbacks with your pace and dribbling ability but don't try too hard as if you see them doubling up on you you can either pass back or into the centre of the pitch to one of our CM's. I want you both to be aware of our fullbacks and play pass and move 1 2's with them to try and penetrate the oppo back line. Hysaj and Dalot are no slouches attacking wise so use them! If you can cut in onto your stronger foot, don't be afraid to shoot from range as you both have the ability to score from long range. If there is no space to do so then take the ball to the byline and whip in low crosses for any of our attacking players in the box to get ahead of their marker and shoot. When we are defending corners I want both of them to stay near the halfway line so we can hit the oppo on the counter attack.

Attack Mid
Maximilian Philipp
Philipp will be playing just behind Zaha and will look to help him out in attack. Be ready for passes into your feet and shoot if you see an opportunity. Mix up your attacking runs to throw off the oppo DM. I want him to dribble with the ball and play 1 2's with the rest of the team. Shoot if you see an opening.

Striker
Wilfred Zaha
Zaha will look to use his pace to get the better of the oppo defence. Play off of the shoulders of the oppo CB's and time your runs between them to beat the offside trap. Use your expert movement to bamboozle the oppo defence play 1 2's with your teammates to cut open the opposition.

Subs if LOSING BY 65MINS
Put on Gnabry for Kondogbia, Anderson for Kluivert and Cristante for Valverde to bring some more pace on. Play a high line and try and get a goal. Change formation to 41212.

-------------------------------------Lafont--------------------------------
Hysaj-------------Skriniar-----------Maguire----------------Chilwell
-----------------------------------Cristante------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neres-----------------------------------------------------------------Anderson
--------------------------------------Philipp------------------------------------
--------------------------Zaha--------------Gnabry--------------------------


Subs if WINNING BY 80MINS
Take off Philipp and put on Diop in CB. Play defensive with everyone in our own half defending for their lives, waiting to hit the oppo on the counter attack. Anderson on for Kluivert and Gnabry for Zaha.

----------------------------------Lafont--------------------------------
Hysaj------Skriniar----Maguire-----Diop-----Chilwell
------------------Valverde------------Kondogbia----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------Neres-----------------------------------------------Anderson--------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------Gnabry----------------------------------------


Subs if DRAWING BY 65MINS
Anderson on for Kluivert
Ruiz on for Valverde
Gnabry on for Zaha
Fresh legs to bring on.

NEWCASTLE 4-3-3

___________Alisson
Azpi____Alder___Umtiti___Robbo
__________Jorginho
________Kante___Milner
Salah______Suarez________Mane

SUBS: Rose, Radja, James, Koke, N’Zonzi, Reus, Bobby

Captain: Luis Suarez
Penalties: Luis Suarez
Corners: James Milner
Freekicks: Luis Suarez
Crossing Freekick: James Milner

The formation deployed today is so that we gain as much control as possible higher up he pitch. We expect to have more of the ball so patience is key. We also expect the four behind the striker to drift around a bit, getting into positions where their natural play can cause damage. The striker up front presses when we don’t have the ball and the entire team will support him cut passing lanes to help win the ball higher up. The quality of our players will allow us to break through the oppositions press. When we have the ball we will want to attract the press and use the spaces that they open up to attack.

Full backs will get forward when the opportunity arises. Our full backs are good at feeding our forward line with their ability on the ball and we aim to utilize that with their ability to get up the pitch and tactical arareness. We also need our full backs to widen the pitch for us. Our centre halves are good on the ball, and a long punt every now and then to utilize our pace out wide is encouraged. Our right back will also tuck in to help solidify the team.

The regista will drop in to form a back three so that the centre backs can split wide to push the full backs general position higher up in line with the midfielders (and wide forwards engage their back line along with the striker). In doing so we create a four man midfield to overpower their midfield. This will allow our midfield to be flexible, if one of their midfielders steps forward, one of ours will move into the space they vacated. The regista will be the link between our defence and midfield and because of the way he plays, he will draw the opponents forward towards him to attack the ball, pulling their team’s lines apart. This will create more spaces between the lines for our midfield and forward lines to move into. The right centre mid will be the more defensive one in his box to box role, closing down space and cutting passing lanes with his incredible interception ability. Playing alongside the regista will give him less areas of the pitch to cover, and shorter distance needed to win the ball back to start the next attack. Both centre mids will float between the lines during the attacking phase just behind our forwards.

By having our wide forwards up front when we have the ball it will effectively create space out wide. We would expect our full backs to sometimes go infield to collect the ball from the keeper, while one of the midfielders goes wide so when he receives the ball he will have time to look up and pick passes as the opposition midfield will be reluctant to press which will leave a man free in midfield. This can be done by a midfielder too, dropping deep to create a free man in the first line with time on the ball, ping it straight to the striker who can lay it off to the other onrushing midfielder.

If short passing options aren’t available the passing range and accuracy of our keeper will safely transfer the ball forwards via our full backs, wherever they are on the pitch. The keeper can also dink the ball into space for the striker or wide forward to control taking out 6 or 7 opposition players in the process.

The striker’s main role will be to create space for the wide forwards. He will drop deep into a ten to drag defenders out and create space for our wide forwards to run into. This will tie into our quick short passing which is aimed at dragging their players out of position and create space between their lines. Our team will always recycle the ball back to the regista to keep possession and to keep the ball moving.

When we don’t have the ball we will expect our four behind the striker to drop into a 4-5-1 in support of our regista and right centre mid. We will also create triangles to trap the opposition players that have the ball, cutting the passing lanes and others putting pressure on players that might receive the ball. We stop the oppositions rhythm and force them into mistakes with our pressure. To stop their counter attacks after we lose the ball, three players will swarm the ball carrier before he can get his head up to play. If they beat the immediate press when the team’s main goal is to push their play wide where they can do the least damage. Our midfielders are an integral part to our play, when we win the ball back we will create space and time for them with our team shape. There will be times when we are under the cosh and will have the option of deploying a bowl shaped 5 at the back, with the right centre mid dropping in to make closing down the opponents very effective.

Subs

65 mins: Radja comes on for Milner, our legs will start to tire, so will theirs, Radja will add box to box ability and energy late in the game.

75 mins: Bobby comes on for Suarez, a different style of forward play for the opposition to think about.

If winning 80 mins: N’Zonzi comes on for Jorginho to close out the game. He is capable in defensive midfield alongside Kante in a 4-2-3-1.

If losing/drawing 80 mins: Reus comes on for Jorginho and play 2 up front.

MANCHESTER CITY vs Bournemouth

Injuries:
Mikel Oyarzabal 21/04/97 21 Spain LW U21
Jonjo Shelvey 27/02/92 26 England CM Home Grown
Richarlison* 10/05/97 21 Brazil LW U21
Dan-Axel Zagadou 03/06/99 19 France CB U21

Line-Up:


----------------------------------Rico----------------------------------

Pereira-------------Caldara---------Romagnoli--------------Digne

-------------Rafinha----------Witsel----------Matuidi--------------

-----------------------Willian----------Fekir-------------------------

-----------------------------Mandzukic------------------------------

Substitutes: Forster; Toure; Milenkovic; Laimer; Golovin; Robben; Belotti

Captain: Matuidi
Penalties: Mandzukic
Free Kicks: Fekir
Corners: Rafinha


Tactics:

We setup with a strong defensive platform, hitting Bournemouth with quick attacks in numbers as we go direct and down the wings, with our full backs pushing up to stretch the opposition formation. We go with 3 all-action box-to-box midfielders in front of the defence, looking to give the defence strong cover and give the attacking players more freedom to break forward quickly.

We will start in a 4-3-3 formation, dropping back to 4-5-1 in defence, in order to reinforce the midfield out of possession. Witsel plays as the central midfielder, flanked by Matuidi and Rafinha, while Willian and Fekir operate behind the centre forward, looking to alternate between using the wide and central channels and Mandzukic hold the CF position. All 3 front men can play across the pitch and will be encouraged to swap positions to keep defenders guessing.

The main objective of the frontline is to force the opposition GK to look for direct balls up to the forwards, where our large back four are set up to control any aerial threat. If the goalkeeper does try to go short to his centre-backs, we will them towards the central channel, while blocking the passing lanes to the either the holding midfielder or CM partnership. Our central forward player is key here, as he will constantly be closing the passing lanes through the middle.

We will prevent the Bournemouth midfielders from linking up with their forwards, forcing them to play backwards and then piling the pressure on the player in possession. Matuidi and Rafinha stand out in particular here, organising the defensive effort with high-octave pressing, and ensuring Bournemouth cannot establish a dominance in the centre of the pitch. To facilitate this pressing game, we will expect our front 3 to close down should Bournemouth choose to play out from the back, while our full backs mark their men aggressively. Witsel will hold the formation from just in front of the centre backs.

Should Bournemouth launch an attack, the aim is to remain tight in the defensive third - the two wing forwards will drop into midfield to cover any overlapping runs made by the Bournemouth full backs, and we will completely crowd the central channel of the pitch; this will force Bournemouth to either make their play down the flanks against 2 athletic defenders, or play backwards where our forward will be waiting to press and intercept.

We will be lethal on the counter-attack. The speed of the first wave of our breaks will ensure they escape concerted pressure from Bournemouth. Our attackers surge forwards, positioning themselves in behind the line of pressure ahead of the ball, thus providing the player who won the ball plenty of possession. Matuidi will be the standout player in these situations; with an impressive understanding of when and where to attack the free space both with and without the ball.

We will vary our approach in attack, alternating between direct play and passing through the thirds. Rico will often look to move the ball into the opposition half as quickly as possible, while the midfield has plenty of strength, aggression, and attacking intent in the middle of the park, constantly seeking to exploit any gaps in behind their opposing midfielders. Matuidi and Rafinha have the ability to make particularly good use of the space on the inside, projecting their side forwards in attack where they will outnumber the Bournemouth defensive midfield area. Moreover, giving Matuidi free reign in the midfield will add another dimension to our attack, as his dribbling through the centre of the pitch can draw players out of position and open up space for our attackers to run into. In addition to this, his technical prowess at feeding through-balls in tight spaces will create numerous chances for our forwards to put away.

In the attacking phase, we will opt for combination play, swapping between short passes to lure the Bournemouth defenders into the opposition half and more ambitious passes through the thirds. Our high tempo will disrupt our opponents, both in midfield and in the final third. The pace and movement of our forwards will cause chaos for the Bournemouth midfielders, who will be put under severe pressure to attempt to protect their midfield against the pace and direct nature of our attack. We will put our opponents under constant pressure, with our dangerous front three of Willian, Fekir and Mandzukic forcing their way in behind their full-backs and posing constant problems for the centre-backs. At the same time, our full backs have the athleticism and talent to get up the pitch along the byline and drill in low, hard crosses that will cause panic among the defenders.

As a collective, we are well balanced. In the final third we will locate our biggest threats in prime positions, where they will cause constant uncertainty in the last line of defence. Mandzukic, Fekir and Willian will regularly find openings with their pace and direct play, successfully exploiting the space in between the centre-backs and the full-backs alongside them.

In the defensive transition, we will re-organise quickly and effectively after losing the ball, Rafinha and Matuidi leading the way in swarming around the man in possession, with both being used to implementing a high pressing system, with Witsel adept at covering the inside lanes and intercepting play. We will prevent Bournemouth from outnumbering us in this phase of the game, reducing the threat of the counter-attack.


Substitutions:

65 minutes: Laimer for Rafinha

70 minutes: Belotti for Mandzukic

80 minutes: Robben for Willian

3-5-2 Total Football

Same formation as last week but with three changes to our gameplan, two more defensive midfielders in front of the back 3 but looking to push the two wide players further on. We are also more direct on the ball, get Hazard and Coutinho in between their midfield and defence, we feel this is where we can find space and open up Newcastle. With this we have added a lot of physicality in addition to our flair in attack, with power, strength and pace throughout our side.

Newcastle's forwards all look to come inside, so with two defensive midfielders, and by packing the midfield we look to cut out service to them and defend in a narrow formation not allowing them to play.

At home we look to control the game, 3 defenders who are excellent on the ball. Gomez comes in at the back for Kehrer the only change as we feel he is stronger defensively. Two cbs with great pace looking to pick up their most advanced forwards either side of Hummels who will look to be the cb covering and sweeping up, being in the right place.

Casemiro in front remains defensive throughout. Doucoure plays more advanced, his physicality, energy to also break forward always offering an option in attack will also be important in addition to the strong defensive play he brings. Although we want the back 3 to play out from the back we don't want them to play a high line, don't leave too much space in behind for Toon to counter. Having Neuer as sweeper keeper will help guard, but we're not taking our chances. So we look to make upn for deeper line by packing the midfield, with 5 but also having Hazard drop deeper making it 6.

Carvajal likes to attack but also offers great energy on the right wing his crossing will be important, while the pace and skill of Sane on the other side will create more space for the attackers. Hummels great long passing also gives us the option of going long to Ronaldo or for the pace of our attackers to run on to. Allowing us to mix up our play if we are finding Toon difficult to break down.

Key to our attack is giving the freedom of a free role to Hazard. Playing off Ronaldo, and with the option of coming deep to link with the midfield, we let him find space to make the difference. Coutinho also has more freedom to get at and find space off their deepest cm with two midfielders who are strong defensively behind him .

Ronaldo plays his natural game, great link up play and more importantly his ability to get in the box and score goals. Him and Hazard will be the perfect duo in attack.

------------------- Neuer
---- J.Gomez - Hummels - Laporte
--------- Casemiro -- Doucoure
Carvajal ---------------------------- L.Sane
------------------ Coutinho
------------ E.Hazard --- Ronaldo

Subs. Schmeichel, TAA, Partey, Gundogan, Ceballos, Martial, Costa

When we lose the ball the closest player presses the ball, the second closest presses the obvious passing channel. As they’re doing this everyone else bar Ronaldo gets behind the ball into position. Stop them breaking.

We look to control the opposition by getting bodies behind the ball in a 3-1-4-1-1 formation, narrowing to the side of play. Let their defence have the ball. Hazard simply sits on their deepest cm, Ronaldo looking to sit in their space between their cbs, splitting them. Behind them we have a back 3 narrowing to the side of play, Coutinho, Doucoure and the lm and rm forming a midfield 4 to press their other midfielders and the space. Not allowing any space to play through.

Casemiro sits in the space behind this midfield 4 and the back 3. Ensuring he is close to the 3 cbs to get back quickly if they bypass the press.

As the Newcastle advance into higher areas of the park and into our defensive third our shape will resemble a 4-5-1, narrowing to the side of play. Carvajal drops to full back, Coutinho moves right and Hazard still sticks to their deepest cm.

In this tight rigid formation, ensuring there are no gaps in the formation. Casemiro will be key defending the space in front of the cbs, pressing the space with Doucoure next to him pressing the ball. If Carvajal can't get back to this shape and is bypassed as they attack this wing, Casemiro who is keeping close to the cbs, will be able to drop into the fb position to defend against an attack on that wing temporarily.

Attack

Centre backs play out, they have the option to go long or have Casemiro, Doucoure and wide mids all offering options. Hazard in a free role, Coutinho linking up with quick one twos with him and Ronaldo, Sane and Carvajal. Ronaldo getting in the box, the wide mids getting crosses in to him. Mix it up. Let them play their natural game.

If winning after 70 mins bring on Partey for Doucoure. Keep things fresh in midfield. Injecting fresh power.
If winning after 75 mins bring TAA on for Sane. Move Carvajal left. More fresh pace to break, and stronger defensively.
If winning after 80 mins bring on D.Costa for Ronaldo. Fresh power up top to create space and someone we can go long to.

If drawing after 65 mins bring on Ceballos for Doucoure. Getting on the ball, controlling the game and creating.
If drawing after 70 mins bring on TAA for Sane, Carvajal moving left and D.Costa for Coutinho. Costa up top with Ronaldo, Hazard moves behind into am. Two players creating space for him.

If losing after 60 mins bring on Ceballos for Doucoure. Move to a 4-2-3-1. Gomez to lb, Sane to rw. Hazard central and Coutinho left. Attack.
If losing after 70 mins bring on Costa for Carvajal. Simply moving Gomez back to cb and Costa up top. 3-5-2. With Sane still right and Couts left.
If losing after 80 mins bring on Gundogan for Coutinho.

-------------------------- Ederson
--------- Otamendi ----- Javi.M ------- Van Dijk
K.Walker ----- Busquets ----- D.Silva -------- B.Mendy
--------------- O.Dembele ---- Griezmann
----------------------- Aubameyang

Subs: Butland, Pavard, Ghoulam, Bentancur, Tolisso, Mahrez, G.Jesus

Revert back to a 3-5-2 today, defensively solid but looking to give our attackers the freedom to play.

Arsenal usually play with Cavani as a target man up top so we'll look to isolate him with our 3 experienced CB's, cut off the supply and prevent him from linking with those in support.

Go with speed in attacking areas as their CB's lack pace, looking to use Busquets and D.Silva as pivots spreading the play using our wing back's to surge forward and providing options off the ball in attack, getting bodies in the box.

Initially press intensively from the front with Auba, Griezz and O.Dembele, don't let them play out from the back and force mistakes. We want to control possession and isolate their CF so they have no outlet up top or a breather from defending.

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

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

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

Busquets and Silva, a midfield pair that will provide plenty of energy and will work their socks off for the side to allow others around them to express themselves. Busquets should look to stamp his authority with his work rate and power looking to take a grip on mf and shielding our defence, whilst Silva operates as the midfield maestro, looking to pass and move and look to get our attackers in behind with his direct passing and silky runs.

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

Griezzy and O.Dembele will look to play more the AM role and inbetween the lines, roaming in the oppositions half and looking to act as the link between midfield and attack. Picking up pockets of space and using their awareness to dictate the play, running at their backline and using quick pace and incisiveness to commit defenders on the break.

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

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

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

When Arsenal are in possession we will initally look to press from the front with our attacking trio and if they bypass this sit deep as a unit with 10 men behind the ball ensuring their is no space left in behind.

We form a rigid structure looking to press the space and dropping off with men behind the ball, only allowing them to play where we want them too, stifle the midfield and stop them from picking their passes into a forward attacker.

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

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

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

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

Subs:
IF WINNING: 70th minute – (3-5-2)
- Bentancur > D.Silva
- G.Jesus > Aubameyang
Compact 3-5-2, we get fresh legs on and keep things solid, G.Jesus used as a nimble outlet to surge forward when possible

IF DRAW: 70th minute – (3-4-3)
- Tolisso > Busquets
- Mahrez > Aubameyang (Mahrez RW, Dembele LW)
- Bentancur > D.Silva (78th min)
3-4-3, stretch the play and look to play more in wider areas at this stage with our midfield duo sitting in where we think Arsenal are most susceptible to being exposed.

IF LOSING: 77th minute – (4-4-2 - direct)
- G.Jesus > Otamendi
- Tolisso > D.Silva
- Mahrez > O.Dembele
4-4-2, direct. long balls into the box and constantly looking for the two strikers.
Flood forward and look for an equalizer/winner.

C - Van Dijk
FK's - Griezmann
Corners - D.Silva
Pens – Griezmann