-----------------Flappyhandski
Rafinha—Burdisso----Mbiwa----Gibbs
-------------------Rode
---------Rosicky------Wilshere
The Ox-------Niang-----------Ince

Subs – Balzaretti, Veloso, Huntelaar, Jelavic, Yesil

Game Plan – This week we’ll be attacking Southend from the off. They are a team who are meant to be doing better but because they have an incompetent manager they have failed to do so. They are too reliant on their central midfielders to keep their game going which is why I want to hit them with pace. I believe my midfielders are strong enough to win the midfield battle as all 3 offer something different to the game. Rode is a defensive midfielder, wilshere is more like our box to box while Rosicky offers an attacking option. This will cause problems for Southend and I am sure with the help of the wingers we can cause plenty of problems. We just need to ensure that our style of play flows as well as using pace. We need to take command of the game from the off by cancelling out the opposition and putting pressure on their defence.

Positional Tactics

Rafinha will likely be facing Draxler today which will mean he will have to keep on guard at all times. Draxler is a young player full of pace and skill so it will be hard for Rafinha to keep up. However, I have full trust in Rafinha and that he can cope with it. He needs to keep to his position when off the ball and close off any gaps that may be around him. He must jockey Draxler back and force him to pass back. If not he must jockey him off the pitch somehow. He must not be allowed to cut inside the box because that will leave space for Monreal to use the space left on the wing but also open up opportunities for Draxler whether it is shooting or assisting a shot. On the attack Rafinha should move forward to help the Ox. He must act as an option up front for him so extra pressure can be put on the full back. If the ox tries to cut inside then Rafinha can make himself an option on the wing and extra man too much for their defence to deal with. Gibbs will likely be facing Lamela and this will likely be a harder job for him than usual. However I believe Gibbs pace will nullify any pressure that Lamela puts on him. Gibbs has the pace and strength to cancel out his runs and he isn’t easily fooled with skills. Gibbs must as well jockey him back or off the pitch.

Burdisso and Mbiwa may face up against Cavani in this game and I have full confidence they can handle him. Cavani is a strong opponent who will continue to run into space. However my centre backs have experience, strength, pace and the height to deal with any threat that he puts on them. As long as they cover all the space around them and crowd out Cavani then they should be able to minimise his threat. When he is on the ball I expect my centre backs to close him down instantly. Of course one centre back will stay and keep the other areas covered so Cavani can’t punish them through other players. They must also help their respected full backs who will be under some pressure from the wingers. They must close off any potential gaps that the full backs leave so that they cannot cut into the box. The two centre backs must also clear the ball away at all costs. When we are on the attack I expect them to stay back. If the opposition attack us on the counter they’ll already have the likes of Cavani covered.

Rode will be playing as our defensive midfielder today. This means he’ll be acting as protection for our defence by reducing the amount of space available for the midfielders to hit into the box. It is likely that he’ll be facing Hazard in this game so he must stick with Hazard by not allowing him any time on the ball. Hazard is a pacy player with lots of skill so by sticking with him and reducing the amount of space he holds, he will not be allowed to use these qualities. Therefore Hazard may try and look for the free kick. Dont worry about that as the referees are not easily fooled. LSTD may have paid them but we still shouldn’t worry. Just don’t let him have any space and don’t allow him to make runs into the box. He must also control our possession by letting the ball go to the player he chooses to pass it to. He’ll always have an option as we have plenty of midfielders on the pitch. Rosicky is the type of player to create himself as an option so he should find passing it out no problem. On the attack he must stay slightly behind the rest of the midfield in case of a counter attack.

I would like Wilshere to play as our box to box midfielder. This means he’ll be linking our defence to our midfield. When he receives the ball he must make blasting runs forward and open up their defence. The other midfielders will be up there around him so he’ll have an abundance of players to pass to. He must also use his pace and strength to get to the opposing midfielders and win the ball. In his position it is essential that he wins the ball in order to keep our football flowing. His likely opponent should be Gonalons and everyone knows people with stupid names don’t do well in football. Wilshere’s name is more sensible and therefore he is the better player. Gonalons though is still a good controller of the game. A bit of pressure on him will cause him all sorts of problems. So if Wilshere continues to use his pace then Im sure he’ll fold under the pressure.

Rosicky is quite a direct footballer so this should work in our favour in this game. We need as many opportunities as possible to beat this weak Southend side (well weak manager). Using his ability to dribble with the ball he should be able to put pressure on the defence through his unpredictability. I expect him to make runs left, right and centre and this will mean the full backs as well as the centre backs will have to deal with an adventurous Rosicky. He will of course have the wingers to supply the ball to if he needs to however his primary focus is to create or take opportunities. His runs will be of constant threat to them and any midfielder will struggle to keep up with this in-form player. It is likely he’ll be facing Benat in todays game and I don’t think hes fast enough to deal with Rosicky. It is likely he’ll be forced to make some dangerous tackles in order to stop him so Rosicky must be aware of this and divert his attack.

I want The Ox to use his skill to keep the ball and then try and make runs into the box. His pace and skill is two of his main strengths. He has the ability to run in between each defender and open them up. With this threat he’ll be able to cause the full back to make mistakes through frustration and being desperate. Of course I expect him to also cut into the centre to put pressure on their centre backs. Rafinha will therefore have space to put extra pressure from the wing. Two players should be really hard for their defence to deal with at times so they’ll be forced to clear in desperation. The Ox will be up against Monreal and he is a full back who is exactly the type of full back that The Ox will love to face. He won’t be able to with Chamberlains pace and will cause him to make mistakes. The fact that Chamberlain is fast will restrain Monreal from going up. Also The Ox is a strong player to and with Monreals lack of experience against physical players, he should have no trouble in causing further problems.

Ince should do the same as The Ox in most of the description I have just posted. However because he is up against Azpil he’ll be against a defender who is strong and better equipped to deal with pace than Monreal. This means he needs to rely on his skill to beat him. He should make constant runs into the box through all directions. He’ll have Gibbs up with him to help create pressure on Azpil.

Niang must use his pace and skill to open up spaces for the wingers and central players to run into. He should make runs to the wing forcing the centre backs out wide. Therefore players like Rosicky, Wilshere and the wingers can cut into the centre and take chances by themselves. He should look to overpower their defenders with his pace and strength and height. He should constantly look to move into space to create himself as an option for the defence. He should also try and assist others in attacks. When we’re defending he should mark the player at the edge of the box. When we win the ball back he can run up to keep himself an option on the counter. The two centre backs that he is most likely be up against are Luiz and Dante. Luiz is prone to the odd mistake so by putting extra pressure on him im sure Niang will be able to get a mistake or 2 out of him. However he is a strong and tall player and therefore will need to use the players around him to beat him. Dante is a strong centre back so he should use his pace to beat him. Dante doesn’t deal with pace very well which is why our wingers can also cause trouble. Niang should constantly make runs on and off the ball. This will likely put extra pressure on the centre backs to keep up with him and open up further space and cause more mistakes.

Courtois is a young keeper and has a lot to learn still. This means we should create as many awkward opportunities as possible such as long shots, and first time shots etc... because he will not have the experience of knowing how to deal with all these kinds of shots.

SUBS

If Winning – 60th Min – Huntelaar for Niang, 70th Minute Veloso and Balzaretti for Rosicky and Gibbs. Play 4-2-3-1. Like for like defence but in midfield back 2 is Veloso and Rode. AM is wilshere.

If Drawing – 65th Min – Huntelaar for Niang, 70th Min Jelavic for Ince, 75th Min Veloso for Rosicky (4-2-3-1 like above).

If Losing – Same as Drawing

Captain – Wilshere
Vice Captain – Burdisso
FK – Wilshere
PK – Niang
CK - Ince

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

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


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


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

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

Subs:

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

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

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

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

CHEAT

---------------Courtois
-------Barzagli-------Dante
---Chalobah--------------Luiz
Lamela------Ozil--Benat-----Hazard
------------Totti---Cavani

Subs: Azpilicueta, Lucas Lieva, Sissoko, Draxler, Icardi

Captain: David Luiz
Free Kicks: Luiz/Ozil
Penalties: Totti(Luiz when Totti subbed)
Corners: Ozil

Game Plan: We look to adapt a similar style that has bad success for Roma in recent weeks with a 2-2-4-2 formation going forward that can easily adapt into a 4-5-1 when defending. We look to control the game and use our numbers to get forward and overload attacking positions, doubling up on areas where we are getting joy and making it work to our advantage to get into spaces to create chances. Through the midfield we should easily dominate the ball with an excellent group of passers, as well as the two spare men between the Cbs and midfield who can take it in turns to make runs from that area either down the wing or through the middle to overload the opposition. Defensively we should be capable of stopping counters quickly with the midfield and forwards pressing at a high tempo and doubling up against the opposition so they can't break out, whilst the two in front of the CBs provide an extra line of defence that can either deal with wingers or stop the counter through the middle whilst the CBs remain in position to clear anything up. When under pressure we defend as a unit, getting all but Cavani back behind the ball and leaving no spaces.

Defensive formation:
Courtois
Chalobah Barzagli Dante Luiz
Ozil Benat Totti
Lamela Hazard
Cavani

Courtois will command his area, coming to collect crosses, he is quick off the mark to so can deal with any balls through the defence and beat the striker to it. When he gets he ball he looks for options to start a quick counter.

Chalobah and Luiz are in position to deal with the wingers, both are very quick and strong and won't give the wingers an inch of space to attack with, forcing them right out to the wings and making it impossible to get any decent service into the striker. They look to engage the wingers very quickly not giving them any time to think about their options, making sure they can't get a run on them or cut infield. Barzagli and Dante start at CB, they are two of the most dependable players you could hope for. They'll put everything on the line for the team and both are fantastic defenders. They both have fantastic reading of the game and will use this to their advantage, Barzagli looking to deal with first ball in his usual fashion, mopping up attack after attack and putting us back in possession. He gives the striker space, watches for his movement and as soon as the ball is played towards him Barzagli is on him and getting the tackle in, not allowing him to link up the play or make a run in behind the defence, strong in the tackle and dominant in the air, make the striker have to drop deeper and deeper. Dante meanwhile reads the game in superb fashion, he will wait slightly deeper than Barzagli in case the striker manages to cause us trouble, waiting in position to deal with that second ball and mop up at the back. He will be in position to also deal with any midfield runners, able to track their runs and not give them any space in and around the box, getting tight and stopping the ball getting to them.

The midfield three although not the most defensive minded have a brilliant work rate, we want them to press like Barca do, doubling up on the opposition when on the ball and not giving them any time or space to get on the ball and make things happen, they'll work around the midfield quickly and force the errors to win the ball back. Benat can cover the DM role reasonably well, if their AM is starting to find space, Benat makes sure to stick to him like glue, don't let him find any space at all, put pressure on him, commit fouls of necessary to stop him playing.

Lamela and Hazard must drop back and stop the FBs from being able to double up with the wingers, follow their runs and stay close to not allow them to get in behind or put crosses in. Be ready for quick counters as we look to use their pace to break forward on the counter attack when possible, committing numbers forward and piling pressure on the remaining defenders. Cavani also should pressurize from the front, don't allow the Cbs easy possession or to stop into the midfield unchallenged.

When in the 2-2-4-2:

We look to stay this way for the large majority of the game, using our numbers, excellent passing, pace and flair to our advantage against Eastbourne.

Dante and Barzagli stay back as the very last line of defence, we want them to sit deep so that Eastbourne can't rip us open quickly on the attack, once they get within 40 yards of our goal the rest of the team will be getting back to stop the attacks make sure it fizzles into nothing, much like Wilsheres managerial ability. They are two very solid with a lot of know how and are intelligent enough to stop these counters, forcing the attackers into the wider areas of the field and slow things down. Both are good passers and can give the ball into the midfield to allow us to get on the front foot.

Chalobah and Luiz sit between defence and midfield, pretty much as sweepers, they go where they're needed defensively, out to the wings to deal with the opposition wingers in the same way they would if we were under pressure, forcing them right out and stopping the crosses coming in, not letting them move infield. Or they can put extra numbers in the middle, Eastbourne will struggle to break free of our midfield when there are two players behind who read the play so well, they are ready to immediately get on the opposition and win the ball back, looking to intercept balls forward. They are also able to cause danger offensively, they'll be hard to pick up as either can attack down the flanks or through the middle, for example they can get outside our wide men to double up against the opposition Fbs, making runs into spaces to cross or dragging players away from our wingers, whilst they can also run through the middle, Chalobah with his excellent power able to drive us forward and make late runs into the box to use his height to attack crosses, whilst Luiz can use his excellent passing and trickery to bring it forward and open up the defence or casually wallop a shot into the top corner from 40 yards before celebrating infront of the opposition manager. Both being excellent passers can give the option from deep to keep the ball moving and look to drag the opposition out to open up extra space, but they'll only attack one at a time and when the chance is there.

The next 4 have the license and freedom to do as they please, showing off their ability and making the opposition poo themselves every time we attack. Benat will be the one roaming around the midfield, using his fantastic passing to keep things rolling and find us some space, he can play it simple or look for the runs of team mates in behind. Ozil like wise has fantastic passing and special awareness, he'll be similar to Benat but more advanced, finding the spaces around the front two to open things up, getting the wide men into space or linking with the strikers to provide chances or use his movement to get in on goal himself. We want him always facing the opposition up, ready to carve them open. Lamela and Hazard look to mainly stay wide to stretch the defence, they use their fast pace and trickery to leave two very weak Fbs for dead, getting past them and supplying crosses, or linking with the SWs/AMs/CFs, whoever makes a run around them to open things up, we look to double up on the Fbs and get in behind to put easy chances into the box for the strikers and runners from midfield. They will of course be allowed to make runs inside, with the two CBs occupied they will be able to find room to have a run at the back four from a central position, being very direct, looking to take them on and go past them or play clever one twos with team mates to open things up, and always be ready to surprise the keeper with a shot from distance. These 4 should be everywhere in the attacking positions, attack in free form, making it impossible for Eastbourne to sort their positional marking out. They will make sure to be on top of the opposition if we lose the ball, don't allow them to break out of their half at any space just flood the midfield quickly and crowd them out, leave the wingers all alone and cut off.

The front two will play close to each other in order to link up quickly with clever little touches, taking defenders out of position and opening things up. Totti uses his excellent vision to open things up and create chances for those around him, as well as getting on the end of things himself, whilst Cavani uses his brilliant strength and movement to bully the Cb, not giving him the chance to tackle him, brushing him aside and using the ball to get on goal or link with team mates. Both should be in the box when we are in crossing positions, Cavani attacking the main ball whilst Totti used his movement to pull off his marker into space for a simple tap in. Always on the move together, always looking to link up to whether, always causing problems. Help Ozil make runs in behind them from deeper.

Subs:

If Winning: Azpi and Lucas replace Chalobah and Totti 70', 4-2-3-1 more defensive set up with the ability to counter quickly. Sissoko for Ozil 80'.

If Drawing: Sissoko for Benat 70', pace and energy to trouble a tiring defence. Draxler and Icardi for Lamela and Totti 75', fresh legs to get us the win.

If Losing: Sissoko for Chalobah 65', will be more attacking than Chalobah, driving us forward into the spaces. Icardi for Totti 70', fresh legs to poach a goal. Draxler for Benat 75', more adventurous player with loads of flair to get us back into the game.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

----------------------Mignolet------------------
Montoya----Bonucci----Ogbonna---De Sciglio
-------------------Verratti----Nordtveit--------
-----------------------Diame---------------------
Remy-----------------Balotelli----------Sturridge

Subs: Bartra, Immobile, Salah, Thauvin, Poli

I want us to play fast direct counter attacking football!

Defence: Montoya and De Scig are to provide extra width and act as another option for the midfield to utilise, this however doesn't mean they can forget about their defensive duties and will be required to go up and down the wings all game.
When they are on the attack I expect Nordtveit to cover.
In the centre I have two Italians, Bonucci and Ogbonna are powerful and no nonsense, we will not be playing it around our own six yard box. They are good in the air and know how to time a tackle.

Mid: Verratti plays in the quarterback role, looking to put balls through for the attackers and start the counter attacks. Nordtveit will be next to him and he will be pressuring the opposition midfield and not allowing amything to go through the middle. We will have to be wary of giving their defence any time on the ball and I want to see players closed down before they have the time to pick out a pass...if they are closing us down either look out wide or drop it short to Diame who can either hold up play or go on one of his powerful runs that are almost impossible to defend against without giving away a foul...talking of Diame his role is very important, during the attack he will be lurking in space ready to get a run on the ball and use his raw power to push the opposition back toward their own goal, when on defence he will look to break up the opposition play and restart our attack.

Attack: I will stick with the combination of Remy Sturridge and Balotelli up top, they have combined well so far to start scoring against good defences and I expect the same from them today. I want Sturridge and Remy to really put pressure on their full backs forcing them to concentrate on defending and pushing them back, they can swap wings to mix things up and I want them to mix it up between crossing and going for goal themselves, passing interplay with Balotelli and making the runs for Verratti to pick out is key.
Balotelli will play through the middle, he will look to win everything and anything , he likes to be centre of attention and I am happy for him to be greedy at times and go it alone as he is capable of magical moments, however I don't want him to ignore his team mates and if they are in a better position I want him to make the pass.


Subs: if losing 75mins : Nordtveit off Thauvin on, Thauvin is to become the more attacking player and Diame will move back, however I still want him to make the deep runs and try to get something out of the game.
80mins : Diame off Immobile on , go for the attack and try to steal the goal, Immobile is a natural finisher and is good at getting in the scoring positions,.
Also Salah for Remy to give some fresh legs to the attack

If winning: 75mins: Poli for Verratti Poli will add fresh legs and more of an engine and a tad more experience.

85mins: Salah for Remy - fresh player

If Drawing: Diame off Thauvin on, a player who can unlock the defence and perhaps sneak a winner (70mins)


Free kicks : Verratti
Pens: Balotelli

-------------------------Adler
Rafinha—Burdisso—Diawara—Mbiwa—Gibbs
-----------------Rode-----Veloso
Ince--------------Huntelaar----------Balzaretti

Subs – Fabianski, Jelavic, Rosicky, Niang, Yesil

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

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

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

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

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

Veloso will also play defensive midfielder. This means he will be staying back and not attacking. He should take hold of the ball and then kick it forward by supplying it to any of the front 3 ahead. When we’re attacking I want him to stay back and protect the defence. When off the ball he should be a ball winning player by standing in front of their players and also covering up any spaces. Veloso should use his pace and strength to retain the ball and kick it forward. He must stay back at all times. This will create himself as an added option for his wingers to pass back to but also stop any attackers easily breaking through.

I want Ince to use his skill to keep the ball and then try and make runs into the box. This will cause the defender to follow him and opening up space for the full back to run into. As he will be playing as a deep winger (a winger who is further back nearer the defence) he must use his pace to outrun the full back but also his quality control of the ball to dribble round him. When we’re off the ball I want him to make runs back to help protect the defence by helping Rafinha cover their full back. They should both pressurise him to make a mistake or remove the ball from that area. Ince should also be cautious of the other midfielders. When defending a corner he should stay just outside the box so that he can start a counter attack when or if we win the ball back. Balzaretti should be a defensive winger. Not really attacking just using himself as an option if we need to use him in attack. His main priority is to cover gibbs and make sure no one can break through us.

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

FK – Huntelaar
PK – Huntelaar
CK - Ince

Starting Line Up:

-----------------------------Leno----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------Garay------------Umtiti-------------------
Rafael---------------------------------------------Cissokho
----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------Capoue---------Pirlo---------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------Strootman---------------------------
---Nani---------------------------------------------Giggs-
----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------Van Persie---------------------------


Subs: Günter, Kagawa, Sarabia, Wijnaldum, Drogba

Captain: Pirlo
Vice Captain: Van Persie

Penalties: Pirlo
Freekicks: Van Persie



Bernd Leno makes his debut appearance between the sticks, he'll be very vocal making sure everybody stays alert and sharp throughout the game. He'll be looking to hit the center backs from goal kicks (mainly Garay), we won't be pumping long balls aimlessly forward.

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

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

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

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

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


If winning after 70 minutes:

Wijnaldum will come on for Nani to add some freshness on the flank.
Kagawa will come on for Strootman to keep possession of the ball.


If losing after 70 minutes:

We'll move to an attacking 4-2-2-2 with Kagawa (on for Strootman) playing just off of RVP
Sarabia will come on for Giggs, with Nani moving out left

------------------------------Zieler-------------------------
--------Debuchy-----Evans----Nastasic-----Schmelzer--
------------------------------Khedira----------------------
----------------------Lampard---Montolivo---------------
------Blaszcykowski-----------------------Rodriguez-
--------------------------------Ba--------------------------

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

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

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

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

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

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

Captain: Khedira
Set Pieces (inc Pens): Montolivo

After 75 mins if losing/drawing: Di Natale > Montolivo, 4-4-2
After 75 mins if winning: Di Natale > Ba

New Dream League Tactics



----------------------Casteels
---Lahm-------Kompany---Chiellini------Alaba
--------Ilkay Gundogan-----Sergio Busquets
--------------------Kevin De Bruyne
-----Thomas Muller---------------------Marco Reus
---------------------Lewandowski

Subs: Pedro Obiang, El Shaarawy, Hachim Mastour, Caulker, Luis Muriel


Formation: 4-3-3 (Changing into a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-2-1)
Freekicks: De Bruyne
Penalties: Lewandowski
Corners: De Bruyne
Captain: Lahm


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

Moving on from defence, we will be playing a lovely mix of midfielders in our central 3. Gundogan will be the dictator, pulling all the strings from central midfield. His excellent vision, and eye of the needle passes will help unlock opponents defence, as we look to play in Muller and Reus, whilst Muller and Reus must drop back to receive short passes, before passing it on again. In DM, Sergio Busquets must be wary of stepping forward without protection, as we can get out done on the counter, but he will be looking to always get the ball rolling, and sometimes clip those 40 yard passes over the top for Lewabdowski, who is an expert in controlling, and holding the ball. Alongside him is our recently converted box-to-box midfield enforcer Gundoyan, who will start deep, but later go on to form an attacking triangle with De Bruyne:

--------------Busquets
----De Bruyne---------Gundogan

If we are lacking creativity in AM. However, Gundogan must not neglect defensive duties, and his immense passing and control must combine with his pressing ability to always win the ball back when we lose it. Gundogan can also offer great drive from midfield, and his powerful shots are an added bonus to us. His passing is always accurate, and he must look to supply Muller and Reus with sly passes and through balls, to try and find a way in behind Brenford's defence. Ahead of him, De Bruyne will be playing almost AM, but must also help out defensively, and when we are under pressure, we must revert to a 4-3-2-1:


----------Gundogan----Busquets----De Brune
Muller------------------------------------------Marco Reus


As this will bring more stability to the midfield, and can contain Brentfords attacks down the centre of the pitch. However, De Bruyne's role is crucial to our team. He is the one that brings all the flair to the table and with superb passing skills and quick thinking ability, his main aim will be to slip in one of our 3 forwards. If there comes a time when the ball breaks to him, he must use his silky feet to slip away from defenders and find space, and he must not forget that he will almost always have support in Gundogan. All midfielders should be able to cover our Fullback's runs, so if Alaba is caught out, we must rely on Busquets to move into his position, and cover for him, and same with Gundogan on the other side. This will ensure that we will always have our full backs cover

Up ahead, Muller and Reus start in the Inside forward roles of a 4-3-3, with strict instructions to revert to a 4-2-3-1 when we need depth:


-----------Gundogan--------Busquets
--Thomas Muller----De Bruyne------Marco Reus


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

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

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

Subs:

If losing 60mins: Muriel > De Bruyne; 4-4-2 with Gundigan and Busquets centre and Reus Muller out wide

If Losing 67mins: El Shaarawy > Reus, SES straight swap with SES offering a much greater goal threat which we need

If winning at 60mins: Obiang > Gundogan, offers great pysicalitu whilst his passing is on point, so will look to press the midfield all the way. Him and Busquets have everything together

If winning 70mins: El Shaarawy > Muller, gives Muller a rest, whilst El Shaarawy will put in a defensive shift. Change formation to 4-2-3-1.

Whatever the score in the 89th min: Hachim Mastour > Lewandowski, give the £15m signing his debut I say!

---------------Courtois
Azpilicueta--Luiz--Dante--Monreal
------------Lucas---Benat
------------------Ozil
Lamela-------Cavani--------Hazard

Subs: Barzagli, Insigne, Sissoko, Draxler, Icardi

Captain: David Luiz
Free kicks: Ozil/Luiz
Penalties: Cavani
Corners: Ozil

Game Plan:
We play a more familiar 4-3-3 today looking to remain tight at the back and hit the opposition down the flanks on the break as much as possible, whilst getting hold of the ball in midfield and pushing the opposition back, allowing our Fbs to go forward to force Boro's wide men back and push them back into their more defensive look in order to stop them gaining the upper hand. We mainly look to defend with one bank 4 supported by the midfield infront with the wingers able to drop deeper when needed but having the freedom to wait for us to win the ball and break, looking to use lightning quick counters down the flanks to our upmost advantage. We must press very hard in midfield, not allowing time and space to the Boro midfield forcing them to move it sideways and backwards where they can't hurt us. We have the players all over the pitch to play the killer pass when countering.

Tactics:
Courtois is as solid as they come, with superb reflexes, great pace off his line and complete command in the area, collecting all crosses, he's the complete keeper. He will come and collect the crosses and then use his quick distribution to get us on the counter.

The Fbs will be key to our game today, we want them to use attack as the best form of defence. They are able to move forward down the flanks in order to force the opposition wingers back where they can't hurt us. Look to make runs beyond the wingers to put crosses in or drag players away to allow the wingers to cut inside. With Boro's lack of Fbs we will double up in these areas as much as possible, it will free space up elsewhere as well as in behind the wide areas, all of which we can take advantage of with a good final ball. Defensively they are both very strong, they will get tight to the wingers when we are under pressure, not allowing them the chance to get a run at our back line or cut inside, forcing them right out to the wings to get a tackle, or reading the play and intercepting balls towards the wingers, keep the wide men out of the game and it will start to become very crowded and one dimensional from Boro, with all attacks having to come down the middle we can easily deal with this with our midfield.

The Cbs are an excellent combo. Dante is an absolute rock at the back and he'll look to stay close to the Cf and be very physical with him. He reads the game to perfection, he'll track the strikers movement and see the passes in towards him and be there to get the challenge in or at least force the striker away from goal. We want him to dominate on the ground and in the air and really keep the Cf out of this game. David Luiz will have more of a sweeper type role, he also reads the game brilliantly he sees the movement of those infront and he sees the play before it even effects the back 4, stepping out and dealing with the danger, we want him doing this quickly and effectively today in order to stop Boro's midfield finding spaces around our box, he quickly gets the challenge in and wins us the ball back against any midfielder making runs into dangerous areas. He must also watch for movement off of the CF, not letting anyone get space in the box or behind our back 4. Quick in his reading of the play, strong in the tackle and dominant in the air, we want him to compliment the more positionally fixed Dante. An added advantage to these two is that they have immense capabilities when passing out from the back, they can get the ball into midfield, play the long diagonals to the wings to stretch things out or even more to our advantage is their killer balls from deep over the top or through the defence, getting players into positions behind the defence and we look to them to launch very quick, very clinical counter attacks in this way, particularly looking at the two wide men's runs.

We play a midfield 3 in order to play a sharp pressing game and stop the Boro midfield running the game, all 3 of the players selected are used to hounding the opposition and forcing errors or at least forcing them to pass away from our goal. Lucas as the main DM deals with the midfielder advancing into the forward positions, getting very tight and bullying him out of the game, getting the strong tackles in and being physical. Benat and Ozil press the two who are further back, looking to stop them dictating the tempo by pressing very quickly as soon as the ball is towards them and looking to force errors by hounding them, rather similar to the way Bayerns midfield pressed Barcas. Benat as the deeper of the two will also track the runs of the deeper midfielders if any are made, stay with them and don't give them time and space to effect the game. This midfield are also brilliant passers of the ball and should look to get in position and keep the attacks flowing, using smart passing triangles and looking to free players into the wide areas of the pitch. Lucas sits deep with Benat also deeper but allowed freedom to move around and dictate play, whilst Ozil pushes forward in support of Cavani through the middle, looking to find pockets of space and create chances or use his skill to beat players and open the game up. When we win the ball back they use their passing to start the quick counters, looking to the wingers and then getting forward and supporting the counter, looking to occupy the CBs and give Cavani more space or find room in the box unmarked if the CBs miss their runs.

The two wingers are key to the game plan, it's vital that we take advantage of the space outwide with lightning quick counter attacks. The wingers must stay wide when not on the ball as this is where the space is, they make the runs down the flanks on the counter, speeding into the space and looking to hurt Boro from there, either dragging the CBs out to create more space in the middle, before crossing, or using their skill to attack the defence and leave them for dead before going at goal or setting up a team mate, both have the pace and flair to cause problems no end. When we are in control of possession they have more freedom to find spaces infield where they can run at the heart of the defence towards goal, link play up and create chances. Of course when under pressure they drop back to help out the Fbs but we want them as high up the pitch as possible, especially Hazard as his runs and pace will cause plenty of trouble.

Cavani has a big task against three at the back but one he's used to and clearly very comfortable with in Serie A. His movement on and off the ball is crucial to this, he can drop deep to drag players with him and leave more space for others, move wide and allow the wingers to take up central attacking positions and make runs off the shoulder of the defenders looking to get in behind and onto the end of balls over the top. He will use all his strength and pace to battle the CBs, keeping hold of the ball and linking up, turning and running at them, using his strength to beat them and get at goal. He's the complete forward and we want him at the heart of every attack today.

Subs:

If winning: Barzagli replace Lamela 75', 3-5-2, with Hazard in support of Cavani and FBs becoming WBs. Sissoko for Ozil 80'.

If Drawing: Draxler for Lamela, Hazard RW, Draxler LW, fresh ideas 70'. Sissoko for Benat 75', more drive in the latter stages. Insigne for Ozil 80', fantastic pace and drive as well as an understanding with Cavani, look to play much closer to him.

If Losing: Barzagli for Lucas 70', Luiz into midfield where he can push us forward. Draxler, Icardi for Monreal, Lamela 75', 3-5-2:

Courtois
Azpi Dante Barzagli
Luiz Benat
Hazard Ozil Draxler
Icardi Cavani

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Argggg - subs are wrong!!!

Okay so subs are: Zoet, Nuytinck, Hiljemark, Djuricic, Lens

Cheers Tippy!!

-------------------------Adler
Rafinha—Burdisso—Diawara—Mbiwa—Gibbs
-----------------Rode-----Veloso
The Ox--------------Huntelaar---------Wilshere

Subs – Fabianski, Jelavic, Rosicky, Niang, Yesil

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

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

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

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

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

Veloso will also play defensive midfielder. This means he will be staying back and not attacking. He should take hold of the ball and then kick it forward by supplying it to any of the front 3 ahead. When we’re attacking I want him to stay back and protect the defence. When off the ball he should be a ball winning player by standing in front of their players and also covering up any spaces. Veloso should use his pace and strength to retain the ball and kick it forward. He must stay back at all times. This will create himself as an added option for his wingers to pass back to but also stop any attackers easily breaking through.

I want The Ox to use his skill to keep the ball and then try and make runs into the box. This will cause the defender to follow him and opening up space for the full back to run into. As he will be playing as a deep winger (a winger who is further back nearer the defence) he must use his pace to outrun the full back but also his quality control of the ball to dribble round him. When we’re off the ball I want him to make runs back to help protect the defence by helping Rafinha cover their full back. They should both pressurise him to make a mistake or remove the ball from that area. Ince should also be cautious of the other midfielders. When defending a corner he should stay just outside the box so that he can start a counter attack when or if we win the ball back. Wilshere should be an inside winger. Not really attacking just using himself as an option if we need to use him in attack. His main priority is to cover gibbs and make sure no one can break through us. He has played in this position before so he’ll know what to do. SO IF THIS IS AN EXCUSE OF A POOR RESULT, THINK AGAIN.

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

FK – Huntelaar
PK – Huntelaar
CK - Ince

Brentford

----------------Begovic----------------
Santon---Buyten---Kaboul---L.Digne
----------Sandro-----A.Vidal----------
---------------S de Jong---------------
Shaqiri------------------------Shawary
-----------------Michu------------------

Castan, Wanyama, Florenzi, Muniain, Kramaric

A few changes round camp, but changes for the better, new captain Arturo Vidal makes his debut amongst others as we go about looking to climb the league..

In goal is Bogovic, a huge boy and very difficult to beat, will come out to meet high balls and if he cant catch it he will punch clear, look to be off line quicly to shut down strikers and reduce there shooting angles.

The defence led by Van Buyten, now we know he cant run 100m in 10 flat but what he lacks in pace he gains in expereince, he huge stopper is gonna leave the marking to those around him as he sits just off Kaboul reading the game and guiding the player to where the should be. He will be mindfull of the fact there CF may get away from Kaboul so stations himself not too far away just in case, Attacks all high balls and at 6'6 wont be beaten, Kaboul man marks, give the striker no room to play about in, always watching his movement even if we attack in case of quick counters, like Buyten attack high balls, no messing from these two today.
The fullbacks will attack, but ONE at a time, get up and support the wingers, get round them, pass and move into space to recieve a pass down the line to sprint onto, even if the pass doesnt come take the fullback away allowing space top open up for Shaqiri and Shaawary. Defend solid, keep the wiongers to the outside and away from the danger area, nothing silly..Just good ole solid defending.

Sandro is the main DM and alongside Vidal the two will break up the opposition play, hard but fiar in the tackle I want him to watch there AM and focus on his movement, dont allow him any time on the ball to dictate play, once Sandro has won the ball nice simple passes to those around him. Vidal is box to box, my duracell bunny, always on the move breaking up play and setting things up moving forward, will sit beside Sandro and help keep them quiet and once we have the ball he will look to shiop it out wide or through the middle, he will alwaysd make himself available for the return ball and has a pop from range at times, a powerhouse CM and always on the move.
Gone for Siem De Jong in AM as we are away from home, he gives us a little extra defensive cover if need, but really I want him to pass it around and moving himself into space and dangerous areas to support Michu, when he picks up form Vidal etc, get it going to the boys out wide and make his way into the box to support the striker, or interlink with Michu passing one twos quickly to set each othe up, at times getting beyond Michu and in on goal. He will track the DM and stop him controlling the play when he has the ball.

Shaqiri and Shawary out wide have freedom to attack, get on it straight away, go at the fullbacks with pace and skill to get round them and cross in, or look for Digne and Santon bombing forward and use them as they go outside allowing the two wingers to cut in and make there way into the box to support Michu and De Jong, Also look to use Vidal and De Jong in the centre to pass and move into gaps for them to release a pass for them to get inon goal, help defend by tracking the fbs as they make there wway forward.

Now, unless Michu wants me to buy another striker he has to take his chance, with Suarez gone I am looking for somthing special from the Spaniard. A great eye for goal two good feet and very good in the air. He must always stay on his feet and move around dragging players around to make space for others to move into, always on the last man and when a cross comes in, jump early like a Salmon out of the water to beat the CBs to the ball and get the head to, either bang it into the net or flick ons knock downs for others, no defensive duties for him, solely attack.

Captain:- Vidal
Penalties:- Michu
Free Kicks:- De Jong
Corners:- Wingers

Subs:-

Losing/drawing
65 Mins:- Muniain > Siem De Jong - he goes LW and Shaawary to AM to push forward a bit more
75 Mins:- Kramaric > Shaqiri - a big goal scoring threat from out wide, fresh legs
80 Mins:- Wanyama > Shaawary
3-4-3
Begovic
Buyten-Wanyama-Kaboul
Santon-Sandro-A.Vidal-L.Digne
Kramaric-Michu-Munian

goi for it, but still track back to a 5-4-1 when defending

Winning:-
70 Mins:- Muniani > Shaawary fresh legs track back if needed
80 Mins:- Wanyama > De Jong sit alongside Sandro with Vidal in front of them
85 Mins: Kramaric > Shaqiri

------------------------------Zieler-------------------------
--------Debuchy-----Evans----Nastasic-----Schmelzer--
------------------------------Khedira----------------------
----------------------Mkhitaryan---Montolivo---------------
------Blaszcykowski-----------------------Rodriguez-
--------------------------------Di Natale----------------------

Subs: Aurier, Kirchhoff, Holzhauser, Cerci, Bennett

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

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

This is a settled, experience, pacey, strong and well honed defence. Evans and Nastasic are two of the best young CB's around; and between them they will have more than enough to deal with the movement and pace of the forest False 9. With them adopting the False 9 system, they will have time to track any runners into the box, and organise the play where neccessary - with Nastasic picking up the most advanced player and with Evans picking up any extra runners into the box from deep when neccessary. Debuchy and Schmelzer are going to stick to their respective sides; trying to take the wingers out of the game by limiting the space that they have to play in through sticking to them. They must remember that their primary role is to defend, and in doing so they will show their man to the crowded center of the pitch and thus out of any danger. However, when counter-attacking, due to the presence of Khedira as Anchor man they will be able to join in at speed (only one of them, so as not to leave us exposed) and get on the overlap in order to create space for others/get the ball into the box. As a general rule of thumb, the defensive line will be quite deep - around the edge of the box - to allow little space for the opposition to attack into.

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

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

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

Captain: Khedira
Set Pieces (inc Pens): Montolivo

Whatever score after 75 mins: Cerci > Rodriguez

---------------------Stegen-------------
Zabaleta—Subotic—Hummels—Shaw
------------S. Bender--Fabregas----------
Pedro--------------Mata--------Cazorla
---------------------Lukaku-------------------

Subs: Unnerstall, Caulker, Ramsey, Deulofeu, Atsu

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

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

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

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

Bender: Today Bender will be key to our gameplan, we have a vast amount of attacking talent and a great defence, but it is no good if we can’t protect the defence and win the ball for the more creative players. Bender will be occupying the space in front of the defence, harrying and harassing the opposition, chasing them down and winning possession and moving it on quickly. He will be listening to Hummels throughout the game and will be responsible for covering the full backs should it be necessary.

Fabregas: Fabregas will have to play a more disciplined role than he has become used to but has proven he can do from his Arsenal days. He will be sat alongside Bender also offering protection for the defence, but in a less tenacious way. I want him reading the game and making interceptions, dictating the pace of the game and being the driving force in the team when we attack, whether it be on the counter or more patiently. He can pick a pass fantastically so I do want to see him venturing forward to unlock the defence, but only when we are in a comfortable position with bodies back to defend, should we lose the ball. Being the central point of the team we will really see Fabregas raise his game, get stuck in and dictate the game. A deeper role also gives him more runners to look for.

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

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


Subs: Regardless of score

63rd minute – Ramsey and Deulofeu for Pedro and Cazorla
--------Bender---Ramsey---
Mata-----Fabregas---Deulofeu

Similar game plan, Ramsey just to offer LOADS of running and Deulofeu to play his normal game.

If winning come 85 mins – Lukaku for Atsu, straight swap.

--------------Courtois
------Barzagli--Luiz--Dante
Azpi-------Leiva--Beñat---Monreal
-------Ozil-------------Hazard
--------------Cavani

Subs: Bertrand, Kondogbia, Lamela, Draxler, Defoe

Captain: David Luiz
Free Kicks: Luiz/Ozil
Penalties: Cavani
Corners: Ozil

Game Plan:
We want to win this game by attacking the opposition wide areas as much as possible, we view this as a good route to goal as Burnleys wingers aren't generally one to track back. We use a 3-4-3 to allow us to attack at speed moving between 5-4-1, 3-4-3 and 3-3-4 when at full flight. We look to soak up the opposition pressure, not allowing them to find gaps in our defence and then hit them at pace on the break, with the two CMs able to pick the passes to move us forward. Whenever we aren't in possession we play in a 5-4-1 and we press very quickly and stop the opposition moving the ball forwards, limit them to sideways passing and force mistakes. When we attack we hit them with quick incisive breaks or we keep hold of the ball force them right into their own half and work the spaces outwide, whilst also dragging the CFs support away and leaving him 3 v 1.

Tactics:
Courtois will command his area, he comes to collect crosses when he can and then use his quick distribution to get us moving forward quickly. He's quick off the line and narrows the angle whenever he has to.

We have 3 CBs in order to give Burnley no space around our area. They're formation generally includes 3 AMs, who like to play through the midfield, we will keep them penned in and flood the central areas to restrict their space. Barzagli and Dante are the two brick walls of the defence, Dante deals with the main striker, using his strength and reading of the game to stop him from getting goal side and force him to drop back towards the midfield. Get very tight to him and don't give him time to think, beating him to the ball as much as possible and keeping him out of the game. Barzagli reads the game that well that he can tends to cut attacks out before they effect the penalty area and that's what we want him to do. He sees where the attacks are going and moves into position to quickly cut them out and get us on the front foot. He will be extremely physical with the striker, looking to deal with him if he gets beyond Dante, we expect Lukaku upfront which means we will look to restrict the space he has and stop him being able to get into full flight, stick tight to him in order to play on his often heaving first touch and force him wide whenever possible. Luiz is the spare man in defence, covering the spaces and dealing with the movement of the midfielders, helping Barzagli deal with the danger by taking up positions in order to clear quickly. He is excellent at stepping out of defence and intercepting the forward passes to quickly put us on the front foot which is to be his main role, getting the ball and distributing it quickly, driving forward if he gets the chance, he does have a license to move where he likes on our attacks if there is space to do so, but should always be in the back 3 when the move breaks down. Be very quick onto Mata too if he finds space, simply put if he sees Mata in any form of space no matter how weak a position it looks, he gets to him and stays with him. Dante and Barzagli also have good passing and should look for diagonals out to the wingers in order to stretch the game and find spaces quickly.

The FBs will cover the wide areas and stop anyone who makes the runs out wide. We expect the Burnley AMs to want to go infield but if we can keep them out wide that's just as good as we can mark them tightly and leave the CF isolated 3 v 1. Force the wingers out wide as much as possible and only allow them backwards and side ways passing, cut off their crossing options and face up to them so they can't get a run down the flanks, putting in big tackles. They are very important going forward as we want them to really occupy the wide areas and attack with pace and precision. Holding width and really stretching the game, especially on the counters. Double up on the FBs with the wide men and make runs in behind to where they can put in dangerous crosses, taking the FBs with them to create space for others or finding their own space, either way the FBs will be very vulnerable 2 v 1.

Lucas and Beñat press all over the pitch not giving the opposition midfield an inch of space, keeping them passing side to side by pressing as soon as they get on the ball and harassing them, getting challenges in or forcing loose passes. Lucas should look to mark the main AM, who we expect to be Mata, and stop him getting space between the lines, keeping close and getting very tight as soon as the ball goes into him, not allowing him time to work a chance. He must track him all the time never give him and inch of space and be very physical with him. On the ball they look to keep things ticking over and get the ball into the forwards with quick incisive passing, especially on the break. Beñat has a fantastic passing range and we look for him to take control of the midfield and keep the ball whizzing around into space, whilst also looking for the killer final balls.

When defending Ozil can either drop back into CM and join the pressing, not giving the opposition any time, or go right out and help the FB defend, whilst Hazard also helps the FB if they are being doubled up on, if not he stays close to the opposition DM and puts the pressure on. Both will look to get out to the wings and support the FBs going forward, doubling up on the opposition FBs and creating chances for crosses or cut backs, Ozil with his good link up and Hazard with his driving runs and pace. Ozil should also look to find spaces in the attack to get on the ball and use his passing and link up play to move the ball quickly and open things up, looking to get the FBs in behind, fashion chances for the other forwards, play quick one-twos and make his own runs behind the defence or simply keep things ticking. Hazard will be very direct, always looking to get the ball and turn and run, forcing the opposition back line deeper and using his trickery to beat players and open up more spaces. Link up with the other forwards and find spaces around the defence to get into for a pass. Go for goal as much as possible and link up around the area with Cavani, Ozil and the FBs very quickly to create chances.

Cavani is the focal point of all the attacks, he occupies the CBs and brings Ozil and Hazard into play to drive at the back 4 or he gets it wide to attack the FBs and then get into the box for the deliveries. Use his strength to hold the ball up and run off the CBs, shrugging them off and using his good pace to get in on goal. He can drop deeper or wider to link up and make things happen, creating space for others in the centre and he always looks to attack crosses.

Subs:

If Winning: Kondogbia for Beñat 70', greater energy and defensive capabilities. Bertrand for Monreal 75'. Draxler for Hazard 80'.

If Drawing: Lamela for Ozil 70', more direct attacker. Defoe for Barzagli 75', go 4-4-2. Draxler for Hazard 80'.

If Losing: Defoe and Lamela for Monreal and Azpilicueta 70', 3-5-2 with Lamela and Hazard occupying the wide positions, tracking back when needed. Draxler for Beñat 80', up alongside Ozil to make things happen.

Starting Line Up:

-----------------------------Leno----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
------------Garay------Ferdinand--------Günter------------
Simpson---------------------------------------------Cissokho
----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------Capoue----Strootman---------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
---Nani---------------------------------------------Gaitan-
----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------Van Persie---------------------------


Subs: Pirlo, Kagawa, Sarabia, Wijnaldum, Pato

Captain: Ferdinand
Vice Captain: Van Persie

Penalties: Van Persie
Freekicks: Van Persie


Without the ball:

..........GK
RB..CB..CB..CB..LB
.RW..DM..CM..LW.
...................
..........ST

With the ball:

..........GK
.....CB..CB..CB....
..........DM.....
RB.......CM......LB
...RW..........LW...
...........ST



Bernd Leno makes his debut appearance between the sticks, he'll be very vocal making sure everybody stays alert and sharp throughout the game. He'll be looking to hit the center backs from goal kicks (mainly Garay), we won't be pumping long balls aimlessly forward.

Due to injuries we move to a back 5 this week. Ferdinand, Garay and Günter will be the center backs. Rio's experience will be key between the more mobile Garay and Gunter to his left and right. He still reads the game as well as anyone. Ferdinand and Garay will go up for corners, with Gunter and Capoue sitting back.

Simpson and Cissokho, will be operating as our wing backs. They'll be providing the cover down the flanks and the width for our attacks. When we don't have the ball they will be looking to get back into that solid back 5 line. When in possession they will be looking to push the opponents back into their half and provide an option on the overlap.

Capoue takes up his place anchoring the midfield, his job will be to sit and mop up. He won't be venturing very far forward, he'll let the others in front of him do the attacking side of things. There will be very little space in the middle of the park for the opposition to operate and their only option will be able to knock the ball out wide. Like Rafael, the two deep midfielders will not allow the opponents to get shots off, quickly closing down and crowding them out. Strootman will take up a box to box type role alongside Capoue, picking his moments to burst forward.

Nani and Gaitan are to play out wide / inside forwards. Their job will be very important. When out of possession they'll be dropping back as part of a solid midfield line of 4 and when in possession they will be bursting forward (ala Robben/Ribery). They can both cut inside, or look to one of the wing backs bombing down the flanks. Without the ball they will be helping out the fullbacks so that the opposition struggle in wide areas to make anything happen.

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


If winning after 70 minutes:

Wijnaldum will come on for Nani to add some freshness on the flank.
Kagawa will come on for Gaitan to keep possession of the ball.


If losing after 70 minutes:

We'll move to an attacking 4-2-2-2 with Pato (on for Ferdinand) playing just off of RVP
Sarabia will come on for Gaitan, with Nani moving out left
Pirlo will come in for Strootman to exploit the gaps and make something happen

Dream League Tactics

----------------------Casteels
---Lahm-----Kompany-------Chiellini-----Alaba
------Sergio Busquets-----Gundogan
--Thomas Muller---Mario Gotze------Marco Reus
-------------------Lewandowski

Subs: Luis Suarez, Kevin de Bruyne, Obiang, Aubameyang, Luis Muriel


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


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

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

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


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


--Gundogan--------Busquets
-------------Gotze
---Muller-----------------Reus

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

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

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

Subs:

Halftime: Suarez > Reus, strict 4-3-3 with Suarez playing LF and Muller RF

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

Losing/Drawing 60: Aubameyang > Muller, much bigger goalscoring threat.

Brentford

---------------------Begovic---------------------
Santon----Mussachio----Dragovic----L.Digne
----------------Bender----Vidal------------------
S.deJong------------------------------X.Shaqiri
----------------------Michu-----------------------
---------------------Benteke---------------------

Van Buyten, Guilavogui, Kramaric, Ocampos, Rhodes

Begovic is a top and confident keeper will dominate the area and come out for all high balls clearing what he cant punch. Look to close down strikers by quickly coming off his line to shut down there shooting angles.

A back four with Santon and Digne at fullback, both solid players who defend their lines very well, keep the wingers quiet, keep them to the outside and away from our danger area. Attack when you can one at a time, support yhe wingers by going on the outside and look for a pass so you can get beyond the fullback and cross in, Or if in possession look to pick out de Jong or Shaqiri and ping the ball down the line for them to latch onto.
First and foremost, Dragovic has the responsibility to mark striker into anonymity. This he does exceptionally well, using foresight that borders on the prophetic to intercept. He rarely has to make a rash tackle, so watch the lads movwement and be ready to move in. When the ball comes towards a striker and Dragovic is in the area to defend, Musacchio moves into position to back up his teammate and fill in any gap that is left. If an opposing attacker makes a run in the centre, reacting to a ball played towards the striker Dragovic is covering, Musacchio shifts to defend against a potential pass.
If the striker gets away from Dragovic it's the responsibility of Musacchio to shift and defend directly. Both comfortable with ball at feet so move the ball out when in no danger, otherwise clear it with no messing about.

Bender will keep it simple in his defensive role. He watches the AM , watch his movement and be there quick to stop him setting up attacks, break the play up between him and the CF etc to nulify there attacking threat. Always on his toes as there AM has a bit of class about him so we cant afford to let him dictate play. Vidal comes in alongside, he will look to stamp his authority on this game early, Has great vision so will want to get his passing range in early to set the likes of de Jong, Michu, Benteke up for many chances, he will always follow his pass and make himself available for a return ball. Can shoot from range so have a go. When they have sit alongside Bender and help him break up their attacks.His work rate is fantastic and always in the faces of the opposition.
Michu is in the free role, his attacking prowess is fantastic, will make late runs into the box and has tremendous vision. His inventiveness with his little flicks & dribbling skills are super too, but the best part is he knows where the net is. So will look to support Benteke as much as possible, Also use de Jong and Shaqiri for one twos to break the line of defence. drop back and help defend v the DM if he breaks forward.
de Jong is on the right, will look to drive at the fb, causing him all sorts of problems, cut in off his right and shoot with his left, or lay off to Michu/Benteke for him to dart into the box for the return. Otherwise look to take on the fullback get to the bye line and cross in for Bentek in the box.Not his favoured position but am sure with his experience he will do a job there. Shaqiri will use his pace to get him passed his marker, knock it forward and use the forward momentum to get by the player and cross in, will do this all day long so Benteke will thrive of this. At times de Jong and Shaqiri will be supported by our fullbacks so use them, either play it wide for them o r allow them to take the markers away to free up space to drive into. I want all 3 attacking mids to track back and stopp their fullbacks and DMS getting forward and becoming a nuisance.

Big bad Benteke 'should' get plenty of service from those around him so use his power to get in and onto the crosses coming in or balls through the middle. is a powerful boy and a real handful, so will shrug off his marker like he isnt there to get into dangerous positions to go for goal. If he cant and is well marked at times, then look to knock down or lay off to those coming in supporting. Always the target for corners and freekicks as more than most he will win anything in the air..

Captain:- Vidal
penalties:- Benteke
free kicks:- Michu
Corners:- Wingers

Subs:

LOSING OR DRAWING

65 Mins:- De Jong off for Kramaric, more natural winger and take on the full back with pace
75 mins:- Rhodes for Michu, play just off Benteke and the predator will look for lay offs etc
80 Mins:- Ocampos > Shaqiri fresh legs v a tiring RB

Winning:-
75 Mins:- Guilavogui > Michu will sit in Vidals position with Vidal just ahead

DELETE THEABOVE

Brentford

---------------------Begovic---------------------
Santon----Mussachio----Dragovic----L.Digne
----------------Bender----Vidal------------------
S.deJong------------------------------X.Shaqiri
-----------------------Villa------------------------
---------------------Benteke---------------------

Van Buyten, Guilavogui, Kramaric, Ocampos, Rhodes

Begovic is a top and confident keeper will dominate the area and come out for all high balls clearing what he cant punch. Look to close down strikers by quickly coming off his line to shut down there shooting angles.

A back four with Santon and Digne at fullback, both solid players who defend their lines very well, keep the wingers quiet, keep them to the outside and away from our danger area. Attack when you can one at a time, support yhe wingers by going on the outside and look for a pass so you can get beyond the fullback and cross in, Or if in possession look to pick out de Jong or Shaqiri and ping the ball down the line for them to latch onto.
First and foremost, Dragovic has the responsibility to mark striker into anonymity. This he does exceptionally well, using foresight that borders on the prophetic to intercept. He rarely has to make a rash tackle, so watch the lads movwement and be ready to move in. When the ball comes towards a striker and Dragovic is in the area to defend, Musacchio moves into position to back up his teammate and fill in any gap that is left. If an opposing attacker makes a run in the centre, reacting to a ball played towards the striker Dragovic is covering, Musacchio shifts to defend against a potential pass.
If the striker gets away from Dragovic it's the responsibility of Musacchio to shift and defend directly. Both comfortable with ball at feet so move the ball out when in no danger, otherwise clear it with no messing about.

Bender will keep it simple in his defensive role. He watches the AM , watch his movement and be there quick to stop him setting up attacks, break the play up between him and the CF etc to nulify there attacking threat. Always on his toes as there AM has a bit of class about him so we cant afford to let him dictate play. Vidal comes in alongside, he will look to stamp his authority on this game early, Has great vision so will want to get his passing range in early to set the likes of de Jong, Villa, Benteke up for many chances, he will always follow his pass and make himself available for a return ball. Can shoot from range so have a go. When they have sit alongside Bender and help him break up their attacks.His work rate is fantastic and always in the faces of the opposition.
Villa is in the free role, his attacking prowess is fantastic, will make late runs into the box and has tremendous vision. His inventiveness with his little flicks & dribbling skills are super too, but the best part is he knows where the net is. So will look to support Benteke as much as possible, Also use de Jong and Shaqiri for one twos to break the line of defence. drop back and help defend v the DM if he breaks forward.
de Jong is on the right, will look to drive at the fb, causing him all sorts of problems, cut in off his right and shoot with his left, or lay off to Villa/Benteke for him to dart into the box for the return. Otherwise look to take on the fullback get to the bye line and cross in for Benteke in the box.Not his favoured position but am sure with his experience he will do a job there. Shaqiri will use his pace to get him passed his marker, knock it forward and use the forward momentum to get by the player and cross in, will do this all day long so Benteke will thrive of this. At times de Jong and Shaqiri will be supported by our fullbacks so use them, either play it wide for them o r allow them to take the markers away to free up space to drive into. I want all 3 attacking mids to track back and stopp their fullbacks and DMS getting forward and becoming a nuisance.

Big bad Benteke 'should' get plenty of service from those around him so use his power to get in and onto the crosses coming in or balls through the middle. is a powerful boy and a real handful, so will shrug off his marker like he isnt there to get into dangerous positions to go for goal. If he cant and is well marked at times, then look to knock down or lay off to those coming in supporting. Always the target for corners and freekicks as more than most he will win anything in the air..

Captain:- Vidal
penalties:- Benteke
free kicks:- Villa
Corners:- Wingers

Subs:

LOSING OR DRAWING

65 Mins:- De Jong off for Kramaric, more natural winger and take on the full back with pace
75 mins:- Rhodes for Villa, play just off Benteke and the predator will look for lay offs etc
80 Mins:- Ocampos > Shaqiri fresh legs v a tiring RB

Winning:-
75 Mins:- Guilavogui > Villa will sit in Vidals position with Vidal just ahead

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