---------------------------Müller
Klostermann---Milenkovic ---Ginter ----Tagliafico
------------------Rudy---------Gagliardini
----Waldschmidt -------Ziyech-----------Rebic
----------------------------Jovic

Subs: Woodman, Elvedi, Mittelstädt, Laimer, Neuhaus, Brekalo, Mitrovic


Our defensive unit consists of Nikola Milenkovic and Matthias Ginter paired up at centre-back, Lukas Klostermann at right-back and Nicolás Tagliafico at left-back, with Sebastian Rudy and Roberto Gagliardini as our midfield ‘double pivot’ screening them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The attacking unit consists of Luca Waldschmidt, Hakim Ziyech and Ante Rebic as our band of three attacking midfielders with Luka Jovic as our lone central striker.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Subs on 75 mins
Mitrovic on for Jovic and Brekalo on for Rebic

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

Newcastle Cup

NEWCASTLE 4-3-3

______________Chesney
Bissaka____Alder___Koulibaly___Davies
_______________N’Zonzi
_____________Alli____James
Suso___________Lukaku_______Rafinha

SUBS: Mane, Radja, Suarez, Milner, Kante, Reus, Bobby

Captain: James Rodriguez
Penalties: James Rodriguez
Corners: Suso
Freekicks: James Rodriguez
Crossing Freekick: Suso

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subs

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

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

If winning 80 mins: Kante comes on for N’Zonzi to close out the game.

If losing/drawing 80 mins: Bobby comes on for N’Zonzi and play 2 up front.

-------------------Buffon
Lirola----Retsos----Verthongen----Cucurella
------------------Dorsch
------------Fred-------Locatelli
Lamela-------------------------------Son
-------------------Inaki
Subs
Strakosha, Inigo, Bertrand, Brozovic, Mkhi, Gameiro, Gylfi

Buffon is a commanding presence at the back, when he calls for a ball, the defence know he will take control, they have complete confidence in each other and stops those little split second doubts which could lead to a chance.

Verthongen is the defensive leader and will be the one to set the defensive line on the pitch, both centre backs will stay back with either one of the full backs or the DM always prepared to make it a back 3 when we lose possession to stop counters, When dealing with the opposition, we will avoid slide tackles unless necessary instead looking to just guide players off the ball. When on the ball, if the opposition are giving them space to come out, they should take it forward, if not, keep it simple with the occasional long ball thrown in to keep the opposition from setting up against one style.



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

 Their objective when attacking will be to keep making runs past the winger on the inside and outside, giving the opposition full back that split second of indecision on who to go with. They will only occasionally put floated crosses in, preferring to either play shorter passes to the wingers or players who have come out from the middle of the pitch to keep possession and let the pressure build up.

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


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



When Lacazette is attacking, he will look to constantly drift around the defenders looking to get himself a bit of space enough for him to get the ball and pass it along to another attacker or face up the defenders and take them on. When running onto a ball, He will also be looking to use his reactions to get ahead and then use his strength to cut in front of the defender, causing them to either stop their forward momentum completely, or make the foul.
When defending, he will be working with the wingers to cut off the passing lines for their CB's, forcing them or the keeper to launch it long, then using his tireless energy reserves to work back and press their centre mids.



Set Pieces


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





Free Kicks - Lamela takes Direct FK's


Penalties - Lamela is the designated taker.

Subs



If Winning


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




82 + 86 Mins - Brozovic for Dorsch and Bertrand for Cucurella - Actively time waste and really frustrate the opposition.



If Drawing
70 Mins - Mkhi for Fred - add a bit more urgency into attacks, show the opposition we are going for the win.

If Losing



67 Mins - Gameiro, Mkhi and Inigo for Dorsch, Cucurella and Lirola - switch to a 3-5-2 with emphasis on the wings backs acting as wingers and just pile forward in numbers.

MANCHESTER CITY vs Portsmouth

Line Up:

----------------------Pavlenka------------------------

Mukiele-------Wober------Holding-------Tierney

------------------------Roca--------------------------

-----------Eggestein-----------Matuidi-------------

Bernardeschi----------Alcacer---------------Gray



Captain: Pavlenka
Penalties: Alcacer
Direct Free Kicks: Bernardeschi
Indirect Free Kicks: Roca
Corners: Eggestein

Substitutes: Forster; CaPavlenkal; Luiz; Witsel; Gelson; Solanke; Richarlison


Game Plan:

We will start in a 4-3-3 formation, dropping back to 4-5-1 in defence, in order to reinforce the midfield out of possession. Roca plays as the central midfielder, flanked by Matuidi and Eggestein, while Bernardeschi and Gray operate down the wings and Alcacer holds the False 9 position. All 3 front men can play across the pitch and will be encouraged to swap positions to keep defenders guessing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Substitutes:
45 MINUTES (If winning, save this change for the 60th minute, otherwise :-
Richarlison comes on for Gray - Richarlison favours the central areas and will be more aggressive. Giving the Portsmouth centre backs cause for concern and freeing up space for the other forwards

60 MINUTES (If winning, save this change for the 70th minute, otherwise :-
If drawing: Witsel for Roca - Both players have a fairly similar playing style. Witsel plays with intensity and will re-invigorate the pressing process in the centre of the park, while quickly changing defence to attack with mazy runs and incise passes.

70 MINUTES :-
Moura for Bernardeschi - Moura will be looking to use his pace and dribbling prowess to cut holes in the Portsmouth defence late in the game. He will look to pass before shooting, generating chances for Alcacer and Richarlison to bury.

---------------------- McCarthy ------------------------
Bellerin ----- Caldara ----- Chiellini ----- Phil Max
------------------------ Danilo --------------------------
--------------- R.Neves ----- A.Vidal -----------------
Chiesa ----------------------------------------- Willian
------------------------- Icardi -------------------------

Letica, Blind, A.Gomes, Rashford, B.Traore, C.Wilson, B.Iglesias

Control possession high up the field, pass and move into positions that can hurt them, when we defend we do so as a team from the front and really pressurise them into quick , misplaced passes for us to pick up, in their face performance, especially Vidal, Neves and Danilo as we try to nullify their midfield and stop them creating chances for the forwards.

Bellerin and Max have freedom to attack, but only one at a time, one always staying back so we will have a back 3, they will bomb down the line supporting the wingers, which will allow the winger to cut inside and support Icardi. They look to play one twos with the attacking midfield 2 which will get him beyond there fullback and whip in dangerous crosses. Both tough defenders and intelligent so know when to tackle and when just to try and shimmy out wide. When defending and on the cautious side and remain vigilant at all times in the line of four, keep it tight.. Caldara the more mobile and quicker CB will mark the CF, use his strength and speed to keep the CF away from the danger area. Chiellini alongside is the spare defender and helps out where needed, bot very powerful defenders, dominate in the air and good on the ball, so when in possession they can carry the ball out from defence and look to send our forwards away. Stay tight as a four and let nothing through. Both up for corners, fullbacks and Danilo stay back. When we are in possession the ball will come from the back, so these guys must look for movement ahead of them so they can pick there pass, both CBs are comfortable with ball at feet and will take the ball out of defence to allow them to come on to us before he passes, this will create space as hew will force them to break away from the players they are marking..

Danilo's primary role is to win possession and then start an attacking phase. Within this he needs to cover spaces in between the midfield and defence where the opposition’s number 10 will likely to be operating whilst also being aware when the full-backs had pushed forward.Take care of of the No 10/SS is also a main focus, stick to him like glue and stop him becoming a threat, very good in the air so can attack long/high balls before they get to our defenders. Once he is in possession of the ball nice simple balls to those around him.

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

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

We must defend as a team tho, from the front, so wingers track back and cover the fullbacks, even just to stop them supporting the wingers, we must drive into them and pressurize them into mistakes

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

Subs

Losing -
60 Mins - Callum Wilson for Vidal - we go 4-4-2
70 Mins - Rashford for Willian, B.Traore for Chiesa, fresh legs v tiring defenders

Winning -
70 Mins - A.Gomes for Vidal, fresh les in the middle, will help defensively
80 Mins - Rashford for Willian, straight swap but will help track back v any fresh players
85 Mins - Iglesias for Icardi, big powerful lad will look to hold it up, still good for a goal if needed

Drawing -
65 Mins - B.Traore for Chiesa, Rashford for Willian, fresh legs to get at the defence as they tire later in the game
75 Mins - A.Gomes for Vidal - straight swap, look to open them up

------------------------ Courtois ------------------------
Cancelo ----- Boateng ----- Hummels -- Hernandez
----------- Fernandinho ---- Alberto ------------------
L.Bailey -------------- Eriksen ------------- A.Martial
--------------------- Timo Werner ---------------------

Subs:
Hart, Lenglet, Dier, Verratti, Draxler, Asensio, Haller

Captain: Hummels
Free Kicks: Eriksen
Penalties: Martial
Corners: Eriksen

Moving the ball at speed will be the focus of our play as we go with an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation today as we aim for 3 points. Our three AM’s in support of Werner will be key components of this style as we feel we pose threats from all angles with plenty of goals in our lineup. Fernandinho and Alberto offer great quality on the ball from a slightly deeper position as they both possess a fantastic range of passing, able to break the lines and play that killer pass in to our attacking quartet. We will look to dictate the play and frustrate the opposition when in possession, continually moving them around, making them chase the ball by switching flanks. In doing so we will not only be wearing them down but also continually pulling them out of shape, breaking down their defensive structure as we look to make numerous openings as we go for goals in today’s match up.

Whilst the opposition have some dangerous players we will look to significantly limit their impact by retaining possession, we will force them to track back or risk leaving their defence exposed when we push forward in numbers. We aim to make things uncomfortable for them and we feel that limiting their ability to have the ball in attacking areas will severely limit any threat posed. When they are in possession our wingers drop in as we play a compact 4-5-1 formation. The aim of the game will be to break at speed with our wide players offering an immediate outlet when we win back possession. Turning defence into attack in the blink of an eye.

We aim to play on the front foot, hit them early to take the lead and then exploit the space in behind as they push forward for an equaliser. We start fast, high intensity and pressing from the front, putting them under immediate pressure we can force mistakes early on.

Defence:

We go with a strong defensive unit at the back, packed with experience and quality we look to nullify the threat posed by the oppositions attack. We have two strong and aerially imposing CB’s to deal with the threat posed by their forwards. We will look to be dominant at the back as we aim to take the sting out of the opposition early on and play on the front foot. Our fullbacks have license to push forward when in possession, Cancelo in particular offers a real threat down the right with his strong attacking prowess. Bailey will often drift infield taking the opposition FB with him which will create space for Cancelo to exploit, he will at all times be looking for the runs of Werner whose movement and finishing is top class. We aim to keep the oppositions wingers down the line and do not let them come infield.

If the opposition play one up top then Hummels will mark, strong and aggressive we feel he has all the tools to deal with any opponent. Boateng will sweep up and cover in behind, a fantastic reader at the back he will also be the one to bring the ball out from defence. Nothing fancy just look to get the ball into the feet of our CM’s or the runs of our wide men who will look to do all the damage.

Midfield:

Fernandinho will control the midfield and offer additional protection through the middle, sitting alongside Alberto he will be key to our style of play with their quick passing. Keep the ball moving, continually recycling possession and making the opposition chase shadows. Don’t force the issue as we aim to run them down, tired legs leads to tired minds and we feel that this will lead to plenty of openings as we continually move them out of shape. Forming a double pivot in front of our defence they not only offer protection but form the first line of our attack. Look for the early runs of the wide players as they possess electric pace and will be looking to get in behind the oppositions defence at all times. Eriksen plays ahead of them in the AM role, a gifted technician in his own right he will be looking to craft opportunities all afternoon. With the runs of Werner, Martial and Bailey to pick out we feel that he will thrive. An assist master we also encourage him to go for goal should the opportunity arise, we anticipate the opposition sitting deep and an Eriksen thunderbolt from distance is always on the cards when given space.

Forwards:

Frightening pace, electrifying dribbling and deadly finishing, we feel our front three have it all. Our wide players will look to take the opposition on at will. Bailey and Martial both have license to cut in from the flanks and go for goal, we encourage them to utilise their terrific pace and go at the opposition. Draw in the oppositions CB’s which in turn creates space for Werner to be slipped in and finish. Both will look to make jinking runs into the box where they can draw a foul or drive to the byline and whip the ball into Werner in the middle. Both wingers have fantastic work rate and will be a constant outlet as they make runs in behind when our playmakers are in possession. We play three up front when on the attack and really look to test the opposition defence with a goal threat from every angle. Werner plays through the middle, a player with fantastic movement and real predator. Immediately look to get into the box when we’re on the attack as we look to lay down a marker.

Subs;

If winning:
60 mins: Alberto off, Dier on.
75 mins: Bailey off, Lenglet on. 5-4-1 shut up shop time as we tighten up with a solid defensive unit as we see the game out and take the 3 points.

If drawing:
60 mins: Alberto and Fernandinho off, Verratti and Asensio on. Verratti slots into CM alongside Eriksen with Asensio coming in at AM with Bailey and Martial on the flanks.
75 mins: Werner off, Haller on. Change up top as we bring on the in-form marksman as we go for a winner.

If losing:
55 mins: Alberto off, Asensio on.
65 mins: Cancelo off, Haller on. We revert to 3-4-3 with Werner, Haller and Martial up top as we go for goals, goals, goals.

Attacking 4-3-3

We look to play our usual attacking game and take the game to Spurs, controlling possession and the tempo of the game. Control possession and find space in between the opposition lines. Get Ceballos and Modric on the ball and looking to play killer balls to open up the opposition using the pace of our attacking players.

Key to our attack is quick passing play, not looking to force the play but moving the ball quickly. Pass and move. Tire the opposition out physically and mentally with our possession play. Predominantly short passing on the deck, but varying our play when a counter is on.

As you'd expect, possession starts at the back, Laporte the man marker next to Ramos who is free. In midfield, Casemiro reading the play looking to win the ball back as the dm alwatys staying back and offering cover, Ceballos and Modric will offer inteligence defensively, with the pressing of Ceballos also improtant.

Getting Modric and Ceballos on the ball and get pushing up the pitch, they are used to being on the offensive and playing in tight spaces, so we look to them to pick the passes. But if they play a high line they can pick the passes through or over the top to expose the space behind them. Quick one twos between the two and the attacking trio and Marcelo and Carvajal always looking to provide an option.

The defence will be patient on the ball, will be hugely important in keeping possession and pushing us up the pitch. Playing a reasonably high line, with good pace at the back and energy in front. As soon as we get the ball to our midfield, we look to move the ball quickly, quick passing and moving. Spurs have great pace in attack, but they'll be tired from chasing us keep the ball while we also have pace at the back.

In attack we play with width to stretch the game and open up Spurs. Get the fbs attacking. One bombing forward the other fb remains a little more reserved offering option to go back and switch play.

Hazard has a free role in attack, with Marcelo offering width on the left. On the right, Sane stays wide stretching the game looking to take on their lb.


------------------- Neuer
Carvajal- S.Ramos - T.Kehrer - Marcelo
------------------ Casemiro
----------- Ceballos --- Modric
L.Sane ----------------------------- Hazard
------------------ C.Ronaldo

Subs. Schmeichel, J.Gomez, Shaw, Doucoure, Oyarzabal, W.Geubbels, Correa, D.Costa

Defending in numbers

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

In a narrow, rigid formation, we will look to press the space, not allowing them options. Draw them in to positions where they can’t hurt us, and then try and win the ball back. Then get forward quickly.

As Spurs advance into higher areas of the park and into our half, our shape will resemble a 4-1-4-1. Our wingers will track any forward runs made by their fbs, and Casemiro presses the space in front of our cbs, sweeping up danger in front of the defence, the cms pressing their midfield.

In this tight formation narrowing to the side of play, ensuring there are no gaps in the formation. Casemiro will be key, reading the play in between the defence and midfield, getting across to cut out any danger. Modric picks up the most advanced cm. The winger opposite play comes inside and sits on their deepest cm while Ceballos presses the space next to and in front of Casemiro. Our fb’s have fantastic pace up against their wide forwards, bide their time, not diving in.

Attack.
Get the ball to our midfield trio, get them linking up with quick passing, getting the ball to our wingers and get balls into Ronaldo. The trio's movement will be key in opening up the opposition defence.

The cm trio seeking to collect the ball from the defence, and seeking to start our attacks from the back. Spreading play, and setting the tempo of the game. We look to find space between their defence and midfield, committing defenders from there and playing killer balls.

We want quick one twos in the opposition half. Ceballos, Modric and the wingers will always be looking for the killer ball. If it is not on, we are happy to keep the ball moving and keep possession.

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

Subs. If winning after 70 mins bring on Costa for Ronaldo. Fresh energy. Pushes tempo up.
If winning after 75 mins bring on Correa for Hazard. Super sub. Fresh pace and energy, pushing tempo up.
If winning after 80 mins bring on Doucoure for Modric. Injects power and energy.

If drawing after 60 mins bring on Oyarzabal for Modric. More attacking.
If drawing after 70 mins bring on Costa for Sane. Ronaldo moves left, Hazard right.

If losing after 60 mins bring on Gomez and Oyarzabal for Marcelo and Carvajal. 3-5-2. Hazard up top with Ronaldo. Sane right, Oyarzabal left.
If losing after 70 mins bring on Correa for Casemiro. Oyarzabal moves to cm. Correa right, Sane moves left.

----------------------- Oblak ----------------------
E.Hysaj ----- Stones ----- Varane ----- Sandro
-------------------- F.de Jong ---------------------
------------- Zielinski ----- P.Pogba -------------
Mbappe ---------------------------------- Neymar
------------------ Lewandowski -------------------

Meret, Romagnoli, Fabinho, Aouar, Rodrigo, Thorgan, Piatek

Possession football, quick on the break and really pressurise the opposition with an in your face performance from the front, we want to hit them quickly so we need to press them quickly to get the ball, when we defend, Zielinski, de Jong and Pogba just in front harassing the man with the ball before they get to our back 4 and the front 3 in and around the half way line, Lewandowski slightly higher up, this will congest the midfield and allow Zielinski and Pogba to dictate play, stop them coming forward from the back, however, if they do push forward onto us and we get the ball they will be on the back foot and will really struggle with our front 3/4 with Fullbacks who are always ready to pounce and hit them with pace.

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

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

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

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

Losing -
60 Mins - Aouar for Zielinski, will push on a bit more
70 Mins - Thorgan for Sandro, Piatek for Hysaj

de Jong drops back to CB, 3-4-3(attacking)

Stones - Varane - de Jong
Mbappe - Aouar - Pogba - Thorgan
Piatek - Lewandowski - Neymar

Winning -
70 Mins - Fabinho for Zielinski, helps defensively
80 Mins - Piatek for Lewandowski

Drawing -
65 Mins - Aouar for Zielinski
75 Mins - Thorgan for Lewandowskl, he goes to RW and Mbappe up top to hurt a tiring defnce with his pace

BRUM vs Wolves

---------------------------------Lafont--------------------------------
Pereira-----------Skriniar----------Maguire---------------Telles
-----------------------------------Ndidi--------------------------------------
-------------------Cristante-----------Kondogbia---------------------
Neres------------------------------------------------------------------Keita
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------Higuain------------------------------------------

Subs - Lunin, Henrichs, Kessie, Zaha, Valverde, Adama, Batshuayi

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

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

Defence
Lafont is a quality young keeper. Don't take risks. Punch the ball away if the shot is too powerful. Command your area. The defence is well balanced. Skriniar and Maguire bring a whole lot of experience and pace to the defence. Maguire will use his experience to marshal the defence and Skriniar will look to use his pace to close the oppo strikers down. Stay vocal with each other and cover for each other if oppo gets past one of you. Full backs will start of with a conservative mind set and not attack too much but as the game goes on I want them to make overlapping runs and get some crosses in to the box. Ndidi and Kondogbia will be covering for them when they go attacking.

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

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

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

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

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

--------------------------------Lafont--------------------------------
Pereira--------Skriniar-------------Maguire------------Telles
-------------------------------Kondogbia ------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adama---------------------------------------------------------------Keita
-----------------------------------Zaha------------------------------------
---------------------Batshuayi--------Higuain--------------------------


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

----------------------------------Lafont--------------------------------
Pereira----------Skriniar-----------Maguire----------Telles
-----------------Kessie-------Ndidi--------Kondogbia------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------Adama--------------------------------------------------Keita
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------Zaha----------------------------------------


Subs if DRAWING BY 65MINS
Adama on for Neres
Kessie on for Cristante
Batshuayi on for Higuain
Fresh legs to bring on.

--------------------Lloris
Danilo----Kompany---Sane---Van Aanholt
--------------------Herrera
------------Ramsey-----Fabregas
Malcom----------------------------Costa
--------------------Cavani
Pickford, Maitland-Niles, Mee, Cook, Gelson, Amiri, Giroud
A tough game for us today, but we should come into it fit and ready having had a free weekend last time out. I have selected a 4-1-2-3 formation for today for multiple reasons. The first is that we can have a more defensive minded midfielder to limit the Portsmouth creativity, whilst also having two midfielders in front of them who can operate as more creative types, concentrating on getting the ball forward. The second reason is that it allows for us to operate with pace and skill on the flanks, setting up direct runs either at the defence or via balls over the top and into the space behind, which will serve as a benefit.
In goal I have recalled Lloris, as I think his experience could be key with the absence of Manolas in defence. He will operate in a sweeper keeper role, comfortable with the ball at his feet and looking to start attacks from deep. Primarily I will be looking for him to play in our two attack minded full backs, who will be given license to burst forward and supplement our attacking players. He is also capable of going long, should the opposition push up and try to cut out the ball out of the back, and then he will look for Cavani, who will play in our wide men.
Kompany and Sane is a strong pairing of defenders, who both have physical presence in abundance. They will work together as a unit, with Kompany pressing the opposition striker, keeping a tight hold on his location and not allowing him an inch of space, all whilst Sane covers the space in behind, operating almost as a sweeper, making sure that anything that gets past Kompany does not also get past him. When on the ball, they will obviously provide each other as an option, with the added short ball forward to Herrera. Their primary interest will be to find the pass out to our full backs, however, who will burst forward to start attacks.
Herrera is sitting just in front of the defence today, and I intend for him to marshall that position. Combining a dogged persistence with decent ability on the ball, he is perfect for this role. This comes especially due to the presence of creative midfield players alongside him. Herrera will press and harass their furthest forward midfielder, not allowing them to have time or space on the ball to start attacks through the middle, and getting a bit rough if it is required. Limiting them through the centre should also limit the amount of chances that fall their way. When he gets the ball, he will have plenty of options, either spreading it out wide to either the full backs or the wingers, or looking forward to Fabregas and Ramsey. He, however, will stay in his position and not contribute going forward.
The chosen full backs today are both attacking players who love to play on the counter, picking the ball up in defensive positions before joining the charge forward and contributing to the attack. I expect them to emulate this today. They will be key for us in playing a fast counter to hit Portsmouth on the break whenever we win back possession, providing an outlet for passing but also for overlapping runs and runs into the box. When on the back foot, they both have the energy to get back in position and track their winger, not allowing them time or space.
Fabregas is the creative force of my midfield. He may not have the legs for top level football anymoe, but that is why his midifield partner, Ramsey, is so important, as together they will work as a team to create chances, with Fabregas providing the technical flair whilst Ramsey presses and makes the runs, getting in the box so that he can chip in with some goals. Fabregas’ key outlet will be balls into the wide players, whether that be straight to feet or through balls for them to run on to, and with us doubling up in these positions, there should be plenty of space to explot. Off the ball, Ramsey will press and harangue their midfield, not allowing them a moments time to think and start dangerous attacks.
I have kept faith in my traditional wingers for todays game, as I think Malcom and Costa suit our game perfectly. Both are fast and direct players, who like to run at the opposition. I give them license to do this, trying to get in behind and stretch the opposition defence. With the added benefit of overlapping runs from the full backs, I think we can see plenty of joy coming down these flanks, especially with Fabregas explicitly looking to pick them out. They will also look to get in the box as often as possible, and get onto any knock downs from Cavani, meaning that off the ball the trident must drop back to the halfway line and wait for the attack to start again. This should, however, mean that there should be lots of space to exploit in behind.
Cavani leads the line for us today as he always does. A big presence on the pitch and a goalscorer capable of causing a threat to any defence. He is a physical and energetic presence, who will look to get into the box as often as possible. With our wide play, we should be looking to get crosses in on top of his head, as well as him in behind the opposition into one on one situations with the opposition goalkeeper. Either way, Cavani is bound to punish Pompey.
Substitutions
If drawing/losing
Cesc Fabregas off for Nadiem Amiri 65 mins
A bit more of an energetic and attack minded option in that position, with Fabregas likely tiring from the game. The fresh legs should allow us to push forward more, as well as winning more of the midfield battles.
Malcom off for Gelson Martins 75 mins
A fresh set of legs on the right hand side of our trident. Gelson will largely play the same role as Malcom, attacking with pace and skill, and looking to get in behind the opposition defence.
Ander Herrera off for Lewis Cook 80 mins
A switch to a 4-2-3-1, with Amiri playing in the number 10 role in behind the striker, whilst Lewis Cook and Aaron Ramsey work as the two deeper midfielders.
If winning
Cesc Fabregas off for Lewis Cook 65 mins
Lewis Cook comes on as a fresh set of legs in the midfield. He will largely play the same role as Fabregas, looking to control the play and start attacks from midfield, but should offer a bit more fitness.
Aaron Ramsey off for Ainsley Maitland-Niles 75 mins
Again, us looking for more fresh legs in the midfield to try and control this key area of the pitch. AMN will play the same role as Ramsey.
Edinson Cavani off for Olivier Giroud 80 mins
Fresh legs up top, and a super sub coming off the bench, to try and score a goal to kill the game.

——————————Ter Stegen
Odriozola——Sule——————Rudiger———Gaya
——————————Torreira
—————B.Silva———————Milinkovic
Sancho——————Dybala———————Lozano

Subs: Pope, Diallo, McKennie, Lofts-Cheek, Brandt, Harit, Kane

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

The aim of our build up play will be to get the ball into the free CB, as well as drawing Everton’s midfield forward. Position our midfield deeper, with Torreira just ahead of the CBs, CMs dropping towards play, CBs stretched out and FBs slightly higher in line with Torreira, creating a diamond in both half spaces through which we can escape pressure, before switching to the CB on the free side (can use Ter Stegen when needed). CB can carry the ball forward and plays a ball into the CM on his side to provoke one of the Everton CMs into stepping up, the CM can play it immediately back back to the CB, Torreira or the FB, who will then play it vertically into the inverted winger/Dybala who drop behind the pushed up CM. Equally, if the CB brings it forward and the opposition don’t break their structure, he can play a long ball out to the opposite flank to stretch the game.

When establishing possession we use short passing combinations, minimal spacing between players, staggered between the lines. Allows for quick movement of the ball, shifting constantly to different lines, drawing more of a reaction from the opposition and sucking them in towards the ball to open up space elsewhere, which we can quickly switch into. The constant movement of the ball, and constant movement of our players, changing runs and swapping positions, creates a mental overload on the opponent, with some players chasing to follow the ball, and others the man, allowing us to break their defensive structure and unmark ourselves higher up the field. The opponent then has to react to the hole that they leave, and this sucks defenders out of the last line of defence, allowing us to play in their blindsides.

Torreira and the CBs are the second pass facilitators of this style, with a better view of the pitch ahead of them, and more space to work in they have the best access to passing lanes, and can make the best choice of where to build attacks. When these guys get the ball with space, the players ahead of them must make runs, particularly using a Milinkovic, or a winger to make a run in behind their defence for a quick lofted pass.

B.Silva is the main creator in the side today, roaming the midfield to link play, and find space in the half space / between the lines, as well as drifting wide to overload their FBs, as well as combining closely with Dybala. Milinkovic will have a box to box role, his energy will be key when recovering possession, but he links play well too, and his direct runs and aerial presence in the box can be a huge threat.

Our wingers look to create positional superiority alongside our CMs and Dybala. Both can stretch the game and pin the FBs back, to open up more 1 v 1 battles for our CMs and themselves, whilst both can invert and link with the CMs/Dybala to overload the midfield and force the Fbs into tucking in and leaving space wide, or leaving the CMs vulnerable. Both can make runs behind, the pace they have means the Everton defence have to drop and become detached from midfield, or risk being beaten in a foot race.

Dybala as the false 9 aids our chance creation. He can drop to overload their midfield, exploiting gaps either side of the DM, or exploiting the space between the midfield and defence when Everton are stretched. It also means that a CB can be tempted to follow him, which can leave a huge gap in the Everton back line for the pace of our wingers and even CMs to exploit. The front three can be very fluid today, sometimes Dybala drifting wide and a winger taking up the CF role.

Off the ball we use a 4-5-1 shape. We will look to high press, with three key triggers. Firstly a ball played between CBs. Dybala will look to pressure the ball carrying CB, closing vertical passing lanes. When the CB passes to the other CB, ball side CM will step up and press in the same manner as Dybala, creating a 4-4-2. Wingers stay tucked into the half spaces to make vertical passes difficult, Torreira always slightly deeper than the other CM to create a strong core. This should force them to the corners, which is our next pressing trigger. When this happens, the winger steps out to press the FB, with CF and CM in the first line of defence also pushing out to the wing, looking to pen the FB in, with our FB pushing higher up to condense space and cut passing lanes to the winger (far side winger, Torreira and the other CM create a strong midfield 3).

The final trigger is pressing from Goalkicks. Our front three will come narrow, covering the width of the box, wingers pressing the Cbs if they try to play out, CMs can go out to the FBs when needed, whilst Dybala covers passing lanes to the DM. Force them to go long from GKs.

The back line adjusts their position based on the position of the ball and team mates, so when Everton have the ball with their defence and we are high pressing, the back 4 will be pushed up right behind the midfield line, keeping minimal space between the lines, shutting down passing lanes in the middle to force the opponents wide or long. Our 3 lines move up and down in unison, so when Everton have periods of established possession in our half, our 4-5-1 shape falls right back together to keep us compact, using the same pressing triggers as we would higher up.

Subs:

If Winning: Loftus-Cheek for Sancho 70’. Kane and McKennie for Lozano and Dybala 80’, Silva LW.

If Drawing: Kane for Sancho 70’, Dybala to LW, Kane on to make more runs behind. Dybala will have a free role, pop up on the opposite side half space, make it difficult to mark him and provide a link between midfield and Kane. Brandt for Lozano 75’, with Dybala having a free role, Brandt allows us to change the shape of our attack as needed, either stretching the game on the touchline, or creating a 1-2/2-1 shaped front three. Loftus-Cheek for Milinkovic 80’.

If Losing: Brandt for Milinkovic 60’, two creative midfielders now to open up the opposition. Kane for Gaya 65’, he goes up front, with Dybala creating more of a diamond midfield with a 3-4-3 shape, fluid movements of Silva, Brandt and Dybala can cause a lot of trouble. Harit for Sancho 75’.

Birmingham v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Injuries: Meyer, Tah, McGuane, Mina

--------------------- Arrizabalaga
Hakimi - Marquinhos - Barzagli - Wendell
--------- Rakitic - Khedira - Gundogan
--------- Di Maria - Immobile - Perisic

Subs: Leno, Maffeo, Benkovic, Diawara, Ozil, Vitolo, Vardy

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

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

We are playing a 4-3-3 today, Arrizabalaga in goal, Marquinhos and Barzagli at centreback, Hakimi and Wendell at fullback, Rakitic, Khedira and Gundogan in midfield, Di Maria and Perisic either side of Immobile upfront.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subs 70 mins;
If winning: Di Maria, Immobile and Perisic off, Benkovic, Alcacer and Diawara on. Change to 5-3-1-1, Benkovic an extra CB, midfield trio of Diawara, Rakitic and Khedira, with Gundogan in the AM role providing support to Alcacer upfront.

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

If losing: Barzagli and Khedira off, Ozil and Alcacer on. 3-1-4-2, Hakimi - Marquinhos - Wendell at the back, Rakitic the playmaker from deep, Di Maria - Ozil - Gundogan - Perisic behind Immobile and Alcacer upfront. Push for goals.

-------------------Buffon
Lirola----Retsos----Verthongen----Cucurella
------------------Dorsch
------------Fred-------Locatelli
Lamela-------------------------------Son
-------------------Inaki
Subs
Strakosha, Inigo, Bertrand, Brozovic, Mkhi, Gameiro, Kovacic

Buffon is a commanding presence at the back, when he calls for a ball, the defence know he will take control, they have complete confidence in each other and stops those little split second doubts which could lead to a chance.

Verthongen is the defensive leader and will be the one to set the defensive line on the pitch, both centre backs will stay back with either one of the full backs or the DM always prepared to make it a back 3 when we lose possession to stop counters, When dealing with the opposition, we will avoid slide tackles unless necessary instead looking to just guide players off the ball. When on the ball, if the opposition are giving them space to come out, they should take it forward, if not, keep it simple with the occasional long ball thrown in to keep the opposition from setting up against one style.



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

 Their objective when attacking will be to keep making runs past the winger on the inside and outside, giving the opposition full back that split second of indecision on who to go with. They will only occasionally put floated crosses in, preferring to either play shorter passes to the wingers or players who have come out from the middle of the pitch to keep possession and let the pressure build up.

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


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



When Lacazette is attacking, he will look to constantly drift around the defenders looking to get himself a bit of space enough for him to get the ball and pass it along to another attacker or face up the defenders and take them on. When running onto a ball, He will also be looking to use his reactions to get ahead and then use his strength to cut in front of the defender, causing them to either stop their forward momentum completely, or make the foul.
When defending, he will be working with the wingers to cut off the passing lines for their CB's, forcing them or the keeper to launch it long, then using his tireless energy reserves to work back and press their centre mids.



Set Pieces


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





Free Kicks - Lamela takes Direct FK's


Penalties - Lamela is the designated taker.

Subs



If Winning


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




82 + 86 Mins - Brozovic for Dorsch and Bertrand for Cucurella - Actively time waste and really frustrate the opposition.



If Drawing
70 Mins - Mkhi for Fred - add a bit more urgency into attacks, show the opposition we are going for the win.

If Losing



67 Mins - Gameiro, Mkhi and Inigo for Dorsch, Cucurella and Lirola - switch to a 3-5-2 with emphasis on the wings backs acting as wingers and just pile forward in numbers.

Newcastle Cup

NEWCASTLE 4-3-3

______________Chesney
Bissaka____De Vrij___Ake___Davies
_______________N’Zonzi
_____________Alli____Milner
Suso___________Lukaku_______Rafinha

SUBS: Mane, Jorginho, Suarez, Silva, Kante, Reus, Robbo

Captain: James Milner
Penalties: James Milner
Corners: Suso
Freekicks: Suso
Crossing Freekick: Suso

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subs

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

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

If winning 80 mins: Jorginho comes on for N’Zonzi to close out the game.

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

MANCHESTER CITY vs Aston Villa

Line Up:

----------------------Audero------------------------

Mukiele-------Wober------Holding-------Tierney

------------------------Witsel--------------------------

-----------Eggestein-----------Dahoud-------------

Bernardeschi----------Alcacer---------------Brekalo

H

Captain: Audero
Penalties: Alcacer
Direct Free Kicks: Bernardeschi
Indirect Free Kicks: Witsel
Corners: Eggestein

Substitutes: Forster; Zagadou; Luiz; Golovin; Gray; Solanke; Mandzukic


Game Plan:

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

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

We will prevent the Aston Villa midfielders from linking up with their forwards, forcing them to play backwards and then piling the pressure on the player in possession. Dahoud and Witsel stand out in particular here, organising the defensive effort and ensuring Aston Villa cannot establish a dominance in the centre of the pitch.

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

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

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

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

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

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


Substitutes:
45 MINUTES (If winning, save this change for the 60th minute, otherwise :-
Mandzukic comes on for Brekalo - Mandzukic favours the central areas and will be more aggressive. Giving the Aston Villa centre backs cause for concern and freeing up space for the other forwards

60 MINUTES (If winning, save this change for the 70th minute, otherwise :-
If drawing: Golovin for Eggestein - Both players have a fairly similar playing style. Golovin plays with intensity and will re-invigorate the pressing process in the centre of the park, while quickly changing defence to attack with mazy runs and incise passes.

70 MINUTES :-
Gray for Bernardeschi - Moura will be looking to use his pace and dribbling prowess to cut holes in the Aston Villa defence late in the game. He will look to pass before shooting, generating chances for Alcacer and Richarlison to bury.

Bournemouth Tactics: Week 4 – Group A (away to Man City)
Captain: Grohe
Vice Captain: Liziero

Team:
------------------Grohe
Bustos--Santos—Rabello--Saracchi
-----------------Liziero
-----------Palacios---Paquetá
Pussetto------------------------Vargas
-------------------Gómez

SUBS: Ronaldo, Murilo, Álvarez, Maycon, Rodríguez, Cunha, Wesley

We want to play a neat crisp passing game at high tempo using our obvious pace to punish the opponent. Our formation will be a 4-3-3 that will allow our full backs to join in the attack when necessary and also offer us the flexibility to fall back into a more standard 4-4-2 when under pressure. We need to boss the midfield from the start and control the game with our own tempo. When in possession use the ball well and try and bring our wide men in to play. When chasing the ball press the opponent with urgency and all over the park. Don’t take too many risks and hold onto the ball. With our creativity and pace we will be able to open teams up. Wait for the chances to arise and take them when they come.

Goalkeeper: Grohe is a big mobile keeper and very agile. A great shot stopper, he will communicate with the back 4 and be commanding with the high ball. He will not take any risks. He is a great distributor with both hand and foot and we will look to this as a way to launch quick attacks.

Defence: Our 2 full backs are there firstly to defend and make sure they stay on the right side of their opponents whether they be out wide or cutting inside. When we are on the attack they will be allowed to use their power and pace to provide the overlap on the flanks. They both have the power and the lungs to work the touchline for 90 minutes. They will make the pitch wide and always offer themselves as an option in attack. Our 2 centre halves are big 6 feet plus ball playing defenders. Both good in the air and equally as good with the ball at their feet. They will be asked to do the simple things well. Be aggressive but controlled in the tackle and never lose your man when defending dead ball situations. They will be able to bring the ball out of defence but if in doubt take absolutely no chances and clear it. Both big men will be a real aerial threat at set pieces.

Midfield: Liziero will be the midfield general. A physical pacey midfielder he will be there to boss this area for us. Breaking up play and filling in as an extra defender if one of our back 4 has ventured forward. He will be there to protect the defence and do a lot of the unseen dirty work in the centre of the park. He is essential to our game plan and while sitting deep will still offer a lot with his great passing ability. He also has a thunderbolt right foot. Palacios and Paquetá will play just in front of Liziero. Palacios will be a more box to box type. He will be involved all over and will offer as much in defence as in attack. Paquetá will be the midfield magician. Clever, elusive and tricky we will look to him for creating the midfield openings with his eye for a pass. We will look at their enthusiasm and relentless pressing of the opposition as a way to hopefully get a bit of a grip on the midfield and at the very least not make it plain sailing for the opposition.

Wingers/Centre Forward: When in possession both Pussetto and Vargas will be expected to go for the direct approach and use their power and speed to take on the opposition defence and beat them and bring Paquetá, Palacios and Gómez in to play. They can vary their attacks by going wide or cutting inside as they see fit. Both players can play all across the middle so don’t be surprised to see them swapping wings. At times Palacios may sit a bit deeper allowing Paquetá to slot in between both wingers, just behind the CF. As well as an attacking force both wingers will also have to put a defensive shift when called upon and act as back up for their respective full backs.

Gómez starts as the CF. He won’t be short of support or ammunition with the attacking talent behind him. Great big old fashioned centre forward. We will look for him to hold up and bring others in to play if it doesn’t seem to be on for him. An eye for a pass and not afraid to have a go from distance. We will look to get bodies in the box when attacking so he should always have an outlet. He is also great in the air and will provide an option from set pieces. When the shot is on he will take it but we also want to put himself about in the box and think that his power pace will be a real handful for defences. He will also be alert to any scraps in and around the goal. He has the ability to produce something sublime and create a chance out of nothing.

Free Kicks/Corners: Paquetá, Vargas or Pussetto with Santos, Rabello, Liziero and Gómez to offer an aerial threat. Paquetá and Vargas (with his thunderbolt left foot) may try their luck with several free kicks from distance.
Penalties: Gómez

Substitutions: (if winning on 80 minutes) Álvarez for Rabello, Wesley for Gómez and Maycon for Palacios, 3 like for like substitutions.

If losing (on 80 minutes) Rodríguez for Palacios and Wesley for Pussetto. Shift to a 4-1-3-2 attack. Wesley and Rodríguez offering fresh legs, pace and a bit of the unknown in attack.

-----------------Liziero
Rodríguez---Paquetá----Vargas
-----------Gómez---Wesley

------------------------ DeGea ------------------------
Bellerin ----- Caldara ----- Bonucci ----- D.Blind
------------------------ Danilo ------------------------
----------------- Neves ------ Vidal ------------------
Ziyech --------------------------------------- Willian
----------------------- M.Icardi -----------------------

Letica, Gomes, Barkley, Meyer, B.Traore, Rashford, C.Wilson

Control possession high up the field, pass and move into positions that can hurt them, when we defend we do so as a team from the front and really pressurise them into quick , misplaced passes for us to pick up, in their face performance, especially Vidal, Neves and Danilo as we try to nullify their midfield and stop them creating chances for the forwards. When defending we drop the wingers back into a 4141 formation to keep it tight and try to outnumber their attack.

Bellerin and Blind have freedom to attack, but only one at a time, (Bellerin more than Blind as he makes up a back 3), one always staying back so we will have a back 3, they will bomb down the line supporting the wingers, which will allow the winger to cut inside and support Icardi. They look to play one twos with the attacking midfield 2 which will get him beyond there fullback and whip in dangerous crosses. Both tough defenders and intelligent so know when to tackle and when just to try and shimmy out wide. When defending and on the cautious side and remain vigilant at all times in the line of four, keep it tight.. Caldara the more mobile and quicker CB will mark the CF, use his strength and speed to keep the CF away from the danger area. Bonucci alongside is the spare defender and helps out where needed, both very powerful defenders, dominate in the air and good on the ball, so when in possession they can carry the ball out from defence and look to send our forwards away. Stay tight as a four and let nothing through. Both up for corners, fullbacks and Danilo stay back. When we are in possession the ball will come from the back, so these guys must look for movement ahead of them so they can pick there pass, both CBs are comfortable with ball at feet and will take the ball out of defence to allow them to come on to us before he passes, this will create space as hew will force them to break away from the players they are marking..

Danilo's primary role is to win possession and then start an attacking phase. Within this he needs to cover spaces in between the midfield and defence where the opposition’s number 10 will likely to be operating whilst also being aware when the full-backs had pushed forward.Take care of of the No 10/SS is also a main focus, stick to him like glue and stop him becoming a threat, very good in the air so can attack long/high balls before they get to our defenders. Once he is in possession of the ball nice simple balls to those around him.

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

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

We must defend as a team tho, from the front, so wingers track back and cover the fullbacks, even just to stop them supporting the wingers, we must drive into them and pressurize them into mistakes

Captain - Bonucci
Pens - Icardi
FK's - Neves/Willian
Corners - Wingers

Subs

Losing -
65 Mins - B.Traore for Vidal, we go 4231 with Ziyech in behind Icardi
75 Mins - C.Wilson for Bellerin, we go 3412
80 Mins - Rashford for Willian adds some pace and direction down the left

Winning -
75 Mins - A.Gomes for Neves extra energy in the middle v any new attackers
80 Mins - Rashford for Willian again fresh legs to help track back, still offers a threat going forward
86 Mins - Wilson for Icardi, look to hold it up, take to corners and chase things down

Drawing -
60 Mins - Rashford for Willian, Meyer for Vidal, fresh pace down the left, a bit more creativity in the middle
75 Mins - B.Traore for Ziyech

Winning -
75 Mins - A.Gomes for Vidal extra energy in the middle v any new attackers

that should read

----------------------- Oblak -----------------------
E.Hysaj ----- Stones ------ Varane ----- Sandro
--------------------- F.de Jong --------------------
---------------- Pjanic ----- Pogba ----------------
Mbappe ----------------------------------- Neymar
----------------------- Piatek -----------------------

A.Gunn, Fabinho, Aouar, Thorgan, Gnabry, Rodrigo, N.Pepe

Possession football, quick on the break and really pressurise the opposition with an in your face performance from the front, we want to hit them quickly so we need to press them quickly to get the ball, when we defend, Pjanic, de Jong and Pogba just in front harassing the man with the ball before they get to our back 4 and the front 3 in and around the half way line, Piatek slightly higher up, this will congest the midfield and allow Pjanic and Pogba to dictate play, stop them coming forward from the back, however, if they do push forward onto us and we get the ball they will be on the back foot and will really struggle with our front 3/4 with Fullbacks who are always ready to pounce and hit them with pace.

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

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

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

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

Losing -
65 Mins - Thorgan and Gnabry for Pogba and Piatek we go 4231 with Neymar in a free role behind Mbappe, Thorgan RW and Gnabry LW
75 Mins - Hysej go to CB and Rodrigo for Sandro, attacking 343 with Rodrigo-Mbappe-Neymar our front three

Winning -
75 Mins - Fabinho for Pogba, adds sone grit to the midfield and drop back beside de Jong
80 Mins - Thorgan for Piatek, Mbappe to hurt them with his pace up top and Thorgan help track back
85 Mins - Aouar for Neymar and its 451

Drawing -
70 Mins - Thorgan for Piatek, RW and Mbappe up front change of plan and go with pace up top, Aouar for Pogba, fresh legs in the centre and creativity to try and get Mbappe in

-----------------------Perin
Jedvaj---Milenkovic ---Baumgartl---Tagliafico
---------------Rudy---------Baku
----Coman----------Götze------------Rebic
-----------------------Jovic

Subs: Müller, Klostermann, Andersen, Gagliardini, Praet, Forsberg, Mitrovic


Our defensive unit consists of Nikola Milenkovic and Timo Baumgartl paired up at centre-back, Tin Jedvaj at right-back and Nicolás Tagliafico at left-back, with Sebastian Rudy and Ridle Baku as our midfield ‘double pivot’ screening them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The attacking unit consists of Kingsley Coman, Mario Götze and Ante Rebic as our band of three attacking midfielders with Luka Jovic as our lone central striker.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Subs on 75 mins
Mitrovic on for Jovic, Forsberg on for Rebic and Gagliardini on for Baku

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

Newcastle Cup

NEWCASTLE 4-3-3

______________Chesney
Bissaka____De Vrij___Koulibaly___Davies
_______________Jorginho
_____________Alli____Radja
Suso___________Lukaku___________Reus

SUBS: Salah, Milner, Suarez, Godin, Kante, Rafinha, Bobby

Captain: Marco Reus
Penalties: Marco Reus
Corners: Suso
Freekicks: Marco Reus
Crossing Freekick: Suso

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subs

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

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

If winning 80 mins: Kante comes on for Jorginho to close out the game.

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

——————————Ter Stegen
Castro———Upamecano——Rudiger———Gaya
——————————Rodri
—————Keita———————Milinkovic
B.Silva——————Kane———————Sancho

Subs: Pope, Diallo, McKennie, Loftus-Cheek, Brandt, Guedes, Dybala

Captain: Marc-Andre Ter Stegn
Free Kicks: Bernardo Silva
Corners: Bernardo Silva
Penalties: Harry Kane

The aim of our build up play will be to get the ball into the free CB, as well as drawing Chelsea’s midfield forward. Position our midfield deeper, with Rodri just ahead of the CBs, CMs dropping towards play, CBs stretched out and FBs slightly higher in line with Rodri, creating a diamond in both half spaces through which we can escape pressure, before switching to the CB on the free side (can use Ter Stegen when needed). CB can carry the ball forward and plays a ball into the CM on his side to provoke one of the Chelsea CMs into stepping up, the CM can play it immediately back back to the CB, Rodri or the FB, who will then play it vertically into the inverted winger/Kane who drops either side of the DM. Equally, if the CB brings it forward and the opposition don’t break their structure, he can play a long ball out to the opposite flank to stretch the game.

When establishing possession we use short passing combinations, minimal spacing between players, staggered between the lines. Allows for quick movement of the ball, shifting constantly to different lines, drawing more of a reaction from the opposition and sucking them in towards the ball to open up space elsewhere, which we can quickly switch into. The constant movement of the ball, and constant movement of our players, changing runs and swapping positions, creates a mental overload on the opponent, with some players chasing to follow the ball, and others the man, allowing us to break their defensive structure and unmark ourselves higher up the field. The opponent then has to react to the hole that they leave, and this sucks defenders out of the last line of defence, allowing us to play in their blindsides.

Rodri and the CBs are the second pass facilitators of this style, with a better view of the pitch ahead of them, and more space to work in they have the best access to passing lanes, and can make the best choice of where to build attacks. When these guys get the ball with space, the players ahead of them must make runs, particularly using a CM, or a winger to make a run in behind their defence for a quick lofted pass.

Milinkovic is the main creator in the side today, roaming the midfield to link play, and find space in the half space / between the lines, as well as drifting wide to overload their FBs, as well as combining closely with Kane. Keita will have a box to box role, his energy will be key when recovering possession, but he links play well too, and his direct runs and presence in the box can be a huge threat.

Our wingers look to create positional superiority alongside our CMs and Kane. Both can stretch the game and pin the FBs back, to open up more 1 v 1 battles for our CMs and themselves, whilst both can invert and link with the CMs/Kane to overload the midfield and force the Fbs into tucking in and leaving space wide, or leaving the CMs vulnerable. Both can make runs behind, the pace they have means the Chelsea defence have to drop and become detached from midfield, or risk being beaten in a foot race, particularly we want our wingers to really push their FBs back.

Kane comes in to give us a focal point, it will be a tough game so will need someone that we can be direct to. Kane can hold the ball up and bring others into play, he’s particularly good at first time balls to find diagonal runs of the wingers. At times he can drop to aid chance creation, but his main role today will be to occupy the CBs, alongside the wingers he keeps their defence pegged back, and places more defensive onus on the likes of Pogba and co to stop our midfield. When we get in the final third, he’s finding space in the box.

Off the ball we use a 4-5-1 shape. We will look to high press, with three key triggers. Firstly a ball played between CBs. Kane will look to pressure the ball carrying CB, closing vertical passing lanes. When the CB passes to the other CB, ball side CM will step up and press in the same manner as Kane, creating a 4-4-2. Wingers stay tucked into the half spaces to make vertical passes difficult, Rodri always slightly deeper than the other CM to create a strong core. This should force them to the corners, which is our next pressing trigger. When this happens, the winger steps out to press the FB, with CF and CM in the first line of defence also pushing out to the wing, looking to pen the FB in, with our FB pushing higher up to condense space and cut passing lanes to the winger (far side winger, Rodri and the other CM create a strong midfield 3).

The final trigger is pressing from Goalkicks. Our front three will come narrow, covering the width of the box, wingers pressing the Cbs if they try to play out, CMs can go out to the FBs when needed, whilst Kane covers passing lanes to the DM. Force them to go long from GKs.

The back line adjusts their position based on the position of the ball and team mates, so when Chelsea have the ball with their defence and we are high pressing, the back 4 will be pushed up right behind the midfield line, keeping minimal space between the lines, shutting down passing lanes in the middle to force the opponents wide or long. Our 3 lines move up and down in unison, so when Chelsea have periods of established possession in our half, our 4-5-1 shape falls right back together to keep us compact, using the same pressing triggers as we would higher up.

Subs:

If Winning: Loftus-Cheek for Sancho 70’. McKennie and Guedes for Keita and B.Silva 80’.

If Drawing: Dybala for Keita 70’, Dybala to LW, B.Silva goes central to give us more control. Dybala will have a free role, pop up on the opposite side half space, make it difficult to mark him and provide a link between midfield and Kane. Guedes for Sancho 75’, with Dybala having a free role, Guedes allows us to change the shape of our attack as needed, either stretching the game on the touchline, or creating a 1-2/2-1 shaped front three. Loftus-Cheek for Milinkovic 80’.

If Losing: Brandt and Dybala for Milinkovic and Keita 60’, two creative midfielders now to open up the opposition with Silva and Brandt going to CAM. Guedes for Sancho 70’.

--------------------Lloris
Danilo----Kompany---Sane---Van Aanholt
--------------------Herrera
------------Ramsey-----Fabregas
Malcom----------------------------Costa
--------------------Cavani
Pickford, Maitland-Niles, Mee, Cook, Aspas, Amiri, Giroud
A tough game for us today, but we should come into it fit and ready having had a free weekend last time out. I have selected a 4-1-2-3 formation for today for multiple reasons. The first is that we can have a more defensive minded midfielder to limit the Portsmouth creativity, whilst also having two midfielders in front of them who can operate as more creative types, concentrating on getting the ball forward. The second reason is that it allows for us to operate with pace and skill on the flanks, setting up direct runs either at the defence or via balls over the top and into the space behind, which will serve as a benefit.
In goal I have recalled Lloris, as I think his experience could be key with the absence of Manolas in defence. He will operate in a sweeper keeper role, comfortable with the ball at his feet and looking to start attacks from deep. Primarily I will be looking for him to play in our two attack minded full backs, who will be given license to burst forward and supplement our attacking players. He is also capable of going long, should the opposition push up and try to cut out the ball out of the back, and then he will look for Cavani, who will play in our wide men.
Kompany and Sane is a strong pairing of defenders, who both have physical presence in abundance. They will work together as a unit, with Kompany pressing the opposition striker, keeping a tight hold on his location and not allowing him an inch of space, all whilst Sane covers the space in behind, operating almost as a sweeper, making sure that anything that gets past Kompany does not also get past him. When on the ball, they will obviously provide each other as an option, with the added short ball forward to Herrera. Their primary interest will be to find the pass out to our full backs, however, who will burst forward to start attacks.
Herrera is sitting just in front of the defence today, and I intend for him to marshall that position. Combining a dogged persistence with decent ability on the ball, he is perfect for this role. This comes especially due to the presence of creative midfield players alongside him. Herrera will press and harass their furthest forward midfielder, not allowing them to have time or space on the ball to start attacks through the middle, and getting a bit rough if it is required. Limiting them through the centre should also limit the amount of chances that fall their way. When he gets the ball, he will have plenty of options, either spreading it out wide to either the full backs or the wingers, or looking forward to Fabregas and Ramsey. He, however, will stay in his position and not contribute going forward.
The chosen full backs today are both attacking players who love to play on the counter, picking the ball up in defensive positions before joining the charge forward and contributing to the attack. I expect them to emulate this today. They will be key for us in playing a fast counter to hit Portsmouth on the break whenever we win back possession, providing an outlet for passing but also for overlapping runs and runs into the box. When on the back foot, they both have the energy to get back in position and track their winger, not allowing them time or space.
Fabregas is the creative force of my midfield. He may not have the legs for top level football anymoe, but that is why his midifield partner, Ramsey, is so important, as together they will work as a team to create chances, with Fabregas providing the technical flair whilst Ramsey presses and makes the runs, getting in the box so that he can chip in with some goals. Fabregas’ key outlet will be balls into the wide players, whether that be straight to feet or through balls for them to run on to, and with us doubling up in these positions, there should be plenty of space to explot. Off the ball, Ramsey will press and harangue their midfield, not allowing them a moments time to think and start dangerous attacks.
I have kept faith in my traditional wingers for todays game, as I think Malcom and Costa suit our game perfectly. Both are fast and direct players, who like to run at the opposition. I give them license to do this, trying to get in behind and stretch the opposition defence. With the added benefit of overlapping runs from the full backs, I think we can see plenty of joy coming down these flanks, especially with Fabregas explicitly looking to pick them out. They will also look to get in the box as often as possible, and get onto any knock downs from Cavani, meaning that off the ball the trident must drop back to the halfway line and wait for the attack to start again. This should, however, mean that there should be lots of space to exploit in behind.
Cavani leads the line for us today as he always does. A big presence on the pitch and a goalscorer capable of causing a threat to any defence. He is a physical and energetic presence, who will look to get into the box as often as possible. With our wide play, we should be looking to get crosses in on top of his head, as well as him in behind the opposition into one on one situations with the opposition goalkeeper. Either way, Cavani is bound to punish Pompey.
Substitutions
If drawing/losing
Cesc Fabregas off for Nadiem Amiri 65 mins
A bit more of an energetic and attack minded option in that position, with Fabregas likely tiring from the game. The fresh legs should allow us to push forward more, as well as winning more of the midfield battles.
Malcom off for Iago Aspas 75 mins
A fresh set of legs on the right hand side of our trident. Aspas will largely play the same role as Malcom, attacking with pace and skill, and looking to get in behind the opposition defence.
Ander Herrera off for Lewis Cook 80 mins
A switch to a 4-2-3-1, with Amiri playing in the number 10 role in behind the striker, whilst Lewis Cook and Aaron Ramsey work as the two deeper midfielders.
If winning
Cesc Fabregas off for Lewis Cook 65 mins
Lewis Cook comes on as a fresh set of legs in the midfield. He will largely play the same role as Fabregas, looking to control the play and start attacks from midfield, but should offer a bit more fitness.
Aaron Ramsey off for Ainsley Maitland-Niles 75 mins
Again, us looking for more fresh legs in the midfield to try and control this key area of the pitch. AMN will play the same role as Ramsey.
Edinson Cavani off for Olivier Giroud 80 mins
Fresh legs up top, and a super sub coming off the bench, to try and score a goal to kill the game.

MANCHESTER CITY vs Bournemouth

Line Up:

----------------------Pavlenka------------------------

Mukiele-------Akanji------Zagadou-------Tierney

------------------------Witsel--------------------------

--------------Dahoud-----------Matuidi-------------

Fekir-----------------Costa------------------Brekalo

Captain: Pavlenka
Penalties: Costa
Direct Free Kicks: Fekir
Indirect Free Kicks: Witsel
Corners: Matuidi

Substitutes: Forster; Holding; Guerreiro; Golovin; Gray; Solanke; Alcacer


Game Plan:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Substitutes:
45 MINUTES (If winning, save this change for the 60th minute, otherwise :-
Gray comes on for Brekalo - Gray favours the central areas and will be more aggressive. Giving the Bournemouth centre backs cause for concern and freeing up space for the other forwards

60 MINUTES (If winning, save this change for the 70th minute, otherwise :-
If drawing: Golovin for Dahoud - Both players have a fairly similar playing style. Golovin plays with intensity and will re-invigorate the pressing process in the centre of the park, while quickly changing defence to attack with mazy runs and incise passes.

70 MINUTES :-
Solanke for Diego Costa – Cause why not?

------------------------- Hart -------------------------
Vrsaljko ---- Boateng ----- Lenglet -- Hernandez
---------- Fernandinho ---- Arthur -----------------
--- Under ----------- Draxler ----------- Bailey ---
----------------------- Werner -----------------------

Subs:
McKenzie-Lyle, Hummels, Dier, Ntcham, Eriksen, Pavon, Haller

Captain: Fernandinho
Free Kicks: Bailey
Penalties: Werner
Corners: Draxler

Moving the ball at speed will be the focus of our play as we go with an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation. Our three AM’s in support of Werner will be key components of this style as we feel we pose threats from all angles with plenty of goals in our lineup. Fernandinho and Arthur offer great quality on the ball from a slightly deeper position as they both possess a fantastic range of passing, able to break the lines and play that killer pass in to our attacking quartet. We will look to dictate the play and frustrate the opposition when in possession, continually moving them around, making them chase the ball by switching flanks. In doing so we will not only be wearing them down but also continually pulling them out of shape, breaking down their defensive structure as we look to make numerous openings as we go for goals in today’s match up.

Whilst the opposition have some dangerous players we will look to significantly limit their impact by retaining possession, we will force them to track back or risk leaving their defence exposed when we push forward in numbers. We aim to make things uncomfortable for them and we feel that limiting their ability to have the ball in attacking areas will severely limit any threat posed. When they are in possession our wingers drop in as we play a compact 4-5-1 formation. The aim of the game will be to break at speed with our wide players offering an immediate outlet when we win back possession. Turning defence into attack in the blink of an eye.

We aim to play on the front foot, hit them early to take the lead and then exploit the space in behind as they push forward for an equaliser. We start fast, high intensity and pressing from the front, putting them under immediate pressure we can force mistakes early on.

Defence:

We go with a strong defensive unit at the back, packed with experience and quality we look to nullify the threat posed by the oppositions attack. We have two strong and aerially imposing CB’s to deal with the threat posed by their forwards. We will look to be dominant at the back as we aim to take the sting out of the opposition early on and play on the front foot. Our fullbacks have license to push forward when in possession, our wingers will often drift infield taking the opposition FB with him which will create space for our FB’s to exploit. We aim to keep the oppositions wingers down the line and do not let them come infield.

If the opposition play one up top then Lenglet will mark, strong and aggressive we feel he has all the tools to deal with any opponent. Boateng will sweep up and cover in behind, a fantastic reader at the back he will also be the one to bring the ball out from defence. Nothing fancy just look to get the ball into the feet of our CM’s or the runs of our wide men who will look to do all the damage.

Midfield:

Fernandinho will control the midfield and offer additional protection through the middle, sitting alongside Arthur he will be key to our style of play with their quick passing. Keep the ball moving, continually recycling possession and making the opposition chase shadows. Don’t force the issue as we aim to run them down, tired legs leads to tired minds and we feel that this will lead to plenty of openings as we continually move them out of shape. Forming a double pivot in front of our defence they not only offer protection but form the first line of our attack. Look for the early runs of the wide players as they possess electric pace and will be looking to get in behind the oppositions defence at all times. Draxler plays ahead of them in the AM role, a gifted technician in his own right he will be looking to craft opportunities all afternoon. With the of our front three to pick out we feel that he will thrive.

Forwards:

Frightening pace, electrifying dribbling and deadly finishing, we feel our front three have it all. Our wide players will look to take the opposition on at will. Bailey and Under both have license to cut in from the flanks and go for goal, we encourage them to utilise their terrific pace and go at the opposition. Draw in the oppositions CB’s which in turn creates space for Werner to be slipped in and finish. Both will look to make jinking runs into the box where they can draw a foul or drive to the byline and whip the ball into Werner in the middle. Both wingers have fantastic work rate and will be a constant outlet as they make runs in behind when our playmakers are in possession. We play three up front when on the attack and really look to test the opposition defence with a goal threat from every angle. Werner plays through the middle, a player with fantastic movement and real predator. Immediately look to get into the box when we’re on the attack as we look to lay down a marker.

Subs;

If winning:
60 mins: Arthur off, Dier on.
75 mins: Under off, Hummels on. 5-4-1 shut up shop time as we tighten up with a solid defensive unit as we see the game out and take the 3 points.

If drawing:
60 mins: Under and Arthur off, Pavon and Eriksen on.
75 mins: Werner off, Haller on. Change up top as we bring on the in-form marksman as we go for a winner.

If losing:
55 mins: Draxler off, Pavon on.
65 mins: Hernandez off, Haller on. We revert to 3-4-3 with Werner, Haller and Bailey up top as we go for goals, goals, goals.