NEWCASTLE 4-3-3

___________Alisson
Trent____Matip___Lovren___Gomez
____________Fabinho
________Hendo___Gini
Salah______Firmino________Mane

SUBS: Tomori, Ox, Origi, Chesney, Minamino, Suarez, Shaqiri

Captain: Hendo
Penalties: Salah
Corners: Trent
Freekicks: Trent

The formation deployed today is so that we regain as much possession as possible higher up the pitch. We expect to have a fair portion of the ball so patience is key. Today we have pace all across the pitch to deal with their fearsome front three. 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 DM will use his energy to overpower their midfield and be in charge of driving our midfield forward. Our midfield will be flexible, if one of their midfielders steps forward, one of ours will move into the space they vacated. The DM will be the link between our defence, midfield, and forwards 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 attacking one in his box to box role, closing down space and cutting passing lanes with his incredible energy and also driving the team forward. Playing alongside the DM 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. The left centre mid will add a bit of finesse, with his ability on the ball and eye for threading balls through to 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 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 midfield. 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: Minamino comes on for Hendo, our legs will start to tire, so will theirs, Minamino will add box to box ability and energy late in the game.

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

If winning 80 mins: Shaqiri comes on for Gini to close out the game.

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

-------------------- Courtois -------------------
Cancelo --- De Ligt --- Bonucci --- Marcelo
----------- Busquets --- Gedson -------------
J.Sancho -------- J.Felix --------- M.Asensio
-------------------- Aguero ---------------------

Subs:
Lunin, Umtiti, Rabiot, Eriksen, Bale, Icardi, Ibrahimovic

Captain: De Ligt
Free Kicks: Sancho
Penalties: Aguero
Corners: Wingers

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. We go with three exciting youngsters behind Aguero. Offering a perfect blend of pace, trickery and unpredictability that will cause plenty of problems for the opposition defence. We feel that this front four combined pose threats from all angles with plenty of goals in our lineup. We will look to dictate the play and take the game to the opposition. When they’re in possession we sit deep, our DM marshalling the middle of the park, breaking down the opposition and setting up us on the counter. We feel that we have the perfect set up to open them up on the counter with terrific pace out wide which will cause problems all afternoon for their fullbacks.

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 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.

Defence:

We go with a strong defensive unit at the back, packed with pace and quality as we look to nullify the threat posed by the oppositions attack. If the opposition play one up top then Bonucci will mark. Strong, aggressive and a great reader of the game we feel he has all the tools to deal with any opponent. De Ligt will act as cover, sweeping up and offering cover in behind to eliminate any balls over the top. The Dutchman sweeping up from the back and immediately looking to get us on the counter with his fantastic vision and passing.

Our fullbacks will stick tight to the wide men, safe in the knowledge that they have supporting cover in behind with Busquets also drifting across from DM to offer additional support. If they play two up top our FB's will narrow, offering additional cover in behind the CB's. When in possession both Cancelo and Marcelo have license to push forward with both having great quality in the final third. We look to draw the opposition onto us by sitting deep when they are in possession, limiting the space in behind and drawing them further up the field creating space for us to hit them on the counter.

Midfield:

Busquets will be our holding player in the middle. A top class DM we rely on his fantastic reading of the game to break up the opposition play, winning back possession and setting us up on the counter as we look to get the ball into our creative players as quickly as possible. He’ll pick up their most advanced AM and cut out their supply line. He’s also a fantastic passer which will be key in winning the midfield battle and ball retention.

Gedson Fernandes slots alongside him, starting in a slightly deeper role he has freedom to roam and pull the opposition apart. A player with great energy he will look to get on the ball and drive forward, looking for the runs in behind for Sancho and Asensio to run and playing that killer pass in the final third. We want him to press the opposition, look for that quick turnover to get us on the front foot.

Completing our midfield we have the exciting Joao Felix. He plays in the AM role and has free roam to push forward as a SS when in possession . A player with superb vision he will look to get on the ball as much as possible, running at the opposition with his silky dribbling, drawing them in and committing a defender before sliding the ball through to Aguero or one of our wingers. He’s also a great goal scorer, perfectly capable of arriving late in the opposition box to finish and we encourage to make these runs and go for goal.

Forward:

We mix things up in attack, going with the pace and trickery of Sancho and Asensio out wide with predator Aguero through the middle. We look to utilise the pace of our wide players, specifically looking for them on the counter as we break at speed and look to tear through the opposition. Sancho has the option to go down the line or come inside, with the youngster an assist machine and with the clever runs from Aguero we expect him to thrive. We want Asensio to stay out wide, use his pace down the line and cut back for Aguero to slot home and in doing so creating space in the middle of the park for Felix to exploit. Felix will also look to drift out wide at times, pulling the opposition DM with him and creating space for Sancho and Asensio to cut inside and go direct for goal.

Aguero plays through the middle. The brief is simple for the Argentine, get into the box and do what you do best. With the pace we have out wide and quality we have around him Aguero could well find himself in one on one match ups in which he’s deadly. Play on the shoulder of the last man and as always be on your toes in the box, ready to pounce and finish anything that comes your way.

Subs;

If winning:
65 mins: Gedson off, Rabiot on. Increased protection.
75 mins: CHO off, Umtiti on. Extra CB as we tighten up defensively.
80 mins: Aguero off, Icardi on. We give the hit man a 10 minute run out to get himself on the scoresheet against tiring legs.

If drawing:
60 mins: Gedson off, Eriksen on. Extra creativity.
70 mins: Asensio & Felix off, Icardi & Bale on. We switch to 4-2-2-2 with Aguero & Icardi up top and Bale & Sancho on the flanks

If losing:
60 mins: Busquets off, Eriksen on.
70 mins: Felix and Bonucci off, Bale and Icardi on. All out attack.

PORTSMOUTH vs spurs

------------------------------Safonov ---------------------------
AWB----------------Sule-----------Ramos--------------Angelino
------------------------------- Kante ------------------------------------
----------------Goretzka ------------- Fabian ----------------------
--------------------------------- Bruno -----------------------------------
------------Calvert-Lewin ---------- Ronaldo -----------------

Subs - Atal, Zagadou, Ndombele, Coman, Ferran, Leao, Son

CAPTAIN - BRUNO
CK'S - BRUNO
FK'S - RONALDO
PENALTIES - RONALDO

When we don't have possession of the ball in our half I want the whole team except the strikers to get in our half and defend. Play a deep defensive line so that oppo can't use their pacy forwards to beat the offside trap. When we win possession of the ball I want the players to keep hold of possession and try and work some space. We have good ball players in the centre and they will help keep us ticking.

Defence
Safonov in net, command your box and don't do anything flashy. Sule and Ramos bring experience to the backline. Sule will focus on marking the oppo striker and will look to stick close to him and to watch out for his attacking runs. Stay aggressive and not let him turn you. Ramos will mark the other striker if the oppo is playing 2 up front or to watch out any attacking runs of their AM if they play him instead.

Full backs
AWB + Mendy
AWB and Mendy will look to help both in attack and defence. Make forays forward when we have the ball in the oppos side of the pitch but track back when we don't. Get some crosses into the box as Ronaldo is very good in the air. Kante will be covering for you if you are out of position


Defence Mid
N'golo Kante
Kante will be tasked with protecting the defence. A true definition of never say die attitude he will be running all game and doing what he does best and win the ball off of the oppo. Cover for our fullbacks when they overlap and are out of position. Stick close to the oppo AM/their most attacking midfielder and pressure him as soon as he gets the ball. He will not be able to handle your relentless pressing. When you have possession of the ball quickly pass it to either Goretzka/Fabian.

Centre Mids
Fabian + Goretzka
Fabian will be the more defensive of the two as I want him to focus on being the link from defence to attack. Main job is to get the ball from deep and look to open up the oppo with your superb range of passing. Play quick simple passes with your teammates to work some space in the middle or long balls forward for our strikers to run into. Goretzka will play a b2b role. Make runs forward and play pass and move passes with teammates and help the attack whenever you can. Make late runs into the box to try and score.

Attack Mid
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno will be playing as the AM today. I want him to use his great dribbling ability and passing to create chances for our 2 strikers up front. Look out for the runs of our attackers and make runs into the box whenever you can. Shoot from range if you see an opportunity.

Strikers
Calvert-Lewin + Ronaldo
I want both the strikers to use their pace and play off of the oppo shoulders and try and beat the offside trap. Be aware of lofted through balls and time your runs as best as you can. When in the box use your quickness and agility to get into good positions away from oppo defenders. Play quick one two's with each other to penetrate the oppo defence. I want Ronaldo to stay upfront and just focus on attacking, being ready for penetrating passes from his teammates. Be aware of crosses into the box and use your superhuman athletic ability to outjump the oppo defenders.

IF WINNING BY 65 MINS
Change formation to 4231. Play deep and hit the oppo on the counter.
Take off Bruno and put on Ndombele in DM next to Kante to give the defence even more protection. Ferran on for Fabian aswell to play RM and Coman on for Calvert Lewin.

---------------------- Safonov ---------------------------
AWB---------Sule--------Ramos--------Angelino
------------ Ndombele ----- Kante ----------------------------
Ferran---------------------------------------------Coman
--------------------- Goretzka ------------------------------
--------------------- Ronaldo -----------------------------

IF LOSING BY 65 MINS
Take off Fabian and put on Leao in strike. Leao will play in the middle of a front 3. Play close to each other and put a tonne of pressure in the oppo defence. Defend high up and try and score a goal. Swap Kante for Ndombele aswell. Son on for Calvert Lewin aswell.

---------------------- Safonov ---------------------------
AWB---------Sule--------Ramos--------Angelino
--------------------------------------------------------------
-----------Goretzka ------- Ndombele ----------------
------------------------ Bruno ------------------------------
------------- Son----Leao--Ronaldo -----------------

IF DRAWING BY 65MINS
Son on for Calvert Lewin
Ndombele on for Fabian
Fresh legs.

SOTON vs Leicester

---------------------------------------------Gunn-----------------------
Odriozola---------Upamecano-----------Kabak-----------Chilwell
----------------------------Aouar-------------McTominay--------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pulisic----------------------------------------------------------------Rashford
--------------------------------------Odegaard------------------------------------
----------------------------------------Jovic-----------------------------------

Subs - Demiral, Lo Celso, SMS, Richarlison, Under, Olmo, Kean

CAPTAIN - UPAMECANO
CK'S - ØDEGAARD
FK'S - ØDEGAARD
PENALTIES - RASHFORD

I want us to hold a deep defensive line to start of with so the oppo don't get an early goal. Keep things simple in the beginning and only pressure the oppo when they get in our half. When we have the ball I want the team to play pass and move football. Don't stay static, try and get in behind the oppo defence as there is a lot of pace in our attacking players. As the game goes on, when we don't have the ball I want the team to defend from the front line and pressure the oppo and try and win possession back. Do this in fits and bursts as it is a tiring tactic.

Defence
GK to be confident in box. Don't take risks. Punch the ball away if the shot is too powerful. Command your area. The defence is well balanced. Upamecano and Kabak bring a lot of strength and pace to the defence. Kabak will marshal the defence and Upamecano 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. McTominay will be covering for them when they go attacking.

Defence Mids
McTominay + Aouar
McTominay 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 but don't try any risky passes.
Aouar will look to pick the ball up from deep and use his pace and energy to dribble the ball out. Make runs forward and help our attacking players whenever you can. Play quick passes forward and use your agility to outmanoeuvre the oppo players. When not in possession of the ball I want him to sit alongside McTominay in the middle and protect the defence.

Wingers
Pulisic + Rashford
These 2 will be the focal point of my attack. I want to give them the freedom to express themselves in attack. Rashford will be looking to cut in from the left and Pulisic will be looking to either go on the outside and aim for the byline or drift infield. 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. Odriozola and Chilwell 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 Jovic to get his head on. Help our FB's in defensive duties if the oppo winger is trying to take them on. Track back and double up on him or mark the run of the opposition FB if they try to make an overlapping run. When we are defending corners I want both of them to stay near the halfway line so we can hit the oppo on the counter attack.

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

Striker
Jovic
Jovic is a striker that has the deadly combination of pace and power. He 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 use your pace to get away from them.


Subs if LOSING BY 65MINS
Move Rashford to strike. Richarlison for Aouar and Olmo for Ødegaard to bring some more attacking impetus on. Play a high line and try and get a goal. Change formation to 41212.

-----------------------------------------Gunn--------------------------------
Odriozola-------Upamecano-------------Kabak---------Chilwell
--------------------------------------McTominay---------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pulisic-------------------------------------------------------------Richarlison
-----------------------------------------Olmo-------------------------------
--------------------------------Jovic-----------Rashford-------------------


Subs if WINNING BY 80MINS
Take off Ødegaard and put on Demiral in CB. Play defensive with everyone in our own half defending for their lives, waiting to hit the oppo on the counter attack. Under on for Pulisic and SMS for Aouar to add a bit more energy into the midfield.

----------------------------------Gunn--------------------------------
Odriozola-------Demiral------Upam------Kabak--------Chilwell
-----------------------------SMS--------McTom---------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------Under----------------------------------------------Rashford-------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------Jovic-----------------------------------

Subs if DRAWING BY 65MINS
Richarlison on for Pulisic
Olmo on for Ødegaard
Lo Celso for Aouar
Fresh legs to bring on.

Late tactics will lose a slot now

Bournemouth (4-3-3) Week 15

Captain : Torres
Vice Captain : Remiro

-----------------Remiro
Emerson--Felipe--Torres----Lodi
------Assunção----Guimarães
-----------------Reinier
Antony-------------------------Marrony
----------------Vinícius

SUBS: Cleiton, Iago, Gabriel, Fernandes, Pyerre, Tetê, Kaio


SUMMARY: This week we go with a 4-3-3 set up although we will be a tad more conservative and operate with one holding/defensive midfielder (Assunção) who will be complimented with a deep sitting box to box midfielder (Guimarães). In front of them Reinier will operate as the link between midfield and attack. This I feel will give us a better balanced midfield and while being absolutely defensively sound with 2 ‘sitting’ Guimarães will also be allowed the freedom (when the time arises) to link with Reinier and attack. I think this set-up lets us link up quickly with our attack while at the same time that little bit of extra cautiousness means it will be easy for us to close the door in midfield with all 3 players as comfortable sitting and breaking up attacks if necessary.
We want to play a nice tidy and crisp passing game. Our aim is to move the ball forward as quickly and as effectively as possible. When we have the ball we will use it wisely and when we don’t have the ball then we will press our opponents all over the park with high urgency to win it back. We want to keep the ball on the deck and attack as a team and equally as important defend as a team. This team is bursting with pace. We will utilise that to our advantage and make the pitch wide and use our flying wingers to cause all sorts of mayhem. It will also be a tool that we use to hit opponents on the counter where we know we can out pace any team.
Goalkeeper: Remiro 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: We will operate with one holding/defensive midfielder (Assunção). He 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. He will be complimented with a deep sitting box to box midfielder (Guimarães). He has a more conservative role this week and while being a little more constrained than normal he will still have the opportunity to bomb forward when the time is right. They will both have to put a defensive shift in and both are very strong in the tackle. 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. In front of them Reinier will operate as the link between midfield and attack.
Wingers/Centre Forward: When in possession both Antony and Marrony 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 Reinier, Guimarães and Vinícius in to play. They can vary their attacks as they see fit. Both players can play all across the middle so don’t be surprised to see them swapping wings. At times Guimarães may sit a bit deeper allowing Reinier 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.
Vinícius starts as the CF. He won’t be short of support or ammunition with the attacking talent behind him. Great playing off the shoulder of the last man he is deadly in and around the box. A bag of energy and very strong we will also look for him to hold up and bring others in to play if it doesn’t seem to be on for him. 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 lightning 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: Reinier, Marrony or Antony with Felipe, Torres, Assunção and Vinícius to offer an aerial threat. Reinier and Marrony (with his thunderbolt left foot) may try their luck with several free kicks from distance.

Substitutions: (75 mins) If winning (and comfortable) then 3 like for like subs – Gabriel for Felipe, Fernandes for Assunção and Kaio for Vinícius.
If losing (70 mins) then switch to a 4-1-3-2 and replace Guimarães with Kaio and Antony with Tetê. Fresh legs and 2 attackers that carry a goal threat about them. We will look to their pace and freshness to offer us something different.
----------Assunção
Tetê------Reinier-----Marrony
----------Kaio -----Vinícius

NORWICH CITY v Wolverhampton Wanderers


Davies, Gallagher, Iheanacho, Lewis

Meret
Henrichs, Andersen, Rodon, Justin
Ampadu, Gueye
Lamela, Brooks, Cantwell
Suárez

Subs: Woodman, Kehrer, Martínez, Eze, James, Brekalo, Vlahovic

Our defensive unit consists of Joachim Andersen and Joe Rodon paired up at centre-back, Benjamin Henrichs at right-back and James Justin at left-back, with Ethan Ampadu and Idrissa Gueye as our midfield ‘double pivot’ screening them.

This ‘double pivot’ is the key to our team and in Ampadu and Gueye 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 Gueye can press the ball without leaving lots of space, as Ampadu 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 Gueye’s role, he will press almost anywhere in his own half to allow defenders to stay in the defensive line.

With Gueye running his socks off for the team, our high tempo will dictated by his partner in holding midfield, Ethan Ampadu.

Ampadu 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 Ampadu such a talent.

The attacking unit consists of Erik Lamela, David Brooks and Todd Cantwell as our band of three attacking midfielders with Luis Suárez 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 Ampadu or Gueye, then our 4-2-3-1 can spring into attack.

Henrichs and Justin can surge up the wings in the knowledge that Ampadu and Gueye can drop into the space left behind if needed. As they come up the wings, both Erik Lamela and Todd Cantwell, who are fast speed merchants, excellent in tight spaces and fantastic dribblers will cut inside or make runs into the box. David Brooks our attacking central midfielder’s low centre of gravity will enable him to navigate away from defenders at a frighteningly quick pace. Brooks 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 with his one-touch passing and quick flicks, and who will combine exceptionally well with Lamela, Cantwell & Suárez to create openings and goal scoring opportunities for each other.

Upfront, Suárez will be utilised to “bind” our oppositions defenders in place by occupying them with his positioning, to the point of blocking their defenders in order to create space for Lamela, Brooks & Cantwell to exploit between the lines as this trio look to profit from Suárez’s off-the-ball actions.

Suárez will act as a focal point around which our team will build our attacks, using his strength to hold off their defenders. Suárez is proven adept at one-touch passing and quick flicks in combination play and of course Suarez’s stock in trade when the occasion calls for it – intelligent dummies to fool their defenders.

All 4 of our most advanced players are equally gifted in terms of scoring goals, and as thus we will not be purely reliant on Suárez on this front, although I expect of course for him to find the back of the net on a number of occasions.

Subs on 75 mins
James on for Cantwell, Eze on for Brooks

Double substitution - Lots of energy and pace in the last 15 minutes to look to unlock the opposition’s defence for a late goal regardless of the score line

--------------------- Ter Stegen ------------------------
Mukiele ----- Manolas ----- Koulibaly ----- L.Digne
---------------- Partey ------- Matuidi ----------------
Sterling ------------- J.David ---------------- Hazard
------------------------- Kane ---------------------------

Pope, Kovacic, Romagnoli, D.Alli, Mertens, Barnes, Immobile


Control possession high up the field, pass and move into positions that can hurt them, when we defend we do so as a team with two banks of four with Jonathan David & Kane harassing their backline and really pressurise them into quick , misplaced passes for us to pick up, in their face performance, especially Partey, Matuidi & David further up the pitch in the centre as we try to nullify their midfield and stop them creating chances for the forwards.

Mukiele and Digne have freedom to attack, but only one at a time, one will stay back creating a back 3 when we attack, bomb down the line supporting the wingers on the outside, which will allow the winger to cut inside and support Harry Kane. They look to play one twos with the midfield 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.. Manolas will mark the CF, use his strength and speed to keep the CF away from the danger area. Kouliably alongside is the spare defender and helps out where needed, both powerful defenders, Both will dominate in the air and both 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 cbs up for corners, fullbacks stay back and a midfielder just sitting in front of them. 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..

Partey's primary role in front of the defence 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, he isn't an out an out DM but he has a lot of grit and determination to his game so 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.

Matuidi 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 and he does a lot. 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, he also has a mean shot from distance and isn't afraid to have a go. David's main responsibility is to both create chances for the three attackers in front of him and indeed score the goals himself. Playing as a SS he will often find himself the furthest forward of the three midfielders and sometimes even in the number 9 role if the correct situation arises. The main requirement of David is pace & 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. David will try and get in beyond there DM and support Kane and look for any scraps coming his way.

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, I want them to drive on the outside and play as a natural winger not an inside forward unless supported by fullbacks. both sides will definitely pose a threat with quick one twos. Use the midfield 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 David to get into danger areas. Both wingers have a fantastic forward to aim for in Kane so if they get to the bye line then get the crosses in for him to attack. Kane will get plenty chances, however he must put away there side who will be solid at the back, however I want to bully the slower/weaker of the two/three with the aid of David 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/weaker 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 Sterling and Hazard 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 J.David driving forward 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 - Koulibaly
Pens - Kane
Frre Kicks - Hazard
Corners - Wingers

Subs -
60 Mins - Kovacic for Matuidi

Losing
70 Mins - Romagnoli and Immobile for Digne and Mukiele

Romagnoli goes to LCB and Immoblie up top with Kane very attacking 3412, back 3 remains tight with Partey just in front

Winning -
70 Mins - Freuler for David and into a midfield 3 to shore it up
80 Mins - Immobile for Kane

Drawing -
70 Mins - Barnes for David, he goes to LW and Hazrtd into a central free role
80 Mins - Immobile for Kane

------------------- De Gea -----------------
Hakimi --- Skriniar --- Bailly --- Theo.H
---------------- Fernandinho -------------
Mahrez --- D.Silva --- Mount --- Ziyech
------------------ Haaland -----------------

Subs:
Henderson, Danilo, Soumare, Gundogan, Sanchez, Lacazette, Abraham

Moving the ball at speed will be the focus of our play as we go with an attacking 4-1-4-1 formation today as we aim for 3 points. We will look to our central midfield trio to dominate the game as we look to retain possession, keeping the ball away from their dangerous players and making openings at the other end. We look to overwhelm them with twin AM’s who both offer quality in abundance whilst Fernandinho provides the perfect anchor, sweeping up behind them and playing perfectly into our gameplan of overwhelming them in midfield.

The opposition have some fantastic players however we go on the offensive, pushing our AM’s forward, our wide men pushing onto their FB’s and Haaland through the centre as we go for goals.

When not in possession we will drop back into a 4-5-1 formation to avoid being hit on the break. Our wingers dropping back to help double up on their widemen whilst our AM’s drop in along Fernandinho. We play compact and look to funnel them into the middle of the park. Contesting this area will help us win back possession and with the vision of our AM’s we have the perfect players to hit them on the counter, turning defence into attack in the blink of an eye.

Defence:

We go with a strong defensive unit at the back, packed with pace and quality as we look to nullify the threat posed by the oppositions attack. If the opposition play one up top then Skriniar will mark. Strong, aggressive and a great reader of the game we feel he has all the tools to deal with any opponent. Bailly will act as cover, sweeping up and offering cover in behind to eliminate any balls over the top. They will undoubtedly go for pace out wide and therefore it is important that the free CB acts as secondary cover to support the fullback. Double up on their wingers where possible and we feel we can severely limit their impact.

Our fullbacks will stick tight to the wide men, safe in the knowledge that they have supporting cover from the free CB should the wingers look to come infield whilst Fernandinho also has license to drift across and offer additional cover. We will at all times look to double up on their forwards, really looking to smother them, box them giving them little room to manoeuvre. We feel that taking away space for their dangerous players to operate will severely limit their attacking ability and stop them getting into any rhythm.

Midfield:

Fernandinho will be our holding player in the middle. A top class DM we rely on his fantastic reading of the game to break up the opposition play, winning back possession and setting us up on the counter as we look to get the ball into our creative players as quickly as possible. He’ll sit in front of our backline, shutting down their their AM whilst also playing another important role, if one of their widemen has the ball in the final third we want him to drift across and cut out the option of bringing the ball infield. Working in tandem with the FB’s we want to force their wide players down the line, make them cross the ball which our CB’s can then cut out rather than allowing them to dribble infield.

D.Silva and Mount will look to be our creators in chief. We look to get them on the ball as much as possible. Both with fantastic ability and their off the ball work will contribute to shutting down the opposition and winning back possession however it is in the final third we expect them to shine. Playing with twin AM’s we will create real problems to their DM. It will be a case of pick your poison with both players offering fantastic vision and a killer through ball as we look for the fantastic movement of Haaland who will at all times be on his toes.

Forwards:

Up top we go with pace and trickery of Mahrez and Ziyech out wide. In the 4-1-4-1 formation they have the freedom to start slightly deeper but spring into action when in possession, pushing up alongside Haaland in a front three which will force the opposition back and creating space for our AM’s to exploit, if the opposition play a high line then we will look to use our pace to get in behind their FB’s and either go direct for goal or look for Haaland in the middle to tap home.

Our main attacking play will revolve around the link up play of our front five. We want Haaland to play on the shoulder of the last man, ready to pounce on any through balls from our chief creators. We want him to be direct, play to his strength and drive forward before unleashing for his power and precision. A player in form goal scorer with fantastic movement, he’ll look to get himself in the box and finish any chances that fall his way.

Subs;

Subs;
If winning:
65 mins: Mount off, Soumare on.
75 mins: Silva off, Kessie on. 4-5-1 shut up shop time as we tighten up with a solid defensive unit.

If drawing:
65 mins: Mount off, Abraham on. Switch to 4-2-2-2 with two up top.
75 mins: Fernandinho off, Gundogan on. Extra creativity as we push for a winner.

If losing:
55 mins: Fernandinho off, Abraham on.
65 mins: Bailly off, Lacazette on. 3-4-3 all out attack

------------------ Courtois -----------------
-----------------------------------------------
Cancelo -- De Ligt -- Militao -- Marcelo
-----------------------------------------------
-- De Bruyne -- Busquets -- Eriksen ----
-----------------------------------------------
----- J.Felix ---- Aguero ---- Sancho ----

Subs:
Lunin, Umtiti, Azpilicueta, Rabiot, Asensio, Icardi, Cavani

Captain: Busquets
Free Kicks: De Bruyne
Penalties: Aguero
Corners: De Bruyne

Tactics:

After victory against them earlier in the season the boys go fired up in a bid to achieve the feat of a league double against our illustrious opponents.

We go with an attacking 4-3-3 as we look to play on the front. We will look to our midfield trio to win us the game as we look to dictate the play, retain possession and keeping the ball away from their dangerous players whilst making openings at the other end for our exciting front three to finish.

When not in possession we will drop back into a defensive 4-5-1 formation. We play compact, giving them no space in behind and little room to operate in the final third.

Defence:

We go with a strong and mobile defensive unit as we look to nullify the threat posed by the oppositions attack. Undoubtedly they will go for pace up top and therefore we will sit deep when they are in possession, Atletico Madrid style, eliminating any space in behind and neutralising their speed. We will force them to try and play through us, having plenty of numbers in the middle of the field giving them little space to operate.

If the opposition play one up top then De Ligt will mark. Strong, aggressive and a great reader of the game we really want him to assert his physicality on their CF. Dominant in the air he can comfortably deal with any high balls whilst we want him pounce as soon as the ball goes into their CF’s feet, not giving him any space or time to turn. Behind him he will have Militao acting as cover sweeping up behind to eliminate any balls over the top with the Brazilian having pace to burn. They will undoubtedly go for pace out wide and therefore it is important that Militao also acts as secondary cover to support the fullbacks. Double up on their wingers where possible, severely limiting their impact.

Another key component will be Busquets who’s experience and ability to read the game is second to none. Whilst anchoring the midfield he will look to drift across and offer additional support when their wingers are in possession. We will look to box them, being harrased by our FB with the support of Militao in behind and Busquets inside we will create a triangle around their wingers, giving them zero room to operate.

Going forward our FB’s offer great quality and we encourage them to get forward when in possession. When on the attack Busquets will drop in alongside our CB’s creating a back three which allows our FB’s to fly down the wing, if their wingers fail to track back then Cancelo and Marcelo will have free roam down the flanks and both have excellent delivery in the final third.

Midfield:

We go with a three man midfield, packed with quality and experience we look to dominate this area of the field in what is likely to be a match up against three far less experienced opponents. Busquets will be our holding player in the middle. A top class DM we rely on his fantastic reading of the game to break up the opposition play, winning back possession and setting us up on the counter as we look to get the ball into our creative players as quickly as possible. He’ll pick up their most advanced CM and cut out their supply line. He’s also a fantastic passer which will be key in winning the midfield battle and ball retention.

De Bruyne and Eriksen will be our magic men in the middle, acting as our creators in chief we look to get them on the ball as much as possible. With Busquets acting as an anchor they have freedom to get forward and pick apart the opposition. Short sharp passing will pull the opposition apart with both players capable of playing that killer pass in the final third or going direct for goal themselves. Felix will also look to drop deep giving us an extra link up, again creating a numerical advantage in midfield. Our gameplan is based on creating an overload in key areas, forcing the opposition to abandon their shape as they desperately scamper to cover the free man however in doing so they will be pulled out of shape and leaving gaps in their defence for our attackers to exploit.

Forwards:

Up top we mix things up and go with two exciting youngsters either side of the lethal Aguero. The opposition will likely go with two attacking full backs which may well leave their defensive exposed. We therefore go with a front three that will look to hit them on the break with a combination of pace, trickery and lethal finishing as we go goals. Sancho will be key to our play, the youngster is equally adept at scoring or creating and we expect him to thrive. He has the ability to go at the defence and slip in Aguero to finish or cut inside and go direct for goal.

On the other flank we have the exciting Joao Felix, free from the defensive constraints of Simeone he has the freedom to really express himself. We want him to be elusive, dropping deep to link up the midfield or going up top alongside Aguero as a support striker, operating between the lines will make him incredibly difficult to be marked which will create the perfect environment for the youngster to thrive.

In the middle we have the lethal Aguero, with a supply line of De Bruyne, Eriksen, Sancho and Felix the Argentine will have an abundance of creative talent around him. Play on the shoulder of the last man and as always be on your toes in and around the box, ready to pounce and finish anything that comes your way. A man for the big occasion we will look to him to shine on the big stage.

Subs;

If winning:
70 mins: Eriksen off, Rabiot on. An additional DM next to Busquets.
80 mins: Felix off, Azpilicueta on. Shut up shop time as we move to a compact 5-4-1 formation as we see the game out to take the 3 points.

If drawing:
70 mins: Felix off, Asensio on. Fresh legs and pace as we look to exploit a tiring defence.
80 mins: Eriksen off, Icardi on. 4-2-2-2 with Aguero & Icardi up top and Sancho & Asensio on the flanks. Goals.

If losing:
70 mins: Busquets off, Asensio on. Felix moves to AM creating an attacker trio alongside KDB and Eriksen with Asensio and Sancho on the flanks.
80 mins: Cancelo off, Icardi on. We bring on an additional forward as we turn the screw and go for goals.

------------------------- Oblak -------------------------

Aarons ------ van Dijk ------ Lucas.H ------ Gosens

------- F. de Jong ---- Ndidi ---- F. Valverde ------

---- Mbappe --------- Werner --------- Neymar ----

Forster, Lenglet, Bentancur, Grealish, A.Traore, Martial, Dembele

Our game is based solely on 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, the back 4 must stay solid with de Jong, Ndidi and Valverde ahead of them just in front harassing the man with the ball before they get to our back 4 and our midfield will be in and around the half way line, our front 3 slightly higher up, this will congest the midfield and allow us to dictate play, defend from the front, 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. With a powerful midfield 3 Aarons and Gosens are allowed to attack at will.

van Dijk picks up the CF not much gets passed him, Lucas spare picks up the AM/SS if he gets away from our midfield, keep the forward(s) away from the danger area, get onto them quickly, take the ball away from them and play it out of defence, look to get it out wide quickly, 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, both must attack high balls to get the ball away from the opposition big men. Fullbacks keep the wingers/wing backs quiet, stop their attacks 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, they drive down the line in support of the wingers drive on the outside making an extra man. Look to get in behind their attacking fullbakcs. They can both go at the same time and get outside Mbappe and Neymar to allow them to go inside and make themselves available, If either get caught up field I want my midfield 3 to cover the gaps, to drift to the side and this allows the fullbacks to make their way to midfield to cover. Cb's to go up for corners, with the fullbacks and Ndidi sitting back.

Ndidi our deepest midfielder sitting just in front of the CB's he will shadow there AM and not allow him to control the game, 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 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. Valverde & de Jong will help stop the run of play quicker to make our defenders jobs a lot easier, protect our defence as best as possible, in possession get it to the front 3 but also look for fullbacks as they move into space, keep it simple, they both have 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.They always make themselves available for a return pass. Can move forward to assist and look for balls coming out so he can either, shoot or whip straight back in. Both are essential to our style of play, as they link between defence and attack, as we break quickly they will look to set up our front 3 and support, at times either could be in an advanced No.10 role and look for the other CM/Ndidi/CB pass. They will drop back at times to pick it up and will look to their dribbling capabilities to get around players. When in possession always head up looking for the movement of our front three to play them in, they will follow their pass and make up the numbers up front. When they dont drop deep i.e when the defenders go long, they will look to form a front four/five as they move around and look to tear the defence apart and create space for the front 3. All of our midfield three must press the opposition and force them back away from our area and get to grips with this game very early on.

Our wingers/forwards are extremely quick, very hard to mark, one is extremely powerful and the other has all the tricks in the book to get them passed their markers, 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 our defenders are superb long ball passers, go through the cms or out to one of our attacking fullbacks.however, the movement up front between Mbappe, Werner and Neymar will cause them problems drifting in an out, thus allowing our midfield to pick their moment to move into space as a No.10. If our Fbs push high and wide this will allow Mbappe/Neymar to go in central, this will make their defence disjointed and out of position. Quick passing in triangles that will get us in and beyond their defenders and eventually to Werner who can beat any defender with power and pace and the other wingers 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 Werner who will sit on the last foot so he can spring them, our front three will rotate and move around so difficult to pick up as all three can playe right across the front, so movement is essential we must always make sure they are well supported, if they cant get the shot away they will be looking to bring others into the game by dropping slightly back to get numbers for the attack. They may not be the greatest defensively, all I ask is that they track their own men ie FBs, CBs if they move forward, and stop them getting too far up the pitch..

Captain - van Dijk
Pens - Werner
Free Kicks - Neymar(for goal), de Jong for rest
Corners - Neymar

Losing -
70 Mins - Grealish for Ndidi - he goes into No.,10 and will open things up , de Jong take over the DM role
80 Mins - A.Traore for Werner, he goes RW, Mbappe up top with Neymar, Grealish to LW 4-2-4 attacking

Drawing -
65 Mins - Grealish for Valverde, he goes to No.10
75 Mins - Martial for Werner, he goes up top with Neymar, Grealish to LW 4-4-2

Winning -
70 Mins - Bentancur for Valverde, a bit more defence minded will shore it up
80 Mins - Lenglet for Neymar, he goes into CB, Traore for Werner, Mbappe goes up top, Traore to RM to help out Aarons in the final few

Aarons---van Dijk---Lenglet---Lucas.H
-------------------Ndidi---------------------
Traore-Bentancur--F.de Jong-Gosens
-----------------Mbappe-------------------

Attacking high press 3-5-2

We go with an attacking side, as we see the way to beat this Newcastle (Pool) side is getting at their defence, and in particular their centre halves, its like Pool without their best player, so we stick with our usual formation with trwo strikers. Our side is firstly solid at the back but more importantly gives us a team to go and take the game to Newcastle. We go with a side with a high work rate, full of energy to press from the front. The defence starts with the front two with their all action styles.

Their front 3 also play narrow which will suit our back 3, with our wbs helping the defence and against the threat of their attacking fbs. The team is setup with 3 cbs comfortable on the ball, 3 central midfield players who love to control possession, wing backs providing width and two strikers. At home with fans behind us we play to control the game. Starting with the back 3.

We look to overload the Newcastle defence with our attacking players. With a high tempo team we look to push them back. Keep them locked in their own half. With two strikers, and a midfield 5 we can dominate midfield. The front two will be crucial in creating gaps in their defence, with two forwards occupying their cbs, this will create space for Bernardo in AM to get forward, and also for the wingers when they get around the box.

A dangerous front 5 full of pace, we aim to get at the Newcastle goal. When we lose the ball, we use the pace and all action styles to win it back quickly. Don't let them get out. Leave them tired chasing our speedy attackers, and more importantly chasing the ball. Win it back before they can counter or shut them down so we can get back. If they go long our back 3 will dominate with their strength.

Our formation gives us a solid base, with three strong defenders tasked with remaining strong at the back, and in front Neves will be the defensive midfielder always offering cover. This will help us guard against counter as rather than having two cbs with fbs attacking we have 3 solid defenders and a dm back. The back 4 are powerful and pacey, and will bully their forwards.

This set up means we will be more direct, the back three are all excellent in possession and in Neves and Thiago in front they have players comfortable coming deep and taking the ball from the defence. From here we will vary our play. An important variation to our play will also be the long ball, Neuer is fantastic at thsi, and Bastoni, Thiago and Neves all have strong long passing ability to mix it up.

The front two set the tempo for the game with their all action styles. Both have the ability to drop deep and join in the attacks. Bernardo the AM, similarly plays with high intensity. We have three cms able to pick a pass, and with the ability to dictate the tempo of the game and control possession. Neves plays as the deepest cm, Thiago with the intelligence to fill in when needed.

We defend in a narrow formation, limiting the space for Newcastle to play in. As Newcastle push higher up the park one wing back will drop back to full back on the opposite side of play. On the side of play the wing back defends with the wide cb in the fb position behind him.

The defence and midfield press as a unit, ensuring there is no space between the lines for Newcastle attacking mids. When defending, Neves plays zonally in front of the cbs and will pick up the most attacking cm in the area. Bernardo will play ball side of Thiago and always press the passing lanes. One of Lautaro/Dybala looks to sit on their dm, simply take him out the game.

When we win the ball we attack at pace. The wbs look to aim their crosses for the man, no hopefully high crosses, they have to either direct them low and or cross in front of the man for the striker to dive on to. They will be deliberate in their play, get to the byline and cutting back rather than crossing where possible.

--------------------- Neuer ------------------
----------------------------------------------
-------- Varane -- Laporte -- Bastoni ------
------------------------------------------------
Carvajal ----- Neves --- Thiago ---- B.Mendy
------------------- Bernardo.S -------------
------------------------------------------------
------------- P.Dybala --- Lautaro.M -------

Subs. Schmeichel, Grimaldo, Rodri, Arthur, L.Sane, Dembele, Jesus

Defence

When we lose the ball high up the park we always look to win it back straight away, don’t give Newcastle a chance to counter. The closest 2/3 players press. Allowing others to get back into position behind the ball. Neuer also guards against hopeful long balls over the top in his sweeper keeper role.


In a narrow, rigid formation, we will look to press the space, not allowing them options. Keep them from advancing to positions where they can’t hurt us, by trying to win the ball back very quickly. Then break quickly in these high positions when we do win the ball.


When Newcastle get past the initial press higher up the park, we drop deeper into a narrower tighter formation narrowing to the side of play, ensuring there are no gaps in the formation set out above. Our defence have fantastic pace up against their forwards, bide their time, not diving in. In this 4-4-1-1 formation, as above.

Attack

We counter quickly when we win the ball, using the width to stretch the play and create space for Dybala and Bernardo in pockets of space centrally. When we go wide, both Dybala and Lautaro in the box getting on the end of passes or crosses. Wbs look to cross low or pass to their man, as their cbs will dominate in the air.

Subs.
If winning after 67 mins bring on Grimaldo for Mendy. Fresh legs and pace out wide in a tiring position.
If winning after 70 mins bring on Rodri for Neves. Power to freshen up cm.
If winning after 73 bring on Jesus for Dybala adds real pace against tiring legs.


If drawing or losing after 70 mins bring on Sane for Bastoni. Drops to 4-2-3-1. Wbs to fb. Sane left, Dybala behind Lautaro, Bernardo right. Mix it up.
If drawing or losing after 75 mins bring on Dembele for Dybala. Bernardo back to centre.
If drawing or losing after 80 mins bring on Jesus for Bernardo. 4-4-2.

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PORTSMOUTH vs pool

------------------------------Safonov ---------------------------
Atal----------------Sule-----------Ramos--------------Angelino
------------------------------- Kante ------------------------------------
----------------Goretzka ------------- Ceballos ----------------------
--------------------------------- Bruno -----------------------------------
------------Calvert-Lewin ---------- Ronaldo -----------------

Subs - Soyuncu, Zagadou, Bennacer, Coman, Ferran, Bailey, Son

CAPTAIN - BRUNO
CK'S - BRUNO
FK'S - RONALDO
PENALTIES - RONALDO

When we don't have possession of the ball in our half I want the whole team except the strikers to get in our half and defend. Play a deep defensive line so that oppo can't use their pacy forwards to beat the offside trap. When we win possession of the ball I want the players to keep hold of possession and try and work some space. We have good ball players in the centre and they will help keep us ticking.

Defence
Safonov in net, command your box and don't do anything flashy. Sule and Ramos bring experience to the backline. Sule will focus on marking the oppo striker and will look to stick close to him and to watch out for his attacking runs. Stay aggressive and not let him turn you. Ramos will mark the other striker if the oppo is playing 2 up front or to watch out any attacking runs of their AM if they play him instead.

Full backs
Atal + Mendy
Atal and Mendy will look to help both in attack and defence. Make forays forward when we have the ball in the oppos side of the pitch but track back when we don't. Get some crosses into the box as Ronaldo is very good in the air. Kante will be covering for you if you are out of position


Defence Mid
N'golo Kante
Kante will be tasked with protecting the defence. A true definition of never say die attitude he will be running all game and doing what he does best and win the ball off of the oppo. Cover for our fullbacks when they overlap and are out of position. Stick close to the oppo AM/their most attacking midfielder and pressure him as soon as he gets the ball. He will not be able to handle your relentless pressing. When you have possession of the ball quickly pass it to either Goretzka/Ceballos.

Centre Mids
Ceballos + Goretzka
Ceballos will be the more defensive of the two as I want him to focus on being the link from defence to attack. Main job is to get the ball from deep and look to open up the oppo with your superb range of passing. Play quick simple passes with your teammates to work some space in the middle or long balls forward for our strikers to run into. Goretzka will play a b2b role. Make runs forward and play pass and move passes with teammates and help the attack whenever you can. Make late runs into the box to try and score.

Attack Mid
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno will be playing as the AM today. I want him to use his great dribbling ability and passing to create chances for our 2 strikers up front. Look out for the runs of our attackers and make runs into the box whenever you can. Shoot from range if you see an opportunity.

Strikers
Calvert-Lewin + Ronaldo
I want both the strikers to use their pace and play off of the oppo shoulders and try and beat the offside trap. Be aware of lofted through balls and time your runs as best as you can. When in the box use your quickness and agility to get into good positions away from oppo defenders. Play quick one two's with each other to penetrate the oppo defence. I want Ronaldo to stay upfront and just focus on attacking, being ready for penetrating passes from his teammates. Be aware of crosses into the box and use your superhuman athletic ability to outjump the oppo defenders.

IF WINNING BY 65 MINS
Change formation to 4231. Play deep and hit the oppo on the counter.
Take off Bruno and put on Ndombele in DM next to Kante to give the defence even more protection. Ferran on for Ceballos aswell to play RM and Coman on for Calvert Lewin.

IF LOSING BY 65 MINS
Take off Ceballos and put on Son in strike. Son will play in the middle of a front 3. Play close to each other and put a tonne of pressure in the oppo defence. Defend high up and try and score a goal. Swap Kante for Ndombele aswell.

IF DRAWING BY 65MINS
Son on for Calvert Lewin
Ndombele on for Ceballos
Fresh legs.

SOTON vs Bournemouth

--------------------------------------------Gunn-----------------------
Odriozola---------Upamecano-----------Kabak-----------Chilwell
----------------------------Aouar-------------McTominay--------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pulisic----------------------------------------------------------------Rashford
--------------------------------------Odegaard------------------------------------
----------------------------------------Jovic-----------------------------------

Subs - Demiral, Lo Celso, Nkunku, Richarlison, Under, Olmo, Kean

CAPTAIN - UPAMECANO
CK'S - ØDEGAARD
FK'S - ØDEGAARD
PENALTIES - RASHFORD

I want us to hold a deep defensive line to start of with so the oppo don't get an early goal. Keep things simple in the beginning and only pressure the oppo when they get in our half. When we have the ball I want the team to play pass and move football. Don't stay static, try and get in behind the oppo defence as there is a lot of pace in our attacking players. As the game goes on, when we don't have the ball I want the team to defend from the front line and pressure the oppo and try and win possession back. Do this in fits and bursts as it is a tiring tactic.

Defence
GK to be confident in box. Don't take risks. Punch the ball away if the shot is too powerful. Command your area. The defence is well balanced. Upamecano and Kabak bring a lot of strength and pace to the defence. Kabak will marshal the defence and Upamecano 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. McTominay will be covering for them when they go attacking.

Defence Mids
McTominay + Aouar
McTominay 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 but don't try any risky passes.
Aouar will look to pick the ball up from deep and use his pace and energy to dribble the ball out. Make runs forward and help our attacking players whenever you can. Play quick passes forward and use your agility to outmanoeuvre the oppo players. When not in possession of the ball I want him to sit alongside McTominay in the middle and protect the defence.

Wingers
Pulisic + Rashford
These 2 will be the focal point of my attack. I want to give them the freedom to express themselves in attack. Rashford will be looking to cut in from the left and Pulisic will be looking to either go on the outside and aim for the byline or drift infield. 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. Odriozola and Chilwell 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 Jovic to get his head on. Help our FB's in defensive duties if the oppo winger is trying to take them on. Track back and double up on him or mark the run of the opposition FB if they try to make an overlapping run. When we are defending corners I want both of them to stay near the halfway line so we can hit the oppo on the counter attack.

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

Striker
Jovic
Jovic is a striker that has the deadly combination of pace and power. He 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 use your pace to get away from them.


Subs if LOSING BY 65MINS
Move Rashford to strike. Richarlison for Aouar and Olmo for Ødegaard to bring some more attacking impetus on. Play a high line and try and get a goal. Change formation to 41212.

-----------------------------------------Gunn--------------------------------
Odriozola-------Upamecano-------------Kabak---------Chilwell
--------------------------------------McTominay---------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pulisic-------------------------------------------------------------Richarlison
-----------------------------------------Olmo-------------------------------
--------------------------------Jovic-----------Rashford-------------------


Subs if WINNING BY 80MINS
Take off Ødegaard and put on Demiral in CB. Play defensive with everyone in our own half defending for their lives, waiting to hit the oppo on the counter attack. Under on for Pulisic and Nkunku for Aouar to add a bit more energy into the midfield.

----------------------------------Gunn--------------------------------
Odriozola-------Demiral------Upam------Kabak--------Chilwell
-----------------------------Nkunku--------McTom---------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------Under----------------------------------------------Rashford-------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------Jovic-----------------------------------

Subs if DRAWING BY 65MINS
Richarlison on for Pulisic
Olmo on for Ødegaard
Lo Celso for Aouar
Fresh legs to bring on.

Arsenal v MANCHESTER CITY

Nübel
Vrsaljko, Sánchez, Tomori, Williams
Verratti, Kampl
Chiesa, Gnabry, Saint-Maximin
Lukaku

Subs: Reina, Rüdiger, Zinchenko, Tolisso, Bergwijn, Almirón, Lewandowski

Our defensive unit consists of Davinson Sánchez and Fikayo Tomori paired up at centre-back, Sime Vrsaljko at right-back and Brandon Williams at left-back, with Marco Verratti and Kevin Kampl as our midfield ‘double pivot’ screening them.

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

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

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

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

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

Verratti 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 Verratti such a talent.

The attacking unit consists of Federico Chiesa, Serge Gnabry and Allan Saint-Maximin as our band of three attacking midfielders with Romelu Lukaku 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 Verratti or Kampl, then our 4-2-3-1 can spring into attack.

Vrsaljko and Williams can surge up the wings in the knowledge that Verratti and Kampl can drop into the space left behind if needed. As they come up the wings, both Federico Chiesa and Allan Saint-Maximin, who are fast speed merchants, excellent in tight spaces and fantastic dribblers will cut inside or make runs into the box. Serge Gnabry our attacking central midfielder’s low centre of gravity will enable him to navigate away from defenders at a frighteningly quick pace. Gnabry 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 with his one-touch passing and quick flicks, and who will combine exceptionally well with Chiesa, Saint-Maximin & Lukaku to create openings and goal scoring opportunities for each other.

Upfront, Lukaku has the muscle, bustle and hustle to cause our opponents damage. Lukaku will use his size, pace and power to good use, standing out amongst other around the box, winning headers, connecting well with the pace and ability of our AM trio and looking to find the back of the net at every available opportunity.


Subs on 75 mins
Bergwijn on for Saint-Maximin, Lewandowski on for Lukaku

Double substitution - Lots of energy and pace in the last 15 minutes to look to unlock the opposition’s defence for a late goal regardless of the score line

any red will see a change of formation to 441 –
If Nubel sent off then Chiesa will make way for Reina, Gnabry to RW in the midfield 4.
If a defender is sent off then Rudiger or Zinchenko (depeandant on position of ) will come on for Chiesa.

If Lukaku/Lewandowski sent off then no additional substitution – so Chiesa at RW and Gnabry at CF

NEWCASTLE 4-3-3

___________Alisson
Trent____Matip___Gomez___Robbo
____________Fabinho
________Oxlade___Gini
Salah______Firmino________Mane

SUBS: Lovren, Keita, Origi, Milner, Minamino, Chesney, Shaqiri

Captain: Hendo
Penalties: Salah
Corners: Trent
Freekicks: Trent

The formation deployed today is so that we regain as much possession as possible higher up the pitch. We expect to have a fair portion of the ball so patience is key. Today we have pace all across the pitch to deal with their fearsome front three. 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 DM will use his energy to overpower their midfield and be in charge of driving our midfield forward. Our midfield will be flexible, if one of their midfielders steps forward, one of ours will move into the space they vacated. The DM will be the link between our defence, midfield, and forwards 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 attacking one in his box to box role, closing down space and cutting passing lanes with his incredible energy and also driving the team forward. Playing alongside the DM 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. The left centre mid will add a bit of finesse, with his ability on the ball and eye for threading balls through to 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 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 midfield. 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 Ox, our legs will start to tire, so will theirs, Milner will add box to box ability and energy late in the game.

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

If winning 80 mins: Keita comes on for Gini to close out the game.

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

Attacking high press 3-5-2

We go with an attacking side, as we see the way to beat this Arsenal side is getting at their defence, and so we stick with our usual formation with trwo strikers. Our side is firstly solid at the back but more importantly gives us a team to go and take the game to Arsenal. We go with a side with a high work rate, full of energy to press from the front. The defence starts with the front two with their all action styles.

The team is setup with 3 cbs comfortable on the ball, 3 central midfield players who love to control possession, wing backs providing width and two strikers. A cup final with fans behind us we play to control the game. Starting with the back 3.

We look to overload the Arsenal defence with our attacking players. With a high tempo team we look to push them back. Keep them locked in their own half. With two strikers, and a midfield 5 we can dominate midfield. The front two will be crucial in creating gaps in their defence, with two forwards occupying their cbs, this will create space for Bernardo in AM to get forward, and also for the wingers when they get around the box.

A dangerous front 5 full of pace, we aim to get at the Arsenal goal. When we lose the ball, we use the pace and all action styles to win it back quickly. Don't let them get out. Leave them tired chasing our speedy attackers, and more importantly chasing the ball. Win it back before they can counter or shut them down so we can get back. If they go long our back 3 will dominate with their strength.

Our formation gives us a solid base, with three strong defenders tasked with remaining strong at the back, and in front Rodri will be the defensive midfielder always offering cover. This will help us guard against counter as rather than having two cbs with fbs attacking we have 3 solid defenders and a dm back. The back 4 are powerful and pacey, and will bully their forwards.

This set up means we will be more direct, the back three are all excellent in possession and in Rodri and Thiago in front they have players comfortable coming deep and taking the ball from the defence. From here we will vary our play. An important variation to our play will also be the long ball, Neuer is fantastic at this, and Bastoni, Thiago and Rodri all have strong long passing ability to mix it up.

The front two set the tempo for the game with their all action styles. Both have the ability to drop deep and join in the attacks. Bernardo the AM, similarly plays with high intensity. We have three cms able to pick a pass, and with the ability to dictate the tempo of the game and control possession. Rodri plays as the deepest cm, Thiago with the intelligence to fill in when needed.

We defend in a narrow formation, limiting the space for Arsenal to play in. As Arsenal push higher up the park one wing back will drop back to full back on the opposite side of play. On the side of play the wing back defends with the wide cb in the fb position behind him.

The defence and midfield press as a unit, ensuring there is no space between the lines for Arsenal attacking mids. When defending, Rodri plays zonally in front of the cbs and will pick up the most attacking cm in the area. Bernardo will play ball side of Thiago and always press the passing lanes. One of Lautaro/Dybala looks to sit on their dm, simply take him out the game.

When we win the ball we attack at pace. The wbs look to aim their crosses for the man, no hopefully high crosses, they have to either direct them low and or cross in front of the man for the striker to dive on to. They will be deliberate in their play, get to the byline and cutting back rather than crossing where possible.

--------------------- Neuer ------------------
----------------------------------------------
-------- Varane -- Laporte -- Bastoni ------
------------------------------------------------
Carvajal ----- Rodri --- Thiago ---- B.Mendy
------------------- Bernardo.S -------------
------------------------------------------------
------------- P.Dybala --- Lautaro.M -------

Subs. Schmeichel, R.James, Guendouzi, Arthur, Dembele, Coutinho, Jesus

Defence

When we lose the ball high up the park we always look to win it back straight away, don’t give Arsenal a chance to counter. The closest 2/3 players press. Allowing others to get back into position behind the ball. Neuer also guards against hopeful long balls over the top in his sweeper keeper role.


In a narrow, rigid formation, we will look to press the space, not allowing them options. Keep them from advancing to positions where they can’t hurt us, by trying to win the ball back very quickly. Then break quickly in these high positions when we do win the ball.


When Arsenal get past the initial press higher up the park, we drop deeper into a narrower tighter formation narrowing to the side of play, ensuring there are no gaps in the formation set out above. Our defence have fantastic pace up against their forwards, bide their time, not diving in. In this 4-4-1-1 formation, as above.

Attack

We counter quickly when we win the ball, using the width to stretch the play and create space for Dybala and Bernardo in pockets of space centrally. When we go wide, both Dybala and Lautaro in the box getting on the end of passes or crosses. Wbs look to cross low or pass to their man, as their cbs will dominate in the air.

Subs.
If winning after 70 mins bring on Jesus for Lautaro. Fresh pace and high energy.
If winning after 75 mins bring on Arthur for Bernardo. Energy to freshen up cm.
If winning after 80 bring on James for Carvajal adds real pace against tiring legs.


If drawing or losing after 70 mins bring on Dembele for Bastoni. Drops to 4-2-3-1. Wbs to fb. Dembele left, Dybala behind Lautaro, Bernardo right. Mix it up.
If drawing or losing after 75 mins bring on Jesus for Dybala. Bernardo back to centre.

Pens:
Dybala
Lautaro
Jesus
Bernardo
Thiago.A
Neuer
Rodri
Dembele

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Bournemouth Tactics: Week 16
Captain: Felipe
Vice Captain: Assunção

Team:
------------------Remiro
Emerson--Felipe—Gabriel-----Lodi
----------------Assunção
---------Guimarães-----Reinier
Antony----------------------------Vargas
------------------Vinícius

SUBS: Cleiton, Iago, Murilo, Phillips, Fernandes, Tetê, Cunha

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: Remiro 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: Assunção 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. Guimarães and Reinier will play just in front of Assunção. Guimarães will be a more box to box type. He will be involved all over and will offer as much in defence as in attack. Reinier 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 Antony 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 Reinier, Guimarães and Vinícius 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 Guimarães may sit a bit deeper allowing Reinier 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.

Vinícius 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: Reinier, Vargas or Antony with Felipe, Gabriel, Assunção and Vinícius to offer an aerial threat. Reinier and Vargas (with his thunderbolt left foot) may try their luck with several free kicks from distance.
Penalties: Vinícius

Substitutions: (if winning on 80 minutes) Murilo for Gabriel, Cunha for Vinícius and Fernandes for Guimarães, 3 like for like substitutions.

If losing (on 80 minutes) Tetê for Guimarães and Cunha for Antony. Shift to a 4-1-3-2 attack. Cunha and Tetê offering fresh legs, pace and a bit of the unknown in attack.

-----------Assunção
Tetê---Reinier----Vargas
--------Vinícius---Cunha

------------------- De Gea ------------------
Hakimi --- Skriniar --- N.Sule --- Theo.H
----------------- Fernandinho --------------
L.Bailey --- D.Silva --- Ziyech --- M.Reus
------------------- Haaland ------------------

Subs:
Henderson, Danilo, Hummels, Soumare, Gundogan, Mount, Morata

Moving the ball at speed will be the focus of our play as we go with an attacking 4-1-4-1 formation today as we aim for 3 points. We will look to our central midfield trio to dominate the game as we look to retain possession, keeping the ball away from their dangerous players and making openings at the other end. We look to overwhelm them with twin AM’s who both offer quality in abundance whilst Fernandinho provides the perfect anchor, sweeping up behind them and playing perfectly into our gameplan of overwhelming them in midfield.

The opposition have some fantastic players however we go on the offensive, pushing our AM’s forward, our wide men pushing onto their FB’s and Haaland through the centre as we go for goals.

When not in possession we will drop back into a 4-5-1 formation to avoid being hit on the break. Our wingers dropping back to help double up on their widemen whilst our AM’s drop in along Fernandinho. We play compact and look to funnel them into the middle of the park. Contesting this area will help us win back possession and with the vision of our AM’s we have the perfect players to hit them on the counter, turning defence into attack in the blink of an eye.

Defence:

We go with a strong defensive unit at the back, packed with pace and quality as we look to nullify the threat posed by the oppositions attack. If the opposition play one up top then Sule will mark. Strong, aggressive and a great reader of the game we feel he has all the tools to deal with any opponent. Skriniar will act as cover, sweeping up and offering cover in behind to eliminate any balls over the top. They will undoubtedly go for pace out wide and therefore it is important that the free CB acts as secondary cover to support the fullback. Double up on their wingers where possible and we feel we can severely limit their impact.

Our fullbacks will stick tight to the wide men, safe in the knowledge that they have supporting cover from the free CB should the wingers look to come infield whilst Fernandinho also has license to drift across and offer additional cover. We will at all times look to double up on their forwards, really looking to smother them, box them giving them little room to manoeuvre. We feel that taking away space for their dangerous players to operate will severely limit their attacking ability and stop them getting into any rhythm.

Midfield:

Fernandinho will be our holding player in the middle. A top class DM we rely on his fantastic reading of the game to break up the opposition play, winning back possession and setting us up on the counter as we look to get the ball into our creative players as quickly as possible. He’ll sit in front of our backline, shutting down their their AM whilst also playing another important role, if one of their widemen has the ball in the final third we want him to drift across and cut out the option of bringing the ball infield. Working in tandem with the FB’s we want to force their wide players down the line, make them cross the ball which our CB’s can then cut out rather than allowing them to dribble infield.

D.Silva and Ziyech will look to be our creators in chief. We look to get them on the ball as much as possible. Both with fantastic ability and their off the ball work will contribute to shutting down the opposition and winning back possession however it is in the final third we expect them to shine. Playing with twin AM’s we will create real problems to their DM. It will be a case of pick your poison with both players offering fantastic vision and a killer through ball as we look for the fantastic movement of Haaland who will at all times be on his toes.

Forwards:

We go with pace and trickery of Bailey and Reus out wide. In the 4-1-4-1 formation they have the freedom to start slightly deeper but spring into action when in possession, pushing up alongside Haaland in a front three which will force the opposition back and creating space for our AM’s to exploit, if the opposition play a high line then we will look to use our pace to get in behind their FB’s and either go direct for goal or look for Haaland in the middle to tap home.

Our main attacking play will revolve around the link up play of our front five. We want Haaland to play on the shoulder of the last man, ready to pounce on any through balls from our chief creators. We want him to be direct, play to his strength and drive forward before unleashing for his power and precision. A player in form goal scorer with fantastic movement, he’ll look to get himself in the box and finish any chances that fall his way.

Subs;
If winning:
65 mins: Silva off, Gundogan on.
75 mins: Bailey off, Hummels on. 5-4-1 shut up shop time as we tighten up with a solid defensive unit.

If drawing:
65 mins: Fernandinho off, Gundogan on. Attacking 4-3-3.
75 mins: D.Silva off, Mount on. Fresh legs as we push for a winner.

If losing:
55 mins: Fernandinho off, Mount on.
65 mins: Sule off, Morata on. 3-4-3 all out attack

------------------ Courtois -----------------
-----------------------------------------------
Cancelo -- De Ligt -- Bonucci - Marcelo
-----------------------------------------------
-- De Bruyne -- Busquets -- Eriksen ----
-----------------------------------------------
----- Bale ------ Aguero ----- Asensio ----

Subs:
Lunin, Militao, Rabiot, Foden, Hazard, J.Felix, Cavani

Captain: Busquets
Free Kicks: De Bruyne
Penalties: Aguero
Corners: De Bruyne

Tactics:

Moving the ball at speed will be the focus of our play as look for another 3 points and continue our solid home form. We go with an attacking 4-3-3 as we look to play on the front and look to our midfield trio to win us the game as we look to dictate the play, retain possession and keeping the ball away from their dangerous players whilst making openings at the other end for our exciting front three to finish.

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 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.

Defence:

We go with a strong defensive unit at the back, packed with pace and quality as we look to nullify the threat posed by the oppositions attack. If the opposition play one up top then Bonucci will mark. Strong, aggressive and a great reader of the game we feel he has all the tools to deal with any opponent. De Ligt will act as cover, sweeping up and offering cover in behind to eliminate any balls over the top. The Dutchman sweeping up from the back and immediately looking to get us on the counter with his fantastic vision and passing.

Our fullbacks will stick tight to the wide men, safe in the knowledge that they have supporting cover in behind with Busquets also drifting across from DM to offer additional support. If they play two up top our FB's will narrow, offering additional cover in behind the CB's. When in possession both Cancelo and Marcelo have license to push forward with both having great quality in the final third. We look to draw the opposition onto us by sitting deep when they are in possession, limiting the space in behind and drawing them further up the field creating space for us to hit them on the counter.

Midfield:

We go with a three man midfield, packed with quality and experience we look to dominate this area of the field. Busquets will be our holding player in the middle. A top class DM we rely on his fantastic reading of the game to break up the opposition play, winning back possession and setting us up on the counter as we look to get the ball into our creative players as quickly as possible. He’ll pick up their most advanced CM and cut out their supply line. He’s also a fantastic passer which will be key in winning the midfield battle and ball retention.

De Bruyne and Eriksen will be our magic men in the middle, acting as our creators in chief we look to get them on the ball as much as possible. With Busquets acting as an anchor they have freedom to get forward and pick apart the opposition. Short sharp passing will pull the opposition apart with both players capable of playing that killer pass in the final third or going direct for goal themselves. Asensio will also look to drop deep giving us an extra link up, again creating a numerical advantage in midfield. Our gameplan is based on creating an overload in key areas, forcing the opposition to abandon their shape as they desperately scamper to cover the free man however in doing so they will be pulled out of shape and leaving gaps in their defence for our attackers to exploit.

Forwards:

We go with pace and power up top as we look to play on the front foot and go for goals. The opposition will likely go with two attacking full backs which may well leave their defensive exposed. We therefore go with a front three that will look to hit them on the break with a combination of pace, trickery and lethal finishing as we go goals. Bale will be key to our play, we look to hit him on the counter. Playing the ball in behind for the Welshman to run onto and finish, he’ll also have license to cut inside and go for goal at any opportunity.

On the other flank we have the exciting Asensio. We want him to be elusive, dropping deep to link up the midfield or using his pace and trickery to go at the opposition, operating between the lines will make him incredibly difficult to be marked and he has license to shoot from distance should our opponents drop off.

In the middle we have the lethal Aguero, with a supply line of De Bruyne, Eriksen, Bale and Asensio the Argentine will have an abundance of creative talent around him. Play on the shoulder of the last man and as always be on your toes in and around the box, ready to pounce and finish anything that comes your way. A man for the big occasion we will look to him to shine on the big stage.

Subs;

If winning:
70 mins: Eriksen off, Rabiot on. An additional DM next to Busquets.
80 mins: Asensio off, Militao on. Shut up shop time as we move to a compact 5-4-1 formation as we see the game out to take the 3 points.

If drawing:
70 mins: Asensio off, Felix on. Fresh legs and pace as we look to exploit a tiring defence.
80 mins: Eriksen off, Cavani on. 4-2-2-2 with Aguero & Cavani up top and Bale & Felix on the flanks. Goals.

If losing:
60 mins: Busquets off, Felix on. Felix moves to AM creating an attacker trio alongside KDB and Eriksen with Asensio and Bale on the flanks.
75 mins: Cancelo off, Cavani on. We bring on an additional forward as we turn the screw and go for goals.

------------------------- Pope ---------------------------
Mukiele ----- Manolas ----- Koulibaly ----- L.Digne
--------------- Kovacic ------ T.Partey ----------------
Sterling ------------- J.David ---------------- Hazard
------------------------- Kane ---------------------------

U.Cakir, Diakhaby, D.Rice, Coman, Kluivert, Mertens, Immobile


Control possession high up the field, pass and move into positions that can hurt them, when we defend we do so as a team with two banks of four with Jonathan David & Kane harassing their backline and really pressurise them into quick , misplaced passes for us to pick up, in their face performance, especially Partey, Kovacic & David further up the pitch in the centre as we try to nullify their midfield and stop them creating chances for the forwards.

Mukiele and Digne have freedom to attack, but only one at a time, one will stay back creating a back 3 when we attack, bomb down the line supporting the wingers on the outside, which will allow the winger to cut inside and support Harry Kane. They look to play one twos with the midfield 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.. Manolas will mark the CF, use his strength and speed to keep the CF away from the danger area. Kouliably alongside is the spare defender and helps out where needed, both powerful defenders, Both will dominate in the air and both 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 cbs up for corners, fullbacks stay back and a midfielder just sitting in front of them. 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..

Partey's primary role in front of the defence 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, he isn't an out an out DM but he has a lot of grit and determination to his game so 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.

Kovacic 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 and he does a lot. 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, he also has a mean shot from distance and isn't afraid to have a go. David's main responsibility is to both create chances for the three attackers in front of him and indeed score the goals himself. Playing as a SS he will often find himself the furthest forward of the three midfielders and sometimes even in the number 9 role if the correct situation arises. The main requirement of David is pace & 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. David will try and get in beyond there DM and support Kane and look for any scraps coming his way.

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, I want them to drive on the outside and play as a natural winger not an inside forward unless supported by fullbacks. both sides will definitely pose a threat with quick one twos. Use the midfield 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 David to get into danger areas. Both wingers have a fantastic forward to aim for in Kane so if they get to the bye line then get the crosses in for him to attack. Kane will get plenty chances, however he must put away there side who will be solid at the back, however I want to bully the slower/weaker of the two/three with the aid of David 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/weaker 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 Sterling and Hazard 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 J.David driving forward 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 - Koulibaly
Pens - Kane
Frre Kicks - Hazard
Corners - Wingers

Subs:-

Losing -
65 Mins - Immobile for David, we go 4-4-2
75 Mins - Coman for Digne, Hazard to No.10 in a 3-4-1-2
80 Mins - Mertens for Kane

Winning -
75 Mins - D.Rice for David, he slots in between the defence and midfield as the 1 in a 4-1-4-1 formation
83 Mins - Immobile for Kane

Drawing -
75 Mins - Immobile and Mertens for Kane and David they both go up top 4-4-2

--------------------------- Oblak ---------------------------
Walker ------- van Dijk ------- Lucas.H ------- Gosens
-------------- F. de Jong ------ F.Valverde --------------
Mbappe --------------- Grealish ---------------- Neymar
-------------------------- Werner ---------------------------

Forster, Mancini, Llorente, Tielemans, Traore, Zaniolo, Dembele

Our game is based solely on 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, the back 4 must stay solid with Valverde and de Jong ahead of them just in front harassing the man with the ball before they get to our back 4 and our midfield will be in and around the half way line, Werner slightly higher up, this will congest the midfield and allow us to dictate play, defend from the front, 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.

van Dijk picks up the CF not much gets passed him, Lucas 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, take the ball away from them and play it out of defence, look to get it out wide quickly, 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, both must attack high balls to get the ball away from the opposition big men. Fullbacks keep the wingers quiet, stop their attacks 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, they drive down the line in support of the wingers drive on the outside making an extra man. If either get caught up field I want Valverde & de Jong to drift to the side and this allows the fullbacks to make their way to midfield to cover. van Dijk and Lucas to go up for corners, with the fullbacks and de Jong sitting back.

de Jong will be our deepest midfielder sitting just in front of the CB's he will shadow there AM and not allow him to control the game, 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 available for a return ball from a deeper angle as 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. Valverde will help stop the run of play quicker to make our defenders jobs a lot easier, protect our defence as best as possible, in possession get it to the front 3 but also look for fullbacks and Grealish 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. Grealish is essential to our style of play, he is the link between defence and attack, as we break quickly he will look to set up our front three and at times be in an advanced No.10 role and look for the de jong/Valverde/CB pass. He will drop back at times to pick it up and will look to his dribbling capabilities to get him around players, sometimes taking a foul as he is a tricky player to mark. When in possession always head up looking for the movement of our front three to play them in, 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 our defenders are superb long ball passers, go through the cms or out to one of our attacking fullbacks.however, the movement up front between Mbappe and Neymar will cause them problems drifting in an out, thus allowing Grealish 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 Werner who can beat any defender with power and pace and the other wingers 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 Werner who will sit on the last foot so he can spring them and have a shoot or sight mentality, can move central, 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 by dropping slightly back to get numbers for the attack he is a very tireless worker, who also helps defend from the from by harassing there back line/DM.

Captain - van Dijk
Penalties - Neymar
Free Kicks - Neymar (when going for goal) Grealish/de Jong from deeper
Corners - Wingers

For all subs:- Traore will be told he is going on 5mins in advance


Losing -
70 Mins - Traore for Grealish he goes RW and Mbappe up top
78 Mins - Dembele for Gosens, he will go through the middle with Mbappe and Werner either side, Mancini for Walker 3-4-3

Winning -
75 Mins - Llorente for Grealish, he goes into DM allowing de Jong a bit more freedom 4-1-4-1
84 Mins - Traore for Werner, Mbappe up top, Traore to RW

Drawing -
70 Mins - Dembele for Grealish, we go 4-4-2, Tielemans for Valverde, straight swap
80 Mins - Traore for Werner, Mbappe up top, Traore RW 4-4-2 Attacking

NORWICH CITY v Portsmouth

Dubravka
Justin, Rodon, Iñigo Martínez, Lewis
Ampadu, Gueye
Lamela, Brooks, Cantwell
Suárez

Subs: Woodman, Kehrer, Javi Martínez, Rakitic, Fornals, Forsberg, Iheanacho

Our defensive unit consists of Joe Rodon and Iñigo Martínez paired up at centre-back, James Justin at right-back and Jamal Lewis at left-back, with Ethan Ampadu and Idrissa Gueye as our midfield ‘double pivot’ screening them.

This ‘double pivot’ is the key to our team and in Ampadu and Gueye 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 Gueye can press the ball without leaving lots of space, as Ampadu 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 Gueye’s role, he will press almost anywhere in his own half to allow defenders to stay in the defensive line.

With Gueye running his socks off for the team, our high tempo will dictated by his partner in holding midfield, Ethan Ampadu.

Ampadu 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 Ampadu such a talent.

The attacking unit consists of Erik Lamela, David Brooks and Todd Cantwell as our band of three attacking midfielders with Luis Suárez 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 Ampadu or Gueye, then our 4-2-3-1 can spring into attack.

Henrichs and Justin can surge up the wings in the knowledge that Ampadu and Gueye can drop into the space left behind if needed. As they come up the wings, both Erik Lamela and Todd Cantwell, who are fast speed merchants, excellent in tight spaces and fantastic dribblers will cut inside or make runs into the box. David Brooks our attacking central midfielder’s low centre of gravity will enable him to navigate away from defenders at a frighteningly quick pace. Brooks 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 with his one-touch passing and quick flicks, and who will combine exceptionally well with Lamela, Cantwell & Suárez to create openings and goal scoring opportunities for each other.

Upfront, Suárez will be utilised to “bind” our oppositions defenders in place by occupying them with his positioning, to the point of blocking their defenders in order to create space for Lamela, Brooks & Cantwell to exploit between the lines as this trio look to profit from Suárez’s off-the-ball actions.

Suárez will act as a focal point around which our team will build our attacks, using his strength to hold off their defenders. Suárez is proven adept at one-touch passing and quick flicks in combination play and of course Suarez’s stock in trade when the occasion calls for it – intelligent dummies to fool their defenders.

All 4 of our most advanced players are equally gifted in terms of scoring goals, and as thus we will not be purely reliant on Suárez on this front, although I expect of course for him to find the back of the net on a number of occasions.

Subs on 75 mins
Forsberg on for Cantwell, Fornals on for Brooks

Double substitution - Lots of energy and pace in the last 15 minutes to look to unlock the opposition’s defence for a late goal regardless of the score line

In the case of a move to a 441 (if a defender sent off then Ampadu moves into the back 4). If our keeper is send off then Woodman replaces Lamela