SOTON vs Bournemouth

-----------------------------------------Onana-----------------------
Morey-----------Upamecano-----------Dias------------Shaw
------------------------------------------Ndidi---------------------------
------------------------Mount--------------------Aouar------------------------
Kulusevski-------------------------------------------------------Pulisic
--------------------------------------Rashford--------------------------------


Subs - Cakir, M Sarr, Lo Celso, Tonali, Kluivert, David, Richarlison

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

New season new formation! Going with the 433 and this team is brimming with creativity and is also solid defensively. Let's go!

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 Dias bring a lot of strength and pace to the defence. Upamecano will marshal the defence and Dias will look to use his pace to close the oppo strikers down. Stay vocal with each other and cover for each other if oppo gets past one of you. Full backs will start of with a conservative mind set and not attack too much but as the game goes on I want them to make overlapping runs and get some crosses in to the box. Ndidi will be covering for them when they go attacking.

Defence Mid
Ndidi
Ndidi will be the anchor in the middle. Stay back in front of the defence and protect the defence with your life. If the oppo play an AM then stick close to him and mark him if possible. When our fullbacks are attacking then your main priority will be to cover for them. When in possession pass the ball out to the wings or to the CM's but don't try any risky passes.
Centre Mids
Aouar + Mount
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 drop deep in central midfield and try and intercept any passes the oppo will make.
Mount will have a similar role to Aouar except he will be given more attacking freedom. I want him to always make runs forward and when the oppo DM has the ball I want him to put pressure on him and close him down so he makes a mistake and we potentially create a goal scoring opportunity. Use your nimbleness and pace to get away from players marking you in the middle and if you find some space shoot. If you see Ndidi and Aouar struggling in the middle bring overwhelmed by the oppo then I want you to focus on helping them more defensively in the centre of midfield.

Wingers
Kulusevski + Pulisic
These 2 will be the focal point of my attack. I want to give them the freedom to express themselves in attack. Pulisic will be looking to cut in from the left and Kulusevski will be looking to cut in from the right. I want you both to try and beat the oppo fullbacks with your pace and dribbling ability but don't try too hard as if you see them doubling up on you you can either pass back or into the centre of the pitch to one of our CM's. I want you both to be aware of our fullbacks and play pass and move 1 2's with them to try and penetrate the oppo back line. Morey and Shaw 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 Rashford 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. If we get to the byline with either of the wingers I want them to either whip in a low ball across the face of the net for Rashford to poke home or pull the ball back to just outside the box for Mount/Aouar to get a shot in.



Striker
Rashford
Rashford is a striker that has the deadly combination of pace and finishing. He will look to use his pace 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. Play quick pass and move combinations with your teammates to fund spaces in the oppo defence.


Subs if LOSING BY 65MINS
Put on Richarlison for Aouar and David for Pulisic to bring some more attacking impetus on. Play a high line and try and get a goal. Change formation to 41212 and play the below formation. Play a high line and put a lot of pressure on the oppo to win the ball back.

---------------------------------------Onana--------------------------------
Morey-------Upamecano-------------Dias---------Shaw
-------------------------------------Ndidi---------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kulusevski--------------------------------------------------Richarlison
------------------------------------Mount-------------------------------
-------------------Rashford---------------David-------------------


Subs if WINNING BY 80MINS
Take off Mount and put on Sarr in CB. Play defensive with everyone in our own half defending for their lives, waiting to hit the oppo on the counter attack. Tonalli on for Aouar to add more defensive strength and energy. Richarlison on for Pulisic aswell.

----------------------------------------Onana--------------------------------
Morey-------Upamecano------Dias------Sarr--------Shaw
-----------------------------Ndidi--------Tonali---------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------Kulusevski---------------------------------------Richarlison-------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------Rashford-----------------------------------

Subs if DRAWING BY 65MINS
Richarlison on for Pulisic
Tonali on for Aouar
David on for Rashford
Fresh legs to bring on.

---------------- Rui Patricio ----------------
-----------------------------------------------
B.Pavard - Skriniar - Hummels - Angelino
-----------------------------------------------
---- J.Brandt -- Torreira -- Ceballos ----
-----------------------------------------------
R.Mahrez ----- T.Werner ------ K.Coman

Subs:
De Gea, Tomori, Pjanic, D.Silva, Leao, Abraham, Ibrahimovic

We set up with a strong side suited to playing counter attacking football in a 4-3-3 formation. We expect the opposition to look to dominate possession which will suit our strengths perfectly. When they’re in possession our wingers drop in as we revert to a 4-5-1 formation, as soon as we win back possession we look to break at speed with our devastating front 3 and hit them on the counter.

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

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

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

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

Our front three are blessed with great pace and an eye for goal. Our team will sit deep to neutralise the threat of the opposition getting in behind. This naturally means that the opposition will push higher up the field which will leave ample space for us to get in behind. We look to get in behind at all opportunities. Get the ball out wide to Mahrez or Coman to break at speed as we look to supply our lethal finisher in the middle. Werner will look to play on the shoulder of the last man, look to use his pace to get in behind and his ice cold finishing should he get played through on goal. He’ll be surrounded with have pace and creativity all around him so if the opposition drop off we look to push our wide players push up alongside Werner giving us an attacking front three. We play a fast counter attacking brand of football and look to go for goals.

Subs;
If winning:
65 mins: Brandt off, Pjanic on.
75 mins: Coman off, Tomori on. 4-5-1 shut up shop time as we tighten up with a solid defensive unit as we see the game out and take the 3 points.

If drawing:
65 mins: Torreira off, Pjanic on. Fresh legs and extra quality.
75 mins: Brandt off, Ibrahimovic on. Switch to 4-2-2-2 with Ibra and Werner up top.

If losing:
55 mins: Torreira off, Ibrahimovic on.
65 mins: Hummels off, Abraham on. 3-4-3 all out attack

NEWCASTLE 4-3-3

___________Chesney
Trent____Gomez___Matip___Tsimikas
____________Fabinho
________Hendo___Gini
Salah______Bobby________Mane

SUBS: Piatek, Reus, Milner, Curtis, Origi, Ox, 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: Curtis comes on for Gini, 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: Milner comes on for Hendo to close out the game.

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

------------------ Courtois -----------------
Cancelo -- Konate --- Bonucci -- Mendy
------------ De Ligt --- Modric ------------
--- Sancho --- De Bruyne --- Hazard ---
--------------- Lewandowski --------------

Subs;
Lunin, Marcelo, Alvarez, Eriksen, Grealish, Asensio, Benzema

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 to lift the cup. We go with Hazard, De Bruyne & Sancho behind Lewandowski, offering a perfect blend of pace, trickery and unpredictability that will cause plenty of problems for their 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. Konate will act as cover, picking up the second forward or sweeping up and offering cover in behind to eliminate any balls over the top. The Frenchman possessing terrific pace and strength ensuring that we have all the tools to deal with the opposition attack.

Our fullbacks will stick tight to the wide men, safe in the knowledge that they have supporting cover in behind with De Ligt also drifting across from DM to offer additional support. When in possession both Cancelo and Mendy 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:

De Ligt will be our holding player in the middle. A perfect utility player we feel he offers us great defensive prowess in the middle of the park whilst also being a fantastic passer. His job will be 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 also has the ability to drop in as a third centre, giving us the ability to form a back five when they are in position and a perfect way of giving us an extra man at the back of they play a front two. Alongside him we have the classy Modric. A great passer and playmaker he forms the perfect double pivot in front of our defence. He and De ligt will control that area of the field as we look to win the midfield battle, winning back possession and getting the ball into our attacking players as quickly as possible.

Completing our midfield we have the instrumental De Bruyne. He plays in the AM role and has free roam to push forward when in possession. A player with superb vision he will look to get on the ball as much as possible, running at the opposition drawing them in and committing a defender before playing that decisive ball. We look for him to play between the lines, dropping into pockets of space and supplying our forwards with Lewandowski ready to pounce at any moment.

He’s also a great goal scorer, perfectly capable of arriving late in the opposition box to finish or striking a thunderbolt from distance. If the opposition drop off he has license to go for goal at any opportunity.

Forward:

Up top we go with three heavy hitters which is enough to give any defence nightmares, creative geniuses Sancho and Hazard flanking the predator Lewandowski in the middle. In one on one situations Sancho and Hazard are devastating and both have license to go at the opposition. With a powerhouse frontline we go for goals, both wingers will look to cause problems, cutting inside and going direct for goal one moment and driving down the line, bamboozling the opposition before whipping the ball into the box the next. We look to draw in opposition players, freeing up our other forward to pounce with quick incisive passing in the final third

Lewandowski plays through the middle and will have a dream supply line around him. The brief is simple, get into the box and do what you do best. With the number of quality attackers we have around him Lewandowski 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:
70 mins: Modric off, Alvarez on. Tighten up defensively as we bring on a DM and drop De Ligt back in at CB giving us a solid back five.
80 mins: Hazard off, & Asensio on. Fresh legs to pick them off on the counter.

If drawing:
65 mins: Modric off, Eriksen on. Fresh legs as we push Eriksen up as a twin AM next to KDB.
80 mins: Konate off, Benzema on. De Ligt back as CB as we go 4-2-2-2 with Benzema & Lewandowski up top and Sanchi & Hazard on the flanks. Goals.

If losing:
70 mins: Konate & Cancelo off. Benzema & Asensio on.
De Ligt, Bonucci, Mendy in a back three as we go on the offensive in an attacking 4-3-3.

------------------------Neuer
Mukiele---------Tah---------Dunk---------Chilwell
------------------------Partey
Ocampos—Pogba----Milinkovic-Savic---Depay
------------------------Kane
Rajkovic
Telles
Kamara
Kovacic
Arthur
Bergwijn
Malen
Plenty of debuts handed out for today’s game, as Leeds United make their trip to Fratton Park. It’s an intimidating atmosphere there and up against a good team, so will need to be at it from the off. We will look to bring the Bielsaball brand of the game to the Fan’s League, meaning we will want to play a possession game, whilst also implimenting a high press when we are out of possession. The system is effectively a 4-1-4-1, but has the potential to change to a 3-3-1-3, or a 4-1-3-1, but more on that in the next paragraph. The system requires players that are capable on the ball, which I think we have, and, in most positions, are willing to work hard off-the-ball. It also requires strong leadership, and I believe we have this in boatloads, across the entire team.
From the start of the game we will adopt our 4-1-4-1 line-up, with SMS alongside Pogba. However, the two play fundamentally different roles. Some of the pressing responsibility is taken away from Pogba, and he is more expected to contribute to the play when on the ball. SMS will be expected to play an unconventional box-to-box role, pressing in the middle of the park, and coming deep to collect the ball. When we take possession of the ball, our full-backs are allowed to push up the pitch, stretching the opposition, and offering themselves as outlets, whilst Partey will sit in between the two CBs, allowing us to cover the vacant space, and providing us with a covering defender. Should we lose possession in the final third, then our FBs will look to retreat past the mid-way point, whilst our wingers harass the opposition to buy some time. This is where Ocampos and Depay must work well off-the-ball, pressing in the final third, and working as a unit with Kane, who will target the CBs and Goalkeeper, whilst Depay and Ocampos will look to nullify the out-ball to the full-backs. This is when we see the side utilise a 3-3-1-3, with Pogba being the one in behind the attacking trio. We rely on his driving runs from midfield, as well as his proclivity for moments of magic, to change the tide of games. The attacking three also provides plenty for him to aim at, with Ocampos and Depay looking to make the runs in behind.
Movement of the ball has to be quick from back to front, with players looking to be on the move constantly to provide an out-ball, whether this be defensively, with Neuer, the two CBs, the FBs, Partey and SMS all moving to drag the opposition press around. This works in our favour in a number of ways, as it will tire the opposition, making them work hard for possession, and also allows us to build attacks. Ideally it would be three touch football, with players looking to get the ball out of their feet as quickly as possible. From throw-ins, we will see Partey, SMS, and the respective winger (potentially joined by Pogba/that side CB, depending on where the throw is, or how much press is being applied), running in and out, looking to drag the opposition around and create space for each other, allowing us to find the right man, and move the ball forward quickly.
From offensive corners and free-kicks we feel we have the physical strength to trouble the opposition by whipping the ball into the box, looking for Kane, Dunk, Tah. However, we will intersperse this with short corner routines to Depay or Ocampos, who will then have the chance to drive into the penalty area.
When the ball moves into the middle third, I expect the hard work to continue, with Ocampos and Depay dropping back to being alongside Pogba and SMS, continuing the press in these areas, looking to disrupt the play and quickly win the ball back. The key in this area is to turn defense into attack as quickly as possible.
In the final third, when on-the-ball, we feel that we have the players capable of playing two distinct ways. With Pogba in the middle, we can narrow the pitch, with Depay and Ocampos coming inside to drive at the opposition, and SMS pushing up to the edge of the area. We also have the option to stretch the play, with Depay and Ocampos sticking out wide, and joined by Mukiele and Chilwell. I am willing to allow for more touches to be used in the final third, allowing our wingers to hold up the play and wait for the overlapping runs from either full-backs or SMS. With Kane, I expect him to stay between the goalposts when we are on the ball, not coming out wide to collect the ball, as we want to keep him in goalscoring positions as often as possible. Off-the-ball this can change, with him pressing wider if necessary to win the ball back.
Substitutions
In true Bielsa fashion I wish to adopt the policy of “if plan A isn’t working then Plan B is to do Plan A to a higher level”, so substitutions will not be radical game changers.
If losing/drawing
Ocampos off, Malen on 70 mins
Narrowing the attacking three slightly, with Malen playing closer inside, more alongside Kane. This will leave some space free on the right side, so SMS will be more required to cover that area.
Kovacic and Bergwijn on, Milinkovic-Savic and Depay off 77 mins
Fresh legs in two key positions for the final few minutes. Kovacic and Bergwijn will play similar roles to SMS and Depay, with no radical changes to set-up planned.
If winning
If we are winning then the system and roles will remain the same, as you don’t fix something that isn’t broken.
Ocampos off, Bergwijn on 75 minutes
SMS off, Kovacic on 85 minutes
Pogba off, Arthur on 88 minutes

Attacking 4-3-3

We setup with a strong side full of pace in attack to stretch Spurs and create space for our midfield to control possession. We play with a fluid front three, looking to overload the Spurs defence getting in behind their defence and targeting getting inside the fbs and outside the cbs. The fbs offer width on the overlap.

We go with a fluid front three aiming to expose the Spurs back line.

We look to play a high tempo attacking game and take the game to Spurs, with high pressing when we don’t have the ball. As you'd expect, possession builds from the back with the defence, and our midfield trio controlling possession. Neves dictating the tempo of our play in the dm role, Bernardo and Fabian offering the creativity and ability on the ball to dominate possession and create. Importantly all 3 are fantastic on the ball, allowing us to play fast flowing attacking football.

Bastoni the man marker next to Marquinhos who is free. In midfield, Neves reading the play looking to win the ball back as the dm always the deepest of the trio, Bernardo and Fabian will offer inteligence defensively, with the pressing in high areas important. Win the ball back quickly before they can get anywhere.

The defence will be patient on the ball, playing a reasonably high line, with good pace at the back and energy in front we look to defend high up the park. This allows us to take the game to Spurs and aids distribution out from the back line.

Control possession and find space in between the opposition lines. Using the pace of our fbs and wingers to create space as we push forward. Creating space for the cms to push into and for the front three to exploit. In the final third Sterling & Zaha have freedom to drift inside either getting down the outside if 3 cbs or on the inside of the fb (between cb & fb) to get in behind. Lautaro gives us an all round striker with the pace to get in behind but also play as a false 9, naturally liking to drop to deeper areas and get involved in play between the lines. This fluid movement of the front three will be key to finding space in dangerous positions on the ball in attack.

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

Neves and Fabian collecting the ball and offering the link between defence and attack, get Bernardo and Fabian on the ball and get pushing up the pitch. But we also have great pace, so mix it up going through or over the top to expose the space behind them. Quick one twos between the mid and attacking trios, with a fb always overlapping.


——————————— Henderson
Carvajal — Marquinhos — Bastoni — Theo
———————————— R.Neves
——————— Bernardo.S — Fabian.R
— Zaha ——————————————— Sterling —
———————————— Lautaro

Subs. Schmeichel, Alaba , Rodri, Reinier, Trincao, Felix, Zirkzee

Defending in numbers

When we lose the ball the closest player presses the ball, the second closest presses the obvious passing channel. As they’re doing this everyone else bar Lautaro gets into a narrow rigid formation behind the ball in position to press high up the park. Stop them breaking and press them high up the park.

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.

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

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

Attack.

Get the ball out wide, Neves spreading the play, Bernardo and Fabian dictating the play. The trio's movement will be key in opening up the opposition defence.

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

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

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

Subs.

After 70 mins bring on Reinier and Trincao for Sterling and Zaha.
After 80 mins bring on Felix for Bernardo.

Bournemouth (4-3-3) Week 2
Captain : Torres
Vice Captain : Blanco

----------------Blanco
Emerson--Felipe--Torres----Lodi
-----------Roca----Guimarães
-----------------Igor G
Zaracho-------------------Oyarzabal
----------------Vinícius

SUBS: Peacock, Khellven, Gabriel, Assunção, Ward Prowse, Gil, Cunha


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 (Roca) who will be complimented with a deep sitting box to box midfielder (Guimarães). In front of them Igor G 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 Igor G 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: Blanco 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 (Roca). 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 Igor G will operate as the link between midfield and attack.
Wingers/Centre Forward: When in possession both Zaracho and Oyarzabal 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 Igor G, 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 Igor G 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: Igor G, Oyarzabal or Zaracho with Felipe, Torres, Roca and Vinícius to offer an aerial threat. Igor G and Oyarzabal (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, Assunção for Roca and Cunha for Vinícius.
If losing (70 mins) then switch to a 4-1-3-2 and replace Guimarães with Cunha and Zaracho with Gil. 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.
----------Roca
Gil------Igor G-----Oyarzabal
----Cunha -----Vinícius

Bournemouth Tactics: Week 3
Captain: Felipe
Vice Captain: Assunção

Team:
-------------------Simón
Khellven--Felipe—Gabriel-----Lodi
------------------Assunção
---------Guimarães---Igor G
Zaracho----------------------Oyarzabal
-------------------Vinícius

SUBS: Blanco, Augusto, Ferro, Phillips, Antony, Gil, 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: Simón 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 Igor 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. Igor 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 Zaracho and Oyarzabal 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 Igor, 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 Igor 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: Igor, Oyarzabal or Zaracho with Felipe, Gabriel, Assunção and Vinícius to offer an aerial threat. Igor and Oyarzabal (with his thunderbolt left foot) may try their luck with several free kicks from distance.
Penalties: Vinícius

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

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

---------Assunção
Gil--------Igor----Oyarzabal
----Vinícius---Cunha

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------------------------- J.Oblak --------------------------
Bissaka ------ S.de Vrij ------ van Dijk ------ Lucas.H
-------------- F. de Jong ----- S.Busquets --------------
Mbappe --------------- Havertz ---------------- Neymar
------------------------- Haaland -------------------------

Navas, Gosens, Bentancur, Zaniolo, Greenwood, Ferran, Dembele

Great start to the season with a big win over Arsenal, we must continue this with a big game against Leeds
Our game is still based solely on possession football, playing from the back and quick on the break and really pressurise the opposition with an in your face performance from the front we do not allow them to play from the back as our front three play quite a high line, 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 Busquets 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, Haaland slightly higher up always on top of the CBs stopping them passing between each other, 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, de Vrij 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, They know each other well so they will form a partnership very 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 Busquets and de Jong to drift to the side and this allows the fullbacks to make their way to midfield to cover. van Dijk and de Jong to go up for corners, with the fullbacks and Busquets sitting back.

Busquets is 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. 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 3/4 but also look for fullbacks and Havertz 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. Havertz 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/Busquets/CB pass. He will drop back at times to pick it up and will look to his dribbling capabilities to get him around players, and into the danger area to unleash a powerful drive, 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.After the pass he can push wide or central to make that extra man 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 and create space for the front 3. 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 Havertz 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 Haaland 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 Haaland 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, especially Havertz who at times will be right on his shoulder or alongside, 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) otherwise Havertz
Corners - Wingers

Losing -
65 Mins - Greenwood for Haaland, Havertz and Mbappe up top, Greenwood on to RW (442) to use his pace, cutting inside to go for goal
75 Mins - Dembele for Bissaka, he goes up top right in the middle of Mbappe and Havertz in a 343 formation
80 Mins - Ferran for Havertz, Greenwood move to the left, Ferran to the right, Neymar to LCF really go for it

Winning -
75 Mins - Bentancur for Havertz, he goes to Cm with Busquets dropping back a little
84 Mins - Gosens for Neymar
88 Mins - Dembele for Haaland

Drawing -
65 Mins - Gosens for Lucas, will drive down the line supporting Neymar, great crosser
75 Mins - Zaniolo for Havertz straight swap
80 Mins - Greenwood for Haaland, he goes up top with Mbappe 442 to hurt a tiring defence with pace, Zaniolo to RW

SHEFFIELD UNITED v Bournemouth

Guaita
Lamptey, Kjaer, T. Silva, Grimaldo
Gueye, Koopmeiners
Bale, James, Alexis
Suárez

Subs: Woodman, Justin, Adams, de Roon, Brooks, Robben, Cantwell

Captain: Thiago Silva
Free Kicks (pre-75th Min): Bale/James/Alexis/Koopmeiners
Free Kicks (post-75th min): James/Alexis
Penalties: Suárez

Our defensive unit consists of Simon Kjaer and Thiago Silva paired up at centre-back, Tariq Lamptey at right-back and Alejandro Grimaldo at left-back, with Teun Koopmeiners and Idrissa Gueye as our midfield ‘double pivot’ screening them.

This ‘double pivot’ is the key to our team and in Koopmeiners 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 Koopmeiners 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, Teun Koopmeiners.

Koopmeiners 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 Koopmeiners such a talent.

The attacking unit consists of Gareth Bale, James Rodríguez and Alexis Sánchez 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 Koopmeiners or Gueye, then our 4-2-3-1 can spring into attack.

Lamptey and Grimaldo can surge up the wings in the knowledge that Koopmeiners and Gueye can drop into the space left behind if needed. As they come up the wings, both Gareth Bale and Alexis Sánchez, who are fast speed merchants, excellent in tight spaces and fantastic dribblers will cut inside or make runs into the box. James Rodríguez our attacking central midfielder’s low centre of gravity will enable him to navigate away from defenders at a frighteningly quick pace. James 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 Bale, Alexis & 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 Bale, James & Alexis 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 assisting and 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
Brooks on for Bale, Justin on for Lamptey, Adams on for Koopmeiners

Triple 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

---------------------- Ederson ----------------------

------ Ginter ------- Nunez -------- N.Ake -------

Hakimi ----- de beek --- Valverde ----- Sandro

--------------------- Goretzka ----------------------

------------- Berardi -------- Ronaldo -------------

McCarthy, Reguilon, Aarons, Llorente, O.Rodriguez, Sane, Odoi

When we don't have the ball, we will press high up the pitch, conceding very little space, Goretzka will look to steal the ball within the attacking third and hopefully, quickly get it to those ahead of him. We do not give them any time on the ball and our front 2 prevent their defence hanging on to it too long or trying to play form the back as we pressurise them all the time.

If they do get to our half then we have a strong back 3 and double pivot ahead to prevent play through the middle, meaning they will need to push wide, whichever side they attack from tho I want Goretzka and one of Ronaldo/Berardi to push to that side again to close them down and support the wingbacks

When we have the ball it starts from the back moving the ball around between defence and centre midfield until the moment arrives when a pass can be made through to the front line, , there is no rush, if they come pressing we simply move it to the wide areas for them to bomb down the line and look to either cut it back or get a pass into the front three.

Ederson is our sweeper keeper, I want him involved with the defence playing out, if he has the ball I want him to find players especially the wingbacks when we are ready to attack

Ginter and Ake, Cover the wingbacks and take the ball out of defence, must do this with confidence, if they lose the ball then all numbers back to cover, if they are being pressurised then a simple pass even back to the keeper and start again, stay wide (depending on what side) to cover wingbacks if they are forward.

Unai Nunez - He will press the opposition striker, when we lose the ball he needs to be on top of the CF very quickly, he must intercept everything, but he has the experience to do this, don't take any risks as the CF will also be on him so move it quickly when he gets it.

Sandro and Hakimi, must work very hard, they have great work rate but this must done for the whole game, get down the line, get the crosses in, don't worry so much about whats behind you as their is plenty cover, I don't mean forget your defence duties, just play with a bit of freedom, crosses, one-twos, cut backs and all with pace to hurt them.

Although Valverde isn't a DM his 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 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.

De Beek 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 pop.

Goretzka is in a free role I want him to dictate proceedings in the final third, either playing the through ball to the front two or use the wingers, pass in between the lines and give them something to run onto as the drive passed the defender, making late runs into the box and look for any loose ball to have a pop at goal, he and Ronaldo great in the air so look to make late runs into the area and latching onto crosses from wide areas, defending wise, I want him to harass who ever has the ball in that area, get it and move it forward as quickly as possible

Berardi I want to be making all the runs behind the defence, drift wide and pull defenders away, quick and skillfull, look to move out to create an outlet for the wingbacks to use or indeed link with Goretzka to get Ronaldo away on goal

Ronaldo, must be able to hold up play for others to support, also run the channels, 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 Ginter
Pens - Ronaldo
Free Kicks - Ronaldo
Corners - Berardi/Sane

Subs -
Losing
65 Mins - Sane for Goretzka, he goes LW 3-4-3 missing out the link which is Goretzka and going wide instead
73 Mins - H-Odoi for Berardi, Reguilon for Sandro both straight swaps , fresh legs

Winning -
75 Mins - Llorente for Berardi will sit in front of the defence to shore it up, we go with just Ronaldo up top
82 Mins - Goretzka drop back into a 3 man mid so its kinda 3-3-3-1 very compact
85 Mins - Sane for Ronaldo

Drawing -
65 Mins - O.Rodriguez for Goretzka, Sane for Berardi, straight swaps
75 Mins - Reguilon for Sandro

Red Card
Ederson - McCArthy for Berardi
CB - Reguilon for Berardi, he goes to LCB
Hakimi - Aarons for Berardi
Sandro - Reguilon for Berardi
CM - Llorente for Berardi
Goretzka - O.Rodriguez for Berardi
Forward just go with one

always 3-4-1-1, then subs to adjust to this

French 4-2-3-1

We look to attack down the wings attacking with pace, using the pace of our fbs and wingers to create space for Isco in the middle to pull the strings, and for Aubameyang in the box.

The opposition have real quality, and so we look to hit them with pace. Their defence is their weakness so we look to press the back line. Putting them under pressure in uncomfortable positions, rush them and force them to go long where we will dominate in air. To pull off the high press we go with a double pivot in front of the back four providing a mix of a strong dm and an energetic box to box to link the defence and attack. This duo coupled with the pace in front will be key, defend as a unit high up the park.

When we defend, we defend high up the park in a narrow 4141 formation, in a tight unit with not much space between the lines. Two players pressing the ball, Kante defends zonally behind, and the other closest midfielder in the four blocking the passing lane forward. Force them back. Naturally this high press needs a high line, but with great pace in defence and strength in the air we can guard against long balls but will have to keep on toes.

Guendouzi tasked with sweeping the midfield pressing the play.

With team defending in a narrow unit the wide midfielder comes in narrow helping to pick up any spare midfielders who find space or get behind the midfield press.

As a team we look to push the opposition out wide where they will be limited to crosses and we will have a better chance of clearing our lines.

Aubameyang up top plays his natural game. We look to play with great width stretch the game and the opposition looking to get down the wings to create. One fb bombs forward at a time, we look to get Isco out combining with the attacking fb and winger playing one twos and producing the magic to create for Aubameyang.

——————————— Lloris
K.Walker — Koulibaly — Lenglet — Digne
———————— Kante — Guendouzi
Dembele ——————Isco ————— Son.H-M
————————— Aubameyang

Subs. Ramsdale, Dubois, Ndombele, Adelaide, Orsolini, Perisic, Jimenez

Defence

We press high up the park and seek to contain the opposition in their own half. Defending from the front.

When this press fails and the opposition push forward we retreat as a unit in the 4141 formation continuing to press in the same formation with two players pressing the ball. When the opposition beat the high press and get into the final third, we continue to retreat as a unit getting numbers back and the defensive line finally drops to a deep line. We then allow them to retain possession in areas they can’t hurt us, waiting for the chance to press again and push them back. If they seek to recycle the ball and go back to defence we push out as a unit quickly. Two experienced cbs are key for this ensuring we keep a strong line.

The back 4 defend narrow on the side the opposition are attacking. Remove any space for their wide forwards to operate in. The wide midfielders get back, either helping the defending fb or going inside to the Cm allowing Guendouzi to press the play, leaving Kante in a central position to sweep in front of the defence.
If they seek to go back and switch the play we move over as a unit, seek to press them before they can switch up the park.

Koulibaly the defensive leader at the back, he is the man marker with Lenglet intelligence and both have pace to cover. The full backs always seek to push their attackers out wide.

Subs.

If winning after 70 mins bring on Ndombele for Isco fresh pace and energy in midfield.
If winning after 77 mins bring on Perisic for Son. pace and energy out wide.

If drawing/losing after 68 mins bring on Jimenez for Isco. 4-4-2, big man small man combo. Go long, and continue to attack down the wings, getting crosses in for strikers.
If drawing/losing after 75 mins bring on Ndombele for Guendouzi. More attacking and fresh energy.

Attacking 4-3-3

We setup with a strong side full of pace in attack to stretch Arsenal and a midfield with the ability to control possession. We play with a fluid front three, looking to overload the Arsenal defence getting in behind their defence and targeting getting inside the fbs and outside the cbs. The fbs offer width on the overlap.

We look to play a high tempo attacking game and take the game to Arsenal, with high pressing when we don’t have the ball. As you'd expect, possession builds from the back with the defence, and our midfield trio controlling possession. Rodri dictating the tempo of our play in the dm role, Thiago and Bernardo offering the creativity and ability on the ball to dominate possession and create. Importantly all 3 are fantastic on the ball, allowing us to play fast flowing attacking football.

Militao the man marker next to Laporte who is free. In midfield, Rodri reading the play looking to win the ball back as the dm always the deepest of the trio, Thiago and Bernardo will offer inteligence defensively, with the pressing in high areas important. Win the ball back quickly before they can get anywhere.

The defence will be patient on the ball, playing a reasonably high line, with good pace at the back and energy in front we look to defend high up the park. This allows us to take the game to Arsenal and aids distribution out from the back line.

Control possession and find space in between the opposition lines. Using the pace of our fbs and wingers to create space as we push forward. Creating space for the cms to push into and for the front three to exploit. In the final third Sterling & Jesus have freedom to drift inside on the inside of the fb (between cb & fb) to get in behind. Dybala gives us an all round striker with the pace to get in behind but also play as a false 9, naturally liking to drop to deeper areas and get involved in play between the lines. This fluid movement of the front three will be key to finding space in dangerous positions on the ball in attack.

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

Rodri and Thiago collecting the ball and offering the link between defence and attack, get Thiago and Bernardo on the ball and get pushing up the pitch. But we also have great pace, so mix it up going through or over the top to expose the space behind them. Quick one twos between the mid and attacking trios, with a fb always overlapping.


—————————- Ter Stegen
Carvajal —— Militao — Laporte — Alaba
———————— Rodri ——Thiago
—————————— Bernardo
—- Sterling —————————— G.Jesus -—
—————————— P.Dybala

Subs. Schmeichel, Theo, Neves, Fabian, Gnabry, Lautaro, Osimhen

Defending in numbers

When we lose the ball the closest player presses the ball, the second closest presses the obvious passing channel. As they’re doing this everyone else bar Dybala gets into a narrow rigid formation behind the ball in position to press high up the park. Stop them breaking and press them high up the park.

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.

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

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

Attack.

Get the ball out wide, Rodri spreading the play, Thiago and Bernardo dictating the play. The trio's movement will be key in opening up the opposition defence.

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

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

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

Subs.

If winning after 70 mins bring on Lautaro for Dybala. Fresh pace and power against tired defended.

If winning after 75 mins bring on Fabian and Gnabry for Bernardo and Jesus. Fresh energy in Cm and fresh pace out wide. Sterling left, keep the shape.

If drawing after 70 mins bring on Lautaro for Jesus. 4-4-2. Bernardo and Sterling wide and Dybala playing off Lautaro
If drawing after 75 mins bring on Osimhen for Bernardo. Dybala drops to rw.
If drawing after 80 mins bring on Gnabry for Dybala.

If losing after 60 mins. 4-2-2-2. Sterling left. Bernardo right. Jesus and Dybala up top.
If losing after 70 mins bring on Lautaro for Carvajal. 3-2-3-2. Thiago and Rodri in front of back 3. Attacking mid trio of Bernardo, Dybala, Sterling. Jesus and Lautaro up top gung ho.
If losing after 75 mins bring on Gnabry for Bernardo.
If losing after 80 mins bring on Osimhen for Jesus.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

SOTON vs Newcastle

---------------------------------------Maignan-----------------------
Morey-----------Upamecano-----------Dias------------Shaw
------------------------------------------Ndidi---------------------------
------------------------Mount--------------------Tonali------------------------
I Sarr-----------------------------------------------------------------Pulisic
--------------------------------------Rashford--------------------------------


Subs - Cakir, Demiral, Lo Celso, McTominay, Kluivert, David, Richarlison

CAPTAIN - UPAMECANO
CK'S - TONALI
FK'S - RASHFORD
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 Dias bring a lot of strength and pace to the defence. Upamecano will marshal the defence and Dias will look to use his pace to close the oppo strikers down. Stay vocal with each other and cover for each other if oppo gets past one of you. Full backs will start of with a conservative mind set and not attack too much but as the game goes on I want them to make overlapping runs and get some crosses in to the box. Ndidi will be covering for them when they go attacking.

Defence Mid
Ndidi
Ndidi will be the anchor in the middle. Stay back in front of the defence and protect the defence with your life. If the oppo play an AM then stick close to him and mark him if possible. When our fullbacks are attacking then your main priority will be to cover for them. When in possession pass the ball out to the wings or to the CM's but don't try any risky passes.
Centre Mids
Tonali + Mount
Tonali will look to pick the ball up from deep and use his technique and vision to find the runs of our attacking players and thread deadly passes to them. Play quick passes forward and use your agility to outmanoeuvre the oppo players. When not in possession of the ball I want him to drop deep in central midfield and try and intercept any passes the oppo will make.
Mount will have a similar role to Tonali except he will be given more attacking freedom. I want him to always make runs forward and when the oppo DM has the ball I want him to put pressure on him and close him down so he makes a mistake and we potentially create a goal scoring opportunity. Use your nimbleness and pace to get away from players marking you in the middle and if you find some space shoot. If you see Ndidi and Tonali struggling in the middle bring overwhelmed by the oppo then I want you to focus on helping them more defensively in the centre of midfield.

Wingers
I Sarr + Pulisic
These 2 will be the focal point of my attack. I want to give them the freedom to express themselves in attack. Pulisic will be looking to cut in from the left and Sarr will be looking to get to the byline and to whip some balls in to the area. 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. Morey and Shaw are no slouches attacking wise so use them! Pulisic will be allowed cut in onto your stronger foot, don't be afraid to shoot from range as you 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 Rashford 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. If we get to the byline with either of the wingers I want them to either whip in a low ball across the face of the net for Rashford to poke home or pull the ball back to just outside the box for Tonali/Mount to get a shot in.

Striker
Rashford
Rashford is a striker that has the deadly combination of pace and finishing. He will look to use his pace 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. Play quick pass and move combinations with your teammates to fund spaces in the oppo defence.


Subs if LOSING BY 65MINS
Put on Richarlison for Tonali and David for Pulisic to bring some more attacking impetus on. Play a high line and try and get a goal. Change formation to 41212 and play the below formation. Play a high line and put a lot of pressure on the oppo to win the ball back.

--------------------------------------Maignan--------------------------------
Morey-------Upamecano-------------Dias---------Shaw
-------------------------------------Ndidi---------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarr----------------------------------------------------------Richarlison
------------------------------------Mount-------------------------------
-------------------Rashford---------------David-------------------


Subs if WINNING BY 80MINS
Take off Mount and put on Mancini in CB. Play defensive with everyone in our own half defending for their lives, waiting to hit the oppo on the counter attack. McTominay on for Tonali to add more defensive strength and energy. Richarlison on for Pulisic aswell.

-------------------------------------Maignan--------------------------------
Morey-------Upamecano------Dias------Mancini--------Shaw
--------------------------------Ndidi--------Tonali---------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------Sarr--------------------------------------------------Richarlison-------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------Rashford-----------------------------------

Subs if DRAWING BY 65MINS
Richarlison on for Pulisic
Lo Celso on for Mount
David on for Rashford
Fresh legs to bring on.

-------------------- Rui Patricio
Meunier --- B.Pavard --- Skriniar --- Angelino
--------------- Torreira --- Ceballos
--- R.Mahrez ------------------------ K.Coman
---------------- Werner --- Martial

Subs:
De Gea, Tomori, Soumare, Pjanic, Brandt, Ziyech, Ibrahimovic

We set up with a strong side suited to playing attacking football in a 4-2-2-2 formation. We the opposition missing their main man at the back we feel there is a sense of defensively frailty and look to exploit this with a combination of two pacy strikers flanked by equally explosive wingers. Goals. When the opposition are in possession our wingers drop in as we revert to a 4-4-2 formation, two solid banks of four with a thou shall not pass attitude. We challenge them to try and break us down as soon as we win back possession we look to hit them at speed with our devastating front 4 and breaking forward on the counter.

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

For the full backs today the objective is to sit back and tuck in slightly when defending, looking to stop balls being played between them and the centre backs, with the secondary advantage of discouraging the wide men from cutting inside, forcing them to cross, which gives us a better chance of getting the ball back quickly and launching an attack of our own. Their objective when attacking will be to keep making runs past the winger on both the inside and outside, giving the opposition full back that split second of indecision on who they go with. They will only occasionally put floated crosses in, preferring to either play shorter passes to the wingers or players who have come out from the middle of the pitch to keep possession and let the pressure build up in the final third, or run to the byline and put in fast and low crosses relying on both the faster reactions and control of our attackers and the pressure of the situation on their centre backs to hastily clear the ball without being in full control of the situation.

The focus of the midfield duo will be to form a double pivot sitting in front of our defence. Likely to be outnumbered we want them to sit in, no need to rush forward but instead looking to recycle the ball quickly and get the ball forward to our front four as soon as possible. When we are in the attacking, they will always be looking to make themselves available for a pass to keep recycling the ball, keeping the pressure up with us looking to use the movement of the other CM's and the front 4 to drag the opposition defensive players that little bit more which could be the difference in getting a player behind them. They also all have an eye for a pass so will look to take advantage of the front 3 all flitting around and play them in with through balls and quick one touch play. We will also occasionally take the occasional long shot, with the aim being to make sure defenders aren't content to sit back and forcing them to make a decision. When defending, they are looking to press the middle third of the pitch, pressing the opposition CMs/Wingers in conjunction with other players as they are on the ball to rush their decisions and win the ball back.

Our front four are blessed with pace and goals. Our team will sit deep to neutralise the threat of the opposition getting in behind. This naturally means that the opposition will push higher up the field which will leave ample space for us to get in behind. We look to get in behind at all opportunities. Get the ball out wide to Mahrez or Coman to break at speed, really stretching their defence by hugging the touchline but with the ability to cut inside and go for goal at any moment. With Torreira and Ceballos sitting in front of our defence we really want Mahrez and Coman to push up high as we attack with a front four with the intention of overwhelming their defence.

Werner and Martial will form a deadly duo up top. Both blessed with pace and an eye for goal, we will look for them to play on the shoulder of the last man, look to use their lightening pace to get in behind with both likely to be a mismatch for any defence. We'll have an abundance of pace and creativity in attack with our brand of a fast counter attacking football the perfect set up for an away day victory.

Subs;
If winning:
70 mins: Coman off, Pjanic on. Martial out wide as we bring an extra man into midfield to strengthen defensively.
80 mins: Ceballos off, Tomori on. 5-4-1 shut up shop time as we tighten up with a solid defensive unit as we see out the win.

If drawing:
70 mins: Torreira & Mahrez off, Pjanic & Ziyech on.
85 mins: Martial off, Ibrahimovic on.

If losing:
60 mins: Torreira off, Pjanic on.
70 mins: Angelino off, Ibrahimovic on. 3-4-3 all out attack with Werner and Martial flanking the big man.

NEWCASTLE 4-3-3

___________Alisson
Trent____Gomez___Carlos___Tsimikas
____________Fabinho
________Hendo___Naby
Salah______Bobby________Mane

SUBS: Gini, Piatek, Milner, Curtis, Origi, Ox, 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: Curtis comes on for Naby, 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: Gini comes on for Hendo to close out the game.

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

------------------- A.Lopes ----------------
Cancelo -- Bonucci --- Konate -- Mendy
------------------- Casemiro ---------------
---------- De Bruyne --- Odegaard -------
Di Maria ----- Lewandowski ----- Sancho

Subs:
Lunin, Todibo, Modric, Eriksen, Asensio, Benzema, Icardi

Captain: Bonucci
Free Kicks: De Bruyne
Penalties: Lewandowski
Corners: Wingers

Tactics:

Moving the ball at speed will be the focus of our play as we go with an attacking 4-3-3 and look to take the game to our opponents. We defend in numbers and look to hit them with fast direct attacking football. Our playmakers ready to pounce and feed our exciting front three as the opposition leave themselves exposed when pushing men football as we look punish them on the break.

The plan today is simple, we look to outgun our opponents. In a game likely to be filled with goals we bring in the heavy duty artillery with an attack that has quite simple put up staggering numbers this season:

Lewandowski - 55 goals, 10 assists
Sancho - 20 goals, 20 assists
Di Maria - 12 goals, 23 assists
De Bruyne - 16 goals, 23 assists
Odegaard - 7 goals, 9 assists

We go with a front three which has combined for 87 goals & 53 assists, supported by an AM duo posting 23 goals & 31 assists resulting in our front five collectively contributing for a staggering 110 goals & 84 Assists. Without doubt the most prolific attack likely to be on show across the league this week.

As much as we enjoy flaunting our wealth we know that we have a job on our hands keeping the opposition at bay and in particular their likely frontman PEA. The plan therefore is to keep things relatively simple, sit deep, very deep with our defence stationed just outside our box and venturing no further than 20 yards away from our goal. By implementing this strategy we our effectively taking away their component space. Pace abuse simply won't be an option as we leave no space in behind with anything being played over the top being gobbled up by our keeper.

By all means they are free to pump the ball forward but ultimately our tactic will mean that their main man will spend a lot of the game with his back to goal, holding the ball up waiting for support to arrive. We feel in this match up we can overpower him and really blunt the attacking threat posed.

In addition to the above we bring in Konate to add pace and power to our CB pairing, the young Frenchman having all the attributes to deal with any opponent with the wiley old fox Bonucci beside him to sniff out any danger with the Italian being one of the best readers of the game.

As if the above wasn't enough we have one more ace up our sleeve, Casemiro. One of the most destructive players in the game we want him to position himself in front of our backline, sitting in front of our defence he won't look to push forward but instead focus on cutting out the supply line. We really really zone in on nullifying their CF, having a specific gameplan to limit his threat will leave our opponents scratching their heads for idea's whilst we look to take the game to them at the other end.

Defence:

Outlined in detail above, the focus on stopping their main man with Konate marking and Bonucci offering support. Sit deep offering no space in behind with our fullbacks also tucking in creating a solid backline to also limit the danger of their wide men. With the prolific attackers we have up top no need for our FB's to push forward as we want to make sure we remain defensively strong at all times. We really aim to take away any space for their attack to operate.

Midfield:

With such a deep sitting backline the reality is the middle of the park will really open up which we feel really help our attack. With an AM duo bristling with creativity any space in the middle of the park is there for them to exploit.

Casemiro will be our holding player in the middle operating as a DM. His instructions are simple, sit deep, break up the opposition play, win back possession and set us up on the counter.

De Bruyne and Odegaard 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 Casemiro 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. We want them to look for our forwards early, pinging the ball in behind to put them through on goal or getting forward and having a crack themselves, KDB in particular is lethal from anywhere around the edge of the box.

Forwards:

Up top we go with three heavy hitters which is enough to give any defence nightmares, dangermen Di Maria and Sancho flanking the predator Lewandowski in the middle. In one on one situations our wide men are devastating and both have license to go at the opposition. With a powerhouse frontline we go for goals, both wingers will look to cause problems, cutting inside and going direct for goal one moment and driving down the line, bamboozling the opposition before whipping the ball into the box the next. We look to draw in opposition players, freeing up our other forward to pounce with quick incisive passing in the final third

Lewandowski plays through the middle and will have a dream supply line around him. The brief is simple, get into the box and do what you do best. With the number of quality attackers we have around him Lewandowski 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:
70 mins: Odegaard off, Modric on. We drop back into a midfield trio with Modric giving us more control of possession.
80 mins: Di Maria off, Todibo on. Shut up shop time as we move to a compact 5-4-1 formation as we see the game out to take the win.

If drawing:
70 mins: Di Maria off, Asensio on. Fresh legs and pace as we look to exploit a tiring defence.
80 mins: Odegaard off, Benzema on. 4-2-2-2 with Lewandowski & Benzema up top and Sancho & Asensio on the flanks. Goals.

If losing:
70 mins: Odegaard off, Modric on.
80 mins: Cancelo & Di Maria off, Benzema & Icardi on. 3-4-3 all out attack.

--------------------Neuer

Zeefuik-----Dunk---Kamara---Chilwell

-------------------Partey

Ocampos—Savic—Brozovic—Chiesa

-------------------Kane

Rajkovic
Holgate
Telles
Arthur
Pogba
Sinisterra
Malen

A tough game for us today against a strong Chelsea side, and with a few injuries. We will still be playing the same style and system, not stepping down from our high intensity press, and Bielsaball system. I have called Zeefuik, Chiesa and Kamara into the starting eleven, providing youthful exuberance alongside the experience of Neuer, Kane and Dunk. Playing at home gives us an advantage, and we hope that the backing of the crowd will support our intense gameplan.

From the start of the game we will adopt our 4-1-4-1 line-up, with SMS alongside Brozovic. However, the two play fundamentally different roles. Both players will play an involved role, sacrificing the placid quality of Pogba with more intensity in the middle. SMS will play slightly further up the pitch, pressing on the attacking edges of the middle third, whilst Brozovic will operate more as a box-to-box. When we take possession of the ball, our full-backs are allowed to push up the pitch, stretching the opposition, and offering themselves as outlets, whilst Partey will sit in between the two CBs, allowing us to cover the vacant space, and providing us with a covering defender. Should we lose possession in the final third, then our FBs will look to retreat past the mid-way point, whilst our wingers harass the opposition to buy some time. This is where Ocampos and Chiesa must work well off-the-ball, pressing in the final third, and working as a unit with Kane, who will target the CBs and Goalkeeper, whilst Chiesa and Ocampos will look to nullify the out-ball to the full-backs. This is when we see the side utilise a 3-3-1-3, with SMS being the one in behind the attacking trio. We rely on his driving runs from midfield, as well as his proclivity for moments of magic, to change the tide of games. The attacking three also provides plenty for him to aim at, with Ocampos and Chiesa looking to make the runs in behind.

Movement of the ball has to be quick from back to front, with players looking to be on the move constantly to provide an out-ball, whether this be defensively, with Neuer, the two CBs, the FBs, Partey and Brozovic all moving to drag the opposition press around. This works in our favour in a number of ways, as it will tire the opposition, making them work hard for possession, and also allows us to build attacks. Ideally it would be three touch football, with players looking to get the ball out of their feet as quickly as possible. From throw-ins, we will see Partey, SMS, Brozovic, and the respective winger (potentially joined by that side CB, depending on where the throw is, or how much press is being applied), running in and out, looking to drag the opposition around and create space for each other, allowing us to find the right man, and move the ball forward quickly.

From offensive corners and free-kicks we feel we have the physical strength to trouble the opposition by whipping the ball into the box, looking for Kane, Dunk, Kamara. However, we will intersperse this with short corner routines to Chiesa or Ocampos, who will then have the chance to drive into the penalty area.

When the ball moves into the middle third, I expect the hard work to continue, with Ocampos and Chiesa dropping back to being alongside Brozovic and SMS, continuing the press in these areas, looking to disrupt the play and quickly win the ball back. The key in this area is to turn defense into attack as quickly as possible.

In the final third, when on-the-ball, we feel that we have the players capable of playing two distinct ways. With Savic in the middle, we can narrow the pitch, with Chiesa and Ocampos coming inside to drive at the opposition, and Brozovic pushing up to the edge of the area. We also have the option to stretch the play, with Chiesa and Ocampos sticking out wide, and joined by Zeefuik and Chilwell. I am willing to allow for more touches to be used in the final third, allowing our wingers to hold up the play and wait for the overlapping runs from either full-backs or Brozovic. With Kane, I expect him to stay between the goalposts when we are on the ball, not coming out wide to collect the ball, as we want to keep him in goalscoring positions as often as possible. Off-the-ball this can change, with him pressing wider if necessary to win the ball back.

Substitutions

If losing/drawing

Pogba on, Brozovic off 70 mins

Pogba shifts forward into the 10 role, with SMS dropping back to box-to-box. This gives us a more attacking outlet, and may help us establish control on the ball and in possession.

Malen and Arthur on SMS and Chiesa off 80 mins

Shift of formation to playing two up top with Partey allowed to push forward slightly. Gives Ocampos a free role operating alongside Pogba, pushing further wide, and allowing the midfielders to play more centrally. Malen’s pace should allow him the luxury to get in behind.

If winning

Why change a winning side, save for fitness, so all these signings are for that reason.

Arthur on for SMS 75 mins

Malen on for Kane 85 mins

Telles on for Chilwell 87 mins

WEEK 3


Bournemouth Tactics: Week 3
Captain: Felipe
Vice Captain: Assunção

Team:
-------------------Simón
Khellven--Felipe—Gabriel-----Lodi
------------------Assunção
---------Guimarães---Igor G
Zaracho----------------------Oyarzabal
-------------------Vinícius

SUBS: Blanco, Augusto, Ferro, Phillips, Antony, Gil, 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: Simón 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 Igor 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. Igor 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 Zaracho and Oyarzabal 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 Igor, 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 Igor 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: Igor, Oyarzabal or Zaracho with Felipe, Gabriel, Assunção and Vinícius to offer an aerial threat. Igor and Oyarzabal (with his thunderbolt left foot) may try their luck with several free kicks from distance.
Penalties: Vinícius

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

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

---------Assunção
Gil--------Igor----Oyarzabal
----Vinícius---Cunha

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

High press 3-4-3

We go with an attacking side, that is firstly solid at the back but more importantly gives us a team to go and take the game to Soton. We go with a side with a high work rate, full of energy to press from the front. The defence starts with the front three.

We look to overload the Soton defence and target their full backs. With wbs and wingers, we attack down the wings, quick counter attacks and winning the ball in high areas to put the fbs under pressure. With a high tempo team we look to push them back. Keep them locked in their own half. The front three will be crucial in creating gaps in their defence, with two Auba and winger on opposite coming central this will create an overload and space for Ndombele to join the attack from deep.

A dangerous front 3 full of pace, we aim to get at the Soton defence, playing direct and quickly moving the ball from defence to attack. When we lose the ball, we use the pace to win it back quickly. Don't let them get out.

Our formation gives us a solid base, with three strong defenders tasked with remaining strong at the back, and in front Kante will be the defensive midfielder always offering cover and closing everything down in midfield, the third cb gives him freedom to press. This will help us guard against counter as rather than having two cbs with fbs attacking we have 3 solid defenders and a dm covering. The defence are powerful and pacey, and will bully their forwards. The wbs too have great pace to get back in.

This set up means we will be more direct, the back three are all excellent in possession and in will look to distribute the ball wide from the back, Kante and Ndombele always looking to offer an option though. An important variation to our play will also be the long ball out wide and over the top.

The midfield four set the tempo for the game with their box to box styles.

We defend in a narrow formation, limiting the space for Soton to play in. 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 wise cb in the fb position behind him. We defend in a 4-4-1-1, the winger on the opposite side of play drops back to wide midfield (same side wb drops back on).

The defence and midfield press as a unit, ensuring there is no space between the lines for Soton attacking mids. When defending, Kante plays zonally in front of the cbs and will sweep with Ndombele picking up the most attacking cm in the area. The winger that hasn’t dropped back picks up their deepest Cm, simply sitting on him. This leaves the other winger that has dropped back on the opposite side of play to come inside if needed to pick up any free cm.

When we win the ball we attack at pace. The wbs look to aim their crosses for the man or link up with the winger ahead, 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.

———————————— Lloris ———————————
———————————————————————————
———- Tapsoba —— Koulibaly —— Lenglet ———
———————————————————————————
K.Walker ——— Kante —— Ndombele —— Guerreiro
———————————————————————————
——- Dembele —— Aubameyang —— Perisic ———

Subs. Ramsdale, Dubois, Digne, Soler, Isco, Orsolini, Jimenez

Defence

When we lose the ball high up the park we always look to win it back straight away, don’t give Soton a chance to counter. The closest 2/3 players press. Allowing others to get back into position behind the ball. We have great pace at the back to guard against long balls and cbs that will dominate in the air.

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 Soton 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 aiming our attacks down the wings.

The back 3 are all comfortable on the ball and look to play out, helping us move the ball quickly having a strong base.

Subs.
If winning after 70 mins bring on Digne for Guerreiro and Dubois for Walker. Fresh pace out wide in a demanding position.

If winning after 80 mins bring on Jimenez for Perisic. Auba moves wide left. Long ball option to hold up the ball.

If drawing or losing after 70 mins bring on Digne for Tapsoba. We play with one overlapping cb, target their rb.
If drawing or losing after 75 mins bring on Jimenez for Tapsoba. Walker to rb, Digne lb. 4-4-2.

------------------------- Ederson -------------------------

------ M.Ginter ------ S.Ramos ------ Hermoso -------

A.Hakimi ----- de Beek ----- Valverde ----- Reguilon

------------------------ A.Gomez -------------------------

--------------- Ronaldo --------- L.Sane ----------------

McCarthy, Llorente, Traore, Olmo, Rodriguez, Grealish, Abraham

When we don't have the ball, we will press high up the pitch, conceding very little space, Gomez will look to steal the ball within the attacking third and hopefully, quickly get it to those ahead of him. We do not give them any time on the ball and our front 2 prevent their defence hanging on to it too long or trying to play form the back as we pressurise them all the time.

If they do get to our half then we have a strong back 3 and double pivot ahead to prevent play through the middle, meaning they will need to push wide, whichever side they attack from tho I want Gomez and one of Ronaldo/Sane to push to that side again to close them down and support the wingbacks, lots of pace in the front three to get at players.

When we have the ball it starts from the back moving the ball around between defence and centre midfield until the moment arrives when a pass can be made through to the front line, , there is no rush, if they come pressing we simply move it to the wide areas for them to bomb down the line and look to either cut it back or get a pass into the front three.

Ederson is our sweeper keeper, I want him involved with the defence playing out, if he has the ball I want him to find players especially the wingbacks when we are ready to attack

Ginter and Hermoso, Cover the wingbacks and take the ball out of defence, use there positional sense well as they may be out paced., must do this with confidence, if they lose the ball then all numbers back to cover, if they are being pressurised then a simple pass even back to the keeper and start again, stay wide (depending on what side) to cover wingbacks if they are forward.

Ramos - He will press the opposition striker, when we lose the ball he needs to be on top of the CF very quickly, he must intercept everything, but he has the experience to do this, don't take any risks as the CF will also be on him so move it quickly when he gets it.

Reguilon and Hakimi, must work very hard, they have great work rate but this must done for the whole game, get down the line, get the crosses in, don't worry so much about whats behind you as their is plenty cover, I don't mean forget your defence duties, just play with a bit of freedom, crosses, one-twos, cut backs and all with pace to hurt them.

Although Valverde isn't a DM his 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 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.

De Beek 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 pop.

A.Gomez is in a free role I want him to dictate proceedings in the final third, either playing the through ball to the front two or use the wingers, pass in between the lines and give them something to run onto as the drive passed the defender, making late runs into the box and look for any loose ball to have a pop at goal, he, Sane and Ronaldo great finishers so look to make late runs into the area and latching onto crosses from wide areas, defending wise, I want him to harass who ever has the ball in that area, get it and move it forward as quickly as possible

Sane I want to be making all the runs behind the defence, drift wide and pull defenders away, quick and skillfull, look to move out to create an outlet for the wingbacks to use or indeed link with Gomez to get Ronaldo away on goal

Ronaldo, must be able to hold up play for others to support, also run the channels, 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 Ramos
Pens - Ronaldo
Free Kicks - Ronaldo
Corners - Gomez/replacement

Losing
65 Mins - Abraham and Traore for Hakimi and Reguilon, Traore to RW, Sane to LW, Abraham up top with Ronaldo, 3-4-1-2 attacking, use the wingers for pace and get the crosses in for the two central
75 Mins - Grealish for Gomez straight swap to try and open things up for the front two

Drawing -
65 Mins - Traore for Ginter, he goes RW, Sane LW, Abraham for Gomez 4-4-2
75 Mins - Oscar Rodriguez for de beek straight swap

Winning -
80 Mins - Llorente for de Beek and sits as a DM, Sane go left, Traore on for Gomez and go RW, 5-4-1
85 Mins - Grealish for Sane