The Field of Green Profile picture
Nov 23, 2022 7 tweets 4 min read Read on X
3 ways in which Argentina could have solved KSA's tactical problem:

1. Overlapping runs
2. Inverted fullbacks
3. CBs driving into midfield

#ARGKSA #FIFAWorldCup
Where's the midfield?

Playing in a 4-2-4 with a flat back-4, and wingers requiring to hold the width against KSA's high line, Argentina were outnumbered in the centre with only Paredes and De Paul.

If one of the forwards came short to receive, he was man-marked aggressively.
De Paul wasn't exactly the mid to crack the KSA block by receiving in pockets and opening up passing lanes between the lines. Only Paredes could be trusted with playmaking in front of the defence, and in the 2-half after KSA's lead and Paredes' substitution, ARG ran out of ideas.
1. When Di Maria received the ball and the KSA block closed him out wide, an overlap from the RB would help counter the overload and enable ARG to attack with positional superiority. This would also open spaces in the inside channel for Messi or Paredes by disrupting the backline
2. A wide fullback in a flat back-four played no role in creating once build-up progressed out of ARG's half. If the objective was to get the ball to Di Maria out wide, an inverted fullback would have helped achieve numerical superiority in front of the defence and counterpress.
3. In many situations, KSA held a high line and effectively closed down all passing lanes with the CB on the ball. In this situation, had the CB aggressively pushed forward instead of looking for the diagonal pass, it would have forced someone to press and freed up other players.
Take nothing away from KSA's defensive strategy which was executed to perfection. However tactically, they posed an interesting problem which ARG failed to solve during the game. What do you think ARG could have done differently?

#ARGKSA #ArgentinaVsSaudiArabia #FIFAWorldCup

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More from @roshanrao_

Feb 25, 2022
Barca's defensive dominance against Napoli:
[visual THREAD]

Barca looked far superior out of possession in comparison to their previous big games yesterday, particularly in the first half because of:
• High press
• Counter-pressing
• High defensive line

#NapoliBarca #NAPBAR ImageImageImage
In this short thread, I've highlighted multiple instances where their pressing worked to perfection in winning the ball back, closing all the outlets for Napoli to build up and compressing the space required to defend in the middle. Let's examine how it worked: 👇
Counter-press case 1:

• Pass played to Frenkie about to result in loss of possession in zone b5
• Alba, Pedri and Busi positioned close to be able to press and cut passing lanes
• Overload created by numerical superiority, Alba intercepts, possession won back in b4
#Barca ImageImageImage
Read 13 tweets
Feb 23, 2022
Villarreal's 4-4-2 tactics versus Juventus:

• Using Pedraza more attackingly than defensively
• Moreno and Lo Celso playing between the lines
• Foyth staying back for security to construct as a back-three

#VillarrealJuve #VILJUV #ChampionsLeague Image
Villarreal held a compact structure to deny spaces in the centre while keeping the block high to win back possession higher up Image
Even when Juventus shifted out wide to try and play around the structure, Villarreal's 4-4-2 would shuffle across as a unit to create a man-oriented overload to try and win the ball back high up in the opponent's half Image
Read 7 tweets
Feb 22, 2022
Football ABCs - Three fundamentals that I came up with while coaching the U14 academy:

A - Anticipate
B - Body
C - Control

Easy to remember and enforce until it becomes second nature for every player.

#fundamentals #coaching Image
A for Anticipate.

It relies on the brain's ability to perceive similar patterns of play and situations through experience while correctly adapting to new circumstances that may arise. The skill of predicting what is going to happen gets better through experience. Image
B for Body.

Body oriented correctly while receiving the ball, playing and in duels makes a big difference to the individual's game and of the team. It buys you time. The 'sword and shield' principle: At any moment, you can either deal with the ball or the pressure, not both. Image
Read 4 tweets
Feb 1, 2022
Interesting perspective by Toni Kroos on the quality of football in different tiers of the pyramid: 'In the long period of pro career, I believe everyone plays where they belong.' (source: Einfach Mal Luppen Podcast)
'The top tier is easier than the lower leagues for some players because the quality of football is much higher, provided they keep up with the intensity and tempo.'
'90% of the game in lower leagues are duels rather than football, and it only gets more physical as you go lower.'
Read 7 tweets
Jan 30, 2022
There's a problem with the traditional model of viewing a game of football as four distinct phases of open play - Attack, Defence and Transitions - and set pieces. Instead of looking at a team as a set of 11 players, we view it as one being. I elaborate on some details around it:
The traditional model of breaking down the game into four phases, primarily two - one with the ball, and one without the ball - and the two transitions between them, assumes that the team behaves as a whole in any instant independant of it's individual players.
But each individual player goes through his/her own phase depending on their positioning, the part of the pitch, the profile of the player (attack/defence minded). Thus at any moment, you have a number of players in a particular phase, and you average the team's phase from them.
Read 9 tweets
Jan 24, 2022
🧵How Barca's switch to 3-4-3 solved the problem of the 4-3-3 against Alaves:

The 1st half was lacklustre and Alaves' disciplined defence controlled spaces both centrally and in wide areas effectively without the ball. How did Xavi's formation switch win the game?

#AlavesBarca ImageImage
Mendilibar's sides are known for their pressing, and Alaves put up a defensive masterclass in the first half. They set up in a compact 4-4-1-1 shape denying space between the lines with wide midfielders tucking in narrow and the defensive line holding a midblock.
#AlavesBarca Image
Their pressing structure managed to dominate the central spaces and Barca looked out of ideas even in possession. The front 2 create a 2v2 and Busi is closely marked. Pedri is also outnumbered in the inside channel and the wide wingers are marked 1v1. Dest is the only free man. Image
Read 15 tweets

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