Week 3 Tactics

------------------------Sportiello------------------------
------Conti--------Jones----------Evans------Baines-------
--------------------------Medel---------------------------
---------------Winks---------------Garcia-----------------
--------------------------Payet---------------------------
--------------Vietto---------------Rashford---------------

Batalla
Acerbi
Reid
'Jerome' Thomas
Pablo
Pereira
Eder


TACTICS
They have a lot of pace in their attack and we need to fight that. We are playing a more defensive line-up with the aim of counter-attacking quickly.

Sacrifice pressing higher up as we look to defend deep and not allow them any space in behind, particularly Vardy. The back four should be slightly more narrow than usual, force their wingers out wide. Ensure that we have a couple of metre head start in any running race. Playing a diamond in midfield, with Raul Garcia high, pressing Goretzka in our half.

In the attack, we need to get the ball forward quickly to create to our front three. Vietto to drift wide and in behind, creating more space for Rashford and Payet to get on the ball. Run at their defenders, Kolarov and Bartra are not the quickest and will struggle against our pace. Try to win set pieces as we have two specialists in the team, a big strength.

Winning
60' - Thomas for Garcia, more defensive player
80' - Eder for Vietto, fresh legs

Losing
60' - Periera for Medel, move to a 4-2-3-1 with Payet and Rashford wide.
85' - Eder for Garcia 4-1-3-2 all out attack

Week 3: Fussball v Ebbsfleet United

Injuries: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ramires, Pape Souare

Team (4-2-3-1)

-------------------Handanovic--------------------
Trippier-------Ake------Bartra-------Kolarov
---------------Goretzka----Bender--------------
---------Pedro------Lingard------Brandt-------
------------------------Vardy-----------------------

Subs: Neto, Retsos, San Jose, Plea, Gomes, Simpson, Mousset

Back four to defend deep which restricts wingers/CF space and movement, and where we can muscle them off the ball. Ake to mark CF, Bartra to act as cover. Trippier/Kolarov, defence here – wary of wingers.

Bender/Goretzka, an outlet for quick breaks. Bender to hang back as cover, Goretzka, exchange quick passes with front 4 and get higher up the pitch for unmarked shooting. Avoid physical battle – pass and move tactics. Target exposed left as their wingers will concentrate on offense and tiring Baines to play 90mins due to no sub cover.

Pedro target Baines and move on inside of slow CB’s.  Brandt to come away from the right unmarked. Lingard as AM/SS. Swap with Brandt on occasion to cause confusion with marking tactics. All 3 to shoot when available, target sub GK. Pace and movement the key – go for goals.

Vardy to harass CB’s. Use pace/stamina to hound backline. Cause confusion giving space for our attacking players. Opportunity arises, direct pace and shoot.

Sub 75mins (if winning) Lingard for San Jose. Goretzka moves to AM. San Jose DCM, nullify any attacking changes

Sub 75mins (if drawing/losing) Plea for Brandt. Lingard as LW. Plea as CF. Goretzka as AM. Play 4-1-3-2

Fiorentina vs Shakhtar

Injuries:
Izzo, Cutrone, Ilsanker

……………………………………………Buffon………………………….
………………………….Barzagli……Felipe…..Caldara…………
Alves……………………De Rossi………….Wijnaldum……………Wendell
…………….Chiesa………………….Belotti…………………….Bailey

Subs: Fabianksi, Montoya, Denisov, Badelj, Mesa, De Jong, Malli


We need to get a win soon, back to basics today with a  fluid 3-4-3

The Defence

Buffon will marshall the boys from the back, come for crosses, try and catch rather than punch, throw the ball out to our wingbacks rather than long balls down field.  Felips is the man marker through the middle, Barzagli and Caldara will double up on the wingers, in possession Barz and Caldara will look for the diagonals sending our wingers and wing-backs on their bikes.

The Midfield
Alves and Wendell will be on their bikes as soon as we get the ball looking to exploit the spaces and allowing Chiesa and Bailey room to come inside and get us the over-loads, De Rossi is our new midfield general and will hold the middle ground allowing Wij to play box to box and support Belotti.

The Attack
Bags of pace and trickery out-wide with Chiesa and Bailey more inside forwards than wingers, linking up with and playing off Belotti who is a proper #9 and a real goal threat, will play off the shoulder and look to get in behind the defence.

Subs:
N/A

Fiorentina Turner v SHAKHTAR SENSELESS

Injuries: Kruse, Ljajic, Nastasic


---

Away to Fiorentina, play a pressing game whenever they are in our half, utilise our pace when counter attacking.

Trapp, command your area at all times, distribute long and wide, be wary of long range efforts.

Defence, Fazio mark their striker, Maksimovic to play as the spare man to get to any second balls. Henrichs/Toljan overlap our wingers going forward, but track back quickly.

Midfield, Mascherano/Kramer sit in front of the back four, ensure we are hard to penetrate. In possession Kramer use your passing and power to get the ball forward. Kovacic will be between their midfield and defence, occasionally get up with Jesus.

Attack, Juanmi/Deulofeu to run at the Fiorentina defence, get crosses in to Jesus but on occasion cut infield, either to link with Kramer, Kovacic or Jesus, or to feed Henrichs and Toljan overlapping you. Shoot when it opens up. Jesus to get onto the end of every cross and pass, shoot on sight, try to spin in behind the last defender.

Substitutions
If winning: Deulofeu off, Asamoah on, Kovacic CM alongside Mascherano/Kramer, 4-5-1, Juanmi RM, Asamoah LM.

If losing: Fazio/Maksimovic/Kramer off, Asamoah/Leandrinho/Augustin on. All out attack, 3-1-4-2

XI (5-2-1-2)

GK - Timo Horn
RCB - Aymen Abdennuor
CB - Davinson Sanchez
LCB - Terence Kongolo

RWB - Juanfran
LWB - Jordan Amavi

RCM - Amadou Diawara
LCM - Oguzhan Ozyakup
CAM - Josep Ilicic

ST - Dries Mertens
ST - Tammy Abraham

Subs
Kiko Casilla
Gabriel Mercado
Gervinho
Gianni Imbula
Carlos Vela
Patrick Roberts
Alexander Isak

------------------------------------Horn----------------------------------
------------------Abdennour-----Sanchez----Kongolo-------------------
Juanfran------------------------------------------------------------Amavi
----------------------Diawara------------Ozyakup------------------------
----------------------------------Ilicic--------------------------------------
------------------------Mertens---------Abraham-------------------------

Overall - Going with a more solid wingback formation today - we're going to be compact in defence, with Diawara breaking up play in the middle, and the wingbacks making a back five. When we have the ball we keep it on the ground, and have two forms of attack through Ilicic/Mertens running at their defence or use the wingbacks out wide to get crosses in for Abraham.

Attacking - Abraham is the target man, with Mertens/Ilicic feeding off his knock downs. If we have possession, Ozyakup/Ilicic dictate the game. Amavi/Juanfran look to support and get crosses in when possible, when we have possession. If we counter, it goes through Mertens. Diawara to sit in deep, and occasionally break forward when he sees fit.

Defending - Diawara get in and around Iniesta. You stop him playing. Ozyakup/Ilicic deal with the other CM. Sanchez you mark Silva up top, with Abdennour/Kongolo keeping tabs on the AM, who they like to push right up alongside Silva. Amavi/Juanfran tuck in when defending to make a back five. Mertens/Abraham to press the CB's when they have possession, see if we can nick it up top

Subs:

If winning - 70 mins - Juanfran for Mercado, Isak for Abraham, Imbula for Ozyakup. Same formation and instruction - fresh legs.

If losing - 70 mins - Amavi for Roberts and Isak for Abraham. Switch to a 4-2-2-2, with Juanfran RB, Kongolo going LB, Roberts RAM, Ilicic LAM. Same CM/CBs, and Isak joining Mertens up top. Really press and go for it.

Tactics – Dwarfs vs SAS

Injuries:
Bruma (sold)
Jesus Corona (sold)
Ryad Boudebouz

Subs: Subasic, Odriozola, Gomez, Grifo, Sanabria, Suarez

Tactics:

Attacking – Quick pass and move to stretch opposition and create gaps/chances.
Iniesta pushing forward to find space between midfield and attack. Play through balls for wingers and Silva.
Arnals to play box to box, supporting defence and attack.
Sabitzer and Lozano attacking the inside channels between FB and CBs, dragging them out of position and creating room for Silva.
If Mertens playing wide left,only Ghoulam to bomb on.. If Mertens is up front, then both full backs to bomb on overlap the wingers. Wingers tuck in when they do.
When the ball is out wide on opposite flank, widemen to get into the box in support of Silva
Silva lead line, get on to through balls and crosses into the box


Defensive – High energy, high pressing line, win the ball back high up the pitch.
Sokratis and Chiellini to pick up attackers. If Mertens playing furthest forward, Sokratis to pick him up. If he is playing wide, then D’Ambrosio to stay back and stay tight to him.Ghoulam to pick up right winger.
Chiellini to pick up any second attacker, or play spare if there isn’t one.
Tousart to slot back in and cover when FBs bomb on.

Substitutions:
if losing on 65 mins, Suarez for Tousart, Sanabria for Arnals – go 4-4-2

------------------Mignolet

Peres-----De Ligt--------Dragovic----Davies

----- Henderson-Sanson-Kouyate

----Guedes------Dolberg--------Richarlison

Bench - Dragowski, Antonelli, Topal, Taison, Ben Arfa, Dembele

Key to this game for us is stopping Asensio/Dembele - we're using Henderson/Kouyate as high energy destroyers to get tight wherever they travel across the field. If they stay wide, double up with FBs. If they play centrally, Sanson to cut off the supply into them with Hendo/Kouyate keeping tight

We're keeping a compact unit defensively, so our front 3 will generally be behind the ball to prevent their midfield having easy passing lanes

We're willing to risk their FBs overloading, as we think our CB pairing will take care of crosses and prevent Werner getting to them

In attack, our compact unit will look to break at pace led by the front 3 - wingers run between the CB/FB to give our FBs space to work on the outside - our midfield will stay deep. Their FBs are the weak link so attack there - Moreno especially with Guedes/Peres

Sanson will look to be the most progressive passer/shooter from midfield

Subs
65 mins
Topal replace tired midfielder

70 mins
Winning - Keep shape, play more defensively, swap Dembele in for extra pace on counter
Losing - go 4-4-2 with Dembele on for Kouyate, play with wingers

—————---Romero——————
Jantschke—Silva—Mere—Darmian
—————---Locatelli———————
———--Lemina—Pellegrini--------
——————-Werner———————
Dembele—————----——Asensio

Subs: Muslera, Moreno, Oxford, Spinazzola, Solanke, Pellegri. Bruma
Injured: Saponara, Sancho, Gomez

We’re playing a false 9 system in which Werner drops off from the defensive line to encourage the centre backs to step forward into the space, this then allows Dembele & Asensio to exploit the space. Werner isn’t just a decoy but can also play a cutting ball to split the centre backs and fullbacks in a scything fashion.
If the defence doesn’t bite, our midfield will work the ball slowly forward with our fullbacks creating mismatches in the wider areas and then look for the late arrival of Werner into the box to sweep home moves.
At the back it’s a simple game, Silva pick up their main striker when entering dangerous areas, Mere double up if needed/deal with 2nd striker, Locatelli sits in anchor in midfield as Il Regista to protect backline. The FBs look to keep opposing wingers on weaker foot and block crosses. Lemina & Pellegrini, Centrale & Mezz’ala roles, perfect midfield blend that knows when to both slow down the game and pick it up when needed.

70m Solanke > Werner. Go trad 433 for last 20 mins to hit on counter

Injuries: Jan Vertonghen, Andres Guardado, Ralf Fahrmann

--------------------Berisha----------------
----------Meunier-Lemos-Martins Indi--
Zappacosta - Gustavo - Tolisso - ----Gaya
--------Robben - Immobile - Albrighton

Subs: Layun, Riedewald, Davis, Coric, Ritchie, Martinez, Llorente

Without the ball
-Move into a 5-4-1 behind the ball with defensive duties on point, Nando is likely to play a 4-2-3-1 with wide men so we need to be vigilant of that.
-Albrighton and Robben to provide an extra body on either side with Indi and Meunier tucking in with Lemos centrally. Gaya and Zappacosta will drop back into full back positions.
-Gustavo to press in our final third with Tolisso dropping in slightly looking to push the ball out in the turnover of possession

With the ball
-Possession to be kept and used in a clever way, don't waste the ball
-Shape is a 3-4-3 with Gaya and Zappacosta operating as Wing backs pushing up and down the pitch providing the overlap in attacking positions
-Robben and Albrighton will be cutting inside helping Immobile to operate in the middle
-Tolisso to pull the strings through the middle getting up with play to provide the key passes centrally
-Gustavo to wait just off the edge of the box for when we lose possession

75th - Martinez on for Albrighton to keep the work going
80th - Llorente on for Immobile to play a target man role to slow the pace

----------------Belenov
Valencia -- Diakhaby -- Miranda -- Rose
------------Dembele --- Fejsa
----Callejon --------- --- Hazard
------------Falcao -- Jonas

Bench - Cresswell, Zuber, Hernandez, Jonas, Cazorla, Lodeiro,Penaranda


Full Backs to overlap the wingers and cross
Miranda to pick up main forward, Diakhaby to cover with his pace
Fejsa to sit infront of defense and cut out passes
Dembele to go box to box and link up the play
Callejon & Hazard to get at their full backs and watch for overlapping fb's maybe cut inside if need to
Jonas to drift as a SS and look to get the wingers/falcao in behind
Falcao to bully the cb's and look to get in box for cross

Subs - Cazorla for Jonas if winning - go 4-3-3