Barcelona vs AC Milan 2-2
2 Barca mistakes = 2 more goals

The Italians were realists about how the play would go and set up their system to be able to work within that reality. a 442 and later a 451 with two compact lines of defense and played the possession driven defending Champions League champions to a 2-2 draw away in Barcelona. *Barcelona has key defending players missing and has shown just how venerable their system is with out the perfect mix of players and skills (which they have paid gazillions to acquire). This is a team of great players, not a team using a great playing system.

The Italians showed the correct use of tactics against Barcelona a great attacking team that will beat you on possession time in the attacking zone and attacking chances at goal no mater what you do. And this shows why having a good defending plan and being skilled at that part of the game is just as important as building a great attacking game.

Some times you will play a team that is better then you and then you have to be able to work under those realities of soccer life. The system used should be able to do both depending on where the ball is on the field. 451 into a 433 in attack, not a real 433 IMO...

Study the team you will play and if they are a very good team that is hard to beat at home then play in a way to keep your team in the game by not going down by more than one is priority #1.

What was the score against that English team last year in the end of May, and at what point in time was that game actually over?

The Italians have always understood why defending is a very important part of the game and how to set it up and execute that game plan with few mistakes which lead directly to goals. That tactical flexibility experience showed up again against the world's best team, a team that did not win at home in their first game as defending champions of that league.

lol...

Chelsea's new 433 = 3-1 loss.

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2011/09/18/ten-points-on-manchester-united-3-1-chelsea/

Villas-Boas has changed that system, and now roles have changed, even within the same starting formation.

When a 4-4-2 / 4-4-1-1 meets a 4-3-3, often the main advantage for the former is the fact that the wingers are often immediately against the opposition full-back – the wide forward in the 4-3-3 usually watches the opposition full-back rather than covers his own. Twice in a row at Old Trafford, United’s right-winger has dominated Ashley Cole.

Despite a couple of errors...
They competed well here, and were unfortunate to be 3-0 down at half-time.
...it broadly worked well.

...there was an amazing lack of pressure upon the player in possession in midfield

This seems to be an early trend this season around Europe – in Serie A games it has been particularly obvious that sides aren’t closing down until the opposition get into the final third of the pitch. Considering Barcelona are currently the best side around and base their game without the ball around pressing, it’s a strange development.
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Question from the first paragraph of this thread-
And how long have you been training that system to your players? A few weeks, and you expect the same results?

3-0 after 45...

Where are all the goals? That is what it's all about in this great new "attacking" system?

Torres is a lazy Spaniard!

Manchester United are out of the Champions League after a 2-1 defeat away in Switzerland.

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2011/12/08/basel-2-1-manchester-united-united-into-the-europa-league/

Vogel’s tactics unquestionably worked well – Basel completed excellently with a side significantly superior on paper. They defended deep to prevent United getting space, knowing they had little ability to get around a packed defence, and attacked intelligently – bringing the wide players inside.

It seems likely that Vogel watched the tape of Manchester City’s 1-6 win over United – in that game, David Silva and James Milner caused problems by moving into the centre and switching flanks, movement replicated by Shaqiri and Fabian Frei here. They moved inside to combine and help Basel keep the ball, and a couple of times looked to overload United on either side with diagonal runs from one flank to another. Shaqiri moved from the right all the way over to the left early on, meaning both Basel’s wingers were on the same flank – this produced the early cross that David De Gea flapped at.

Basel were excellent at slowing the tempo and cooling things down by passing calmly in midfield – although they had opportunities to break, they often turned down those opportunities and played keep-ball instead.
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*rest hard working defending players during the transition to attacking phase and then using quality high energy play for combination plays once in the att 1/3 near the goal.

Counter when you catch them attacking too deep with numbers

Controlling the game tempo is the key to a defending game you intend to win.
Run, run, run (regain possession) - Slow, slow slow (move forward in possession) - Run, run, sprint (score)

The Swiss have learned how to not get beat by stronger teams
Tactics combined with controlling the pace of the game

"Basel were able to sit very deep, and United didn’t have the individuals to break them down".

Second Leg Champions League Semi-Final 2010
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/04/28/barcelona-inter-mourinho-tactics/
"Arrigo Sacchi once demonstrated in a training session how five organised players could hold out against ten disorganised ones – taking his Milan back five of Galli, Tassotti, Costacurta, Baresi and Maldini and pitching them against the club’s best ten attacking players. The 15-minute game finished scoreless, despite the attacking talents of the likes of Gullit, van Basten, Rijkaard, Ancelotti and Donadoni".

First Leg Champions League Semi-Final 2010
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/04/20/inter-3-1-barcelona-tactics-guardiola-mourinho/


Defend to win against stronger teams is a proven tactic that works, it is a beautiful defending and attacking chess match of player positioning. It requires conservation of energy and a keen understanding of when and where the other team is venerable in their own defending systems. It is the beautiful game at it's best, most organized, and disciplined team play form.

Anybody can put 10 players on the field and tell them to chase anything that moves when they don't have the ball. My dog plays that style...

Most US high school and many US collage teams play in the 94 minute run till you drop/lack of coaching tactics style of play.

We don't need a "US Attacking Mentality" (433)
We need a US Winning Games Mentality!
(451 - 433 - 343 flexible formation *with game pace/tempo control)

A quick tip to all the Man U fans out there....

When making a pasta sauce remember all herbs are good, but ya can't beat basil !

One of your better jokes Doc



"Possession is 4/11ths of the law: Of the 11 teams in Champions League group stage with highest possession percentages only 4 qualified".

https://twitter.com/#!/JustFootball

El Clasico

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2011/12/09/el-clasico-tactical-preview-real-madrid-barcelona/

Jose Mourinho has almost exclusively used a 4-2-3-1 formation this season

Real have played a more attacking game this season, and there’s less certainty that they’ll defend deep, park the bus, and invite pressure.

Tactics are determined by what you want from the game, and this is an extremely important consideration, especially for Real.

Upfront, the choice is between Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain. They’ve both started seven league games, but are very different players. As Sid Lowe outlines, “Benzema is far more technical, a better player in the absence of space, Higuaín applies greater pressure and is swifter on the break. The decision as to how Madrid play…will go a long way to deciding who Madrid play.”

But will either play? It’s entirely possible that Ronaldo could be used as the lone forward – that’s how he played when Real triumphed in the Copa del Rey final, and in the first leg of the Champions League semi (when Real lost, but the system worked well until Real went down to ten men). That would leave Angel Di Maria on the left up against Alves, and Ozil breaking from the right. If Real want to counter-attack, this might be a better solution than using Higuain.

The key question, in the entire game, is this: will Real press high up and be aggressive, or will they sit back and invite pressure? The likely answer is a combination of both – in El Pais, Diego Torres predicts that Real will close down Barcelona early on, especially at goal kicks and throw-ins, and then revert to sitting deep after half an hour.



In midfield, Alonso will sit deep and sweep up behind Diarra and Khedira, which will work well when Real win the ball – he should have time to spread the play to the flanks and prompt counter-attacks. Diarra should be tracking Iniesta, Khedira will close down Xavi and possibly look to pressure Busquets too.

With the ball, Real will break quickly from back to front, with combinations from the front three. Khedira will probably be given license to join them, and Marcelo will look to attack, especially if Barca field a narrow right-sided attacker – like against Milan, when they were vulnerable to attacks down that side.

Q- To what extent can Alonso help to dictate the tempo and rhythm of the game, and prompt quick counters? Will Barcelona look to close him down?

A 4-3-3 is not necessarily less attacking than the 4-2-3-1, but in Real’s case it is – it involves the removal of one of the front four and the insertion of another central midfielder, likely to be a physical, combative ball-winner.

Ok forget what I said. Copy Barcelona apparently they're pretty good. Just make sure you have Messi, Xavi, Cesc, and Iniesta on your team when you do.

The big boys of Real had their chances and choked tonight at home in attack. Their defending was poor overall against a great possession team that wants you you come at them far up the pitch, so they can just quickly play around you (far from your own goal). They then have their space to attack into and create quick combinations to penetrate through whoever is left on their way to your goal.

The easiest way to lose to a team that is better than you is to not realize that they are clearly better than you...

Real could have easily won that game 1-0. That would have been beautiful just like the game of chess is. There is no scoring of goals in the game of chess but one player many times does win in the end.

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/lalig...analysis-121011

Sometime between now and last spring, José Mourinho decided it was not enough to win; rather, he wanted to win while accumulating style points, which is too bad.

Had José employed the same approach he accepted last spring, his team would have been perfectly situated to protect the 1-0 lead Victor Valdes delivered Real Madrid seconds into the match. The personnel he needed to offset Barcelona’s advantage in the middle would have been on the pitch, and he could have slowly lured Barcelona to exposing themselves to counter attacks, just as he’d done with Inter Milan.

Ultimately, the choice is simple. Mourinho can accept an approach that works, or he can play into pride.

They failed to score a goal of their own making, and for only the second time under Mourinho, they gave up three goals at home.

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2011/12/11/real-madrid-1-3-barcelona-tactics/


... Real’s pressing was, as expected, most obvious in the first 20-30 minutes of the match. They prevented Barca from constructing good moves from the back, although the Barcelona defence admirably remained committed to passing football throughout the match.

However, it was notable that Real’s attacking band of three had little impact when they won, even when given opportunities on the ball.

The surprise was with the use of Mesut Ozil, who most expected to be omitted in favour of an extra defensive midfielder.

Ozil created little and was removed early in the second half, Di Maria battled well but his end product was often poor.

By asking his attacking players to work extremely hard without the ball, maybe Mourinho drained them of the energy they needed when attacking.