Football formations go through eras and periods of time where they are extensively used; since the mid-noughties, the 4-5-1 and its variants (including the 4-2-3-1) rule the roost, monopolizing football at the highest levels. Eventually, however, it will be confined to history, much like many other tactics. The 2-3-5 had its day, however long ago, and has been banished as a relic of the sport's early days. Herbert Chapman's revered WM formation, the cornerstone of war time football, is know only found in history books. And indeed the 3-5-2, the dominant tactic of the late '80s and early '90s, seemed to be dying out with many people questioning its suitability in modern football.
Developed by Carlos Bilardo, manager of Argentina's 1986 World Cup winning squad, the 3-5-2 not only suited an Diego Maradona-led attack, but also proved to be defensively stable. The back three were organised so two of the centre backs man marked the opposition forwards, leaving one centre back, the libero or sweeper, to be free to sweep up any opposition balls and dribble forward. The new formation spread like wildfire across Europe and beyond until it was extinguished by Arrigo Sacchi, a bald shoe-salesman. After becoming the Milan coach in 1986, he enlightened the world to the merits of pressing and zonal marking with a back four, which is still in use today.
The 3-5-2 then teetered on the precipice of tactics history and became used less due to the emergence of the 4-5-1. A working back three relied on the opponent fielding two forwards, as then they would have one spare man at the back. With only one forward needing to be marked, however, the other two centrebacks had no role to do and this led to a shortfall of players further up the pitch. The 3-5-2 became out of date, just as the Sony Walkman and '70s football shorts.
Somehow, the back three has recently lifted itself up off the precipice and has fled to the safety of Italy, the birthplace of catennacio, the homeland of conservative football and the desolate land bereft of wingers. Udinese, Parma, Siena, Napoli, Lecce and more recently Fiorentina have been employing it, whilst Juventus have been flirting with it, looking for nothing more than a one-night stand. Bielsa and his disciple Sampaoli have also been using it and the 3-5-2 has emerged as the staple diet of Chilean football. But why has it emerged, and what are the consequences of its revival?
Let's start in Italy. Delio Rossi replaced Siniša Mihajlović (who's every mention conjures up these highlights) in November and has since managed a strong Fiorentina defence; they are currently second last in the number of goals conceded, despite being eleventh in the table. Delio Rossi has also changed Fiorentina formation to the 3-5-2 and it has suited them well. While Valon Behrami has been transformed into a defensive midfielder and leads Serie A in tackles per game, Fiorentina's back three has also shone. In Gamberini, Natali and Nastasić, Fiorentina have three centre backs who are all comfortable on the ball and they have starred this season.
With the re-emergence of the back three, one centre back has remained free while playing against two forwards. In comparison to the 3-5-2's glory days, this spare man is more of a passer than a dribbler and mirrors the game's switch to passing football inspired by the successes of Spain and Barcelona. In addition, it is Barcelona who have also experimented with the position, and have used the spare man to full effect. Usually one of Busquets or Mascherano have dropped back to the back three for the Catalan side. With the employment of a defensive midfielder in the back three, Barcelona can retain the possession of the ball more easily. Against Villarreal in their La Liga opener, Guardiola even fielded both Mascherano and Busquets in defence. A back three suits teams with ball playing defenders such as Hummels and Alderweireld.
Another team who have had success with a back three is Universidad de Chile, who have swept all before them in South America. Unlike other teams that play with a back three, Universidad employ aggressive pressing, prioritising winning the ball high up the pitch. Another Bielsa-inspired feature of their play is the use of wingers high up the pitch. The wide-forwards of Vargas and Castro stretch out the opposition back line, thus creating space for them to exploit with their pace. Eduardo Vargas in particular has impressed, becoming the single competition top scorer in Copa Sudamerica history and securing a move to Napoli after rejecting Chelsea's advances. While full-backs nowadays have a greater attacking responsibility, as it is hard to mark their advances from deep, wingers occupy the defence and thus manipulate the space around them. Barcelona have used this to great effect, playing Sanchez (a player used to Bielsa's tactics) and Pedro high up wide, thus creating space for Messi to create chances in his false nine role.
In utilising a back three, teams can employ a variety of tactics. Some, like Fiorentina have created a great defensive team by using the extra centre back to their advantage. Some, like Universidad de Chile use it so that they can press the ball high up the pitch and start counter-attacks. Others, like Barcelona and Juventus, have used it in certain situations against certain opponents, to ensure they have the upper hand. No matter how it is employed, the 3-5-2 certainly isn't dead. Instead, it is alive and kicking.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Match Report: Napoli 1 - 1 Bayern Munich
Two teams, two formations. In this Champions League Group A fixture, the contrast between the 3-4-3 of Napoli and the 4-2-3-1 of Bayern Munich determined the outcome of the result. Bayern were the better side in the game and controlled the possession of the ball, yet they seemed content to draw away to Napoli and sit atop the hardest group in the Champions League. Despite the contrast in formations, both clubs had difficulty tracking the runs from deep of opposing players, namely Christian Maggio and Toni Kroos, and also focused their play down the wings.
Line Ups:
The Game:
Bayern dominated from the first whistle and scored quickly, in the 2nd minute, from a well taken Kroos goal. Bayern passed the ball shortly and quickly, building up pace as they passed it forward, then distributed it out wide to Jerome Boateng who's low cross fell into the path of the running Kroos, who then accelerated past the Napoli defence and side footed it home.
Napoli then tried to get back in the game, using the runs of Maggio and Zúñiga out wide to fathom chances. Cavani didn't feature in the game and didn't look sharp; arguably the service towards him wasn't great but Lavezzi tried to create chances through his precise dribbling. Maggio, who earlier looked slightly wasteful, finally had a run that came into fruition after receiving a through ball from Gökhan Inler and he put the ball across the six yard box, where it was turned in by the hapless Holger Badstuber.
Bayern dominated early on in the second half, receiving a dubious penalty in the 49th minute from a Cannavaro handball. Mario Gómez missed the penalty with a poor effort and from then the game dwindled down, both teams content with a draw.
Passing:
Bayern comfortably controlled possession, especially in the early first half, mainly due to their one-man advantage in the middle of the field. Bayern's three central midfielders outnumbered Napoli's two and they played short passes through the middle. Eventually, however they forced it out wide to Franck Ribery or Thomas Müller. Despite this, Bayern were more patient in their passing and waited for opportunities to arrive.
Napoli, on the other hand, were far more riskier with their passing and played more directly, looking to get the ball on the wings quicker. This was helped by the passing prowess that all three of their centre backs had in sending long balls out wide. Furthermore, Napoli had only one good passer of the ball in the middle, Inler, and they looked to get the ball forward to the wings or to their front three.
Runs from Deep:
Both goals in the game came from the difficulty the teams had in tracking runs from deep. For Bayern, the main threat came from Kroos while for Napoli it was Maggio.
Kroos ran from deep in the middle of the pitch and early on, Napoli had trouble defending against this. Soon however, Campagnaro started to get forward to stop Kroos. This reduced the effectiveness of Kroos but it wasn't ideal for Campagnaro to track him as he struggled. This in theory would work, as Napoli had two spare centre backs against Bayern's lone striker and they could afford to lose one, yet it made their two-man defence very narrow and susceptible to Ribery down the flanks. Perhaps Gargano could have tracked Kroos from deep, preserving the back three of Napoli, but his marking would have been put under question.
Bayern found it difficult to prevent Maggio's runs from deep, which may in part be because most teams nowadays employ wingers further forward, cutting inside onto their stronger foot. Maggio, however, liked to send crosses without cutting in and ran from a deep position. Schweinsteiger should have prevented his runs further down the pitch but he isn't a player renowned for his defensive abilities.
Napoli Defending the Wings:
Napoli played with a three man defence and weren't protected from Bayern's wingers, especially Ribery, as they didn't have any full backs. Ribery is a modern type of winger who likes to cut inside and play further up the pitch and Napoli had problems with him. Instead of preventing him from finding any space down the flanks, they focused on stopping them from his position. The first line of defence was Maggio, who additionally to running forward, tracked back to stop Ribery. Then, the next layer of defence was the closest centre back to Ribery, in this case Campagnaro, who closed him down by playing as a full-back, leaving the other centre backs to reposition themselves more centrally. If Bayern worked harder and Ribery played to his full potential, this area would have been more decisive in the game; instead for large parts Ribery was ineffectual.
Conclusion:
An interesting game between two very different formations which fizzled out in the second half as the two teams started to play for a draw.
Line Ups:
The Game:
Bayern dominated from the first whistle and scored quickly, in the 2nd minute, from a well taken Kroos goal. Bayern passed the ball shortly and quickly, building up pace as they passed it forward, then distributed it out wide to Jerome Boateng who's low cross fell into the path of the running Kroos, who then accelerated past the Napoli defence and side footed it home.
Napoli then tried to get back in the game, using the runs of Maggio and Zúñiga out wide to fathom chances. Cavani didn't feature in the game and didn't look sharp; arguably the service towards him wasn't great but Lavezzi tried to create chances through his precise dribbling. Maggio, who earlier looked slightly wasteful, finally had a run that came into fruition after receiving a through ball from Gökhan Inler and he put the ball across the six yard box, where it was turned in by the hapless Holger Badstuber.
Bayern dominated early on in the second half, receiving a dubious penalty in the 49th minute from a Cannavaro handball. Mario Gómez missed the penalty with a poor effort and from then the game dwindled down, both teams content with a draw.
Passing:
Bayern comfortably controlled possession, especially in the early first half, mainly due to their one-man advantage in the middle of the field. Bayern's three central midfielders outnumbered Napoli's two and they played short passes through the middle. Eventually, however they forced it out wide to Franck Ribery or Thomas Müller. Despite this, Bayern were more patient in their passing and waited for opportunities to arrive.
Napoli, on the other hand, were far more riskier with their passing and played more directly, looking to get the ball on the wings quicker. This was helped by the passing prowess that all three of their centre backs had in sending long balls out wide. Furthermore, Napoli had only one good passer of the ball in the middle, Inler, and they looked to get the ball forward to the wings or to their front three.
Runs from Deep:
Both goals in the game came from the difficulty the teams had in tracking runs from deep. For Bayern, the main threat came from Kroos while for Napoli it was Maggio.
Kroos ran from deep in the middle of the pitch and early on, Napoli had trouble defending against this. Soon however, Campagnaro started to get forward to stop Kroos. This reduced the effectiveness of Kroos but it wasn't ideal for Campagnaro to track him as he struggled. This in theory would work, as Napoli had two spare centre backs against Bayern's lone striker and they could afford to lose one, yet it made their two-man defence very narrow and susceptible to Ribery down the flanks. Perhaps Gargano could have tracked Kroos from deep, preserving the back three of Napoli, but his marking would have been put under question.
Bayern found it difficult to prevent Maggio's runs from deep, which may in part be because most teams nowadays employ wingers further forward, cutting inside onto their stronger foot. Maggio, however, liked to send crosses without cutting in and ran from a deep position. Schweinsteiger should have prevented his runs further down the pitch but he isn't a player renowned for his defensive abilities.
Napoli Defending the Wings:
Napoli played with a three man defence and weren't protected from Bayern's wingers, especially Ribery, as they didn't have any full backs. Ribery is a modern type of winger who likes to cut inside and play further up the pitch and Napoli had problems with him. Instead of preventing him from finding any space down the flanks, they focused on stopping them from his position. The first line of defence was Maggio, who additionally to running forward, tracked back to stop Ribery. Then, the next layer of defence was the closest centre back to Ribery, in this case Campagnaro, who closed him down by playing as a full-back, leaving the other centre backs to reposition themselves more centrally. If Bayern worked harder and Ribery played to his full potential, this area would have been more decisive in the game; instead for large parts Ribery was ineffectual.
Conclusion:
An interesting game between two very different formations which fizzled out in the second half as the two teams started to play for a draw.
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Talent Scout: Eredivisie
As a country of only 16 million inhabitants, the Netherlands has had to continuously churn out prospects to punch above its weight. Clubs like Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV are renowned across the world for their youth systems and these clubs and others are the reason why the Dutch team is so successful.
Furthermore, the Eredivisie is seen as a stepping stone onto the bigger European leagues for foreign players, and greats such as Ronaldo, Romario and Zlatan Ibrahimović (footballing 'great' may be a bit too flattering to Zlatan) have played in the Netherlands.
The best young footballer plying his trade in the Eredivisie today is Christian Eriksen of Ajax, a playmaker possessing a delicate touch of the ball which coupled with spontaneous creativity could make him Denmark's best ever player, possibly better even than Michael Laudrup. Surely to progress his career he would need to leave Ajax in a couple of years time to one of the top four leagues like many before him have done.
This blog, however, will explore the slightly lesser-known burgeoning talents of the Eredivisie, featuring Zakaria Labyad, Adam Maher, Lorenzo Ebecilio and Nicolai Boilesen.
Zakaria Labyad: PSV Eindhoven
Furthermore, the Eredivisie is seen as a stepping stone onto the bigger European leagues for foreign players, and greats such as Ronaldo, Romario and Zlatan Ibrahimović (footballing 'great' may be a bit too flattering to Zlatan) have played in the Netherlands.
The best young footballer plying his trade in the Eredivisie today is Christian Eriksen of Ajax, a playmaker possessing a delicate touch of the ball which coupled with spontaneous creativity could make him Denmark's best ever player, possibly better even than Michael Laudrup. Surely to progress his career he would need to leave Ajax in a couple of years time to one of the top four leagues like many before him have done.
This blog, however, will explore the slightly lesser-known burgeoning talents of the Eredivisie, featuring Zakaria Labyad, Adam Maher, Lorenzo Ebecilio and Nicolai Boilesen.
Zakaria Labyad: PSV Eindhoven
Name: Zakaria Labyad
D.O.B.: 09/04/1993
Age: 18
P.O.B.: Utrecht, Netherlands
Position: Right Winger, Attacking Midfielder
Club: PSV Eindhoven
Nationality: Morocco (eligible for the Netherlands)
Previous Clubs: None
Zakaria Labyad names Ibrahim Afellay as one of his role models, and it's not difficult to see why. Both of them were born in Utrecht to Moroccan parents, started their careers at PSV and play at the right wing position. Labyad is not, however, a clone made by PSV to resurrect their club as his style of play differs from Affelay's. The Barcelona star is more explosive than Labyad, who is less direct and more crafty.
The young winger has a long future at the Boeren and Rutten is using him more and more. His international future is less certain, as he has represented the Netherlands at the 2009 U-17 World Cup but this year played for Morocco U-23 in a friendly versus Mozambique. Whichever national team he plays for will be pleased as Labyad can both score and create chances for his team.
Stengths:
Zakaria Labyad names Ibrahim Afellay as one of his role models, and it's not difficult to see why. Both of them were born in Utrecht to Moroccan parents, started their careers at PSV and play at the right wing position. Labyad is not, however, a clone made by PSV to resurrect their club as his style of play differs from Affelay's. The Barcelona star is more explosive than Labyad, who is less direct and more crafty.
The young winger has a long future at the Boeren and Rutten is using him more and more. His international future is less certain, as he has represented the Netherlands at the 2009 U-17 World Cup but this year played for Morocco U-23 in a friendly versus Mozambique. Whichever national team he plays for will be pleased as Labyad can both score and create chances for his team.
Stengths:
- He exhibits good vision and passing abilities to suggest that he may have a future in the centre of midfield.
- He has precise, close, dribbling skills, similar to Juan Manuel Iturbe, as it is difficult to tackle him without fouling.
- Labyad has decent pace and can beat the defender using it.
- His finishing ability is better than average for a winger, which would be better employed on the left wing with him cutting in onto his right.
Weaknesses:
- His crossing ability needs to be refined to diversify his game.
- He needs to get a bit stronger to evade challenges from defenders.
Verdict: Ability - 6/10; Potential - 8.5/10
Adam Maher: AZ Alkmaar
Name: Adam Maher
D.O.B.: 20/07/1993
Age: 18
P.O.B.: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Position: Attacking Midfielder, Central Midfielder
Club: AZ Alkmaar
Nationality: Netherlands (elegible for Morocco)
Previous Clubs: None
Another talented Dutch Moroccan, Adam Maher has emerged as a first team member of AZ's squad, scoring 3 goals and providing 4 assists in 12 appearances for the team this season. The midfielder is a rough diamond, as his passing skills and technique are indicators of his great talent, but there are still facets of his game he needs to improve. Despite his inexperience, Maher shows tremendous composure on the ball, as exhibited in his assist for Jozy Altidore against PSV earlier this season.
Maher has found life relatively comfortable so far in the Eredivisie, but he has to work hard to keep his place in AZ and he must learn from his older teammates at the club. Similar to Labyad, Maher is eligible for both Morocco and the Netherlands, who he also played for in the 2009 U-17 World Cup.
Strengths:
Another talented Dutch Moroccan, Adam Maher has emerged as a first team member of AZ's squad, scoring 3 goals and providing 4 assists in 12 appearances for the team this season. The midfielder is a rough diamond, as his passing skills and technique are indicators of his great talent, but there are still facets of his game he needs to improve. Despite his inexperience, Maher shows tremendous composure on the ball, as exhibited in his assist for Jozy Altidore against PSV earlier this season.
Maher has found life relatively comfortable so far in the Eredivisie, but he has to work hard to keep his place in AZ and he must learn from his older teammates at the club. Similar to Labyad, Maher is eligible for both Morocco and the Netherlands, who he also played for in the 2009 U-17 World Cup.
Strengths:
- Maher has great vision and dictates the attack well.
- His passing ability is exquisite for his age and he retains possession well, while also creating chances.
- His skillful first touch gives him time to pick out a pass.
Weaknesses:
- Maher isn't as fast as other players and will need to develop his dribbling skills to get past defenders.
- His positioning is questionable although this is something that will probably come with experience.
Verdict: Ability - 5.5/10; Potential - 8.5/10
Lorenzo Ebecilio: Ajax Amsterdam
Name: Lorenzo Ebecilio
D.O.B.: 24/09/1991
Age: 20
P.O.B.: Hoorn, Netherlands
Position: Left Winger
Club: Ajax Amsterdam
Nationality: Netherlands
Previous Clubs: HVV Hollandia (Youth), AZ Alkmaar (Youth)
Brother of Arsenal's Kyle Ebecilio, Lorenzo is a fast paced winger who helped Ajax to their league title last year. Playing in 16 Eredivisie matches last season, Ebecilio has not been used as much this season following the arrival of singing Derk Boerrigter. Despite this, Ebecilio still remains an exciting prospect due to his agility and trickery down the left flank.
Brother of Arsenal's Kyle Ebecilio, Lorenzo is a fast paced winger who helped Ajax to their league title last year. Playing in 16 Eredivisie matches last season, Ebecilio has not been used as much this season following the arrival of singing Derk Boerrigter. Despite this, Ebecilio still remains an exciting prospect due to his agility and trickery down the left flank.
When he was 14, Ebecilio suffered a heart-attack and as a result had to leave AZ Alkmaar. After a successful surgery which implanted a heart defibrillator, Ebecillio was cleared to play again and signed for Ajax's youth team.
Strengths:
- Ebecilio is very agile and will test defender's balance as he darts from side to side on the wing.
- His acceleration will be valuable for clubs that use the counter attack as his position on the wing will result in him having lots of space to run in.
- Ebecilio also has a bag of tricks to unload on opponents, aiding him when he has to get out of tight situations.
- His movement off the ball will create space for himself and for others.
Weaknesses:
- He needs to work on his finishing although if he continues to play on the left he would need to improve on his crossing.
- His decision making is questionable and he needs to be more productive in the build up play.
Verdict: Ability - 6/10; Potential - 8/10
Nicolai Boilesen: Ajax Amsterdam
Name: Nicolai Boilesen
D.O.B.: 16/02/1992
Age: 19
P.O.B.: Ballerup, Denmark
Position: Left Back
Club: Ajax Amsterdam
Nationality: Denmark
Previous Clubs: Brondby (Youth)
While Christian Eriksen may be the more famous Dane in Amsterdam, Boilesen is another player that will set the hearts racing of the Danish FA. If there was one word to describe Boilesen, it would be 'efficient'. He is efficient in his passing, tackling and runs, rarely making a mistake. His attacking play does not, however, set the hearts racing of casual football fans and he does need to improve his technique. That said, he still remains an intriguing footballer.
Strengths:
While Christian Eriksen may be the more famous Dane in Amsterdam, Boilesen is another player that will set the hearts racing of the Danish FA. If there was one word to describe Boilesen, it would be 'efficient'. He is efficient in his passing, tackling and runs, rarely making a mistake. His attacking play does not, however, set the hearts racing of casual football fans and he does need to improve his technique. That said, he still remains an intriguing footballer.
Strengths:
- Boilesen is a fast player, meaning he can catch up to attackers on the wing and join up with counter attacks.
- Boilesen takes long strides while running, and these long legs help him tackle cleanly and gain possession of the ball.
- Boilesen is a very effective passer for a full back and can retain possession for his team.
Weaknesses:
- When his team loses possession, Boilesen needs to maintain his focus and position himself correctly to stop any counter attacks.
- Boilesen's crossing ability needs to improve as a world-class full back can send in dangerous crosses from deep.
Verdict: Ability - 6/10; Potential - 8.5/10
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