Tactics Under Maresca

[EnderbyFox]

13 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

Seems like a few people are going to be annoyed by how Maresca wants us to play with players not being static in their positions and roles

Some people will never be happy unless we play long ball counter attacks. Not a feasible play style when 90% of the league will sit back against us…

[wardyfox86]

3 minutes ago, Phenom said:

We need wingers too.

Borges is a winger, and Piroe would act as a wide forward.

[foxfanazer]

I like that he's looking for the centre halves to look for the pass in the middle of the park and not just side to side. We never looked to do that last season

[Hales]

I think the first half is pretty much his starters with the odd tweak

[Lillehamring]

Interesting to see from today's game that both XIs played very similarly from a tactical point of view.  It felt very deliberate to me, but also seemed far more progressive than what we've been used to.

 

But it's clear that, even this early in pre-season, the players are adapting to this new way, which bodes well for the season - i think for many the fear was that we'd take ages to adapt to Maresca-ball, but clearly they're already getting it.

[Lambert09]

57 minutes ago, Hales said:

I think the first half is pretty much his starters with the odd tweak

Nacho not even starting in the championship. We don’t deserve this king 

[Molson Canadian]

I have a feeling Enzo has realized it’s going to be much more difficult playing this sexy style of football with our squad compared to the multi billion dollars squad of Man City  

 

playing out from the back relying on the keeper to be a ball player was a bit scary at times today. Hopefully the squad adjusts to this new style quick. playing teams who use a high paced press style with 2 forwards when we have the ball at the back could cause problems for us. 
 

Very excited though for this season I think once it clicks it will be very giggdy goo. 
 

 

 

[kingfox]

Coady’s diagonal passes along with Ricardo & Winks’ combination play, is going to be key when it comes to starting attacks.

 

A new number ‘8’ and a few wingers are required, get those positions sorted then Maresca’s style of football has the potential to flourish fairly quickly imo. 

[LFox99]

Very good thread by Dominic Wells

A lot of Owynn’s thread from the P’boro game remained true with this performance, it also matches up with some of the assessments I made of the training footage. I will quickly highlight those & then speak on some other ideas I spotted today. Irrespective of the composition of players on the pitch, even after changes, the angles for receptions/progression are best utilised in a diagonal format.

The better passages included sharp, diagonal, & importantly, vertical combinations through the pitch. 

Winks is definitely the nucleus of the system. Importantly, he’s inside a double pivot, so he can become a “free” man in the first phase. Excellent at "unmarking" himself, before finding smart passes into advanced options. Establishing a good relationship with Pereira. The team sheet had Doyle as either the LCB (or LB), to allow for the adjustment to a 3–2–4–1. There were times he’d position as a FB, stretching wide to receive at the touchline—not as comfortable as receiving with space to play either side, which he gets in the wide CB phases. The pass from the CBs is different (vs. last season). With little width early in the pitch (3–2–4–1), the initial progressive pass is into the double pivot. Having a base of three CBs gives a lot of accessible angles to find Winks (+ the inverting Pereira), unpredictable. 

The associative positioning of the double pivot (in close proximity to each other) grants additional ability to bait the press out & then play through. Quick combinations, slick one—touch football & you can utilise central overload to retain possession in busy areas.
There are a few sequences, where the pivot shifts & leans towards a side of the pitch (i.e. left) to invite pressure. The CBs also adjust to provide coverage, & non-ball side options find space to receive out the overload. It's a smart adjustment to play quickly out of DEF. If possible, the pivot tucked narrow & enabled a pass into more advanced #8’s (KDH/Praet) for CBs. This was a frequent avenue, especially as the pivot came underneath the ball to receive as the middle piece of the “in—to—out” passing network (https://medium.com/@dominic.wells24/maresca-ball-a-study-of-training-2d2c69fe5ab9). 
You can see the foundation shape it provides for a high press. Two supportive #8’s who can step out to initiate in the first line, but timing with other lines need to be good—it's slightly in the “teething” process currently & this gifted space between lines to the opposition. One of my favourite elements of the 3–2–4–1 is the fluidity of the advanced #8’s, and how it matches KDH’s profile. They can receive to feet, run behind the DEF. line, puncture the half-spaces to cutback in PA, or arrive late to the PA as a scorer.

This central creation is further evidenced by the 1–on—1’s for Vardy, which appeared at a slight angle due to the half-space running from the #9. Good movement on the shoulder, activating upon a turnover, & sharp to get onto through passes—you can see Maresca's idea for Vardy. This tweak means creativity stems from central areas, as opposed to last year, where width was #LCFC’s primary tool for creation. I spoke about this for the BBC (https://bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0g0smb3), and it’s not a coincidence that KDH scored as a box presence, arriving late. Even with wholesale changes, progression came via the double pivot. Justin/Choudhury offered similar security & retention in depth, this provided a platform to find player(s) in more advanced positions—with similar passing connections. Shows a good general ability of the squad. The RM is more an extension of the defence (an RWB in essence), whereas the LM is given a higher natural positioning, isolation vs. FB, & M-Madivadua was strong in this role. Understood associative positioning, inverted into KDH’s (vacated) space & good carrier of the ball. The fluency of ideas is definitely still being worked on, & you can see parts that need extra details (final third combinations, etc.).
 

But, as this was the first look at Maresca’s system, it’s a positive performance, result, & outcome.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

Honestly I’m finding his tactics such a breath of fresh air, and it just shows how turgid and stale things had got under Rodgers. We are far more aggressive trying to get the ball back, there is purposeful movement, the passing is quicker and it looks like we actually have a game plan which we are executing. 
 

My only concern is the forward areas, and I question whether we have enough there.

[KIRBYFOX93]

The players actually looked like they knew what their roles were, and sliding ricardo into midfield with winks is a master stroke. Enzo definitely has courage and the intelligence to think outside of the box.

[RedSoxUK]

4 minutes ago, KIRBYFOX93 said:

The players actually looked like they knew what their roles were, and sliding ricardo into midfield with winks is a master stroke. Enzo definitely has courage and the intelligence to think outside of the box.

I mean it's not that intelligent to play with an inverted wing back really, his Man City have been doing it for years and many teams Invert a wing back to get an advantage in the middle. Even Rodgers was doing it at times. This 433 / 3241 is close to Peps most recent formation.

 

I don't think it's intelligent to have a backup backup Goalkeeper on the bench or play Ndidi as De Bruyne but whatever it's pre season **** it we're elite.

[Lillehamring]

7 minutes ago, RedSoxUK said:

I mean it's not that intelligent to play with an inverted wing back really, his Man City have been doing it for years and many teams Invert a wing back to get an advantage in the middle. Even Rodgers was doing it at times. This 433 / 3241 is close to Peps most recent formation.

 

I don't think it's intelligent to have a backup backup Goalkeeper on the bench or play Ndidi as De Bruyne but whatever it's pre season **** it we're elite.

it's also really just a variation of what we had a lot of success with under BR with a 4-1-4-1 line up, which would shift to 3-4-3 with the full backs pushing into midfield and ndidi dropping into the back 3, and then have the wingers pushing up front.

[StriderHiryu]

Going to start posting some stuff up now. Tons of credit needs to go to Tacticar on Twitter. Please go and give him a follow!

 

Part 1:

 

Basic Principles

 

Football is a low-scoring game with high variability. You can setup your team well, drill into them clear and concise instructions, and then... Vincent Kompany strides forward with the ball and smashes it into the top corner to win the game 1-0. For that reason, Pep Guardiola has spent much of his coaching career trying to make teams that win as consistently as possible, as demonstrated with the first team in Premier League history to get 100 points in a single season, and winning the title multiple times with tallies of over 90 points. Enzo Maresca clearly subscribes to the same school of thought, he worked with him after all.

 

In order to do that, there are a few principles to understand from the get go:

 

- Control the game. The more control you have, the lower the variability is, and the more likely it is you will win.

- Love the football. Keep possession of the ball as much as possible to maintain control of the game and to dictate it.

- Dictate the game. Make the game play out so you call the shots and the flow of the game goes the way you want it to.

- Unsettle the opposition and shift them around. By dictating the game, you can move the opposition in ways you want them to. This is where Maresca's comparisons to Chess come into play.

- Create superiorities such as 1v1s and 2v1s to create chances and make in-roads.

 

It's also important to know that Maresca is using "system-football" or "positional play." This is the idea of creating set patterns of play to rehearse, and players being in set positions at certain times and situations. Whilst this might kill the romance of football, the point is that players don't have to think so much about what to do, but can focus on actually doing it. Reducing the mental load, building familiarity and allowing mastery of it over time.

 

Formation and Team Shape

 

Under Maresca Leicester line-up in a 433 out of possession and 3241 in possession.

 

 

^ Straight from kick-off, Vardy is the furthest player forward, Wanya Marcal (7) is playing as left forward and Ricardo is located in the Right Back position.

 

 

^ But in possession when having time to build, Ricardo has stepped into midfield and is playing parallel to Harry Winks, becoming the infamous "Inverted Fullback." Notice how wide Wout Faes and Callum Doyle have moved. This setup is often known as a 3-2 block and is a throw back of sorts to Herbet Chapman's W-M formation of the 1920's!

 

Why bother doing this? A few reasons:

 

- Creates lots of passing triangles, all players have at least two short passes they can make at all times, allowing the team to retain possession and control of the game.

- Adds an extra midfielder into the middle of the pitch, giving Leicester numerical superiority in this area.

- Create a shape that forces the opposition to move out of their shape to leave gaps which Leicester can exploit.

 

 

 

^ And here's a sequence of play from very early on in the game, which is going to typify a lot of the build-up play this season.

- Coady receives the ball and after a diagonal pass to Faes, scans the situation.

- He waits a bit to draw attackers onto him and then plays the pass past the attacker into Ricardo who is free and positioned in a great position because of the formation / build-up pattern we are using.

- Ricardo plays the ball first time to Winks. You could call this a bounce-pass of kind, though it goes sideways rather than back.

- Notice that as the pass is made, Winks turns his body so he faces forwards, whereas when he and Ricardo look to receive the ball they face towards our own goal. This subtle body shift is what makes it possible to play forwards quickly and accurately, and one of the big reasons why a double pivot is used in the 3241 shape.

- Winks plays it diagonally, as part of the triangle shape. This is where he expects a team-mate to be.

 

This move ends up breaking down and could have resulted in a chance for the opposition. But it already shows the principle of moving players out of their shape and taking advantage. I think of of the biggest differences you will see is that after a period of slow passing, when we move up the pitch, we do so through fast vertical transitions, which is Wink's pass in this move. Speed is the way we turn that possession into goal threat. Our moves create a superiority because we take players out of the game in the build-up phase and look to exploit that superiority with a goal threat. More examples of this will be provided later.

 

 

 

Edited 15 July 2023 by StriderHiryu

[Dahnsouff]

1 hour ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

Honestly I’m finding his tactics such a breath of fresh air, and it just shows how turgid and stale things had got under Rodgers. We are far more aggressive trying to get the ball back, there is purposeful movement, the passing is quicker and it looks like we actually have a game plan which we are executing. 
 

My only concern is the forward areas, and I question whether we have enough there.

We clearly don’t, at least not with current personnel and familiarity in the system the attackers are showing. This should not be a surprise to anyone, and I fully expect everyone to appreciate that addressing our defensive problems of recent years, coupled with a new attacking pattern. The two together are already a positive, but there is no hiding behind the fact we are at this time ridiculously light on attacking threat.

[StriderHiryu]

Part 2:

 

Use of the Goalkeeper

Playing out from the back isn't something new for us, Puel and Rodgers did this with Leicester for many seasons now. But we never quite used the goalkeeper in the way that Guardiola teams do, and this was evidenced today numerous times.

 

 

^Maresca's style of play in a nutshell, all stemming from playing out from the back and using the goalkeeper:

- Coady receives the ball, keeps his calm and despite having a man harrying him, turns BACKWARDS and plays a short pass to Stoalrcyk.

- Stolarcyk plays a ball forwards short and snappy to take an onrushing player out of the game.

- Winks (who was class by the way), receives and turns and plays a quick ball to Ricardo, where he expects him to be.

- Ricardo plays a quick bounce-pass back to Winks. This sequence takes two more players out of the game, meaning now 3 players have been taken out. 

- Using a few quick diagonal grounded passes via the triangles shown in part one, Castagne plays the ball into Vardy. If he was more alert he may have been able to get a shot away, but regardless he keeps the move alive and crosses to Marcal-Madivadua.

 

Overall this was not the best chance, but the point here is that chance is initially created because of the use of our structure: Coady, Stolarcyk, Ricardo and Winks. We are about to sign a new goalkeeper who is exceptional with his feet and can use either foot. This is going to make a HUGE difference to our attacking play.... despite being a goalkeeper.

 

 

This next passage of play is kind of bonkers. Look at the positions of Stolarcyk and Coady... they are playing like they are the two CBs in a back 4, even though one of the players is our goalkeeper. But why do this?

- Coady is trying to lure the attacker to close him down.

- Stolarcyk provides a passing outlet to pass to if this happens.

 

Now in this instance, the move backfires. Coady goes to play a pass into the two double-pivots, but the sideways pass is played badly, causing a turnover. However, the situation is remedied through good positioning. We will absolutely concede goals through doing this, even Man City do. But the net positive will lead to a lot more chances being created over time. The clever part here is that with the GK playing as a pseudo CB, it allows our RB to form an extra midfielder to pass to.

 

This type of play is often referred to as "back-to-front" play. Brighton at the moment are the best team in England at doing it and although they use a slightly different approach you see here the benefits it can provide.

 

 

 

 

Edited 15 July 2023 by StriderHiryu

[Dahnsouff]

Nice one @StriderHiryu - the keeper was the thing that shouted out today (too me anyway) as it was not like Puel or Rodgers as just a deep pivot, the keeper today seemed to be expected to genuinely contribute in build up play. Was really quite good to watch, much better than I expected. 

[inckley fox]

3 hours ago, Molson Canadian said:

I have a feeling Enzo has realized it’s going to be much more difficult playing this sexy style of football with our squad compared to the multi billion dollars squad of Man City  

 

playing out from the back relying on the keeper to be a ball player was a bit scary at times today. Hopefully the squad adjusts to this new style quick. playing teams who use a high paced press style with 2 forwards when we have the ball at the back could cause problems for us. 
 

Very excited though for this season I think once it clicks it will be very giggdy goo. 
 

 

 

I have a feeling he needs to realise that. Whether he has already or not is another matter.

[StriderHiryu]

2 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Nice one @StriderHiryu - the keeper was the thing that shouted out today (too me anyway) as it was not like Puel or Rodgers as just a deep pivot, the keeper today seemed to be expected to genuinely contribute in build up play. Was really quite good to watch, much better than I expected. 

Don't go to sleep too soon, you're getting the FoxesTalk equivalent of Match of the Day analysis in the next hour or so

[StriderHiryu]

Part 3:

 

On the Attack

High Press

 

A High press is not new to us, Brendan Rodgers used it very effectively at times during his best years with us. But with Maresca I feel it's likely we will see an even more effective version of the press.

 

 

^ An example of a High Press leading to shifting play and creating opportunities.

 

 

^ Northampton start play with a goal kick and play it to their centre back... who is quickly closed down. As we freeze the action, observe the state of play. Who can the CB pass to? Every one of his "Passing Lanes" is blocked off. He can't even pass back to the goalkeeper because Vardy is close by. This causes Northampton to play the ball long, losing the ball and giving us control of the game again.

 

 

 

^ When I freeze play here, observe the game state. Six Northampton players are within 20-30 yards of one another, typically the sign of a good defensive block. But also playing entirely into our hands. This means that we can create a scenario to try and isolate a free man or 1v1 scenario for the wide-forward on the other side.

 

 

^ Here's Wanya Marçal-Madivadua receiving the diagonal ball. Look at how much more space there is between him and his defender compared to the other players. This is not the greatest attack in the world, the diagonal played doesn't really lead to a killer opportunity, but the thinking behind this passage of play is what I am trying to describe here. How a combination of all of the things we do leads to defending, control, space manipulation and chance creation.

 

Diagonal Switches, Block Shifting, Attacking the Half Spaces

 

 

 

^ Here's a better example of the diagonal switch leading to an attacking pattern of play. With the play compacted into one half of the pitch, Ricardo has the intelligence to play a quick grounded diagonal to Marcal, from which he cuts into have an effort with his strongest foot.

 

 

 

^ I want to freeze the action here. We see Dewsbury-Hall point to where he wants the ball played. But from here we have multiple options. Marcal-Madivudua can:

- Play the ball down the line

- Cross the ball

- Cut in to the space that KDH will make with his run, dragging a defender out of position by doing so.

 

Take note of KDH's position here, he's occupying and attacking the "Half-Space," an area of the pitch that Guardiola is famous for popularising. Who is the biggest terroriser of the half-space in Premier League history? A certain Kevin De Bruyne. This was also the same area that Wilfred Ndidi started to attack in the second half.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 15 July 2023 by StriderHiryu

[st albans fox]

If we are going to go full inverted full back in possession to give us overloads through the spine of the pitch I expect the opposition will set up full quick transition and long ball when we turn over the ball and they will play it long down the channels.  As long as we are switched on at the back, that should mean we have every chance of getting the ball back quickly although it will be a fine line between control and scares 

[Guest Mee-9]

All these master tacticians, go and have a willy pull lads. 

[bmt]

1 hour ago, StriderHiryu said:

Part 3:

 

On the Attack

High Press

 

A High press is not new to us, Brendan Rodgers used it very effectively at times during his best years with us. But with Maresca I feel it's likely we will see an even more effective version of the press.

 

 

^ An example of a High Press leading to shifting play and creating opportunities.

 

 

^ Northampton start play with a goal kick and play it to their centre back... who is quickly closed down. As we freeze the action, observe the state of play. Who can the CB pass to? Every one of his "Passing Lanes" is blocked off. He can't even pass back to the goalkeeper because Vardy is close by. This causes Northampton to play the ball long, losing the ball and giving us control of the game again.

 

 

 

^ When I freeze play here, observe the game state. Six Northampton players are within 20-30 yards of one another, typically the sign of a good defensive block. But also playing entirely into our hands. This means that we can create a scenario to try and isolate a free man or 1v1 scenario for the wide-forward on the other side.

 

 

^ Here's Wanya Marçal-Madivadua receiving the diagonal ball. Look at how much more space there is between him and his defender compared to the other players. This is not the greatest attack in the world, the diagonal played doesn't really lead to a killer opportunity, but the thinking behind this passage of play is what I am trying to describe here. How a combination of all of the things we do leads to defending, control, space manipulation and chance creation.

 

Diagonal Switches, Block Shifting, Attacking the Half Spaces

 

 

 

^ Here's a better example of the diagonal switch leading to an attacking pattern of play. With the play compacted into one half of the pitch, Ricardo has the intelligence to play a quick grounded diagonal to Marcal, from which he cuts into have an effort with his strongest foot.

 

 

 

^ I want to freeze the action here. We see Dewsbury-Hall point to where he wants the ball played. But from here we have multiple options. Marcal-Madivudua can:

- Play the ball down the line

- Cross the ball

- Cut in to the space that KDH will make with his run, dragging a defender out of position by doing so.

 

Take note of KDH's position here, he's occupying and attacking the "Half-Space," an area of the pitch that Guardiola is famous for popularising. Who is the biggest terroriser of the half-space in Premier League history? A certain Kevin De Bruyne. This was also the same area that Wilfred Ndidi started to attack in the second half.

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent work as always @StriderHiryu

[Gamble92]

3 hours ago, RedSoxUK said:

I mean it's not that intelligent to play with an inverted wing back really, his Man City have been doing it for years and many teams Invert a wing back to get an advantage in the middle. Even Rodgers was doing it at times. This 433 / 3241 is close to Peps most recent formation.

 

I don't think it's intelligent to have a backup backup Goalkeeper on the bench or play Ndidi as De Bruyne but whatever it's pre season **** it we're elite.

You high?

[Mickyblueeyes]

Many good things from the game. 
 

I can’t understand why so many were against Winks. He’s got the technique to do really well at this level. I think he’ll thrive from being the main point of the midfield. A lot of good things game from him. 
 

To be expected, alongside the good was a lot of rust/learning. If ever we needed a pre-season stacked with games against opposition like Northampton, this was it.