Chelsea and Manchester City have adopted this formation but it was a fraught night in Basel that caused the former Liverpool manager to set a growing trendIn a modern world in which style so often matters more than substance – and at times neither seems to matter much at all – moments of significance can be lost amid the swirl. It’s easy to dismiss Brendan Rodgers’ last full season at Liverpool: the ineffectiveness of Mario Balotelli, the falling out with Raheem Sterling, the final-day humiliation at Stoke … and yet it also included a nugget of genuine tactical innovation. It’s not to say that Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola or Serbia’s Slavoljub Muslin have copied Rodgers or have in any way...
False No9s are in; free roles, with the exception of Mesut Özil, are out; back threes are making a comeback; and pressing is en vogueA few years ago possession was the most discussed concept in football. Since then there has been a shift from a possession-based approach and more attention paid to pressing. Mauricio Pochettino’s Southampton and Tottenham sides pressed in advanced positions to win the ball quickly, Klopp popularised counter-pressing, winning the ball immediately after it has been lost, and Guardiola also emphasises the importance of closing down in advanced positions. Related: Tammy Abraham, Pontus Jansson and the Championship’s most eye-catching players | Nick Miller Continue reading...
Since changing to 3-4-3 system Chelsea have been rampant but Ronald Koeman’s decision to fight fire with fire on Saturday had disastrous consequencesIt is now five consecutive victories for Chelsea since Antonio Conte switched to a 3-4-3 system – 16 goals scored, none conceded – and this was their most impressive attacking display for years, a wonderful demonstration of efficient turnovers, intelligent running and intricate interplay. If there was any doubt about the difficulty of switching from a four-man defence to a back three, you only needed to look at Everton. Related: Chelsea top the Premier League as Eden Hazard inspires Everton thrashing Continue reading...
Pep Guardiola’s demands that Sergio Agüero contributes more towards winning the ball back – and it is the same for Diego Costa at Chelsea – shows that the role of the striker is no longer confined to scoringWhat is a centre-forward? It is a question that is far harder to answer now than it used to be. The suggestion that Pep Guardiola may not be entirely happy with Sergio Agüero seemed at first bizarre. How, realistically, could a player of his ability, his goalscoring capacity – 109 league goals in five seasons at City, despite injuries – be doubted? For a modern striker, though, goals are only part of it.“It is not about how many goals he scores because we’re...
The Italian is putting his own stamp on affairs at Stamford Bridge and showing signs of moving the club away from the influence his predecessor heldFor a manager who is commonly thought to be incapable of building a dynasty José Mourinho left a remarkably durable legacy in his first spell at Chelsea. Neither party, it seemed, could ever quite let go. Even as late as 2012-13 Mourinho was referring to Chelsea’s squad as “my players” which, to an extent, they were. Related: Antonio Conte at a loss to explain why N’Golo Kanté left Leicester Continue reading...