catenaccio tactical approach Sheehan seemingly favors

[Derwydd]

The latest report by Swans Indy contains one line describing Sheehan's tactical approach for the coming season


Indy

"Sheehan is looking for a catenaccio approach this season, but with a cleaner and far quicker break from defence. To remain solid at the back when on the offensive is key. It isn’t about protecting a lead or a result, it’s more about fluidity. To get there you need more than a door bolt on everything, you need to press hard and create."



Read a long wiki on the history of the catenaccio approach. many variations, but essentially a back 4 where 3 players are man marking the opposition. The 4th plays as a sweeper(defence without the ball), playmaker(offence when we have the ball).
In front of the 4 is a diamond midfield the right/left sides of which are wingers..

Original version took the existing 2-3-5 formation which I am old enough to remember and turned it into a 1-3-3-3 which then morphed into a 1-3-4-2 with the diamond

The defensive part of the system is expected to be ruthless man marking defenders experts in the dark arts. Stop any attempt on goal with a sweeper as an extra man.

The article does not mention Germany, focuses almost all its analysis on Italy but I remember how Germany played when they had Beckenbauer. Their players were known for stopping opposition attacks around the edge of the D, fouling if necessary, but making sure to stop the attacks and then having Beckenbauer as the sweeper/playmaker when they had the ball

It seems Sheehan wants a variation on the original. Wants the defensive aspect but also wants quick fluid attacking when on offense.

Maybe that's why they are pushing the boat out money wise for Darling, or, bringing in a player who is comfortable on the ball to play that role

If you want to read the evolution of the catenaccio system here is the wiki link

Catenaccio - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Thanks for sharing this.

Explains a lot as to why we tightened up so much after Williams left. Sheehan demands a solid structure without the ball, and there's nothing wrong with that.

That just wasn't happening under Williams or Martin, it was la la land football where pride in defending your own goal was only ever an optional extra.

 

[Dr. Winston]

Teams that can't defend don't achieve. It's a fundamental rule of modern football. Get yourself a solid back line and go from there.

 

[Derwydd]

The saying over here in NFL football is 'Defence's win you super bowls'

I've always said you cant be successful without having that solid base ie the defence.

Williams especially it was an after thought. Playing Tymon and Key so far up the field they were in EOM's and Ronald's back pockets

 

[bakajack]

The saying over here in NFL football is 'Defence's win you super bowls'

I've always said you cant be successful without having that solid base ie the defence.

Williams especially it was an after thought. Playing Tymon and Key so far up the field they were in EOM's and Ronald's back pockets

To quote Andrew it was very much a la la land tactical approach - and I use the word "tactical" in the loosest possible terms

 

[monmouth]

Teams that can't defend don't achieve. It's a fundamental rule of modern football. Get yourself a solid back line and go from there.

If you concede zero in a game, it's a bloody sight easier to win.

Brian Clough believed Shilton was a big part of the difference between relegation and european glory...and not for his ******* 'distribution'. Plus the confidence he gave the defence. Vigs has been decent enough so far and if he can kick on and not be flaky it'll push us forward. He needs to be given much less of the ball too, imo.

 

[bytholwyn]

Catennacio has a reputation, perhaps unfairly, of being very negative and defensively oriented. If what we've seen so far from Sheehan is anything to go by I see us being a lot more front foot, looking to play as much as possible of the game in the opposition half. Yes, he's tightened things up defensively, something we can all applaud, but I don't see us having a passively defensive approach under Sheehan. I hope not anyway. Going for a low block and living off tiny amounts of possession can be just as boring as the low tempo stuff served up by Martin.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Teams that can't defend don't achieve. It's a fundamental rule of modern football. Get yourself a solid back line and go from there.

I'd go a bit further and say it's always been a fundamental of football, not just the modern game.

There was always going to be an eventual backlash to the Pep influence of the last 10-15 years. It feels to me we're getting towards the end of the era of "we play only one way, always", it looks like it has had its day.

Look at Liverpool this season. Yes, they can still play, obviously. But unlike under Klopp where they only had one way of playing, they've mixed it up under Slot. Sometimes they've gone 4-3-3, sometimes 4-4-2, sometimes 4-5-1. Sometimes dominating the ball, sometimes playing with a low block, depending on what the match in front of them requires. Nothing wrong with that at all, and they've proved it.

It's a bit early to really know for sure, but the early signs are that Sheehan might be ahead of the curve here.

 

[bytholwyn]

I'm not convinced that Liverpool have used a low block. Can you give examples? They've averaged 58 per cent possession, so they still dominate the ball.

The biggest difference I see between Sheehan's approach and Williams' is that the latter looked to dominate possession the former looks to dominate territory. I can't think of any games where we've played with a low block under Sheehan. Even away to Leeds we were very aggressive and in their faces. The fact we had the lowest PPDA in the league illustrates the tenacity of our approach.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

I'm not convinced that Liverpool have used a low block. Can you give examples? They've averaged 58 per cent possession, so they still dominate the ball.

The biggest difference I see between Sheehan's approach and Williams' is that the latter looked to dominate possession the former looks to dominate territory. I can't think of any games where we've played with a low block under Sheehan. Even away to Leeds we were very aggressive and in their faces. The fact we had the lowest PPDA in the league illustrates the tenacity of our approach.

They used a low block at home against Chelsea in the league to protect a lead. They also did it against PSG away, and Manchester City away, especially in the second half. I think if you look at all those games they'd probably be in the 40s or even 30s for possession. I think they've done it intermittently in one or two other games as well.

 

[bytholwyn]

They used a low block at home against Chelsea in the league to protect a lead. They also did it against PSG away, and Manchester City away, especially in the second half. I think if you look at all those games they'd probably be in the 40s or even 30s for possession. I think they've done it intermittently in one or two other games as well.

That's fair enough, although those examples are all against teams who are renowned for their possession heavy tactics.

As far as we're concerned we are very much a mid rather than high or low block side. This makes a lot of sense, given how we have a number of very mobile and aggressive midfielders. I expect us to continue to play this way next season, given that Widell and Inoussa are both sound defensively.

 

[patchboy]

toshack played that system years ago with ante playing as sweeper.

 

[Derwydd]

Dzemal Hadziabdic, Ante Rajkovic loved em, hard as nails backs from Bosnia

 

[bakajack]

Like all football styles, taken to its absolute extreme it can become boring and subject to being countered
Its no different to long ball or tiki taka in that respect
Leicester has a surprise success with it the season they won the league

 

[Derwydd]

Like all football styles, taken to its absolute extreme it can become boring and subject to being countered
Its no different to long ball or tiki taka in that respect
Leicester has a surprise success with it the season they won the league

Tika Taka and Total Football were 2 approaches in the wiki article that said they beat that system.

As for Pepball. Didnt he say back in January that the style of football is changing and that he needs to adapt to it. Teams being more disruptive and hitting faster and harder on counter attacks.

I think Brighton's style has been described as Chaos football because you never know where a certain player is going to be on the pitch at any given time. That too would cause serious problems to this type of defence based on man marking.

Anyway, just posted so everyone didnt have to go googling to find out what the tactical system is.