The Fans Football Blog3

Guardiola is injecting this system in the tactical structure in doses. Total football is not just to switch positions, but also to have that “Water- like” structure, that reshape itself based on the opponent resistance, sometimes its 4-3-3, with two wings and a striker, then in one second it turn to become 4-3-1-2 where Messi play the free role behind two strikers – Henry-Eto’o, then its 4-1-2-2-1 with Messi moving to play as a striker with Henry and Eto’o Behind, without ignoring Alves contribution going forward and the way his runs reshape the tactical structures we draw on papers.

This approach shake any Defense, no doubt, because the way you set your defense to stop Eto’o in the box will not work if you face Messi instead, or even both. Monitoring Xavi as a sole playmaker turn useless when Messi Move to play that role as well, and so on.

We can really count on this Strategy, especially against teams that apply Tie Man-to-Man Marking. But we all wish if it was that easy, right?

In modern football, the man marking is a “Last option”, because every coach expect that key players switch positions, so everyone is applying a Zone marking now, you mark the player closest to your territory, what’s more boring is that, actually some coaches tend not to apply any kind of man marking at all, they simple close their area creating a crowd, closing any spaces to their box regardless of how the opponent move, and here, the total football –as mentioned above- lose lot of its advantages.

One of the standard options: no need to penetrate with the ball, instead of being a fighter sniping your target, act as a bomber and rain the opponent box by crosses and one of the balls will hit target. But to do that efficiently, you need the right players in the box, having only Eto’o there, means you are actually sending greeting cards for the opponent defense to enjoy, let’s shake and redistribute our cards then!

The receipt for this plan is to have good flanks to cross the ball, and players with physical presence in the box to knock it in, so let’s move the shorts back and the monsters forward, I mean Xavi move to play the pivot role, while Yaya move to play on the edge of the box, not permanently because then we will lose the power of surprise, let it happen every time the team switch from total football to crossing set up.

Two critical comments will face this suggestion:

1- Xavi is the best Play maker in the world and you want to pull him out of the operation Zone?! And the answer is simple, I believe being outside the crowd will make it easier for Xavi to dictate the system, whenever there is a big mess just play the ball back to the unmarked Xavi and let him generate a new wave forward. The other respond is that I am aiming to create a “Two Poles” playmaking this way, Xavi out and Messi in, instead of having them both on the edge of the box closing more space than the crowd-y defense already sealing. Why not? Lets have Xavi out – Military operation usually work from outside the battlefield for a reason- and Messi do a playmaking role upward where his skills can help him to dribble, make a Mess, and earning fouls for Alves on the edge of the Area.

2- The second Critic will be, Yaya is better as a defensive midfielder than Xavi, but I wonder if the opponents can cause more threat than Xavi plus three Defenders behind can handle, and still being crowded in their Box. I just can’t see that happening.

So making this switch means having enough depth and potentials defensively to slow down counter attacks, plus having two distinct playmakers which will increase the fluidity of the ball, and we will also gain a 191 cm guy on the edge of the box who will only need milliseconds to penetrate and head the cross to the net.

One monster rolling to the box is not enough to seal the deal, the movement of Eto’o in the box is important dragging them to the near post opening a gap, and also one other player movement is important based on who will be the forward beside Eto’O and Messi, and who will be the third Midfielder beside Xavi and Yaya.

To cover the options without making the article long, I think the following presentations will serve the need:

I cant say the first selection is better or the second one, It depend on whom we are playing against, their weakness and strength.

In short, we have three missiles launchers in this team, Yaya, keita, and Alves. The trick to switch permanently from “Crossing Method” to “Shooting set up” is Messi switching positions with Alves who run to the edge of the box through the path created by Messi sprint wide to the right dragging his markers.

This set up will create a lot of confusion for the opponent, they know the three players are there to shoot, and with the physical characters of the shooting players, it will not be enough for the opponent to apply one-to-one Marking, Alves is too explosive for any one marker to handle when he run, cross or shoot, while Yaya hm…you know…! But at the same time parking more than three players to face the three threats will definitely create gaps on the sides for Messi and Iniesta/Henry to penetrate to the box through the flanks.

This set up inspire lot of predicted scenarios, starting from a fake shot attempt and playing an assist instead to Eto’o in the box, but mostly to the guys penetrating from the flanks behind defense, to the scenario of penetrating to the box with the ball (at least Yaya and Alves can do so), while Eto’o move out pulling Central backs out of position, and much more.