Last Day: 2015

TPL

Chonburi 0-3 Saraburi

Chonburi Stadium

Attendance: 4,958

Sunday 13th December, 2015

Match Report

A Tale of Two Coaches

by Peter Reeves

So, last day of the season. Any team from 6 can go down, Saraburi being one of them. All set up then for an exciting finale.

 

It’s never easy when a team has little to play for against a team fighting for their lives, but these are professionals so the least you can expect is commitment. I’ll be making a few comments later, and concentrate here on the tactics employed by both teams.

 

Firstly, Saraburi. Ever since I first saw them I liked them. They don’t in the main, possess the talented individuals that other teams have but I like the way the coach sets them up making the most of what he has to work with. Tactically tonight he got it exactly right. I like him. Put 4 across the back and keep them tight, protect them with 2 and sometimes 3 midfielders. Make it difficult for the opposition to break you down, and when they do, rely on a more than adequate goalkeeper. Ride your luck at times, which you have to, but you have to win so leave 2 guys up front on their own who run until they drop for the team (and they did), and hope to nick a goal. A classic counter attacking formation and style. The coach- prowling the touch line, encouraging, pointing, shouting, never criticizing, celebrating.

 

Chonburi. Looked disjointed again. Had no shape and the defence? Oh my god where were they? They fell into the age-old trap of ‘everyone attacking’ because the opponents were sitting back and left themselves exposed time and time again. I don’t know why. They were under no pressure. At times there was no one back at all except Dos Santos. Two incidents in the second half, one where the goalkeeper was out 30 yards from his goal making a clearance and a second where 2 Chonburi defenders tackled each other, showed the panic and chaos. They just hadn’t a clue where they were supposed to be or what they were supposed to be doing. The coach- sat in the dug out looking bemused and seemingly at a loss on what to do. First half possession was probably about even, without looking at stats, second half must have been 75-25% to Chonburi, a few incidents in the penalty area and near misses and a couple of fine saves from the goalkeeper but nothing to show for all their possession and dominance.

 

So here you have a problem. After 10 minutes the warning lights should have been flashing as a couple of times Saraburi broke. Brief comments about the goals. Penalty, soft. He left his leg behind and he was going nowhere. Contact yes, but I’ve seen those not given. The other two, just counter attack breakaways with no defence to stop them. And it could have been far worse as they missed at least 3 other opportunities.

 

But let’s look at the tactics and mechanics of what was going on. Make no mistake here, Saraburi defensively were excellent apart from one comical incident near the end when the player fell over, Charlie Chaplin style, and presented a chance that hit the post. Saraburi have a right back, number 19, who is the best right back playing in the TPL, and a disciplined, organized defence, but you have got to break them down. A perpetual battering ram approach won’t work, they are too organized and just lobbing high balls in won’t either, defenders were tall, attackers smaller. So how?

 

Let’s look at the formation against you. 4 defenders across the back. Good shape, organized, committed. In front of them 2 and sometimes 3 midfielders protecting them. Spoiling, tackling, doing anything to break it up. The middle of the field, in front of the penalty area very compressed and crowded and no way through. They’ve taken away your space to play. You have to tactically change that and create the space. 

Years ago when I was asked to give courses I used to ask the students a question on the first morning, “during play can you change the dimensions of the playing surface in which you are playing?” They would always answer “no, of course not”. The course was then all set up to show them how you can. You have to change it, creating space where this is none. The pitch itself is a certain size and you play within its borders, but in making certain areas of that pitch unavailable you have changed the size of the area in which they can play. The size has changed. I tried to teach them to become ‘spatial neurotics’. Space is what you need to play effectively. Learn how and where to create it.

 

Firstly let’s look at the mechanics of tonight. I cannot draw diagrams here so I will have to try and explain. Firstly, you have to stretch that back 4 as wide as you can. That means employing ‘wingers’ who hug the touch lines and keep the full backs wide. They do not come inside, except in one circumstance we shall discuss, it just clogs everything up. That will at least create a bit of room between the back four. Secondly you have to get those defensive midfielders out of it to allow you to get at the back four. Thirdly, Saraburi were defending ‘zonally’ not man-marking, so you need to cause confusion with a style of movement we used to call ‘doubling-up’.

 

Let’s look at the application. First issue, stretching that back four. With wingers who stay wide the full backs have to guard against an attack on the flanks. They drift wide of their centre-backs , because they have to, and create a little space for you to use. If you have a creative midfielder he can slot a ball through that gap for the on-running winger to attack the penalty area. Another option. The winger himself can receive the ball wide, faced by his full back. Now here is the one time he comes in. His supporting midfielder sees the opportunity and makes the run outside him down the line as the winger comes inside, he won’t be followed leaving you a man free. If he is followed by a midfielder that creates space where the midfielder has just left. 

This allows a ‘reverse’ ball to the midfielder who has made the wide run into the space left by the full back who will momentarily have followed the winger. The midfielder can then attack the penalty area while the winger takes the midfielders place in the team formation until they can change back. Another option. With the winger wide, marked by his full back, a ball short from a supporting midfielder to the winger will be seen by one of the forward players who will make the run into the box beyond and between the back four. The winger will play a ‘first touch’ pass into that space knowing his attacker will be making the run. It happens fast and there is little time for defenders to adjust position. Just 3 of quite a few options using wide players. All these scenarios are worked on easily on a training ground.

 

But here is the big one. Getting those defensive midfielders out the way and leaving the centre of the defence exposed. This will take a few things. Good technique to keep the ball, intelligent movement around them, no long hopeful balls and above all...Patience! Consolidation zone players, essentially your back 4 will play up to the creative zone either in straight lines or diagonally. Now the opposition defensive midfielder knows his job is to stop that so he will come close to the player receiving the ball so you give it straight back to where it’s just come from. 3 midfielders in there, all receiving and knocking back, gradually retreating a little each time towards their own goal. 

The defensive midfielders are gradually pushing up intent on doing their job and space begins to appear behind them. At some point a midfielder needs to make a move into that space behind them and receive a one touch pass and away you go. That will take time. Time to drag them out. Boring to watch? Can be. Effective? Definitely. If the move breaks down then you start again. One little point here, if you have the ball in this scenario the opposition can’t hurt you. That’s why I always talk about technique and control of the ball. Essential. While you’ve got it, they haven’t.

 

You are thinking, oh yes easy on paper, and it is. But you know it can be achieved. This level of intelligent movement, patience, technique and control and awareness, call it intelligence if you like, can all be produced in players. At Ajax (oh no, some are thinking, here he goes again) they teach these things from aged 8. I saw it. By 12, those players who have managed to stay in the group are technically very good and are being taught to think on their feet. Think quickly. If you watch them play even today, when they are not that strong as a team, you can see every player receiving the ball has at least 3 options for the next pass. 

Everyone moving, rotating into dangerous and effective positions. The key is then making the right choice of pass. Intelligence. Awareness of what is going on around them. Young players do not receive the ball and think “ok what do I do with it”, they are thinking before they get the ball “ok, If I get it where will be my options”. They are taught this very early. Yes, it can be taught. Light years of course from what we are watching but if the Dutch kids can learn this why not the Thai’s? Of course they can given the right setup.

 

Ok, scenario 3. You’ve moved the defensive midfielders forward and got in behind them. Things have got to happen fast because they will be coming back. The back 4 in front of you are defending zonally, marking a space not a player. You have to get them out the way. Doubling up can be an effective way to confuse the opposition. They might be expecting one attacker to make a run across or slightly into the box, but not 2. Side by side about 3 metres apart they make there run, maybe diagonally across the box. 

The defender is not expecting this and two players, not one, have suddenly appeared in his zone. He can’t cope. A slight brief panic will mean he either follows one leaving the other free or continues to hold his position leaving 2 free. Once in the danger area the doubling up ceases and they both find space. As I say things have got to happen fast now with one touch and movement and you’re in behind them to allow the strike on goal.

 

That’s enough I think before everyone gets a headache. But if after all this you have no defensive discipline or shape, as Chonburi didn’t, you will concede. And concede stupid goals they did., They didn’t need to all go charging up the field leaving wide open spaces and no cover for a team that was hitting them on the break. Not necessary. The middle of the pitch is over populated as it is without having defenders making it worse. No. Keep shape and discipline. Controlled thoughtful attacking.

 

So a Tale of Two Coaches. One who set his team up well with a set goal of playing a counter attacking game to win a match he must win. The other who seemingly had no idea it would be like this and then didn’t know what to do to counteract it. Of course if these things haven’t been considered before the situation arises on the training ground then there is little you can do. But isn’t that the coach's job? To make sure potential scenarios in matches are covered and solutions practiced? I thought that was part of it. Anyway on the day he has been “out-coached” and I hear this morning he has resigned. I always feel sorry for people in this situation whatever the reasons. I think he probably realized and has done what he sees as the ‘honourable’ thing by falling on his sword. Credit it to him for that. 

But it didn’t need to be that way. He could have thought 6 months ago I need some help here. Let’s bring in a defensive coach to get this sorted out and I will concentrate on the attack. If of course he had been allowed to. The Saraburi coach would have been a very good option for that. But then he probably realizes he is doing ok, and he is. Given that man for man, Chonburi have more gifted players, he setup a team to nullify their undoubted attacking threat and to expose a chaotic defense. Hats off to him.

 

Next season?

 

Well, Chonburi in my view, if they want to challenge, should not employ a coach they should employ a Head Coach with a support team of specialized coaches and team members. Right down to the 8 year olds. They have a few months to get it organized.

 

It could be done.

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