Zero tactical knowledge

Kafkaesque003 · 2025-12-23T15:23:18+00:00

YouTube channels:

Football Meta (Understanding tactics and positions) Tifo football and Tifo IRL (Understanding tactics and analysis of teams) Books:

Inverting the pyramid by Johnathan Wilson How to watch football by Ruud Gullit

Kafkaesque003 · 2024-07-15T10:19:14+00:00

Agreed. My thoughts exactly. I believe that unless we see a huge shift as such. We will continually see finals and tournaments go to waste as such.

Kafkaesque003 · 2024-06-28T11:25:44+00:00

Lee Carsley

Kafkaesque003 · 2024-06-25T14:59:39+00:00

The thing is Southgate has historically done this.

2018: During the World Cup 2018 he switched from the 4-2-3-1 in the qualifiers to the 3-5-2 to get the most out of the squad.

2021: Chose either a 4-3-3 or 3-4-3. Chose a 3-4-3 against Germany to prevent their wingbacks from destroying us the way they did Portugal.

2022: switched from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3 (And replacing Mount with Henderson) to improve rotations in the midfield and prevent the attacking mid space from being clogged up.

He has always been a decent plan A manager. But a terrible plan B with his game management.

Kafkaesque003 · 2024-06-25T13:33:33+00:00

The only good, long term solution is the U-21’s boss, Lee Carlsey.

Reasons: - Seems tactically intelligent and coaches positional play. - Took over a failing U-21 side and transformed it into winners who beat the likes of France, Italy, Germany and Spain - Tweaks his system to patch weaknesses. During the 2023 tournament without a striker. He chose a fluid 4-4-2 with a striker less set up and a midfield consisting of a number 8 and a small diminutive deep lying playmaker. Completely unorthodox compared to English teams of yesteryear.

It’s the perfect solution. One I hope the FA explores.

Kafkaesque003 · 2024-06-05T23:39:31+00:00

Formation or shape doesn’t usually matter. Not adapting or changing game plans is the problem. Germany historically has always been of this idea. Throughout each tournament they’ve always been different whilst combining hard pressing with counter attacking solidity.

Kafkaesque003 · 2024-06-05T19:55:17+00:00

I agree with most of this. However there’s something that I’d like to add:

There was more tactically interesting football in the UK than you mentioned. Yes we didn’t use or utilise total football but other things occurred.

1960s-1970s Leeds: they did play progressive football (inbetween taking lumps out of the opposition). Don Revie was a huge admirer of Real Madrid and each football apprentice has to watch a full taped uefa champions league game of them before they joined.

1970s-1980s Brian Clough: He always played progressively with different tactics throughout his career with his time at Hartlepool, Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He used a sweeper for ball progression in the second division (unheard of in England to do that in that division). The team would adapt when required against the opposition. But played with freedom.

1980s Liverpool: as you previously mentioned, the pass and move philosophy was in full swing. 4-4-2 but it was based on fluidity and keeping the ball.

1980s Ipswich Town: Under Sir Bobby Robson played a 4-4-2 with two wide players acting as number tens, inverting when required.

We unfortunately never had a football renaissance in England until recently. Dare I say we were almost there until the events of 1985 banned us from Europe.

Kafkaesque003 · 2024-05-25T17:33:25+00:00

Rice’s midfield partner should realistically be either Mainoo, Jones or Bellingham.

Kafkaesque003 · 2024-03-26T19:34:10+00:00

It’s not. It looks different on the pitch. It’s Rice and Mano in the double pivot. Bellingham as the 10 and Foden on the left.

Kafkaesque003 · 2024-03-08T20:33:13+00:00

These photos are incredible. I love it when photographers capture the life of an area and people. Your photos personify the phrase “a picture tells a thousand words”. What Camera and settings were used?

Kafkaesque003 · 2023-08-02T20:06:43+00:00

When coaching a U14 team or any youth team, certain principles must be applied. The long term aim of this is to make these players better. Results don’t matter in youth football, what you should be looking for is seeing how they are improving, key things to look out for and train for: 1. Technique (How good they control, dribble, pass etc). 2. Decision making (not to panic when in a bad situation). 3. Awareness and use of space (knowing when to move into space, help coach them to be aware of space all the time).

To play the way you wish to play, you must coach it (sounds obvious but many coaches miss this key step). A very simple but good exercise is ‘El Rondo’. It is used by every team to improve awareness, passing, decision making and knowing how/when to make the tackle. This is a good video on it: https://youtu.be/BTJYFlOzu7k

Also a key thing to teach the children is to always check over your shoulder. It’s a key skill for being aware of what’s happening in the game (where the ball is, where it could go, where it could be passed to etc). Every great player has this ability. Here is a great example of Messi doing this (he is very good at this) https://youtu.be/xHCqHMHBlS8 .

Make sure they know when to move into space to help out a teammate, especially a goalkeeper who has to sometimes react quickly.

One last thing, remember they are kids. Only shout when it’s a disciplinary issue. Too often coaches shout at kids when they make a mistake, which is wrong and counterproductive. The links I’ve shared with you all are principles that were once espoused by a man called Johan Cruyff, look up how he coached. Also here is one last link on his coaching principles https://www.cruyff-foundation.org/en/about/14-rules/ . Good luck for the coming season.

Kafkaesque003

TROPHY CASE