Anybody here with coaching / managerial experience to share some input on football strategies & tactics?

I once had a glance thru Jose Mourinho's biography at the bookstore some months back, and was very interested when he talked about strategies during games. About how an opposition manager once sent in a speedy winger during a game, and JM countered by doing the same, so that the winger would have to track back and defend the same flanks, thus reducing his effectiveness!

I'd like to learn how different formations can effect the play of a team, 4-4-2 vs 4-5-1? Why and when do teams use them? How does it change depending on the type of players that a team has? How do coaches even know what to employ?

I'm very interested in learning the finer points of the game, which I believe will help us look at football differently rather than just paying attention to scoring goals. Then, we'd have more appreciation of the game, even if it ends 0-0!

Wow Mike, now you're into tactics and formations. Way to go dude!

See you this Thursday! Will pay up my membership fee on that day.

Hahaha yeah, I've always been interested in it since a long time back but have never had any coaching before so it's hard to learn sometimes. Seeya Thursday!

try play fooball manager 2008 lar

Walau FM08 also come out.. I think easypeasy can help.

already out so long ahem version

I know. I mean arrowhead asked for tactics, but you suddenly drag to fm.

Since we are talking about tactics and strategies

can anyone give me an idea on how to beat the defender

i think thats the main thing im having problems with

You need skills. Or play one two with the nearest players. If you calm enough, check his leg position. If his leg open too big, lubang him. If his leg open, but can't fit the ball through, then cut him.

faking ?? drop ur shoulder on 1 side then go another.. if u release defenders always show u a way on the weaker side.. unless if they stand right infront u can always go sideways.. if ur 2 footed.. just shift the ball then pull the trigger..^.^ its no always bout beating the defender is how u get ur shot off ^.^..

Tactic and formation as my experience totally depence on the squad.
There two aspect to built at team. Defensive or attacking.

To built an attacking squad. The emphasis is the combining the strength of each player and synergise it as like alex ferguson, arsene wenger, keegan, any brazilian coach and etc

To built a defensive squad, it is more likely countering each of the opponent key players. Example Jose, trapparoni, ancelotti, capello.

Of course ideally is to match speed with speed. brute strength with brute strength. And you give a 50-50 chance. So what exactly makes the difference other than individual skills?

What I learn from so games I have played.

1. You have to understand the players you have.

eg based on ametuer football.

Some players are tall but not fast -
there few options.
if ball control is good - striker- they will be able to hold the ball... then your should be getting goals from you AMC or FC or thru set pieces.

if ball control is not that good. Defensive midfield.

some players are fast but can't pass.
- I suppose ppl might think this is natural for a winger.
For me , i will use them as flank backs.

Reason - for ametuer soccer, if they are playing up, they won't look back. and nobody infront to pass to.

some players can pass but can' stop the ball confidently.

I would use them at the side as winger or midfield but not in central position.

That is few examples you could take into consideration. For higher level, semi-pro level or profesional level. this is not applicable neither i have experience to comment. I wasn't paid to pay soccer.. muahaha,.. the most was a cup of teh.

where i can get that JM biography?interested to read his strategies during games

there many situations to beat a defender.

1. 1 vs 1 dribbling past a defender

if you are faster than him kick the ball ahead where no ppl then kick back to the direction you wanna go.
Reason. first you get him out of position then you are ahead of him with a good distance with a sudden switch of direction

If you are slower than him.
no chance if you are not experience. and if you are experience you won't be asking this question. so answer is no chance.

2. 2 vs etc

Play one two with you friend.

I thought the talk is about tactics & strategies, how come there are talks about skills / technics? Very different you know, a player with limited technics / skills like me but with better tactical awareness would do well compare to a player with a bundle of skills but no tactical knowledge who would always run into a blind alley. A very good example would be Jamie Carragher who is a limited player by EPL standards, almost no skills of note, but with much much superior awareness and tactical nous, he'd come up on top almost every time because of his reading of the game.
Another would be C*** Ronaldo (sorry, couldn't resist the dig) in his early days in the EPL, very skillful, but wiht almost no tactical or strategy and awareness, resulting in him doing countless of stepovers and not being able to produce the end result of a cross or a pass or a goal.
A player with both would be the likes of Kaka & Xabi Alonso, they can read the game well and have the skills to beat the player or to put the pass to where it hurts the team most. That is a rarity, that is why they are rated so high by the respective teams and supporters. Just my two cents. Will talk a bit more about tactics later, as I am interested in tactics and how to make the team work.

i think fabregas and carrick read games very good as well ..

They do, I am merely pointing out examples of a few, plus I think they need to do it consistantly in EPL and in Europe to be able to justify that tag.

Tactics are dictated by the players in the squad and the opponent. I like 4-4-1-1 formation myself, as it's adaptable while the game is in progress. 2nd striker can drop deeper to stiffen-up the midfield and play higher once you're attacking.

I am a firm believer in diagonal balls as well IF you have a great passer of the ball in the holding midfield roll, allowing your attacking players to run into space and drag the defenders out of position. Damn i am talking about Benitez's tactics!

Okay, we'll see Jonno's tactic this Saturday!

Basically; 4-5-1's a packing the midfield strategy. A formation's purpose is determined by the strategy and the players used. 'nuff said. For example; you use slower; stronger players and a 4-5-1 formation is often considered as a more diplomatic way of saying "park the bus please". A 4-5-1 with faster players will result in a more dynamic interplay to rush forward in numbers and overwhelm the opposition to submission. That was Chelsea's way of playing (albeit termed as a '4-3-3'). Ferguson tried; in his 4-5-1 days, to play a fast 4-5-1 but he only had slow, strong players to fill up the middle of the park. Which led them to being neither here nor there and they had to resort to playing long ball and boring their opponents into submission. The adoption of a lone striker is generally seen as a gamble because you'll either have good days (ala Chelsea scoring > 2) or bad days (Chelsea the rest of the time).

4-4-2's a more generic formation and is more flexible than you think. Despite being seen as more attacking oriented; teams like Blackburn and Everton frequently employ a 4-4-2 with 2 defensive midfielders or 1 defensive and 1 attacking midfielder to help protect the defense, especially against stronger teams. Obviously a 4-4-2 formation is more balanced as you've got 'lots of room to play with; depending on what you want. This is why the 4-4-2's arguably the most popular formation in the world. You can mix and match to conform with what you want.

As for the strikers; most managers would go with a big-and-small combo or a fast-and-slow combo for variety, but we've seen in recent times; the modern striker's becoming a fusion of both. Players like Drogba, Podolski, Klose and the like are putting an end to the days of Hartson, Hutchinson, Koller and the like.

Personally; I've always liked a modified form of a 4-4-2. Basically; it's a 3-5-2 in which you've got 3 central defenders (which you can probably form with a sweeper), 2 wingbacks who'll roam into midfield, a defensive midfielder to shield the back 3 and 2 attacking minded midfielders to provide firepower for the 2 strikers. In order for this to work; you've got to have good fast technical players who can pass the ball quick. You can also easily switch between playing 3-5-2 to attack and playing 5-3-2 to defend by adjusting the wingbacks.

Having said that though; you can only talk 'bout playing formations if you've got players who're disciplined enough who're willing to play as a team. Even professionals make mistakes with regards to formation discipline and positioning.

This is a very risky formation though; but then again, i'm just a naive noob who likes good, attacking football.

This post has been edited by glozz: Jan 2 2008, 01:37 PM

I believe you cannot take premier league tactics to play on ameteur soccer.
Their ability and technical superiority is totally different.

one of the examples.
Headers - headers from cross a virtually not a threat. ametuer soccer has very little aerial threat. During warm up , you could see 10 players attacking 1 ball. and yet they can't head the ball in either due to bad delivery or miss chances.

Dribbling - there are players which dribbles and totally have no ability to pass. Simply because they can't play short passes. Why, running means speed. to control the speed for short passes during dribbling is harder rather than crossing the ball. however 50% of them will tire off after running half the field. so bad delivery into the box.

Ball stopping- Alot of ppl mistaken long ball or counter attack is good to play against stronger opposition. however this is only true if your striker is have good ball control. If your striker unable to trap the ball well. you w0n't get to possession of the ball long enuff to make a counter attack.

Stamina - we cannot play a 4-4-2 wing system .. Y? nobody got the stamina. those 2 defensive midfield not going to last the whole game. Single striker would be better as the wingers would have tendency not to come down in time after an attack.

I am saying this based on my experience in the ametuer leagues.