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A Duel of Tacticians - The Analysis
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter! In this issue, we'll be focusing on the following topics:
⚽ Van Gaal's Four-Phase Model
🔎 Match Analysis: Manchester City 2 VS Brighton 1
⚽Van Gaal's Four-Phase Model
To make the game easier to understand, Dutch coach Louis van Gaal has developed a four-phase model. According to him, a soccer game is a continuous sequence of four phases that repeat themselves from kickoff to the final whistle. When the opponent takes the kickoff, the own team is in the defensive formation. This is the first phase: the opponent is in possession of the ball, the own team tries in an organized way to prevent a goal against and to win the ball. As soon as a player wins the ball, the second phase starts: transition to own ball possession. Now there is a chance to secure possession or to surprise the opponent with a counterattack. As soon as the team has secured the ball, the third phase starts: own possession. A defensively organized opponent is now to be outplayed, and a goal is to be scored. If the team loses the ball, the fourth phase follows: transition from offense to defense. And then the game starts all over again.
Of course, this model is not perfect. It underscores the complexity of the sport: There are hardly any situations in football that can be described without indirect connections to other situations. The game of football is constantly in flux: Players move freely, and aside from corner kicks, free kicks, or goals, there are hardly any pauses. A ball that is in Team A's penalty area one moment can be in Team B's penalty area ten seconds later. The transitions between the four phases are fluid. As Juanma Lillo, the Spanish coach and role model for Pep Guardiola, once said: "The game is an indivisible unit.
There is no defensive moment without a simultaneous attack. Both form a functional unit." Nevertheless, it makes sense to use this division as a foundation. Anyone who can recognize the four phases of a football match has already taken a significant step in analyzing a team's tactics. Furthermore, in most cases, there are specific tactical principles that are repeatedly found in professional football during each phase.
What about set pieces?
Set pieces are often considered as a separate, fifth phase. Especially in amateur football, where there is less training, I can understand why this phase may receive less attention. However, this does not mean it is unimportant. The limited training sessions compared to professional teams lead amateur teams to invest their time in the other four phases. In professional teams, set pieces are of higher importance and are carefully analyzed. Therefore, it does make sense to integrate set pieces into the existing model.
🔎Manchester City 2 vs. Brighton 1 - Analysis
Start formation: Both teams began with a 4-2-3-1 setup on paper. However, in reality, this formation is not a rigid structure that remains unchanged throughout the entire match. The starting formations change once the game begins. Instead, positions vary depending on the course of the game and the different phases of football. We will take a closer look at how players from both teams behaved in the four phases of the game.
Possession Phase:
Brighton maintains a back four. The center-backs and the two defensive midfielders stay close together. Coach De Zerbi emphasizes the importance of players being near each other. This has the advantage of shorter passing distances. The ball circulates more rapidly, and, typically, it is easier to make a 10-meter pass than a 20 or 30-meter pass.
The goalkeeper (Jason Steele) in this system is extremely skilled with the ball at his feet and acts like an additional playmaker. Brighton's number ten or striker often drops into the midfield to create numerical superiority. The two wingers position themselves wide along the touchline to generate space, especially in the half-spaces. Their style of play is characterized by patience as they attempt to draw the opponent out of their positions. Once this happens, they exploit the vacated space. This requires a high level of ball control and, above all, precise timing. Brighton is probably one of the best teams globally when it comes to playing the crucial passes at the right moment.
In the second area of the field, Brighton employs a similar approach to their play as in the first zone. They circulate the ball patiently among themselves, waiting for the opponent's reaction. In contrast to City, they typically have only four players in the front line. Depending on their proximity to the goal, Pascal Gross or Carlos Baleba may advance to join the offensive formation, creating a five-man line at the forefront. This typically occurs when they find themselves at the end of the second zone or the beginning of the third zone.
On the other hand, Manchester City employs a back three formation during the build-up. Jon Stones moves back into midfield to create a kind of double pivot with Rodri. Bernardo Silva and Alvarez act as central midfielders and together form a box midfield. Bernardo Silva tends to drop a bit deeper to be involved in the build-up, while Alvarez positions himself a bit higher. The goalkeeper still plays a significant role in this formation. Ortega occasionally joins to create a back four, effectively serving as an additional center-back during the build-up.
Alvarez plays a crucial role in this system as he has the freedom to move flexibly. He can assist in midfield during the build-up phase and move forward to attack space with Haaland. This poses a challenging decision for the center-back with the number 3 (Igor), whether to track Alvarez into the midfield or leave him to another player. Here is an example where the center-back has pushed far forward. However, this can be risky as it opens up space in the defense that Haaland or the wingers could exploit.
When Manchester City managed to advance into the second or even the third zone, they often played through the left side where Jeremy Doku operates. This proved to be a weakness for Brighton as Milner was frequently too slow in direct duels with Doku. Hence, Carlos Baleba with the number 20 or the winger Simon Adinga wearing the number 24 consistently provided support to double up on Doku. However, when he was doubled, space opened up for another player, and if City had room in the middle, they became extremely dangerous.
For Milner, the game was challenging as he was consistently presented with difficult decisions. The movements of Bernardo Silva in the half-spaces made it tough for Milner to decide whether to press him or focus on Jeremy Doku, who was positioned on the sideline. Manchester City executed this particularly well, especially in the first half.
Transition Play After Losing Possession:
Both teams act similarly when they lose the ball. Their goal is to regain possession as quickly as possible and close down the spaces. Guardiola and De Zerbi have a clear idea of how they want to occupy the spaces. They even consider the potential loss of possession and often position their players strategically to regain the ball. The players are aware of their individual roles, indicating a high level of tactical structure.
Out of Possession:
When Brighton has the ball in Zone 1, Guardiola's players position themselves very high up the field. Haaland and Alvarez jointly press the center-backs and put them under pressure. Their positioning is crucial. When the goalkeeper has the ball, they are not already next to the center-backs but positioned between the central midfielders and center-backs. As soon as a pass is played, they press the corresponding center-back to prevent space from opening up in the middle. Bernardo Silva and Jon Stones are responsible for both of Brighton's central midfielders. Rodri stays deeper and marks the player who moves into the midfield to help with build-up play. In total, they press with up to seven players in the opponent's half. Bernardo Silva plays a key role in this setup. He attempts to provoke a pass by pressing the goalkeeper at the right moment and directing him in a desired direction.
When Brighton manages to combine and progress into the second or third zone, you can observe how Guardiola organizes his team into a 4-4-2 defensive system, with Alvarez and Haaland up front. This formation effectively defends the midfield as six players remain close together and are positioned centrally.
When Manchester City has the ball in Zone 1, Brighton positions themselves relatively high up the field, but with a bit more caution compared to City. This is because City possesses strong individual players upfront who are dangerous in one-on-one situations. Additionally, Bernardo Silva and Alvarez are positioned relatively high and occupy the spaces in between, meaning a Brighton midfielder needs to be mindful not to push too far forward. City deploys five players upfront when they build up the play, and Alvarez, Haaland, or Bernardo Silva can drop back into the midfield depending on the situation. This automatically creates space in the midfield. Carlos Baleba (Number 20) faces the difficult choice of whether to press high or assist in defense as needed. Brighton also has two players pressing upfront, attempting to position themselves between the two central defenders. I'm including the goalkeeper here as well, as in Guardiola's system, he functions as the second central defender alongside Akanji. Pascal Gross advances from the central midfield to press higher up and aim to mark one of City's two central midfielders. Brighton's wingers position themselves between City's central midfielders and full-backs, and they only engage City's full-back once a pass is played. As you can see, both teams place a strong emphasis on defending the midfield.
For the same reasons mentioned earlier, Brighton also operates in a 4-4-2 system when Manchester City manages to penetrate into Zone 2 or 3.
Transition after Ball Recovery:
Both coaches prefer a deliberate and structured approach to the attack. Often, they secure the ball first and then initiate the attack. This doesn't mean they are against counter-attacks, but the players need to weigh whether a counter makes sense in the given situation. If the opportunity arises, there's nothing wrong with it, but if their players are not optimally positioned, and the opponent is well-organized, both coaches prefer to restart the attack from the beginning.
Conclusion:
Manchester City may have dominated the game, but it's essential to remember they also have superior individual players. Brighton has many injured players who are crucial to the team. In a club with a narrower squad than the big teams, this can be a significant challenge. It's fascinating to see how quickly De Zerbi implemented his ideas and how attractive his team plays. We eagerly anticipate the further development of the team and De Zerbi's personal career. I'm sure that after his time at Brighton, some big clubs will come knocking on his door.
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