Ralf Rangnick Interiors

[(sic)]

12 minutes ago, g4ddy79 said:

Brilliant 

 

I’ll have to get back on the laptop and try myself.

 

ralf even said today they were both number 10’s, the other day in the semi position. So he definitely confirms they weren’t wingers.

 

 How are you defending on the flanks. Would you force inside, I to the trap of a over powering central midfield?

Yeah, though you can't translate it literally into FM. So even using IWs or Wide Playmakers can work to achieve a similar thing, depending on what you want.

Narrow width defensively, with AMs told to mark specific opponents (fullbacks on their side).

10 minutes ago, YAMS said:

Ok, that looks pretty much perfect. Thank you for this. So you use roam from position and either stays wider or moves in to channels, do you use gets forward & runs wide with ball as well? I'd like to try to perfectly replicate this. 

This is all I have, to really customize the role, you can use players with different traits as well as using extra PIs if you want to.

[(sic)]

6 minutes ago, vrig said:

This is why I asked what you mean by starting position. Had you read on, you may have noticed a question as to whether you want them to exclusively defend in the half space. That is the only way they would already be in the half space before the team has possession.

This isn't what Rangnick's interiors do, and it's not what I would want to do, as it would just be surrendering the flanks if the initial counterpress fails.

See @Rashidi's screenshot above, where Bruno and Sancho have moved into the half space in possession - they haven't stood there waiting for the team to win the ball and then vacated the half spaces; they've gone in and attacked them. 

Rangnick's interiors are 10's when the team is in possession. They're then narrow for a counterpress, and if that fails they take up flank positions in a 442 shape. That's probably why he also said in his interview that Bruno and Sancho had the most physically demanding roles in the team - they have a lot to do.

If you don't want to replicate that particular aspect of the shape, I'd still say that off-centre AM with stay wider and a few other PI's would do the strictly attacking part of the tactic well enough. Plenty of roles to play with

This.

However the issue with using IWs is that even if you tell them to sit narrow, they're still positioned wide. They're only narrow when the play approaches the final third. To get around this I'm using the 4-2-2-2 shape, as I've mentioned in above posts. To cover the flanks I use Mark Specific Player to mark the opposition fullbacks/wingbacks. It's not 100% ideal, but it kinda works.

[alang]

4 hours ago, (sic) said:

Yeah, though you can't translate it literally into FM. So even using IWs or Wide Playmakers can work to achieve a similar thing, depending on what you want.

Narrow width defensively, with AMs told to mark specific opponents (fullbacks on their side).

This is all I have, to really customize the role, you can use players with different traits as well as using extra PIs if you want to.

Do you use any opposition instruction on top of the instruction to mark specific player for AM?

[(sic)]

9 hours ago, alang said:

Do you use any opposition instruction on top of the instruction to mark specific player for AM?

Yes, I'm using the setup Rashidi has talked about in his Rangnick interpretation.

 

[YAMS]

18 hours ago, (sic) said:

This is all I have, to really customize the role, you can use players with different traits as well as using extra PIs if you want to.

Many thanks again. I'll try this base set up & see how it goes. Appreciated. 

[YAMS]

18 hours ago, vrig said:

This is why I asked what you mean by starting position. Had you read on, you may have noticed a question as to whether you want them to exclusively defend in the half space. That is the only way they would already be in the half space before the team has possession.

This isn't what Rangnick's interiors do, and it's not what I would want to do, as it would just be surrendering the flanks if the initial counterpress fails.

See @Rashidi's screenshot above, where Bruno and Sancho have moved into the half space in possession - they haven't stood there waiting for the team to win the ball and then vacated the half spaces; they've gone in and attacked them. 

Rangnick's interiors are 10's when the team is in possession. They're then narrow for a counterpress, and if that fails they take up flank positions in a 442 shape. That's probably why he also said in his interview that Bruno and Sancho had the most physically demanding roles in the team - they have a lot to do.

If you don't want to replicate that particular aspect of the shape, I'd still say that off-centre AM with stay wider and a few other PI's would do the strictly attacking part of the tactic well enough. Plenty of roles to play with

I did read on.... Anyway, enough of that.

I'd like their starting default positions when we have the ball to be the half spaces. From there they could roam inside or hold the half position depending on the phase/development of play. I don't like them starting the attacking transition narrow by default. Defensively isn't an issue, that's pretty simple to set up. 

The AMS set up provided might do the trick though, will give it a go tonight. 

[ShirazS]

On 07/12/2021 at 19:46, Trevomac said:

I've tried this setup and working well for me.

 

 

 

Here we in in a defensive phase situation with the ball central. Bruno and Rashford are the wide players.

And an example in defensive phase with ball in wide area.

Here is an attacking example. Greenwood came short, played to Fred and Fred played a ball over the top to Martial. Amad and Rashford the wide players here and very narrow.

d

How do you ensure only your team's player names are turned on?

Edited December 8, 2021 by ShirazS

[hehehemann]

3 hours ago, ShirazS said:

How do you ensure only your team's player names are turned on?

You can control click the players in the match screen and their names stay

[YAMS]

Update, I've reverted to wing position APS's playing narrow & roaming from the AM Stata. These seem to do the job quite well. 

[Jack722]

Haven't seen much of Rangnick, but Hasenhuttl at Southampton is pretty similar to a wide 424 DM in FM with inverted wingers. I think Rangnick is the same based on what I know.

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by Jack722

[Bradz FM]

17 hours ago, ShirazS said:

How do you ensure only your team's player names are turned on?

As mentioned below. Painfully Ctrl + clicking each player. There is a setting to turn all players on. I've requested a feature several times to allow you to only turn on your own team but gets overlooked

[vrig]

23 hours ago, (sic) said:

Yes, I'm using the setup Rashidi has talked about in his Rangnick interpretation.

 

Thank you very, very much for linking that pressing traps video. I've incorporated it (read: nicked it and put it) into my tactic. 

Using the "show onto foot" OI to change pressing angles is a gamechanger! Since I use a pair of aggressive BWM's in my interpretation, it's basically funnelling the opposition into a kill zone. In my second season (without the pressing traps), my tackle win ratio was around 78% - it's up to 88% so far in my third season. I was conceding 0.86g per 90 last season - down to 0.54 so far this season. 

And at absolutely no cost to attacking potency - we're actually scoring more since we're forcing so many turnovers. BWM wins it->passes into WP->through ball to AF/CF is probably my most common route to goal. I can practically hear Rangnick's countdown clock every time we win the ball  

 

[Robson 07]

Gary Neville made a very good observation on MNF about Rangnick's first game in charge at Utd.  Against Palace, Utd avoided emptying out the midfield.  McTominay and Fred were both deployed in holding roles and formed a box with the centre backs to help ensure Utd are secure against being counterattacked.

In FM terms these two roles should be played in the defensive midfield area.  Both roles should use the player instruction 'Hold Position' whether this is hard coded into that role or added as a player instruction.  In my opinion Fred plays on the left of the two as a BWM (Def) and McTominay on the right as a DM (Sup) with 'Hold Position' added as a PI.

Edited December 9, 2021 by Robson 07

[(sic)]

5 minutes ago, vrig said:

Thank you very, very much for linking that pressing traps video. I've incorporated it (read: nicked it and put it) into my tactic. 

Using the "show onto foot" OI to change pressing angles is a gamechanger! Since I use a pair of aggressive BWM's in my interpretation, it's basically funnelling the opposition into a kill zone. In my second season (without the pressing traps), my tackle win ratio was around 78% - it's up to 88% so far in my third season. I was conceding 0.86g per 90 last season - down to 0.54 so far this season. 

And at absolutely no cost to attacking potency - we're actually scoring more since we're forcing so many turnovers. BWM wins it->passes into WP->through ball to AF/CF is probably my most common route to goal. I can practically hear Rangnick's countdown clock every time we win the ball  

 

Yes, it's amazing how we went from totally ignoring OIs to actually using them now

[vrig]

On 09/12/2021 at 12:50, Robson 07 said:

Gary Neville made a very good observation on MNF about Rangnick's first game in charge at Utd.  Against Palace, Utd avoided emptying out the midfield.  McTominay and Fred were both deployed in holding roles and formed a box with the centre backs to help ensure Utd are secure against being counterattacked.

In FM terms these two roles should be played in the defensive midfield area.  Both roles should use the player instruction 'Hold Position' whether this is hard coded into that role or added as a player instruction.  In my opinion Fred plays on the left of the two as a BWM (Def) and McTominay on the right as a DM (Sup) with 'Hold Position' added as a PI.

I had a go with them in the DM strata, but I found that if you have one on a defend duty and the other on support, the two midfielders tend to stray quite far apart in the defensive phase. I don't really understand why, but in the MF strata they often engage together. So I think if you want them in the DM strata, you probably want their duties to be the same. Personally, I prefer them in the MF strata, since I want them both engaging higher up the pitch. I am basing this more off of his Leipzig side, mind you, since I imagine that's what we're working towards.

Also, I think in possession we often had each midfielder to the side of his CB so, as a box, more rhombus than square. As a rest defence, it covers more space, allows the fullbacks to push on and gives better passing options.

Bellingham and Danilo are BWM(d) and support respectively in this image, with both in the MF strata, given PI's to stay wider. You can see how free Wan-Bissaka and Ait-Nouri are, because even if we lose it, Newcastle's AMR/L are covered by the midfielders. In this instance the ball goes to Hannibal for a through ball to Sesko, but had we lost it here, Newcastle's best out-ball would be to the flanks, where I'd back my ball-winners to cover and play in the unmarked fullbacks for a cross into a disorganized backline. They'd be very unlikely to get any joy passing through the middle in the immediate aftermath of a turnover here, narrow as we are.

[Rashidi]

On 09/12/2021 at 20:49, vrig said:

Using the "show onto foot" OI to change pressing angles is a gamechanger! Since I use a pair of aggressive BWM's in my interpretation, it's basically funnelling the opposition into a kill zone. In my second season (without the pressing traps), my tackle win ratio was around 78% - it's up to 88% so far in my third season. I was conceding 0.86g per 90 last season - down to 0.54 so far this season. 

Yeah i was hoping more people would pick up on that, it doesn't always work and depends on players and their attributes too, but when you get the right players for the job its absolutely wonderful to watch

[vrig]

1 hour ago, Rashidi said:

Yeah i was hoping more people would pick up on that, it doesn't always work and depends on players and their attributes too, but when you get the right players for the job its absolutely wonderful to watch

The really exciting thing is that if you can alter pressing angles, in theory you can now use cover shadows to block passes into specific players.

For instance, Nagelsman frequently defaulted to 352 at Leipzig against sides with a single-pivot playmaker, using the 2 strikers to stop the CBs getting the ball to DM. So you could show the CBs outside and trigger the press on the fullbacks to take the DM out of the game, without committing to marking him. 

It's a shame you only get one positional OI set to cover all 3 trained tactics, because I'd absolutely want to set up specific pressing traps to go with specific formations - I just can't be bothered to do it game by game.

[HanziZoloman]

Am 13.12.2021 um 18:20 schrieb Rashidi:

Yeah i was hoping more people would pick up on that, it doesn't always work and depends on players and their attributes too, but when you get the right players for the job its absolutely wonderful to watch

Can you tell more about that please?

[Slabheadinho]

Ralf Rangnick's switch to a 4-3-3

Part 1: Setup and midfield 3

Since the 1-0 loss to Wolves to kick off the new year, Rangnick has changed his formation from a 4-2-2-2 (with 2 interiors operating in the half-spaces) to a more familiar 4-3-3. It has brought in relatively better results, with a record of 3W1D so far, including a vital win against top 4 challengers West Ham.

“To me, it’s important that we always win the next game we play, and it’s also a question of formation," said Ralf. "Which is the best possible position for players? We have now decided to play in a 4-3-3, like we played against Aston Villa, with one holding six and two eights, with three offensive players."

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/ralf-rangnick-suggests-switch-to-4-3-3-formation-after-villa-display

Before I'd start off I hope OP @g4ddy79 and the mods don't mind this as I won't be talking much about interiors. Now, let's get into the analysis.

 

Have we seen this before?

Source: Total Football Analysis (https://totalfootballanalysis.com/analysis/ralf-rangnick-tactical-analysis-tactics)

Rangnick has used a 4-3-3 before at Hoffenheim. In the picture shown above, his team sets up a pressing trap by wanting the opposition to play into the CM. This enabled them to press with a numerical superiority. With their 4-3-3 system, they ensured to have enough midfielders to press in the center of the pitch, while the wide positioning of the wingers forced the opposition to play into their trap. With their 4-3-3 system, they ensured to have enough midfielders to press in the center of the pitch, while the wide positioning of the wingers forced the opposition to play into their trap. (In this case, I would not use the OI "Prevent short GK distribution" as you'd want them to play out from the back)

Attached below is my interpretation of the setup:

 

Today I'd like to explain more about the midfield 3, namely McTominay/Matic, Fred & Bruno.

The Midfield 3

1. McTominay/Matic ("Six")

- The HB protects the CBs and keeps the ball moving in midfield (often with simple passes).

- They need to win the ball, recycle possession and keep the team's high line up the pitch, often by splitting the CBs to form a pseudo back 3.

https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/2022/1/25/22899398/tactical-analysis-rangnick-utilizes-long-overdue-tactic

- This article explains how McTominay splits the CBs (or drops deep into the RCB position) when in possession, giving the 2 "8s" more space to operate.

Source: The Busy Babe (SB Nation)

 

2. Fred ("Eight") (PIs: Close Down More, Tackler Harder, Mark Tighter)

- Off the ball, he is aggressive and presses the opposition rather than sitting back and defending. often makes smart runs when the team is in possession as well.

- He can read the game and anticipate where the ball will end up in order to step in and win it back.

- His great positioning + aggressive pressing makes him a skilled ball winner.

- By quickly slipping around the opposition, he can break the lines with an unexpected touch or pass.

- Due to his tendency to carry the ball IRL, I didn't use a BWM and opted to use a CAR instead.

 

3. Bruno ("Eight") (Pis: Take More Risks, Roam From Position, Move Into Channels)

- Under Ole, Bruno was exclusively used as a "10" (or at least 90% of the time). Rangnick thinks that Bruno is better suited to start deeper as "it's better than being pinned to a "10" position because he can then make himself available in different areas of the pitch, not only in the center".  Playing as an "8" allows him to "sniff the moments in which areas [the team] has to play the ball to him, and this position as an "8" is almost perfect for him".

Source: 

- Playing Bruno in a CM (A) allows him to drive from deep and move into the left channel.

- His work rate provides better cover in midfield but still gets forward. Perhaps a disciplined Bruno could also allow Pogba to flourish in a two "8" system with a strong "6"!

Edited February 2, 2022 by Slabheadinho

[denen123]

On 01/02/2022 at 05:41, Slabheadinho said:

Ralf Rangnick's switch to a 4-3-3

Since the 1-0 loss to Wolves to kick off the new year, Rangnick has changed his formation from a 4-2-2-2 (with 2 interiors operating in the half-spaces) to a more familiar 4-3-3. It has brought in relatively better results, with a record of 3W1D so far, including a vital win against top 4 challengers West Ham.

“To me, it’s important that we always win the next game we play, and it’s also a question of formation," said Ralf. "Which is the best possible position for players? We have now decided to play in a 4-3-3, like we played against Aston Villa, with one holding six and two eights, with three offensive players."

https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/ralf-rangnick-suggests-switch-to-4-3-3-formation-after-villa-display

Before I'd start off I hope OP @g4ddy79 and the mods don't mind this as I won't be talking much about interiors. Now, let's get into the analysis.

 

Have we seen this before?

Source: Total Football Analysis (https://totalfootballanalysis.com/analysis/ralf-rangnick-tactical-analysis-tactics)

Rangnick has used a 4-3-3 before at Hoffenheim. In the picture shown above, his team sets up a pressing trap by wanting the opposition to play into the CM. This enabled them to press with a numerical superiority. With their 4-3-3 system, they ensured to have enough midfielders to press in the center of the pitch, while the wide positioning of the wingers forced the opposition to play into their trap. With their 4-3-3 system, they ensured to have enough midfielders to press in the center of the pitch, while the wide positioning of the wingers forced the opposition to play into their trap. (In this case, I would not use the OI "Prevent short GK distribution" as you'd want them to play out from the back)

Attached below is my interpretation of the setup:

 

Today I'd like to explain more about the midfield 3, namely McTominay/Matic, Fred & Bruno.

The Midfield 3

1. McTominay/Matic ("Six")

- The HB protects the CBs and keeps the ball moving in midfield (often with simple passes).

- They need to win the ball, recycle possession and keep the team's high line up the pitch, often by splitting the CBs to form a pseudo back 3.

https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/2022/1/25/22899398/tactical-analysis-rangnick-utilizes-long-overdue-tactic

- This article explains how McTominay splits the CBs (or drops deep into the RCB position) when in possession, giving the 2 "8s" more space to operate.

Source: The Busy Babe (SB Nation)

 

2. Fred ("Eight") (PIs: Close Down More, Tackler Harder, Mark Tighter)

- Off the ball, he is aggressive and presses the opposition rather than sitting back and defending. often makes smart runs when the team is in possession as well.

- He can read the game and anticipate where the ball will end up in order to step in and win it back.

- His great positioning + aggressive pressing makes him a skilled ball winner.

- By quickly slipping around the opposition, he can break the lines with an unexpected touch or pass.

- Due to his tendency to carry the ball IRL, I didn't use a BWM and opted to use a CAR instead.

 

3. Bruno ("Eight") (Pis: Take More Risks, Roam From Position, Move Into Channels)

- Under Ole, Bruno was exclusively used as a "10" (or at least 90% of the time). Rangnick thinks that Bruno is better suited to start deeper as "it's better than being pinned to a "10" position because he can then make himself available in different areas of the pitch, not only in the center".  Playing as an "8" allows him to "sniff the moments in which areas [the team] has to play the ball to him, and this position as an "8" is almost perfect for him".

Source: 

- Playing Bruno in a CM (A) allows him to drive from deep and move into the left channel.

- His work rate provides better cover in midfield but still gets forward. Perhaps a disciplined Bruno could also allow Pogba to flourish in a two "8" system with a strong "6"!

The DLP-D also comes deep to collect the ball, by default. The double fullback release is effected by the HB, but the drawback is how deep far away from the other CM's who (either moves wide by hard coding or vertically, early). If this isn't an issue, then you can just ignore and use the HB.

[Slabheadinho]

2 hours ago, denen123 said:

The DLP-D also comes deep to collect the ball, by default. The double fullback release is effected by the HB, but the drawback is how deep far away from the other CM's who (either moves wide by hard coding or vertically, early). If this isn't an issue, then you can just ignore and use the HB.

I feel that the role of the "6" in this system was to collect the ball from deep and to split the CBs as well. Thanks for the feedback. I'll be looking to experiment with the DLP (D) and the DM (D) as well.