Possesion Football - A Brendan Rodgers Influence - Tactic Creator

[ollie laaaaaaaad]

'Oh yay another one' I hear you say. First let me state that although influenced by Brendan Rodgers, Louis Van Gaal and Johan Cruyff this is not an imitation of any of their tactics, just a high possesion tactic which will hopefully bring about good results and is already demonstrating beautiful results.

There are a lot of great possesion tactics that use LFC and Swansea such as - http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/307912-A-Swansea-fan-s-long-running-Brendan-Rodgers-project.-LFC-fans-look-here. 'A swansea fans long running Brendan Rodgers project.'

Another couple being 'Tika Taka - How will Liverpool adapt' http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/311913-Brendan-Rodgers-and-Tika-Taka-How-will-Liverpool-adapt

and the fantastic 'Tika Taka - asymetric' http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/312968-Tika-Taka-amp-Asymetric-tactics-%28Liverpool-Rodgers-Inspired%29

All these great tactics use the origional tactic model. The one i'm looking to impliment uses the tactic creator, as i find it can bring about a nicer fluid playing style. The theory of the tactic is to just keep the ball for long sustained periods of pressure, sapping the opposition of both physical and mental

energy.

“I like to control games. I like to be responsible for our own destiny. If you are better than your opponent with the ball you have a 79 per cent chance of winning the game…for me it is quite logical. It doesn’t matter how big or small you are, if you don’t have the ball you can’t score.” (Rodgers 2012)

The Tactic

A basic 4-1-2-2-1 -

This tactic is an FM re-creation of this...

courtesy of eplindex.com

The idea is based upon a pivoted 'fulcrum' deeper player (I use Joe Allen) to sit and keep the game ticking over, the main idea of the formation is to keep short passes in the middle of the field. with the 3 central midfielders and defenders looking to play around 60 passes a game and the fulcrum around 100-120. The constant passing should move around the defenders and midfielders and hopefully isolate either 1 on 1 situations with the Wingers up against the fullbacks working the ball through various channels and quality of goal scoring opportunities (rather than quantity) are apropos of the Tiki-Taka school of football. To achieve the success found implementing Tiki-Taka football, not only are a particular set of players required but a template to enable the ever-flowing movement advocated by Spain, Barça and Swansea:

My template for everything is organisation. With the ball you have to know the movement patterns, the rotation, the fluidity and positioning of the team. Then there’s our defensive organisation…so if it is not going well we have a default mechanism which makes us hard to beat and we can pass our way into the game again. Rest with the ball. Then we’ll build again.” (Rodgers 2012)

For Liverpool, a new set of fundamentals will need to be put into place; a move away from the over-reliance on direct football that maximizes the quantity of goal scoring opportunities and not quality - a degree of trust will need to be installed in the individual’s know-how and when to shoot or make the decision that the opportunity is only a half chance and not a sure thing. The approach works on the principles that ‘the whole is greater that then sum of its parts’:

The Overall Philosophy

Zone 1 – ‘the sweeper goalkeeper’ – This specialised zone is expected to take charge of a much larger zone in Tiki-Taka football compared to the more direct approach. The emphasis is on the goalkeeper to play with the ball at his feet and play far more short threaded passes than usual. Characteristics in this role include: good stature, efficiency with balls in the air, bravery, agility and willingness to play on the deck without fear – the keeper is expected to act as a pressure relief for under pressure team mates. Given that Liverpool’s Reina received his education at Barcelona’s La Masia it will come as a natural for Reina to play the required role in zone 1.

Zone 2 - the ‘líbero’ – The players in zone 2 are (like the goalkeeper) expected to play a much larger role in ‘keep-ball’. They are too expected to act as pressure relief to a compact midfield as a way-out option. The two centre backs are expected to compliment one another: one technically brilliant and one with a powerful physical presence (see: Puyol-Pique). The more technical of the two is to act as a playmaker for changing the pace of the game – Ashley Williams made more long ball attempts than any other outfield player during 2011/12, mostly fast yet grounded balls played forward to feet. As a ‘líbero’ you have the whole picture in front of you – you are in a position to say pim let’s go this way, pim let’s go that way.

Zone 3 – the ‘volante de salida’ – This player must be particularly good at playing his way out of trouble and yet still excellent at winning the ball back. Typical characteristics are the ability to read the game, act as an outlet for under-pressure team mates consistently and continually pass the ball within pressure:

“I get the ball, I pass, I get the ball, I pass, I get the ball, I pass.” (Xavier Hernandez 2011)

Xavi’s hypnotic approach to the game summarises the mindset for the player in this particular zone and like Leon Britton should boast a remarkably high pass completion rate – a 93.3% pass rate was widely acknowledged in January 2012.

Zone 4 – the wing backs – the players in this zone will need to be prepared to work particularly hard up and down the wing; both defensively and in more advanced positions. It is important to note that crosses will now be made from the by-line rather than from deep – within zone G (8). Liverpool currently boasts a number of players who can fulfil this role – Johnson, Kelly, Enrique.

Zone 5 – the box to box creative midfielders – flair, the ability to change the pace of the game within a second, the decision of when to do so and an all round technical ability are required to fulfil the roles in zone 5. Zone 5 players are expected to continually find space amongst the ‘traffic’ and complete the triangles in possession. The players should not constantly look to create the spectacular but are expected to simply knit the possession and keep the ball more often than not. Steven Gerrard is one player who may have to adapt to fit within this role and play keep ball rather than looking to create often – however will no doubt still act as a catalyst to change the game.

Zone 6 – the inside forwards – Messi, Alexis Sanchez, Sinclair, Dyer et al. all represent the highly creative, technically gifted and unpredictable player expected to fulfil the requirements of this zone. Within my Liverpool time i'll be looking to advance the youngsters in the squad namely raheem Sterling, I've also signed Gerard deulofeu.

Zone 7 - the linking target man – This player is expected to be technically gifted when assessing his first touch, link up play and off ball movement. The hard working approach and sensational techinical ability of Luis Suarez should more than fill this role. Anyone lucky enough to watch Fabio Borini will know that he was a huge loss to Swansea this past year, despite the success of Danny Graham.

Zone G (8) – the goal scoring opportunity and assist zone – this zone is vastly important zone to understand. The quality of chances cannot be stressed enough. Liverpool has, over the past five years, been noted for creating chance after chance without scoring. The players who break into this zone should be extremely good at making the decision as to whether a goal scoring opportunity is available or to turn back and play the ball back into the organism of Tiki-Taka. Barcelona however, highlighted the danger in over relying on this concept as their play became slower and more predictable as the game went on against Chelsea in the Champions League 2011/12. For situations like this, just maybe Steven Gerrard will recreate the brilliance he showed against Olympiakos (2004) and West Ham (2006). As a general rule, one goal should be scored to every nine shots.

En Assemble - The formation laid out sets about moving forward as a team and defending as a unit too. The team are expected, rather poetically, to move back and forth much like turquoise waves crashing onto shore:

“You win the ball back when there are thirty metres to their goal not eighty” (Guardiola 2009)

Implimenting this in the game

Team Instructions

Passing has already been covered, and implimenting this into the game in terms of style and flair is fairly easy, a slower tempo and everyone with 'very short' set as their passing style as well as minimal creative freedom. However the hardest thing to re-create in FM is the pressing game and the 'Six Second Rule'

The Six Second Rule

This is based on the principle that when a player regains or receives possession he as at that moment, or for a few seconds, is vulnerable to being dispossessed.

But, and this is crucial, if you cannot win the ball back within those 5 or 6 seconds then you must recognize as a team that you can’t run around pressing the ball for 90 minutes. It’s just not physically possible. So you retreat, regain your defensive shape, and wait for the ‘signs’ to start pressing again.

“You cannot go (press) on your own, You work on zonal pressure, so that when it is in your zone, you have the capacity to press. That ability to press immediately, within five or six seconds to get the ball, is important. But you also have to understand when you can’t and what the triggers are then to go for it again because you can’t run about like a madman.” Brendan Rodgers

Shouts

Download Link:

http://www.4shared.com/file/yH603xED/Brendan_Rodgers_Possession.html

[ollie laaaaaaaad]

The Players

The Fulcrum

The Wingers

The Foward

[ollie laaaaaaaad]

Before i go any further this tactic is still in development. hopefully ready to be released over the weekend.

Examples of the tactic

LFC v Fulham

Player Stats

Match stats

LFC v Wigan

player stats

match stats

As you can see so far the tactic is producing a lot of possesion and some good chances but not converting these chances.

*this is my inital post to get the screenshots loaded will be edited later*

[ollie laaaaaaaad]

*post reserved*

[ollie laaaaaaaad]

*post reserved**

[Dejvo]

where is link ?

[Kamil-S]

where is link ?

Answer is in one of above posts.

[Q.P.R]

Mod Please close this thread ... far too many saying my tactic only for the OP to say .. will be out in a few days ... just like fuss and many others only for no tactic to be posted

The Fourm Tactics Sharing Centre (Upload/Download) I see no Tactic

So this should be listed Here>>>>>>>> Tactics & Training Discussion

[wanderer89]

Mod Please close this thread ... far too many saying my tactic only for the OP to say .. will be out in a few days ... just like fuss and many others only for no tactic to be posted

The Fourm Tactics Sharing Centre (Upload/Download) I see no Tactic

My god man, grow up, he posted it earlier on, and you're asking it close the thread because he said it'll be out the weekend, wait until after the weekend, and IF there's no reply from him, or anything, then feel free, but don't post the exact same day it got posted, you just look stupid.

So this should be listed Here>>>>>>>> Tactics & Training Discussion

My god man, grow up! He started a thread, about his tactic, which he said should be out the weekend, he's testing it, you want him to bring out something that doesn't work? You're asking to close a thread on the day it's made because no tactic? He's never said it'll be out now, he said BY the weekend, if it's not out the weekend, or there's no reply from him, then yes, it's reasonable you say that, but the same day he posts it? Not only is your comment pathetic, it's also extremely stupid.

[tommonufc]

Nice write up, but I've grown tired of this sort of play within the game now as the ME just doesn't do justice to such an effective style of play in both attack and defence. What sort of passing numbers are you getting? Any further information on how effective you able to get your pressing could be good as well; as from my experience you just can't replicate the same style of zonal pressing as a team within the game. Same with the levels of passing; Joe Allen against Norwich last Saturday finished with 91 from 95 passes, yet this is a very hard figure to get to by just taking what the tactics creator gives you.

[ollie laaaaaaaad]

Mod Please close this thread ... far too many saying my tactic only for the OP to say .. will be out in a few days ... just like fuss and many others only for no tactic to be posted

The Fourm Tactics Sharing Centre (Upload/Download) I see no Tactic

So this should be listed Here>>>>>>>> Tactics & Training Discussion

This is ridiculous, what the hell are you on about, it clearly says it would be up at the weekend? the tactics not done but ive posted a link so tits like you can shut up

[Fisher310]

How have you found this tactic defensively against the bigger teams mate? I can see from your screenshots that it looks good against Fulham and Wigan but I'm worried about having three playmakers in the middle of the park, they're great for recycling possession, but they don't provide much cover.

[hugo_rune]

It's the same shape I like to play with top level clubs, although I don't play fluid, I always set up my 3-man midfield more defensively, and I always have at least one of my front three on a support role. As others note, the current match engine doesn't really do justice to this kind of football. Will be interesting to see if this changes in the new version.