Ex-Head of Analysis (English Football League) | Football analysis & tactical insight | Substack, Courses & Consultancy → EBL2017.com
Joined June 2016
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🚨 Mikel Arteta wants Christos Tzolis.
It begs several CRUCIAL questions:
Who is he?
How good is he?
And why are Arsenal so interested in him?
Below, I assess the player within an inch of his life and his fit at Arsenal…
Available @ EBL2017.com/p/why-arsenal-wa… & X Subscriptions!
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🚨 Tzolis can destroy a low block with technical actions in tight spaces AND kill you in open spaces in transition with speed and power.
I've seen him cause mayhem against a deep-lying defence (Scotland and Atleti) AND in open spaces (Barca and Belgian teams).
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🚨 Mikel Arteta wants Christos Tzolis.
It begs several CRUCIAL questions:
Who is he?
How good is he?
And why are Arsenal so interested in him?
Below, I assess the player within an inch of his life and his fit at Arsenal…
Available @ EBL2017.com/p/why-arsenal-wa… & X Subscriptions!
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🚨 Mikel Arteta wants Christos Tzolis.
It begs several CRUCIAL questions:
Who is he?
How good is he?
And why are Arsenal so interested in him?
Below, I assess the player within an inch of his life and his fit at Arsenal…
Available @ EBL2017.com/p/why-arsenal-wa… & X Subscriptions!
21
84
1,017
452,504
Where does the goal come from?
Scotland restarting quickly from the goal kick and preventing Haiti from locking on man-to-man.
Then they are forced back into a passive 4-4-2 block and they concede off the back of it.
Scotland are restarting quickly and Haiti are switching off.
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Imagine how good Morocco would be if they pressed more…
Just too passive for my liking in the mid-block.
Teams like Atleti are often pinned back into a mid-block but the way they transition into a high press from there makes them much more competitive than accepting to defend.
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Ancelotti has changed system/dynamics on countless occasions throughout this game.
This is a common occurrence in World Cup’s.
Elite coaches find the best way as the tournament goes on.
It happened with Scaloni and Argentina last time around.
Deschamps is renowned for it too.
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Ancelotti with Arne Slot-esque tactics so far.
It’s more balanced than you think.
Just lacking quality in fullback areas some of the technical errors have been inexcusable, especially with Morocco so passive in the mid-block.
Brazil will improve as the tournament goes on…
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Morocco have Unai Emery and Aston Villa written all over them.
4-2-2-2 build-up. Excellent technical quality to play through or over the press as they pack the middle to land on second balls.
No natural wingers. Just dynamic #10’s who can dribble.
Fullbacks support the attack with runs from deep.
Technical quality from back to front.
Press from goal kicks but otherwise sit off in a 4-4-2.
Mohamed Ouahbi has continued on from the work that Walid Regragui did. The ideas are very, very similar.
It’s a winning formula in knockout tournaments despite the lack of pressure on the ball in open play.
Emery has shown that time and time again in Europe.
And Morocco showed it in the last World Cup as they reached the semi-finals. They are comfortable in all game-states which is a key trait to winning knockout games.
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Football, eh…
Switzerland only have themselves to blame.
A complete disgrace that they didn’t put Qatar to the sword.
Lacked the necessary intensity and dominant mindset to smash them, even if they accumulated over 3 xG.
Qatar are bad on every level, unfortunately.
Even with Lopetegui in charge.
Playing direct in the build-up every time but have little in the way of physicality to win duels or technical quality to get the ball down.
Not very well organised defensively, either. 5-2-3 but the #6’s defend so low that they end up with 7 on the defensive line at times.
Will be surprised if they score a goal in the tournament, let alone pick up a point.
Like a warm-up match for Switzerland, this.
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🚨 Mikel Arteta wants Christos Tzolis.
It begs several CRUCIAL questions:
Who is he?
How good is he?
And why are Arsenal so interested in him?
Below, I assess the player within an inch of his life and his fit at Arsenal…
Available @ EBL2017.com/p/why-arsenal-wa… & X Subscriptions!
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Hopefully Ruben Amorim made the necessary adjustments to his game-model ahead of his return to management.
He will always be limited as a coach because of his insistence on using a back 3, but he can still get success using it if he makes the necessary tactical tweaks.
🚨🔴⚫️ Rúben Amorim, a strong candidate to become new AC Milan manager as revealed.
The Portuguese manager is keen on the job and opened doors to AC Milan conditions.
Same for Matthias Jaissle but Al Ahli would ask for financial compensation.
🎥🇮🇹 youtu.be/2Fd2_W7WXto
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Thing is, even if Amorim has made the necessary adjustments to improve his game-model, the style is still extremely limited.
It’s another sideways move for Serie A coach-wise.
The league is riddled with back 3’s.
The standard will only decline with the insistence on it…
Why are the Serie A and Italian clubs hellbent on playing an archaic style of football?
They need Fàbregas to stay around for as long as possible.
Could have a Guardiola-esque influence on the nation if they manage to keep him in the league for long enough.
They BADLY need it.
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I would argue that the Italian national team is not what it once was because of the Serie A’s obsessive use of back 3’s.
When the system is the primary creator, you diminish the demands on the players, thus reducing the potential for player development.
Not the case in France, Germany, etc.
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