Attacking Football

Overall Forward Movement

Check the overall forward movement of your players is balanced by using the table below, which shows scores for each player role/duty that can be added together to give an overall penetration score, solidity score and support score.

Add together the scores shown for each role/duty and compare to the targets shown at the top of each column. If your total scores are below the targets then consider adjusting roles/duties as appropriate.

For example, you can increase your penetration score by moving a player to a similar role/duty in a more advanced position, increase your solidity score by moving a player to a similar role/duty in a deeper position and increase your support score by moving a player to a similar role/duty in a position closer to the M(C/R/L) positions.

Attacking Football Example Tactic

Modify this example tactic for your team or create your own. Then check your attacking football tactic using the System Analyser and Style Analyser and see how it performs in matches.

Team mentality: Positive

Formation:

• 4-2-3-1 DM AM Wide – neutral
  • 4 Ds / 2 DMCs / 1 AMC / 2 AM(R/L)s / 1 STC

Player roles and duties:

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Goalkeeper (GK Defend)

Forward movement scores:

• Penetration score = 1.5 + target = moderate to high
  • Left side = 0.5 + target = low to moderate
  • Right side = 2.5 + target = high to very high

• Solidity score = 1.0 + target = moderate
  • Left side = 1.5 + target = moderate to high
  • Right side = 0.5 + target = low to moderate

• Support score = 1.0 + target = moderate
  • Left side = 0.5 + target = low to moderate
  • Right side = 1.5 + target = moderate to high

Other team instructions:

• Use Offside Trap

Contrasting Player Instructions

Contrasting player instructions given by roles and duties:

• Run Wide With Ball (1) – Winger (AML Support)
  • Offset by the Cut Inside With Ball PI (2) – Inverted Winger (AMR Support) and Inverted Wing Back (DL Attack).

• Shoot Less Often (1) – Deep Lying Playmaker (DMCL Support)
  • Shoot Less Often instructions for DCs are essentially irrelevant so they are ignored.
  • Not offset by the Shoot More Often PI (0).
  • The Shoot On Sight TI could be used to offset. However, Shoot Less Often is only relevant for one player who is not likely to be close enough to the opposition goal to shoot particularly frequently, while Shoot On Sight could overly increase risk in possession.

• Cross From Byline (0) and Cross Less Often (1) – Inverted Wing Back (DL Attack)
  • Offset by the Cross From Deep PI (0) and the Cross More Often PI (1) – Winger (AML Support).

Balancing Risk

Other team instructions could be used to implement aspects of attacking football that have not been implemented by player instructions. However, they should be used in moderation so as not to overly increase risk in possession or out of possession, while some have automatically been set to some extent by the team mentality.