Direct 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.

Direct Attacking Football Example Tactic

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

Team mentality: Positive

Team passing directness: More Direct Passing (one notch up)

Formation:

• 4-2-3-1 Wide – very attacking
  • 4 Ds / 2 MCs / 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 = 3.0 + target = very high
  • Left side = 1.0 + target = moderate
  • Right side = 5.0 + target = exceptionally high

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

• Support score = 1.0 + target = moderate
  • Left side = 2.0 + target = high
  • Right side = 0.0 + target = low

Other team instructions:

• Lower Defensive Line

Team instructions added to balance risk:

• Be More Disciplined

Contrasting Player Instructions

Contrasting player instructions given by roles and duties:

• Cross From Byline (1) and Cross Less Often (0) – Winger (AMR Attack)
  • Offset by the Cross More Often PI (2) – Winger (AMR Attack) and Full Back (DL Attack).

• Ease Off Tackles (1) – Trequartista (AMC Attack)
  • Offset by the Tackle Harder PI (1) – Ball Winning Midfielder (MCR Support).

• “Collect the ball more” (1) – Trequartista (AMC Attack)
  • Cannot be offset.
  • However, “collect the ball more” is only relevant for one player who teammates focus play through so he can help to control the team’s use of more direct passes and make shorter passes when appropriate.

• “Carry the ball more” (1) – Ball Playing Defender (DCR Stopper)
  • Cannot be offset.
  • However, “carry the ball more” is only relevant for one player who takes the ball in front of the defence in order to attempt more direct, risky passes.

Balancing Risk

Before adding any team instructions to balance risk there are many more higher risk in possession instructions than lower risk in possession instructions, as shown below.

Notable higher risk in possession instructions include:

• Positive team mentality
• More Direct Passing team passing directness
• Move Into Channels PI (2)
• Roam From Position PI (2)
• Cross More Often PI (2)
• Dribble More PI (4)
• Take More Risks PI (3)
• “Use more creative freedom” PI (3)

Notable lower risk in possession instructions include: none

“Notable” instructions include all team instructions, and player instructions which are given to two or more players (excluding ignored player instructions).

Therefore, the Be More Disciplined team instruction, as a lower risk in possession instruction, has been added to balance the use of higher risk in possession instructions.

Ignored Player Instructions

Player instructions ignored in the above example analysis are shown in brackets below the roles/duties.

Ignored player instructions include:

• Hold Position – 3 is typical so the first 3 are ignored.
• Dribble Less – 2 is typical so the first 2 are ignored.
• Shoot Less Often – irrelevant for D(C/R/L)s instructed to Hold Position, so they are ignored.
• Stay Wider – 1 off-centre M/AM/ST(C) on each side instructed to Stay Wider to provide support to a lone D/WB(R/L) offsets the narrow formation, so they are ignored.