hivi naomba kuuliza
did the size of the pitch affected our performance kwenye mechi ya jana???
BINGO.
Sitoenda deep sana, maana nimekuwa muuza articles kwa kipindi kizuri kidogo, so kwenye kuelezea tactical side ya game/footie kwenye open forums nakuwa makini kidogo, because internet ina mambo mengi sana, especially kwa hawa tunaowauzia hizi articles, (Maana unaowauzia articles, huwa wanaongeza/boresha some pieces na pia ku-place their "penning signature", but kwa kuwa unawauzia so wanakuwa wanajua kwa 100% style yako ya uandishi & word-crafting skills, so inakulazimu kuwa makini kidogo ili kutopoteza clients (ugali)).
So, kuna article, nilishwahi kuuza, a long time-ago, na niliandaa kwa kuzingatia inspirations/tactical-points nilizokuwa naziona/note kutoka kwenye set-ups/game states za Pep Guardiola.
Article yangu, ilikuwa inahusiana na "Pressing patterns between structural phases". though jamaa ameipa another name, meaning hata wewe unaweza ipa jina lako pia.
See, kwenye football (my personal view) huwa nasema/perceive generally, kuna 2 main set-ups za pressing (sio aina za pressings, bali ni set-ups), kuna structural zonal pressing, na kuna individual/body-powered pressing (meaning, a body for a body). Structural zonal pressing, ni space/void eater, ambayo inatumika ku-retain possession/ball and dictate oppositions transtional/ball progression threats kwenye your half, sometimes it can be shaped kama ni mid-bock, depends na numbers/bodies ambazo manager anatumia kutengeneza zonal-spacing between the "thin" defensive lines, BUT in reality, zonal-pressing, siyo na haiwiani na mid-block structure, then you have a body-powered pressing, wengi wanapenda kui-term kama a BODY for a BODY pressing, hii ni ile ambayo imekuwa coined kama high-up the pitch pressing structure, this is where unatumia your front, pacey & agressive transitional players to press the opposition build-up from their own half (This is common kwa Coaches/teams nyingi), why? kwasababu kui-perfect zonal pressing, unahitaji ELITE ball progressing defenders, unahitaji ELITE OOP (out of possession) beasts/wolves/eaters in the middle, unahitaji a space cheater (mara nyingi wanakuwa na unique trait za kuwa elite press resistants) a space eater & to an extent a technical ball winner (siyo agressive), namaanisha mwizi wa mipira kwenye transitional pockets. sasa kwanza its hard kama huna ELITE players ku-combine these 2 pressing patterns, hence teams nyingi huwa zinatumia tu "front-foot" pressing (high-up the pitch), but NOW, teams nyingi sana hasa EPL wanatumia hii combination, but standard ya players huwa inazi-let hizi teams/coaches down, but that is where football is heading kaka, (na niliuza hii article back in 2023, prophet eeeh). (kuna vitu vingi SANA hapa nimeviacha kwa maksudi, brother, a lot of pieces, hope ukisoma kwa juu juu kama ulivyo unaweza uka-google zaidi)
Sasa, jana nilisema Slot got outcoached, but i'll give him a pass, kwasababu Luis ni one of the best technical coaches in the game, Slot amei-perfect OOP defensive structure, mtego wa ku-concede/surrender possession, defend spaces & hit the opposition kwenye transtions, amekuwa aki-tweak hiyo set-up kulingana na opponents, but jana, haikutakiwa kutumika, Why? nitakupa 2 reasons.
First, Luis ana elite players kwenye kila position, so ku-combine, Zonal pressing structure & front foot (body for body) pressing at the same exact time, bila ku-leak any weakness ilikuwa ni suala dogo kwa Luis, so structure ya Slot isingeweza kufua dafu, because PSG were pressing us kwenye half-space in numbers & they were pressing us kwenye our half aggressively, they denied us SPACE & TIME, see, ukiwa unacheza kwenye back-foot, huku opposition akiwa anatumia kimoja tu kati ya zonal or front-foot pressing, unakuwa na uwezo mkubwa sana wa ku-cheat/evade the press, na pia unakuwa na TIME ya ku-recycle the ball kwa kutumia your ball playing CBs & fullbacks, but inakuwa harder kama umekutana na ELITE team, alafu inakuchezea katikati mpaka kwenye half yako, kwa same pace & body-power, kwenye ku-evade zonal press mara nyingi huwa tunamtumia, Szobo kwenye ku-cheat opponent pressing structure kwa kutumia his off-ball movements & runs, but jana we tried, lakini PSG had us kwenye kila zone/line.
Second, how can you manipulate set-up kama ile ya PSG? by going long, so yeah, Slot was right, kwa kuamua kwenda long, kila tukipata a breather, but, kosa la Slot ni lipi? using Jota & Diaz as his transitional threats, ambao hawakuwasumbua hata kidogo akina Pacho/Mariquinhos, (mimi siyo muumini sana wa coaches ambao wanafata narratives za kwenye mitandao), game-state ya jana ilikuwa inahitaji a flat-bully ST upfront, kama umeamua ku-manipulate set-up ya opponent kwa kwenda long from the back, why asitumike Nunez? hafungi, but kwenye gams-stats ya jana, you need a player ambaye ni mzuri kwenye front/behind runs & transitional beast, yes, Nunez angekuwepo bado PSG wangekuwa on top of their game, but ingekuwa rahisi kwa Szobo ku-manipulats zonal pressing ya PSG na walau kumu-engage Salah kwenye attacking pockets, game isingekuwa even (i know), but tusingekuwa bullied, maana Backline ya PSG, ingekuwa ina-struggle ku-retain transitional threats/runs/stretching ball movements za mara kwa mara za Nunez, na hivyo at times ku-waforce PSG ku-abandon zonal-pressing kwenye baadhi ya "combination plays", na kutupa a big breather between those two structural phases. so Nunez or any flat-bully ST angekuwa ni bit of a breather.
Then, kwenye OOP defending structure, kuna 3 basic objects, ambazo nadhani ni very known, kwa kila mpenda mpira.
1. pressing
2. Dictate, Delay, Deny
3. Emergency defending
Meaning; Press ikifail, you resort kwenye "Delay, Deny, Dictate" maana yake hapa ni mid to low block, emergency defending ndiyo ile unasikia/unaambiwa "Keeper tuepushe na hiki kikombe"
Sasa against PSG, our OOP defensive structure, failed kabisa our 424 OOP defensive shape was a disaster, our press died, then when we resorted to D-D-D, bado tulifail kutengeneza a strong mid-low block structure because bado PSG walikuwa wanafika kwenye our zone na kupata time & space za ku-shoot/kumuona Alisson with ease na mara kwa mara, meaning our D-D-D failed miserably, baada ya hapo hauna cha kufanya zaidi ya kumuachia mikoba Alisson, (emergency defending) ndiyo maana tukisema Alisson won us the game, technically tunamaanisha hivi. everything wasnt working, so he had to step up.
Mwisho, ON A BIGGER SCALEA tulicho-fail jana, ni ku-allow smooth-ball progression/circulation & distribution kwa PSG, and once ukisha-surrender hiyo in-game adaptability against Elite players & coaches, huwa inakuwa ni ngumu sana kuirudisha game in your favor, hapo ndiyo unapoomba your WC players kukuokoa & thats what happened jana.
At Anfield, game itakuwa ngumu but tuna advantage kubwa sana, and i hope kutakuwa na tactical tweaks kubwa kwa upande wa Slot, and if anyone can do it, its him.