Unto the next style of play in an instant! 😤
A counter attacker’s dream, this style of play is all about getting the job done as swiftly as possible when on the ball since there is absolutely no time to waste, and there’s an XI filled with players who like that level of “no b.s”, high tempo (in possession, that is) approach.
Before we get into the nitty tactical gritty, here is another reminder of our ‘star system’:
🌟: Player is considered an impactful player but also doesn’t have the capabilities to decide a match on their own.
🌟🌟: Player is considered one of the go to players on the pitch in terms of impact, but might struggle if all of the pressure is placed on him for too long.
🌟🌟🌟: Player is considered the star of the team, the one who the rest of the XI relies on to execute match deciding actions game after game.
DEFENCE
Starting in goal, we have a safe pair of hands in the French international back up Keeper and current West Ham no.1, Alphonse Aréola. There’s no need for anything neat in possession from him (or any of the players in this back line) so expect everything to be kept as basic as possible which is the best approach for today’s style of play.
The number one decision that had to be made when choosing who to play within the back 4 was their defensive capabilities, and it’s safe to say that we’ve done a pretty decent job with our picks with all things considered. Nordi Mukiele has long time been an admirer of ours and we were surprised to realize that he wasn’t used at any point within season 9 since he is a very impactful ‘Fullback’ who thrives on using his athleticism in both aspects of a game. He’ll be responsible with supporting both Neto and the Midfielders whilst in possession, but primarily aims to shut down his opposition going the other way.
Renan Lodi on the other side has a bit more freedom to get forward in order to pose an attacking threat as an overlapping ‘Wingback’, but he too was only picked due to his top level defensive capabilities (espeically during 1V1 scenarios) as a former graduate of the “Atletico Madrid school of defence”.
In Esri Konsa and António Silva, we have two no nonsense D(C)’s who go about their game in very different ways which makes them a fantastic duo. Konsa is all about imposing himself unto his opposition via his physical prowess which includes things like his Pace, Aerial ability and Strength. António Silva also likes getting stuck in but is the silkier of the two on the ball and will aim to aid in ball progression from deep, but both players are solely focused on a defence first approach without fail.
MIDIFELD
FORWARDS
We start off on the right where the Portugese international Pedro Neto will be utilizing all of that explosive dribbling to bypass his fullback like clock work. He will also provide most of the width off that right hand side with Mukiele and Gallagher in support. Off the left, we have the quite underrated Swiss knife that is Harvey Barnes, who can play so many varying roles and would probably be closer to getting an Engalnd call up if it wasn’t for persistent injuries. In this XI he will have the license to go wherever he wants on the pitch to impact the match with most of his damage potentially coming in that left half space and in and around the 18 yard box. In Benjamin Sesko, we have a ‘Target Man’ who is shaping up to be the closest competition to Erling Haaland when it comes to being a natural “No.9”. Sesko has ZERO weaknesses as a F(C) but is still developing so needs the time to continually improve his game. He could’ve played any of the 3 types of Target Man roles (Robust, Technical, Explosive), but for the sake of this team, he will mainly operate with his back to goal, looking to make sharp runs in behind, latch unto the ball and run at his opponents and always being an available target in the penalty area. Memphis Depay tops off this team as undoubtedly the main superstar who is expected to produce high performances week after week. As our ‘General Forward’, Memphis possesses a similar amount of freedom as Harvey with the caviate being that the Dutchman is way more clinical. He won’t neccessarily run with the ball, but will drop deep and aim to be an extra creative spark, while also using his great movement to score goals himself. Memphis is also one of the best F(C)’s at operating in between the lines, and with all of that space between the midfield and attack to be exploited, he may believe he’s died and gone to tactical heaven
PLAYER INSTRUCTIONS
As the Vice Captain of his nation, it’s safe to say that Depay will be a worthy leader of this team (with Aréola as the V.C). Set pieces will be taken by both Pedro Neto and Harvey Barnes. Kalvin Phillips’ long range passing will come in handy as a form of swift transitioning from defence to attack. Memphis takes up the mantle as the designated penalty taker, and Sesko will aim to showcase his Target Man skills across the entire 90 minutes.
Up next, a style of play that has the most “followers” on ‘tacticalmedia’…
The Soccermanager Experience 