I’ve played a few games with the 4411 now and it’s working very well. We’re not always scoring on the break, but we are playing quick direct football which is what I want to see. Our results have picked up, we’re scoring goals, teams are struggling to break us down so we’re conceding less goals and we seem a lot more organised. We’re mainly conceding goals from set pieces. I still need to work on that.

Ok, so here’s where I think we really kicked into gear. It’s against a lower team, Vorskla. The game finished 5-1 but it was 0-0 at half time. Once we scored the game opened up and we took our chances. We had a few chances in the first half but couldn’t finish them off.

First off, lets have a look at the shape without the ball. The GK has just hit the ball out to the left back. Our defensive line is inside our own half. We’re very much in a 4411 shape. There’s not a whole lot on for the defender, he eventually plays it long and our left back picks the ball up.

Same angle as before and just seconds after the picture above, we now have possession. We’ve moved into a 4231. The two CB’s are still deep but our FB’s are on the halfway line. Both attacking wide players are running forward.

Breaking down a team with 10 men in the box was going to be hard. We had three shots on goal from close range after this frame, each time saved by the goalie. Thought it was going to be one of them games where you just don’t score.

I made a change at half time and brought on Bezus for Tariq. He setup two of the goals and was involved in all but one. He was finding spaces all over the place in the hole between the defence and midfield which was excellent. He dragged players out of position and opened up the opposition defence time after time.

Looking at some screenshots from the match analysis tab, you can see that our average position is 4231.

And we’re winning the ball in opposition areas. Tackling and interception screens.

I’d have loved to have put together a little video of some of the movement of the players and for the goals, but my Youtube account is just not playing ball. I shall get some video footage up in one of my future blogs.

It’s all well and good me saying that we’re playing well, but until you see it for yourself, it means very little. This has turned more into a look at our team shape.