Play like Greece!
How did a side with no previous international wins take one of the most prestigious prizes in world football? Hard work, good organization and a spoiling, defensive approach were the keys. Here, Sports Interactive tester Mark Linnane explains how you can replicate the Greek style with your FM 2005 side. It wonÂ’t be prettyÂ…
First and foremost, you need knowledge. Knowledge of your own team and your own players, as well as your opposition.
Scouting and research form the cornerstone of understanding your enemy, as danger men have to be identified, along with other areas of strengths and weakness. Before being able to concoct and implement your master plan, it is vital you are aware of who is creating, who is scoring, and who is fouling for the other side - and if they can be got at. Furthermore, the team's patterns of play need to be analysed; how are they scoring and how are they conceding. Once this is done, you can construct your system with the intention to disturb and interrupt your opponent's standard patterns of play. Just like Greece against Portugal.
But, wait. Am I taking things a little to far? Does knowledge of this type and detail really have its uses in FM? Of course. In a similar manner to the way modern clubs watch videos of their opponents, study match reports, and use services such as 'Prozone' and 'Carling OPTA' stats, you can use background information to your advantage. At a basic level, simply looking to see if teams have struggled against certain types of formation has some use. But, if you wish to recreate Otto Rehhagel's success, this has to be taken deeper. Initially, it is worth checking who has scored and who has the assists, then watch a couple of games. Also, looking through the stats from games will help you identify where a team is dangerous and where a team is vulnerable. For example, a full back may be short and not win many headers, allowing possible exposure.
Once this has been done, you can now prepare your formation. If a team is relying heavily on a single player to score a huge majority of their goals and/or one player is providing all the assists, then you have to decide whether or not they justify some personal attention in the form of man-marking. If you decide not to tightly man-mark these players, it is vital you at least ensure that they are taken care off in other ways, be it by breaking up their creative source, crowding them out when necessary, or another tactic. The system deployed is critical to your success and will probably need to be altered each time you meet someone.
With the danger areas identified and the system in place, next comes the final piece in the jigsaw: the players. One major focus of the Greek team was on the players fitting into the system. There were no primadonnas. To be able to stifle the opposition, it is important that players with the right stats are selected. To start with, everyone needs high Workrate and Team Work. With the foundations of success being based on containment via pressing, Decisions are also vital. There is no point having 20s for your Workrate and Team Work if you are closing and pressing in the wrong areas, at the wrong times. Intelligent pressing means players wonÂ’t tire too quickly, and at times will lull teams into a false sense of security, forcing them to make mistakes. In Greece's opening game against Portugal, they were gifted two goals from almost exactly this type of thing.
Obviously, Tackling is a standard requirement throughout most of the team, but Position too, as this is vital in the stifling of the opposition. For some specific areas and tasks, some players will need high Marking, and most midfielders and attackers should be well endowed when it comes to Off-The-Ball abilities. Add to this decent Passing, and with a packed midfield, a team is able to move the ball out of defense and through, retaining possession. Concentration and Composure need to be evident throughout the side. When playing a tight, defensive, pressing game, one mistake can so easily be the difference between success and failure.
The final component required to ensure your unit is slick, well-oiled and proficient is the presence of a player who can deliver a dead ball. A huge advantage of setting out with a defensive mentality is that the players you choose to start tend to be bigger players who are good in the air. Not only does this provide you with adequate cover against set pieces, it also offers an extra option at the other end, -so long as you have some one who can deliver vicious and fierce Corners and Free Kicks.
So, to emulate the success of Otto Rehhagel, there are three main components; Research and Scouting; a system to counteract the opposition; and the players to fit into this system. And with these components come three fundamental issues: teamwork, tightness and total preparation. Remember this, and the biggest scalps in the game are there for the takingÂ…
19 Nov 2004 by k8oylos
