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AVB's 4-3-3 w/ Spurs: Tactical & Player Analysis & Discussion

LukeBB

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Aug 4, 2013
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This thread is for all those wondering how Spurs might play this season and as to how players like Bale, Sig, Soldado, Paulinho, Holtby will fit in to the squad this season. Also up for discussion is how possible additions of Eriksen, Capoue, Alderweireld, Lamela might fit in as well. Everything is up for discussion including what players might need to be sold because they don't fit the system or how certain players will fit the systems, how AVB will utilise certain players, what players you rate and don't rate and why and how certain can we be that this new squad can wipe the floor with other teams in the Premier League :) Enjoy!

Warning: I cannot guarantee this is how Spurs will play! However, based on the players signed by Spurs this summer transfer window, how AVB's FC Porto side played and how we have the teams have lined up in pre-season, many people, as well as I, predict this is how AVB will deploy his Spurs side for the 2013/2014 season :)

BRKU0_mCAAAbTbX.png

First things first, I haven't put Paulinho in here as idk his squad number and as Dembele has been playing this role in pre-season in Paul's absence. Either way the roles of the players themselves shouldn't change much so you can just imagine who'll play where ;)

The philosophy of AVB's 4-3-3 is to pin the opponents in their half, to feed the front 3, time and time again, as quickly and as effectively as possible, to come at the opponents with wave after wave of a forceful and uncontrollable level of fury and technical ability. AVB describes this as a "vertical" style of football. It's meant to be an incredible show of tactical knowledge, high tempo, all-attacking, fluid and attractive football meant to break the spine of any team in it's wake. When AVB utilised this tactic at FC Porto he gained remarkable success (success which eventually led Chelsea to pay a world-record fee for a manager for AVB in the summer of 2011) FC Porto won the Portuguese liga, the Europa League trophy and the Taca de Portugal (A domestic Portuguese cup), AVB's Porto won the league with 84 points, winning 27 games and drawing another 3 out of 30 games, finishing the season unbeaten. Porto scored 73 goals in the league and conceded only 16, scoring the most goals and conceding the least. Now, AVB looks set to bring in this tactic in an attempt to replicate a similar amount of success with our beloved Spurs :)

This is widely regarded as how AVB likes to line up his favored 4-3-3. The image above shows generally the range of movement each role is assigned. The GK and CBs are all meant to be technically astute as when dominating play, the CBs and GK are meant to be tactically smart as well as produce creativity form the back. The GK is meant to be a clever, pacy and commanding sweeper-keeper who is confident with the ball at his feet as well as rushing out, this is so teams can't take advantage of our high-line pressing game, any long ball over the top needs to be calmly and swiftly dealt with by the GK who can then distribute it from the back and launch another attack as quick as possible! Hugo Lloris is the ideal GK for this role, he is a confident and commanding GK who leads from the back and who controls every inch of the 18 yard box, his decision making and quickness off the line make him one of, if not, the best sweeper-keeper in the world! While his distribution is not the best he is only 25 and so has plenty of time to perfect his game and become the GK we all know he is capable of becoming! :)

The CBs role is to sit on the halfway line, forcing the opposition striker to cower in his own half. They are there to press high up the pitch and to keep the opposition as far away from our goal as humanly possible, they are also set up to support the midfield when in possession. The CBs need to stay brave as well as communicate with each other, since the offside trap is set up so high up the pitch both CBs need to make sure they stay in-line with each other, remaining calm and unnerved if the opposition striker is standing in an offside position, they must not be tempted to drop back in fear of him breaking the trap! The ideal CB for this role is made of the same ilk as our own Jan Vertonghen :) A CB who has exceptional ball control, who boasts excellent passing ability, who is pacy, who is powerful, who has a good reading of the game as well as a creative mindset because in this tactic the CBs will see much off the same of the ball as our midfielders will in an attempt to control the game, break down opponents and launch attacks! Kaboul would also be a good CB to use for this tactic!

The FBs (Walker & Rose) provide the width in this formation. The FBs are meant to run the wings, to offer an outlet when play gets to crowded in the middle as well as form triangles between the midfield and the wingers. However, in the 4-3-3 the FBs are meant to offer as much an attacking threat as well as they defend. The FBs job is to support the wingers in the attack, providing crosses as well as making penetrating runs into the channels and sometimes the 18-yard box! The FBs need good stamina, good decision making, a fantastic work rate, needs pace and power and needs to be competent going forward as well as tracking back!

The midfield trio is pivotal to any success the 4-3-3 may enjoy. The general trio generally involves an anchor man, someone who marshals the space No10s enjoy so much, shielding the back four, winning back possession as well assist carrying the ball out from defense in launching an attack. We can assume this role will be filled by Sandro "the Beast", if the squad owns an exceptionally defensively astute anchor this allows the two more advanced CMs to have much more of an influence in the attack.

The next CM role will most likely be occupied by Paulinho next season (but for the sake of the diagram I used Dembele) and is usually summed up as a box-to-box all action midfielder. The role of the box-to-box CM is meant to include supporting the defense when under pressure as well as to support the attack when dominating play. The typical box-to-box CM is meant to be a strong and very physical presence in the center of the pitch. The idea being when in possession the CM looks to charge forward always looking to bully the opposition whilst always looking to offload the ball to a forward or looking to get a shot off on goal. Paulinho is a perfect fit for this role thanks to his physical presence as well as his excellent technical ability when on the ball and the threat he poses when in the box.

The most advanced of the CMs is meant to be the playmaker, the creative spark of the side. The one who roams around the pitch, lurking in the space between the oppositions midfield and defense always looking to play the killer ball, to link the midfield to attack and arrive late in the box when on the attack. This role in the squad will either be filled by Dembele, Sigurdsson, Holtby or (on occasions) Chadli.

The front 3 now! Since the width of the 4-3-3 is supplied by the FBs, the wingers act more like inside forwards. The idea being that these players are always looking to receive the ball either behind the opposing full back or in the pocket of space the No10 enjoys to roam, from these positions they are looking to cut in on their favored foots and create penetrating runs into the box, always looking to shoot or produce a cross from the by-line. The wingers are positioned and set up to support and accompany the striker as well as become a target for the rest of the team to launch an attack. The penetrating and direct movement of the Inside forwards would drag FBs out of position as well as doubling up or outnumbering the CBs with 3 attackers and create panic amongst the opposition defense. Players like Chadli and Bale are again perfect fits for these roles, big, powerful players who look to beat their man with pace and strength to beat the offside trap and get into the box to shoot at goal or provide the assist.

The striker plays in between the two opposition CBs. He is the target of the team, the focal point of the attack, aiming to beat the offside trap as well as finish off all attacking moves. The striker requires a good all round game, he needs to be good technically, competitive aerially, a superb finisher and needs to make good movement. Soldado has recently been bought in to fulfill this role. Soldado is a fantastic striker, he has a good all round game, and while he may lack the aerial presence ideal for a striker, he more then makes up for it with his exceptional volleying ability, superb movement in the box and killer instinct. Soldado has shown himself to be a consistent and capable striker who has grabbed 81 goals in the past 3 seasons for Valencia (his last season being his most productive with 30 goals in all competitions.

The 4-3-3 dominates other teams with its constant presence of triangles between players, since most teams in the Prem utilise the 4-2-3-1 formation this is how our players will use the triangles to dictate play and control the game.
BRKqo_XCMAAE8_j.png

As you can see, the team is set up to control the game, to restrict the influence opposition players have on the game and ultimately win.
Considering this is most likely how Spurs will play next season, what more players do you see coming in to fit this tactic, as well as what do you think current squad members can bring to the pitch. Do you think there will players outgoing because they don't fit this tactic or sold to raise funds for more targets?
 

LukeBB

Well-Known Member
Aug 4, 2013
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I would say Holtby is more likley to start ahead of Sigurdson.

Thanks will read soon.

Yeah, I see Sig being shifted out to the LW again as I believe Holtby and Dembele will occupy this roll. AVB has been building a physically powerful midfield, Dembele fits this role better IMO as he is creative when driving forward but both Holtby and Dembele are runners and both are enthusiastic in the tackle so I see them being more useful there the Sig. :)
 

sussexyid

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Mar 21, 2004
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Well thought out and intelligent pst, a great read, thank you!

And I think your analysis is good, we may need a slight upgrade as the attacking cm (imagine if we still had Rafa or Modric!) but I'm happy to see how Siggy and Holtby get on in that role.

If we can keep Bale, I think this will be the best season I've seen from Spurs, I'm soooo excited!!!!
 

robp135

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Aug 31, 2012
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Yeah, I see Sig being shifted out to the LW again as I believe Holtby and Dembele will occupy this roll. AVB has been building a physically powerful midfield, Dembele fits this role better IMO as he is creative when driving forward but both Holtby and Dembele are runners and both are enthusiastic in the tackle so I see them being more useful there the Sig. :)

With Capoue coming in I think we have a nice midfield 6 with Sandro, Paulinhio, Dembele, Sigurdson & Holtby.
 

LukeBB

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Aug 4, 2013
488
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Well thought out and intelligent pst, a great read, thank you!

And I think your analysis is good, we may need a slight upgrade as the attacking cm (imagine if we still had Rafa or Modric!) but I'm happy to see how Siggy and Holtby get on in that role.

If we can keep Bale, I think this will be the best season I've seen from Spurs, I'm soooo excited!!!!

Yeah I'm especially excited to see Holtby develop into the side this season, last season in the 4-2-3-1 whenever he was shoved out onto the LW or was meant to be a part of a fluid, rotating front 3 his role was a bit obscured and Lewis ended up running around like a headless chicken, I imagine it would've looked similar if Parker was put on the LW :eek:. I mean I watched him playing for the German U21s for the Euros and he played as a No10 behind the striker, he knew what his role was and he played brilliantly, it made me remember what we bought in the first place :) Now that he's adjusting to the premier league and most of the initial excitement about joining Spurs is gone, AVB can get stuck into him and he can get used to playing a familiar role as the most advanced of a midfield trio, under a simplified and familiar role I'm sure we'll see Holtby flourish and reach a similar form which made so many in Germany rate him so highly :)
 

LukeBB

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Aug 4, 2013
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With Capoue coming in I think we have a nice midfield 6 with Sandro, Paulinhio, Dembele, Sigurdson & Holtby.

Yeah and whats great about this is that you wouldn't complain much whoever 3 of the 6 were chosen to start. They'll all quality players and this within-squad competition will bring the best out of all the players. Hopefully it'll have a similar affect as to what Holtby's arrival did on Sigurdsson, once Holtby arrived Sigurdsson gained extra motivation and enjoyed a highly successful end to the season, when he helped complete comebacks against the likes of West Ham, Everton and Basel. :)
 

Third Kit '87

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Aug 14, 2012
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Very good and insightful post Luke. I share the general sense of optimism about the quality of our squad- the midfield in particular is of the highest quality. My only slight concern would be at LB- as you say, the fullbacks play a pivotal and crucial role in this system linking attack and defence and also, importantly, providing the width to allow the 2 'wide' front 3 players to tuck infield. No offence meant to Danny Rose as he's only young and is improving, but I'm not convinced he's quite ready to fill this role quite as of yet. Coentrao would be ideal IMO but obviously the Bale-saga makes any RM signings highly unlikely, without Bale going the other way anyway(!) Not so sure about alternatives...Baines too expensive... Anyway, I digress! Great post and food for thought!
 

robp135

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Aug 31, 2012
202
281
Very good and insightful post Luke. I share the general sense of optimism about the quality of our squad- the midfield in particular is of the highest quality. My only slight concern would be at LB- as you say, the fullbacks play a pivotal and crucial role in this system linking attack and defence and also, importantly, providing the width to allow the 2 'wide' front 3 players to tuck infield. No offence meant to Danny Rose as he's only young and is improving, but I'm not convinced he's quite ready to fill this role quite as of yet. Coentrao would be ideal IMO but obviously the Bale-saga makes any RM signings highly unlikely, without Bale going the other way anyway(!) Not so sure about alternatives...Baines too expensive... Anyway, I digress! Great post and food for thought!

Why have people given up on Benny? I still think he is a top 6 leftback. I think theirs other positions which is a priority, mainly centre half

I think with the addition of a centre back our squad is strong enough to challenge for the title with the Capoue signing,

1st XI 2nd XI
Lloris Friedal
Walker Naughton
Ekkoto Rose
Kaboul Dawson
Vertonghen Chiriches?
Sandro Capoue
Dembele Paulinhio
Holtby Sigurdson
Chadli Lennon
Bale Townsend
Soldado Adeybeyor

Ship out Gomes, Livermoore, Parker, Huddlestone, Falque & Defoe.
 

thenickh

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Jan 17, 2011
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fantastic post, very insightful! it makes us sound like a damn force to be reckoned with!! ...let's hope that happens!
 

LukeBB

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Aug 4, 2013
488
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Very good and insightful post Luke. I share the general sense of optimism about the quality of our squad- the midfield in particular is of the highest quality. My only slight concern would be at LB- as you say, the fullbacks play a pivotal and crucial role in this system linking attack and defence and also, importantly, providing the width to allow the 2 'wide' front 3 players to tuck infield. No offence meant to Danny Rose as he's only young and is improving, but I'm not convinced he's quite ready to fill this role quite as of yet. Coentrao would be ideal IMO but obviously the Bale-saga makes any RM signings highly unlikely, without Bale going the other way anyway(!) Not so sure about alternatives...Baines too expensive... Anyway, I digress! Great post and food for thought!

Yeah, LB seems a bit of a worry, however AVB seems to rate Rose quite a bit and it would be good to keep an Englishmen in the side what with the selling of Caulker and the rumored exits of Hudd, Livermore, Parker, Townsend & Naughton etc. I'm not too sure about Coentrao, going forward I have no doubts he is a quality player but I've heard it mentioned several times that he is lazy defensively but if AVB likes him, then I like him :) Problem is no other LBs spring to mind, we're looking for a LB similar to Jordi Alba, a marauding LB who makes the left flank his own and who tears possession away from any who dear attempt to get a cross past him :)

PS While I do love Benny because of his off-the pitch attitude, I do find it frustrating when he always seems to let players skin him and when he makes crazy errors like giving Liverpool a penalty last season! However on his day he is till a quality LB and I would have no complaints if we didn't end up selling him :)
 

beats1

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Feb 22, 2010
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The most advanced of the CMs is meant to be the playmaker, the creative spark of the side. The one who roams around the pitch, lurking in the space between the oppositions midfield and defense always looking to play the killer ball, to link the midfield to attack and arrive late in the box when on the attack. This role in the squad will either be filled by Dembele, Sigurdsson, Holtby or (on occasions) Chadli.
Interesting that you say occasionally Chadli because for Belguim he is ahead of Dembele for that role, he has been brilliant at playing smart balls to Benteke and the in cutting wingers of De Bruyne, Hazards and Martens. He has been playing that role for the last 18 months and the fact he played in the middle on saturday makes me think he may play there for us more often than people think
 

LukeBB

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Aug 4, 2013
488
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Interesting that you say occasionally Chadli because for Belguim he is ahead of Dembele for that role, he has been brilliant at playing smart balls to Benteke and the in cutting wingers of De Bruyne, Hazards and Martens. He has been playing that role for the last 18 months and the fact he played in the middle on saturday makes me think he may play there for us more often than people think

I say occasionally because he poses so much more of a goal threat coming in from the LW and I believe that is where he is best, it also fits in with AVB's previous sides playing powerful, physical wingers cutting in, at Porto the equivalent was Varela, who is also a fairly tall and powerful for a winger, as much as I love Lennon and would love to see him start 40 odd games for us I just feel as if Chadli will be used on the LW so that opens up the CM role to the likes of Dembele and Holtby.

If we were to play Chadli in the centre I assume that means that AVB still wants to use Lennon on the LW and that AVB is gonna demote two of either Dembele, Paulinho or Holtby to the bench.
 

Darth Vega

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Jul 28, 2013
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Nice post.

Amazing to think how far we've come under AVB in just one season, tactically anyway. Redknapp couldn't even fucking read.
 

beats1

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Feb 22, 2010
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I say occasionally because he poses so much more of a goal threat coming in from the LW and I believe that is where he is best, it also fits in with AVB's previous sides playing powerful, physical wingers cutting in, at Porto the equivalent was Varela, who is also a fairly tall and powerful for a winger, as much as I love Lennon and would love to see him start 40 odd games for us I just feel as if Chadli will be used on the LW so that opens up the CM role to the likes of Dembele and Holtby.

If we were to play Chadli in the centre I assume that means that AVB still wants to use Lennon on the LW and that AVB is gonna demote two of either Dembele, Paulinho or Holtby to the bench.
I agree with second half but watching Chadli play for the national team, he pretty much plays the exact role for them that Guarin did for AVB's Porto but with more creativity imo
 
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