Heart 3-2 Victory: Match Analysis

This edition of the Melbourne Derby was a thrilling contest, fought between two clubs with contrasting approaches. Heart were able to emerge victorious, largely due to the shrewdness of Dutch manager John van't Schip. Having seen his initial theoretically sound tactical plan fail to contain the sparkling Victory trident of Hernandez, Kewell and Thompson, the former Ajax winger changed Heart's formation, and from then were in the ascendant. This match superbly illustrated the superiority of a collective 'system' over reliance on individual 'star power' in building a team. 

Brisbane 1-2 Heart: Match Analysis

A clash of the titans. The two most innovative sides in the A-League era, Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Heart, fought for supremacy at Suncorp Stadium; if not quite a title deciding event, it will certainly be looked back upon, with far greater reverence, as a turning point in the evolution and growing sophistication of Australian football. The reigning champions Brisbane, reeling from the unexpected end of their record-setting 36-games unbeaten streak, were keen to demonstrate they are more than just a Thomas-Broich-and-Friends ensemble. Heart on the other hand, have been one of the most tactically fascinating teams in the the A-League. This was their chance to lay down a marker to the other clubs in the league, that they have finally realised their potential. 

Heart 1-0 Wellington: Match Analysis

This match was an open and exciting encounter between two clubs with very contrasting styles; Heart, with their 'total voetball' sensibilities  and Wellington, with a counter-attacking brief that emphasises speed and power. The first half was dominated by the hosts, who were able to create a handful of outright chances, without closing the deal. The Nix fought back in the second period, with renewed energy and aggressive substitutions. Credit to both managers for a game that served as a laudable example of and to Australian football. 

Central Coast 3-1 Heart: Match Analysis

A genuinely exhilarating tactical encounter was decided, undeservedly perhaps, by a foul on a keeper resulting in a stunning overhead kick and a mis-judged handball. Melbourne and the Central Coast have shaped up this season as genuine title contenders; the Red and Whites and the Mariners will be tussling for the silver and bronze medals come the business end of the season. John van't Schip and Graham Arnold renewed their reputations as among the finest tacticians in Australia.

Gold Coast 1-2 Heart: Match Analysis

This match was an intriguing tactical proposition and a prime example of why pure 4-4-2's, in its attacking incarnation, have become obsolete, and why striker-less 4-6-0's are the future. Gold Coast were completely overwhelmed in midfield, the classy Dutch pair of Beekmans and Jungschlager were overrun by Heart, who were able to deploy four players in central midfield, yet still field two wingers, by ditching a central striker. 

The pattern of play was established early, after Thompson pilfered an early goal. Heart dominated the rest of the first period, monopolising possession and chances. Gold Coast retained a threat through the predatory Rigters, whose direct and aggressive running very nearly undid Madaschi on the counter-attack, as well as dangerous deliveries by Jungschlager at set pieces. Bleiburg's tactical changes after the break allowed Gold Coast to get back into the contest, but their equaliser was then cancelled out by Germano's late goal. 

Adelaide 1-1 Heart: Match Analysis

There are multiple prisms through which to perceive this match; a 'relegation' scrap for one, a grudge match between former colleagues (on the pitch and in the dugouts) another, a Double Dutch affair, perhaps even a fight between the two highest paid and most 'underperforming' managers in the league. Thanks to the audacity of John van't Schip however, PM is going to treat this match as a fascinating tactical exhibition. Kind of obvious really, given the word 'tactics' is in the URL.

The first half was a see-sawing affair. Heart dominated play initially, thanks to their monopoly of possession. But Adelaide battled through, unsettling the Heart and conjuring threatening periods of play. What set this fixture alight however, was the late sending off of Colosimo, and Adelaide's equaliser from the resultant free kick. Both sides really battled in the closing minutes; Slory came close to twice creating open net situations, while Hoffman actually tapped in a shot from close range, only to be called off-side.

A Tale of Victory: From London to Melbourne

It is the 22^nd of October. Mehmet Durakovic and his Melbourne Victory squad welcome derby rivals Melbourne Heart to Etihad Stadium. The home team are fortunate to escape with a draw against the rampant Red and Whites.

A week later and it’s now the 29^th of October. Arsene Wenger’s stuttering Arsenal visit Andre Villas Boas and his Chelsea squad at Stamford Bridge. A goal fest of epic proportions ensues, which results in a Van Persie hat-trick and a 5-3 loss to the Blues.

What could these two clubs, Melbourne Victory and Chelsea FC, nearly 17,000 km, hundreds of millions of pounds and a whole other English dialect apart, have in common?

Brisbane 7-1 Adelaide: Match Analysis

Un-f**king-believable. Brisbane produced a virtousic performance with a display of football that was at turns scintillating, exhilarating and utterly crushing. Brisbane's raw speed of movement, passing and thought, their creative flair, their disciplined and determined pressing; this was the beautiful game at its most elegant and elemental, a full realisation of football as an ideal. Brisbane were almost mechanical in their precision, and provided a demonstration of the merits of subordinating the individual talent to the expression of the collective.

Because of the sheer disparity in quality, it's hard for PM to analyse this match from a tactical prism - Brisbane won because of their superior style of play. Yet there are points of interest concerning Coolen's tactics and Postecoglou's line-up, most pertinently the decision to break up the McKain/Susak central defensive axis and shift Susak to right fullback, as well as the decision to field Caravella out of position on the left with the return of Levchenko to the double pivot.

Victory 0-0 Heart: Match Analysis

Saturday's Melbourne Derby was an open and exciting affair, as well as an entertaining spectacle thanks to the fantastic atmosphere created by the Blue and White Brigade and the travelling Yarraside. Though it ended in a draw, Heart were conclusively the more dominant side throughout, but were unable to translate that into goals. PM have made the comparison before of Heart to Arsenal, and on the weekend the Red and Whites of Melbourne displayed that most evident failing endemic to the Red and Whites of North London; hesitancy up-front. At times, Heart seemed intent on walking the ball into the net, with Covic undoubtedly the home side hero, with only his snap reflexes keeping the Navy Blues in the game. There wasn't an overt tactical 'battle' during this match as there was between Postecoglou and Arnold. Nonetheless, Durakovic's starting XI was short on invention, and his substitutions worsened Victory's situation in midfield, while van't Schip's line-up was positive, aggressive and his substitutions were daring.

The football media have definitely not given enough attention, or more likely haven't even noticed the fact that Melbourne Heart and Brisbane have been trying to implement False Nines. The False Nine is a tactic that only the greatest Champions League sides have dared to attempt; Van Persie at Arsenal, Totti at Roma, Rooney at Manchester United and of course Messi at Barcelona. To that illustrious list we can now add Alex Terra of Melbourne Heart and Thomas Broich of Brisbane. Bravo Ange Postecoglou and John van't Schip, the two greatest innovators of Australian football.

Would Brett Emerton be more effective for Sydney as a fullback than as a winger?

Last night's City Derby between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC was a fitting spectacle for the A-League debuts of Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton. While Kewell was effective playing as a trequartista, drifting from flank to flank in search of space and serving as the main conduit of the Navy Blues attack, Emerton's performance on the right wing was much more muted, and Brett did not feature as prominently during the game as his national team colleague.

Australia's 2nd most capped player

It wasn’t that Brett played particularly badly; it was just that Sydney never really strung together fluent attacking phases and Emerton’s performance suffered from the helter-skelter rhythm. This might be remedied by affording Emerton time to settle-in and build a rapport with his team-mates; but perhaps there is another, tactical reason Emerton was so subdued last night.

Putting Holger's system in context

Ever since Brett Emerton was suspended in the group stages of the Asian Cup, and Matt McKay justified Holger's faith in the diminutive midfielder by delivering influental match-winning performances, Osieck has favoured deploying Australia in an asymmetric 4-4-2/4-3-3 hybrid. This system operates with a double pivot in midfield, a winger/wide player on one flank and a midfielder drifting central on the opposite. Width on the 'narrow' flank is provided by an overlapping fullback, while the withdrawn forward/second striker/attacking midfielder drops deep to defend or pulls wide in attack.

With the current proliferation of 4-3-3 variants in club and international football, even Verbeek utilised a conservative 4-2-3-1, there aren't any elite European clubs who use anything like an orthodox 4-4-2 as their default formation. Manchester United come close, but Rooney's movement during the game means he often spends more time closer to the central midfielders or overloading the flanks than waiting for service near the 18-yard box.

True dawn of the false nine? A Brisbane Roar Preview

Brisbane Roar will undoubtedly be given very short odds to continue their rampant unbeaten streak and repeat their Double triumph. But with the rest of the A-League equipping themselves to combat Brisbane’s dominance and possession football, how will Ange Postecoglou keep the Men in Oranje one step ahead of the chasing pack?

Brisbane has publicly proclaimed their aspiration to become ‘Barcelona on a budget’, by implementing a mobile short-passing game to unlock rigid defences. Last season, Postecoglou was fortunate to be able to call upon the services of two hard-working and predatory central strikers; Reinaldo and then Solorzano. However, their departures present Ange with an intriguing tactical conundrum; the opportunity to implement a false nine.

How would an opposing team dismantle Australia?

As Pass and Move have documented previously, Holger’s preferred system for Australia has been an asymmetric  4-4-2/4-3-3 hybrid, with McKay drifting centrally and acting as a central midfielder, with the right midfielder linking up with the two forwards. Width on the left is provided by the left full-back.  A double pivot in midfield provides a platform for attack and a bulwark in front of the defence. The withdrawn forward drops deep.

Jonathan Wilson has examined England’s asymmetric formation, and his conclusion is that being asymmetric, in and of itself, can be a strength by presenting opponents with unusual challenges. Wilson alleges that the custom of referring to players by their position discounts the attributes and abilities they possess – tactics should be more than “drilling 10 round holes into a team sheet and hammering pegs into them whatever their shape”. The most important consideration is to produce a fluent system, which Holger has managed to concoct, as a result of accident and design.

In general, an asymmetric formation can be distinguished from a symmetric formation, in that the method of attacking and defending and the division of these responsibilities differs from the left flank to the right flank.