How To Coach Overloading To Isolate Like Pep Guardiola & Erik Ten Hag – Tactical Theory

What Is Overloading To Isolate In Football?

Overloading to isolate is a tactical concept utilised by many coaches, including Pep Guardiola of Manchester City in the Premier League and Erik ten Hag, formerly of Manchester United and Ajax.

This technique involves overloading one side of the pitch to drag the majority of the opposition to that side, opening up space on the opposite side.

This tactical analysis and theory will explain why overloading to isolate is such a popular strategy in possession, and how teams employ specific tactics to execute it effectively.

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The importance of Player positioning in the overload

The first key point to discuss in this technique is setting up the actual overload.

The objective of the players in possession on the overloaded side is to occupy as many opposition players as possible, dragging opponents over to create the maximum amount of space on the opposite side.

Therefore, we must discuss the most effective ways of doing so.

Let’s take a look at some scenarios.

In the above example, we, the Blue Team, are lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in possession.

The red team, the opposition, is also lined up in a 4-2-3-1 structure, which resembles a 4-4-1-1 formation out of possession, as shown.

The 4-2-3-1 formation is a common environment that allows the use of the concept of overloading to isolate, as it features a designated ‘number 10’.