Gerhard Struber joined Barnsley with the club sitting bottom of the Championship in late November.
Since then, Barnsleys form has improved, with the club now sitting four points away from (temporary) safety, but it hasnt been a typical survival attempt so far from Barnsley, with no entirely defensive approach and no focus on getting draws, which is in part a testament to the Barnsley board for not just appointing a survival specialist manager.
Since the first game, we have been able to see Strubers tactical philosophy clearly, which I also covered back in November, before his appointment.
In this tactical analysis, I will analyse Gerhard Struber tactics used by Barnsley since his appointment and also examine one problem Barnsley has suffered from recently.
The midfield diamond
From looking at the shape Barnsley have used in the games under Struber so far, the midfield diamond is obviously a key factor.
But why do Barnsley play a diamond, and whats good about it?
Firstly, in terms of pressing, the shape of a diamond is beneficial, as it allows for numerical superiority in a variety of directions.
The most obvious point about pressing within a 4-4-2 diamond is the central overload, in that having four central midfielders occupies the centre of the pitch and therefore makes it difficult for the opposition to play through the centre.
Below we can see Barnsleys pressing scheme, which follows the usual scheme for a 4-4-2 diamond.
The two strikers press the centre backs, while the two widest central midfielders (or number eights), press the full-backs should they receive the ball.
The number ten, marks the opposition pivot and prevents them from receiving the ball.
The strikers have the choice of pressing while cutting the passing lane to the full-back, or to cut the passing lane to the central area, with Barnsley usually opting for the latter option, if teams dont just boot the ball upfield in fear of losing it.
Therefore, having centre backs who can push high and dominate in the air makes your team a real problem for the opposition, for example Liverpool.
If the ball is played into wide areas, the diamond offers the ability to apply intense pressure on the ball carrier while still protecting the central areas, as illustrated in this comparison between the diamond and a conventional 4-3-3 formation.
In the conventional 4-3-3 seen below, pressure from a central midfielder can still be applied to the opposition, however the lack of bodies occupying the central areas means that the inside lane cannot be as well protected.
The number ten (wide player) can
