Almost three years out of management after he left his last job with Danish side Esbjerg, John Lammers was hired in the summer to lead Heracles Almelo in the Eerste Divisie, with the goal of bouncing straight back up into the Eredivisie. This goal ended up being successful, with the 59-year-old Dutchman guiding the Dutch side to a current standing of second place, only three points back of league leaders PEC Zwolle and already guaranteed their spot back in the top flight of Dutch football next season.
This tactical analysis piece will analyse Lammer’s tactics with Heracles, looking at what has gone so well for them this season, before looking ahead to what they need to do in the summer to preserve their top-flight status for more than one season.
Preferred formation and style of play
In what is common in Dutch football, Lammers opts to set his Heracles side up in a 4-3-3 formation, with the 59-year-old looking to play very attractive attacking football. However, as the image shows above, this shape normally starts to look like a 4-2-3-1 as the match begins to progress. This formational switch allows Heracles to be more flexible in both the attacking and defensive phases of play.
The Dutch side average 2.7 goals per 90 minutes, while conceding an average of 1.2 per 90 minutes this season, with their 95 goals scored this season the highest total in the Eerste Divisie. They also look to hold the majority of the possession throughout a match, with Heracles averaging 52% possession this season.
