Who Is Jon Dahl Tomasson?
Jon Dahl Tomasson has recently been appointed as the new Blackburn Rovers head coach.
Following a successful period in Sweden with Malmö FF, winning back-to-back league titles before leaving in December 2021.
Tomasson is ready for his next opportunity and has taken the role with the great ambition of making Blackburn a ‘sustainable Premier League club’.
In this tactical analysis, we will examine the approach of former AC Milan and Newcastle United players to setting up their teams and the tactics they employ.
This analysis will give a clear understanding of what Blackburn Rovers can expect in the 2022/23 EFL Championship season.
Jon Dahl Tomasson Data analysis
In this section, the data from Malmö’s 2021 Allsvenskan campaign, when using a 4-2-3-1 formation, will be compared with Blackburn Rovers’ data from their 2021/22 EFL Championship campaign, specifically their most commonly used formations, 3-4-1-2 and 4-2-3-1.
Of course, there will be a difference in data due to the league in which both teams play, as well as their respective league positions.
Attacking data
Attacking-wise, Malmö score better in the key areas.
Tomasson’s Malmö averaged 15.6 shots per game compared to Blackburn’s 10.4.
This is a clear indication of how Tomasson wants his team to play.
Free-flowing attacking football is something that will excite Blackburn fans.
The chances created for their main man, Ben Brereton Diaz, will only lead to more goals for the Chilean international.
Defensive data
Defensively, there is little to split the sides.
Blackburn are already somewhat defensively sound, finishing around midtable for goals conceded this season.
It is an area that can be improved, and Tomasson’s style of play out of possession will do so.
Passing data
Another area in which Malmö outshone Blackburn is passing as their average possession was 8% higher.
This is vital as more possession allows for Tomasson’s team to establish themselves and break the opposition down.
It’s not just possession, but it is useful possession.
Regarding passes to the final third, Malmö made 10 more per 90 minutes than Blackburn and with a 14% higher accuracy.
It is clear that Tomasson wants his side to be comfortable playing forwards and progressing the ball.
Jon Dahl Tomasson Tactics In possession
In possession, Tomasson set his Malmö side up primarily in a 4-2-3-1 formation, something that the current group of Blackburn players are used to playing.
Tomasson utilised this formation well, and he managed his double pivot very well.
When building up, both pivots must understand their role.
Below are the midfield rotations that ensure Tomasson’s side can play out comfortably.
Rotation in the midfield is vital and something that will be developed and brought into his Blackburn side.
Following the departure of Joe Rothwell, a midfield partner to play alongside Lewis Travis is probably a high priority for the new boss over the summer window.
When the Danes’ side established possession and built up further up the pitch, his team often adopted a 4-2-4 formation with the ‘number 10’ playing as a second striker.
By doing this, his Malmö side ensured that the midfield had space to receive the ball comfortably.
The idea behind this setup is to allow space out wide for the fullbacks to progress the ball.
When possession reaches the attacking players, due to the large number of them, quick combinations are played, and Malmö breaks teams down with ease.
Another advantage of this setup is that it allows the pitch to be stretched, providing space for the attacking players to drop deeper without being under too much pressure.
For this to work, patient build-up play is required, and all players must master their movements to allow progressive passes to be played.
The narrowness of the front line pins the opposition defence, which gives space out wide for Tomasson’s fullbacks to drive forwards into.
The role of the fullbacks is vital in Tomasson’s system.
This is because he likes to operate his front three very narrowly.
Doing this gives the attack no width, so the fullbacks must be able to join the attack to provide the necessary width.
The right-back position is likely to be strengthened by the uncertainty surrounding Ryan Nyambe.
Harry Pickering is an ideal player for Tomasson’s system, and the left-back position will most likely be his first choice.
Rovers attacking three is an area of good quality.
John Buckley has played the number 10 role a lot under the previous Tony Mowbray, but the returning Bradley Dack could also prove vital if he reaches his best.
Out wide, Dolan, Hedges, and Poveda are all becoming established Championship players.
Over the last few days, Blackburn has been linked with Todd Cantwell, a player who is well-suited to Tomasson’s style, a wide player who loves to drift centrally and impact the game.
Tomasson loves his team to link up and play quick combinations with each other.
The striker in the attack tends to make runs in behind or make his way into the box for a cross.
When attacking the box, Malmö sometimes played the ball wide and set up to be ready for a cross.
Due to their lack of attacking width, it can leave space at the back post, which the fullback must attack.
If perfected and practised, it could become an interesting tactic and an effective way of attacking the penalty area.
Jon Dahl Tomasson Tactics Out of possession
When Tomasson’s team is without the ball, they take up a very organised and structured role, depending on where the ball is on the pitch.
When engaging higher up the pitch, a press will take place.
This press is usually sustained for a long time and involves the four attacking players.
The intelligence of Tomasson’s players allows them to set traps and engage early with the opposition’s next pass.
As shown below, the next two passes are already being monitored and are being initiated.
This way of playing involves a highly disciplined side but also a fit one.
Pressing the opposition high disrupts their rhythm of playing out and building up.
To ensure success, all players must be on board and focused on the next pass.
When not engaging in a press, Tomasson sets his side up in a mid-block.
This midblock takes place in a 4-5-1 formation.
The three attacking players, who play behind the striker, drop deep to create a bank of five.
The midblock should not be viewed as a conservative way of defending, as Malmö acted very aggressively in their defensive shape.
The striker engages with the opposition’s defenders to hurry their time on the ball.
As a whole, Malmö squeezed aggressively up the pitch at any given chance.
The gap between the back four and midfield five shows the aggressive nature of Malmö’s midblock.
A large amount of space is left, which requires the defence to mark any player who finds themselves in there.
This approach is risky, as it allows a team to get a midfielder to turn in the space, which could create a dangerous situation.
But the aggressive nature of the side usually nullifies any opportunity for the opposition to capitalise.
When defending the box, Malmö set it up in a way that not many sides tend to.
In this case, the central midfielders covered the wide areas.
Doing this allows the back four to stay very narrow and tight inside the box, closing off any space.
This gave Malmö a better chance of clearing the first ball and reacting first to anything that may follow.
The midfielder covers the wide area where, traditionally, the winger might.
Doing this allowed Malmö to keep one eye on their attack, as the attacking players could maintain a higher starting position, which enabled them to break quickly.
One negative of this is that sometimes, space can be left around the edge of the box.
therefore, it is important that the other midfielder, who stays central, understands his role in covering this space.
Attacking transition
Once he has regained possession, Tomasson likes his side to break quickly and with meaning.
When attacking, Malmö relies on their players to understand their surroundings.
The example below is of the left-back making a run from deep in an attacking transition.
Malmö look to play forwards quickly with passes rather than dribbling.
The striker often positions himself in a dangerous area where he can run onto the ball or is in a position for a shot.
Malmö leaves their attacking players higher than most teams usually would.
This gives them a great platform to build from and sometimes catches the opposition out with their numbers.
Jon Dahl Tomasson Defensive transition
When Malmö lost possession, they looked to regain the ball quickly.
This style is common in the modern game; however, Malmö operated slightly differently.
When they look to counter-press, rather than the two or three nearest players joining in, it was just the nearest player.
By doing this, Malmö were still able to disrupt the opposition and even win the ball back by forcing the opposition into a more condensed area of the pitch.
This more conservative approach allowed Malmö to regain their defensive shape before they applied their more organised press.
This way of transitioning is effective when high up the pitch, and the likelihood of being outnumbered defensively is low.
However, this way of transition can occasionally lead to dangerous situations defensively.
Sometimes, when the pressure is not enough, the opposition can play through the press and break quickly.
When the midfield has been bypassed, it is a case of recovery.
Malmö are set in their way of defending against dangerous attacks and choose to do so by delaying and waiting for support.
Doing this gives them the best chance of regaining possession or seeing the attack out.
Conclusion
Overall, Jon Dahl Tomasson has a set philosophy of how he likes his team to play.
He will require investment in key areas to ensure this is possible with his new team.
When successful, Tomasson will likely make Blackburn one of the most competitive teams in the league.
The ability to play forward whilst also being defensively astute is what gets teams promoted, and Tomasson is comfortable taking risks in key areas to ensure results.
Blackburn fans can be excited following the club’s appointment of the Danish man who was competing in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League group stages with Malmö, facing European giants Chelsea and Juventus.
Blackburn have taken a different approach than usual and hopefully, it proves to be the correct one.
