This tactical analysis of RC Strasbourg will analyse how Liam Rosenior has the Ligue 1 side fighting for European football with an exciting attacking style of play.
Rosenior took over the Alsace club in July 2024.
With three games of this season left to play, including one against UEFA Champions League semi-finalists PSG, Rosenior’s side still has a chance of qualifying for Europes premier competition.
Strasbourg has only qualified for UEFA competition once in the previous twenty seasons, so this represents Strasbourgs best season for some years.
This impressive league campaign is all the more remarkable, considering Rosenior is working with the youngest average starting XI in the French top flight and, remarkably, one of the youngest squads in European football history.
After a rocky November in which Les Alsaciens lost all four of their games, they have lost just twice in all competitions since.
Rosenior has previously worked in the EFL as the interim manager of Derby County and Hull City.
In the 2023-24 season, the former Premier League player was nominated for the EFL Championship Manager of the Season award before being sacked despite achieving an impressive seventh-place finish with Hull.
BlueCo, which also owns Premier League side Chelsea, owns Roseniors current side.
As such, Rosenior has been tipped to lead the West London club one day.
This tactical analysis will dissect how Rosenior tactics have succeeded in France by focusing on his sides attacking approach.
Examples from recent matches will be used to analyse how Strasbourg creates goal-scoring opportunities, including their build-up play from goal kicks and calm approach to attacking transitions.
How Does Liam Rosenior Set Up For Goal Kicks
Rosenior, who had long planned to become a coach by coaching the youth teams at every club he played for, has a distinct attacking, possession-based style of play.
An important and effective element of this possession-based style is the detail Rosenior puts into his sides build-up play from goal kicks.
The above image illustrates how Rosenior has set up his team for short goal kicks in recent matches.
Although their typical in-possession formation is a 3-4-3, their goal kick shape changes to a 4-2-2-2, with a double pivot/box midfield, and two players high and wide on the halfway line.
