In part 1 of my AS Roma tactical analysis, I took a look at Paulo Fonsecas offensive organisation and transition. In part 2 of my tactical analysis, I will examine Romas defensive organisation and transition tactics in Serie A this season.
Orientations of the block
Fonseca is a pragmatic coach, so, unlike many coaches, he does not always commit to one single defensive style and tactics. Romas urgency when out of possession is dependant on a multitude of factors, such as the scoreline and the opponent. For example, in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 against Gent, Roma had a PPDA (opposition passes allowed per defensive action) of 23.74 (an extremely passive press), while in their next match against Lecce their PPDA was 9.32 (a much more aggressive press).
When Roma are not pressing, they set up in a narrow, vertically and horizontally compact mid block. The block is zonally oriented and blocks central space and passing angles. The block is either in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2 shape. Regardless of shape, the principles remain the same.
The 4-2-3-1 block keeps the players in their starting positions. In the image shown below, we can see Roma in a 4-2-3-1 block. The shape is very narrow, with the far-side winger still in a relatively central position. The furthest player away from the ball is the far-side fullback, who has stayed relatively wide in this case so as to defend a potential switch. The shape is also very vertically compact, with the double pivot bridging the gap between the back four and the attacking midfield three. We can see that the opposing team have no open passing angles into the centre.
Roma, like many teams who start with a 4-2-3-1, create a 4-4-2 when defending as the wingers and double pivot will create the midfield four, while the attacking midfielder will join the striker in the front two. This shape performs very similarly to the 4-2-3-1 shape, and Roma will often oscillate between the two throughout a match.
In the image s
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