Peter Bosz Analysis & Coaching Style 2023/2024: A Potential Return To Coaching’s Elite Ranks With PSV Eindhoven? – Tactical Analysis

After several internal discussions with the club board, PSV Eindhoven made the decision to part ways with coach Ruud van Nistelrooy on May 24th.

In light of this, the club eagerly anticipates embarking on a new era under the leadership of Peter Bosz.

Expressing confidence in their choice, PSVs technical director, Earnest Stewart, stated that Bosz was the perfect candidate for this pivotal position.

Bosz is no stranger to the Eredivisie, having previously managed Vitesse Arnhem and Heracles Almelo, as well as guiding Ajax to the final of the UEFA Europa League.

Additionally, his coaching experience includes stints with Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, as well as a two-year tenure with Olympique Lyon in France.

In this tactical analysis, we will examine the strategies employed by the Dutchman and identify which players from PSVs roster are best suited to adapt to his tactics and playing style.

Peter Bosz Coaching Philosophy

Peter Bosz usually prefers to play with a 4-3-3 formation or switch to it dynamically from a 4-2-3-1, allowing for a lot of freedom, dynamism, and positional rotations around the pitch.

The 59-year-old coach has previously summed up his style by stating, I have a philosophy of offensive play, of attractive football because we play for the fans and not for ourselves. But the way we will play obviously depends on the players.”

In fact, in his recent stints at Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Lyon, he demonstrated adaptability in his tactics, adjusting them according to the players available.

In Leverkusen, he employed a system with a single pivot alongside Julian Brandt (roamer and creative playmaker), and Kai Havertz (the deep runner).

However, during his time at Lyon, he opted for a more dynamic approach with a double pivot (rotating between Maxence Caqueret, Thiago Mendes, Tanguy Ndombele, and Florent Da Silva).

Generally, Peter also explained the key principles of his in-possession and out-of-possession phases, which built upon key principles: applying high pressure on opponents, maintaining compactness, emphasising the five-second rule of quick ball recovery (something Bosz loved watching while Guardiola was Barcelona’s coach), and usually trying to control the game with a variable tempo.

The 59-year-old coach has consistently employed a positional play approach throughout his career, searching for superiorities (numerical, dynamic, qualitative, and positional) across the pitch, with fluidity mostly in the final third.

In the below graphic, one of his strategies involves maintaining a numerical advantage (2 vs 1) against the oppositions first line.

This is achieved by including the pivot player in a third-man combination to find the spare man (the second centre-back) who has the space to progress vertically.

Meanwhile, the nearest winger moves inside towards the half-space, enticing the oppositions fullback to follow, thereby creating room for the overlapping fullback.

Simultaneously, the dropping striker and the nearest number 8 confuse the opposition with their differing vertical and diagonal runs.

Once the overlapping fullback receives the ball higher up the field as the third man, the nearest number 8 makes a diagonal run to exploit the space and receive the pass and then crosses the ball to the reverse attacking runners.

The second variation relies on positional rotations involving the winger, fullback, and nearest midfielder.

As depicted in the tactical board below, the fullback underlaps to draw the oppositions player away, allowing the left winger to drop deep and receive the ball.

The dropping-off striker then receives the split pass an