EFL Championship 2019/20 – Fulham vs Barnsley – tactical analysis

Back in February, Fulham and Barnsley faced off at Craven Cottage. These two teams are situated at either end of the EFL Championship table, with entirely different expectations and resources. The Cottagers sole aim is an instant return to the Premier League, demonstrated by their significant financial outlay in the summer. Giving former West Ham man Scott Parker the job permanently may have been seen as a risk but their performances, if inconsistent at times, have seen them reside in the upper echelons of the table.

Barnsley’s strategy is very much different. Their association with Billy Beane attracts much interest, as does their recruitment – heavily focusing on younger players whom they hope to develop into sellable, valuable assets. After a poor start to the campaign, Daniel Stendel left the club. Indeed, Barnsley beat Fulham in the reverse fixture at Oakwell on the opening day. Nevertheless, Stendel’s departure led to Gerhard Struber arriving from Austrian side Wolfsberger AC, a rather left-field appointment. However, there has not been a drastic turnaround in fortunes with the club sitting bottom currently.

In this tactical analysis, I will conduct analysis to look at the tactics that helped Barnsley surprisingly beat Fulham so convincingly.

Line-ups

Parker had several of his talented, offensive players in his starting 11. Using a standard 4-3-3, the front three consisted of Ivan Cavaleiro, Aleksandar Mitrović, and Anthony Knockaert. The threatening Tom Cairney was also behind them in midfield but was allowed the freedom to contribute to offensive phases of play. Joe Bryan started at left-back while youngster Steven Sessegnon was on the opposite flank at right-back.

Struber’s preferred system is the 4-1-2-1-2 diamond. Alex Mowatt is a key component as the pivot, and has stood out in a weak team. Similar to their opponents their attack is where their strength lies. Cauley Woodrow and Conor Chaplin have 14 and 10 goals respectively. Jacob Brown, meanwhile, has eight assists to his name.

Barnsley’s Press

Struber’s favoured formation lends itself to being an optimal pressing structure. The occupation of several, staggered lines allows for a more compact shape that is harder to bypass successfully. It’s seemingly becoming more popular as Marco Rose at Borussia Monchengladbach also uses this specific formation, with success.

In