Tactical Theory: Coaching counterattack creation through mid block recoveries

The high press consumed football tactics for most of the past few decades.

It was a way to set the matchs tempo from defence, to be the aggressor and create opportunities for recoveries high up the pitch. Clubs like Barcelona and Manchester City have been leaders in the movement. Add in any club that Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel have coached.

But versatility when defending is still a necessity. Though many top teams still initiate play through a high press, other top clubs have shown the ability, and at times a preference, to defend in a mid-block. Analysis of those top clubs gives us an idea of how to do it and, equally important, connect the mid-block to counterattacking opportunities.

In this tactical analysis, well start with organisation and pressing traps within a mid-block. But that isnt the end goal. We want to connect defensive tactics to transition attacking. This analysis will look at in-game tactics and then connect the ideas to exercises for coaches to take to their own environments.

Setting up the mid-block

Before we can even talk about counterattacking, we have to create those opportunities with a staunch mid-block. Lets start with the things we want to achieve by defending from this position.

First, we want to reduce the space opponents can play into behind our backline. The short distance between the centre-backs and the goalkeeper makes it very difficult for opponents to successfully play into that space. If they do try to knock the ball behind the backline, its the goalkeepers responsibility to give his centre-back coverage.

Second, we want to keep our lines tightly connected, making it difficult for opponents to play through us. We can take this a couple of ways. One option is to occupy the central part of the pitch to force opponents to play around the press. Another is to create a pressing trap centrally by baiting a central pass and then crashing on the first attacker while eliminating passing lanes to play out of the press.

Well focus on taking away the centre of the pitch and funnelling opponents around the press. We have an excellent example from Napoli. Even though Juventus had a back three and five midfielders and forwards positioned between the width of the box, Napolis press made it nearly impossible for Juventus to play through them. To do so, Juventus would have to play risky, contested passes in the centre of the pitch. Not ideal against a side thats ready to counterattack.

Juventus does try to play around the press, but a poor pass is intercepted and kickstarts the Napoli counterattack. The way Napoli was set up in the mid-block, they were well prepared to sprint up the pitch with tightly connected numbers near the ball. That allowed them to mostly attack on a straight line, maximising the efficiency of the counterattack.

Intercepting entry passes into the wings is ideal, but even if the opponent does make it to the wide regions of the pitch, a well-designed mid-block will make the playing area smaller and seal opponents. Once opponents are sealed in the wings, the goal is to put pressure on the first attacker so he cant play over the press, as well as contest all short and intermediate options. As the defending team, we want to hold a numeric superiority once weve funnelled the opponent into the wing. Once that happens, we just cant let them out.

We have Osasuna set to funnel Real Sociedad in the wings to highligh