A few days ago, Aberdeen fans celebrated the 40th anniversary of beating Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners Cup under Sir Alex Ferguson — The UEFA Champions League record champions have not lost another European Cup since that day.
Aberdeen, which holds four Scottish Premiership titles, recently had a lousy time under Jim Goodwin before appointing Barry Robson to lead the team.
Since then, the Dons have been having an outstanding period, securing seven wins out of their last ten games.
Currently sitting in third place with 54 points, Aberdeen are behind the dominant forces Celtic and Rangers.
In this tactical analysis piece, presented in the form of a team Aberdeen scout report, we delve into the tactics employed by the 44-year-old manager to restore part of the Reds’ lustre in the Scottish Premiership.
Stick to traditional
It can be noted that Aberdeen’s sharp hold on long balls aims to quickly advance play vertically or to regain possession in the second or final third of the pitch.
When observing the passing map of Aberdeen goalkeeper Kelle Roos throughout this season, particularly under Barry Robson, it becomes evident that the team leans towards playing long balls rather than building from the back.
Robson, who frequently favours a 3-5-2 formation since his appointment, relies on vertical and long balls and quick play periodically to create opportunities.
There are two primary types of long balls executed usually.
The first occurs during paused plays or when the goalkeeper has freedom, resulting in more accurate long balls, and both teams are in a pre-determined compact shape compared to open-play situations that tend to be more chaotic and disorganised.
The close proximity of players in these situations leads to consecutive aerial and ground duels, this can be a form of qualitative superiority that can be exploited if you prepare more profitable players in some aspects like headers and physical players into the pressure zones against more vulnerable opponents who are likely to have an advantage.
For this style of play to be effective, it is essential to have a goalkeeper capable of accurate long passes, a target striker who excels in aerial duels and flicking on headers, fast players who can chase loose balls and create chances, and aggressive pressers who can win second balls.
Aberdeen has a well-designed plan in place, with players like Matthew Pollock and Kelle Roos suited to execute the long balls.
Ylber Ramadani and Leighton Clarkson are adept at winning second balls, while Duk (the runner) and Bojan Miovski (the target man) form a formidable front duo.
Usually, the goalkeeper Kelle Roos plays it to Bojan Miovski in the right half-space like in the below graphic.
Meanwhile, others are compact by occupying the centre and near-wing corridors, gaining positional superiority, and ready for any possible lay-offs or flick-ons.
Against Hibernian in the below scene, Miovski’s positioning in the right half-space to receive Kelle Roos’ long ball provokes the centre-back to step up.
This action forced the rest of Hibernian’s backline to close the distance to cover, consequently creating spaces that could be exploited.
Luís Lopes (commonly known as Duk) moves into the gap to receive the flick in behind.
However, Miovski lays the ball off…
…and then Duncan succeeds to win the second ball and releases it immediately to the left wing-back Hayes into space on the left flank.
Despite having a numerical superiority 3v2 in the box, the 35-year-old left winger didn’t succeed in reaching them and the defender cleared the danger.
Relying on the 3-5-2 can be deemed suitable for Aberdeen’s playing style as it enhances their presence in the second line (five players) which increases the chances of winning second balls and positions the team favourably to initiate swift attacking runs during transitions while gaining the dynamic advantage.
“They were all fantastic, they grew into the game, they got better and they got stronger and they just wanted to fight to win and that is everything in football.” — Barry Robson
The other variation that was mentioned before was implemented against Rangers.
In the given scenario, the long ball was once again targeted towards the half-space with Miovski flicking it on in behind to Duk.
Simultaneously, the midfielders positioned themselves strategically, anticipating the possibility of winning the second ball.
Duk moved quickly, having the dynamic advantage over the backline, to exploit the opportunity but the Rangers goalkeeper got the ball first.
Each of them (Duk and Miovski) have made significant contributions to Aberdeen’s goal tally this season, scoring 16 goals in the league.
In the same match, one of the goals came from a long ball to make it 2-0 for Aberdeen.
This led Barry Robson to say that it was “as good as (he’s) felt Pittodrie in a long time“,
Here, the goalkeeper Kelle Roos was smart, as he played it towards the left side, where the drifting striker Duk with the left wing-back Hayes positioned and created a 2v1 against Rangers’ right-back James Tavernier.
Duk made a vertical movement to draw his marker away, simultaneously allowing midfielder Clarkson to come in for support and form a triangular passing option…
…and then receive the back pass.
The latter sent in a superb cross which was brilliantly converted into a goal by Miovski who scored 15 out of his 16 goals from inside the box.
Are these flank dynamic movements repeated in Barry Robson’s era?
Some dynamic
The aforementioned dynamic can be observed prominently in several of Aberdeen’s recent matches, notably in their 3-0 victory over Hearts.
When Aberdeen are in possession in the final third, they actively seek opportunities to generate movement and create dynamic situations on the sides of the pitch and then quickly attack the box by delivering either a long or medium-height cross.
Although the initial shot was saved, Duk was alert to the rebound and scored the goal.
This also again happened in the 20th minute in Duk’s second goal but from the other side.
Transitions
When you watch Aberdeen, you notice their speed during the transitions, showcasing their preference for vertical plays over horizontal ones.
Duk remains a potent and speedy weapon for Aberdeen during these transition phases.
In the below match against Ross County, Leighton Clarkson demonstrated excellent anticipation and intercepted the pass.
Simultaneously, Duk maintained a high position,
Upon gaining possession, instead of releasing the ball immediately or passing backwards to rotate, Clarkson opted to run into the space and passes to Duk who moved diagonally, gaining the dynamic advantage.
The latter finished brilliantly.
Similarly, in a recent 1-0 loss against Rangers, Aberdeen adopted a 5-4-1 low block.
Even in this defensive setup, Duk maintained a high position, prepared for any potential transitional opportunity.
When Aberdeen’s defender cleared the cross, Miovski swiftly released a through ball behind the opposition defence, specifically targeting Duk as the outlet for launching a counterattack who missed the chip shot.
Indeed, there is evidence that there remains a considerable gap between Aberdeen and Celtic and Rangers, as even illustrated in the stats below.
Despite notable performances and tactical observations throughout matches, the club from this vibrant city must make efforts to bridge that gap and narrow the distance between themselves and Scotland’s giants.
Conclusion
This analysis attempted to explain what Barry Robson did with Aberdeen in their recent awakening by explaining their long balls and counterattacks, which sums up their vertical play.
While it is difficult to predict the future with certainty, with the right strategic planning, continued progress, and a solid foundation, Aberdeen could potentially establish themselves as a competitive team once more.
