Having benefitted from a succession of Australian head coaches, Yokohama F. Marinos saw it fit to once again embrace the trend and make Socceroos legend Harry Kewell their next manager at the beginning of the 2024 J1 League season.
Kewell was looking to put his poor managerial record behind him, seeking guidance from Marinos fan-favourite Ange Postecoglou in an attempt to bolster his coaching pedigree with a fresh start in Japan.
In some aspects, Kewell had outperformed some of the talented managers who came before him.
He guided Yokohama F. Marinos to their first-ever AFC Champions League final on the back of gritty performances when the odds were stacked against the Japanese club.
However, Kewell was unable to emulate the domestic success of Kevin Muscat and Ange Postecoglou.
Many suggested that their progression in the continental tournament had come at a detriment to their form in the J1 League.
Kewell was dismissed from his position, having guided the Marinos to the lows of 12th place.
For a club with such contrasting forms between the two competitions, the acceptance that the Marinos would be unable to challenge for domestic glory allowed tensions within the club to reach their boiling point, with club directors citing Kewell’s confusing tactical ideas as a main contributing factor.
This Harry Kewell tactical analysis will begin to highlight some of the structural problems that Yokohama F. Marinos have faced throughout this season, with the Australian unable to resolve their issues across the pitch.
Our analysis will shed light upon their tactics in and out of possession, with the Marinos’ dominant attacking identity being somewhat stifled under Kewell’s reign.
Marinos Tactical Identity
A lot has been said about continuing the Postecoglou legacy that has served the Marinos so well in recent years.
Kewell is also aiming to implement an attack-focused identity centred around determination and ball dominance.
This is evident when observing some of the underlying statistics, which begin to paint a picture of Marino’s tactical philosophies in Japan.
They average 60.5% possession in their bid to control as much of the play as possible.
Kewell has flirted with his formations this season, setting the Marinos up in a 4-2-3-1 on 34% of their matches, whilst deploying the 4-3-3 30% of the time.
Unlike the 4-2-3-1, which features a double pivot to form a solid base in midfield, Kewell’s 4-3-3 has highlighted a lone pivot, which provides the freedom for their advanced number eights to support their forward line in the final third.
At times, they have possessed the spark to hurt any team in the J1 League.
Their progressive statistics highlight their ability to damage opponents with their attacking flair and the swiftness of their passing sequences.
