Caio Miguel
@osegundovolante
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626
Academy Analyst Intern @RangersFC | Views are my own
Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined January 2022
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"Perfectionism is a scourge."
An in-depth tactical analysis of Malmö under Henrik Rydström. Di blåe are attracting eyes from all over the world with their distinct style of possession. Read all about it below.👇🇸🇪
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With the whole fallout after Spain’s game and Morocco’s so-called “anti-football”, this video is more relevant than ever.👇🏼
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Gabriel Jesus as the ST with Neymar floating centrally. Vini and Raphinha on the wings, Bruno as a free 8 and Casemiro holding. Paqueta, Antony, Martinelli, etc. coming off the bench. Hexa.
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Juanma Lillo: The professor who stopped teaching
How his article for The Athletic and his tactics at Al Sadd are leading a philosophical revolution in football.🧵
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It's a new age in football, and Francesco Farioli is one of the protagonists.
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[THREAD] Brief analysis of Fernando Diniz at Fluminense, examining their behaviour and structure throughout multiple phases of the game. In addition to identifying key principles and ideas, we also look at how Diniz revived the classic number 10 role through Ganso.
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Football was better when the best players in the world were the most technical.
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Despite Andrey Santos' recent departure to Chelsea, Vasco still have some exciting talents in their first team. Perhaps none more than Marlon Gomes. Read my latest
@TotalAnalysis
article on the 19-year-old Swiss army knife below.👇🇧🇷💢
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Como 1907's vertical attacks. Their proximity can offer more possibilities for combinations, and the different heights created by their shape potentializes the verticality of these sequences. Third-man runs, one-twos, and escadinhas are all relevant here.
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The fairytale of SV Elversberg:
How Horst Steffen is leading the German club to unthinkable heights. 🇩🇪🧵
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Como 1907's 4-2-2-2 under Cesc Fàbregas and Osian Roberts
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It's a Game of Functions, not Positions.
My latest article provides an in-depth breakdown of Functional Play, exploring its tactics, with a scope on culture, history, and philosophy, and comparing it directly with Positional Play. Read below👇
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Led by Cesc Fàbregas and Osian Roberts, Como 1907 secured a historic promotion to the Serie A. Tactically, the Biancoblù adopted an aggressive style with many relational dynamics. My latest article takes a detailed look into their tactics in possession👇🇮🇹
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TACTICAL ENVIRONMENTS
Thread on what it is, how it helps our understanding of tactics on a macro level, and how it relates to and perhaps clarifies the Relationism and Positionism discussion. 🧵
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Sócrates on the Brazilian identity. “… our rebellion at excessive internal and external order, against excess of uniformity, of geometrisation, standardisation, and the totalitarianisms that do for individual variety or personal spontaneity.”
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Seven wins in his first seven matches. 30-year-old American coach Fabian Hürzeler is guiding St. Pauli back to winning ways in his first-ever managerial job. My in-depth tactical analysis is coming tomorrow, stay tuned.🇩🇪☠️🇺🇸
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After turning heads with his article for
@TheAthleticFC
, Juanma Lillo has displayed a drastic change in his tactical approach. My latest article for
@TotalAnalysis
details Lillo's new philosophy and tactics. Read the complete analysis below👇
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Gareth Southgate did, technically, use a back three in England's elimination. Walker dropped in as a safety measure for Mbappe, and Henderson shifted wide almost as a wing-back. This had multiple consequences.(+)
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Referencing Socrates, the philosopher, Lillo claims to believe teaching does not exist, only learning. Similar to Socrates, his approach is now one of a professor who does not teach, but rather stimulates knowledge by walking alongside his students and asking questions.
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Benfica's structure is based on the players' interpretive relationship with space. Their movement and occupation of space appear natural and spontaneous. Incredibly pleasing to watch.
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Training video of Diniz's Fluminense. At the beginning of the video, he shouts "Estão muito parados, muito parados." (You're standing still too much)
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My latest article for
@TotalAnalysis
identifies and outlines the key principles and ideas behind Francesco Farioli's tactics at Alanyaspor. The 33-year-old is one of the most exciting and innovative managers in the world right now. Read why below👇🇮🇹
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🪜🇮🇹
Como 1907's 4-2-2-2 under Cesc Fàbregas and Osian Roberts
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Commentator: “Este equipo no tenía posiciones fijas, y todos trabajaban en beneficio del hombre qué llevaba la pelota” 🇧🇷 1982
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Functional Play or Positional Play. Relationist or Positionist. All football systems are interlinked in their foundation.
The text is from tomorrow's article. Thank you
@MinimumWidth
and
@ahmedmoall
for the insight and discussions.
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A little bit of Dorival Júnior's functional 4-2-3-1. False wingers with a shadow striker at the 10 (Segundo Atacante). Short passes, approximation, positional fluidity, lack of linear structures. 🇧🇷
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Working on the Juanma Lillo article for Monday. I also plan on writing a thread here, looking at not only how his team plays, but the significance of it. There's a new era beginning in football, and Lillo is playing a significant role in this transition.
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The last time I was this excited writing an analysis was Fernando Diniz last year. Farioli's tactics push the boundaries, and I hope to do them justice with this article. Coming Monday✍️🇮🇹
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18-year-old Isaac is perhaps the biggest name to emerge from the 2023 Copinha, and senior manager Fernando Diniz already has his eyes on the kid from Xerém. Learn about Isaac and how he plays in my latest Estrelas da Copinha article below!👇🇧🇷
#Copinha2023
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Bologna's ability to maintain a stable structure despite incredible individual fluidity is fascinating, and the CBs play a significant role in this.
Focus on Jhon Lucumí (26). Starts the clip as a CB, moves into a CM position, supporting both wide areas, and then stays at RB.♻️
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In style (not quality), Pedro and Gabigol are very reminiscent of Bebeto and Romário. Especially without the ball, their duality is so effective in manipulating defences and creating space. Gabigol floating and Pedro intelligent within the backline. Yin and Yang. Natural. Fluid.
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Lillo expressed his contempt for the oversaturated world of analysis, where there must always be a why, a reason behind every result. In his words, after 30 years in football, the “only thing [he is] certain of is uncertainty”.
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Slovakia's mid-to-high 4-5-1 block had their routine triggers, but they were far from automatic, with many factors influencing their movement & positioning. The execution of details (angles/timing/+) from each individual within this system was also key. Belgium contained✅
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Lillo’s change in perspective represents a broader philosophical revolution in football. The meticulous scientific approach which has dominated football in recent years may be reaching a plateau, a stalemate. The answer? A return to the individual, to the spontaneous.
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From a philosophical perspective, Lillo’s The Athletic article questioned the very approach that made him a household name in football. Using the World Cup as his case study, Guardiola’s former assistant highlighted today’s football loss for emotion, for nature.
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Minimum Width and Escadinha
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He continues by using the popular obsession with two touches as a symbol for individual repression before finally questioning, “Who am I to take them away from a life of learning as rich and valuable as they have, with their excitement and joy to play?"
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Continuing to explore the emerging Functional Play, my latest article for
@TotalAnalysis
breaks down the concept of Rest Defence in Functional Play. On the surface, implications may arise given the chaotic nature of the style. Read my analysis below👇
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Coaching Qatar’s Al Sadd, Lillo has experimented with an approach similar to the likes of Diniz and Spalletti. Often referred to as Functional Play or Relationism, this tactical style is how this new philosophy translates into tactics.
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Breno Bidon (17) from Corinthians. Número 8, Segundo Volante.
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With his own twist, García Pimienta's Positional Play (JdP) refutes much of the criticism surrounding this philosophy. My article tomorrow uses Las Palmas as a compelling argument for Positional Play, arguing that it can take (or already has) a lot from Functional Play.
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Lillo’s Al Sadd displays some of the cornerstones of this new tactical style. As it grows in popularity, it will be very interesting to see how the style develops. However, it is clear that, once again, Juanma Lillo will play a key role in the development of a new tactical era.
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😁⚡️
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With his article for The Atheltic and his work in Qatar, Juanma Lillo has displayed a significant change in perspective, specifically in his philosophical approach to football. This change has also been taking place in other corners of the world, with other protagonists.
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In the latest
@TotalAnalysis
magazine, I wrote about the concept of space in Functional Play and Relationism. The article explores how space is conceptualised before breaking down examples in the likes of Napoli and Fluminense. Read below👇
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Scaloni will certainly have to adapt to France's lethal attack on Sunday, but Argentina's functional game could cause some serious problems for France. Plus, Di María could bring an entirely new dynamic to the match. My preview for
@TotalAnalysis
👇
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Great experience today travelling with the 16s away to Liverpool👍🏼👍🏼
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In this case, some notable features include an asymmetrical shape and a focus and liberty in the central channels. These features are all direct consequences of his players’ characteristics, which as Lillo expressed, are now the guiding factor in the forming of his collective.
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My latest article explores the art of dictating the tempo through an analysis of Benfica's new Enzo Fernández. The 21-year-old has instantly become the heartbeat of Roger Schmidt's dominant side. Understand how below👇
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Bologna are always moving, before and after the pass. Movement is either to support (towards the ball) or to attack (away from the ball). It is less about where you are, and more about how you're moving. Football to explore, football in motion.
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Luxemburgo’s press conference at Corinthians, about tactical modernity and losing the essence of Brazilian football. Did my best to translate it on the right.
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Renato Paiva's positional play at Group City's Bahia. Standardisation across all City clubs?
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The organisation tends to be rather formless, with a lack of predetermined structures. With players like Akram Afif and former Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla, players are free to roam and negotiate with spaces as they see fit.
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The manager must be nowhere yet everywhere at the same time. He is responsible for creating an environment where the players understand each other on the pitch and blend into one. He is responsible for stimulating the individual and their contribution to the side.
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It is these sorts of first-time combinations that make him a pivotal part of this attack. Similar to a classic number 10, his minimal yet brilliant movement puts him in optimal places where his teammates can interact with him.
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Below, there is a total of seven players between the left half-space and the central channel, something almost forbidden in Positional Play. The priority is now the natural relationship among players, which is enhanced by proximity and overloads.
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The thread is here! The full in-depth article is coming on Monday, so stay tuned for that. Thank you for the support as always. Hope you enjoy🙌
Juanma Lillo: The professor who stopped teaching
How his article for The Athletic and his tactics at Al Sadd are leading a philosophical revolution in football.🧵
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Before moving on, this functional approach to the structure can lead to some misconceptions, such as that the manager has no say in the team’s attacking system. This is far from the truth, and there is a better way of looking at this.
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The focus is now on integrating the individual into the collective, not the collective into the individual.
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Contrary to most modern managers and their constant battle for space through positional play, Diniz adopts fluid possession-based tactics based on constant approximation and numerical superiority.
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In possession, we can see a clear distinction from his Atlético Nacional side in 2017. Asymmetry, overloads, and approximation have replaced maximum width and rational occupation of spaces.
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América Mineiro are easily the most underrated team in Brazil. Vagner Mancini's work has been fantastic, quietly turning them into a solid Série A side despite having much less investment.
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The constant creation of passing lanes around the ball is key to Functional Play. Players are free to move in and out of spaces, creating passing lanes before moving again. Its spontaneous nature further indicates this liberty in individual positioning.
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The map below illustrates some key ideas. Fluminense's possession is based on constant approximation, fluid movement, and numerical superiority. A narrow 4-2-3-1 is used with different individual roles based on each player's style. Fluid and free-flowing structure, not rigid.
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In this approach, however, the defence is required to engage with each pass as they try to shift over. This can create desirable scenarios and gaps to exploit. Lillo’s possession forces the opposition to act and his players to react.
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[THREAD] World, welcome to Vitor Roque. The 17-year-old star could be one of the biggest promises to come out of South America in recent years. Understand who the kid from Minas is and how he plays in this brief analysis.
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There is also the idea of possession as a conversation, of using possession to engage the opposition.
Below, we can see how they use overloads to lure the opposition into an area before exploring the space left behind.
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Bologna are always moving, before and after the pass. Movement is either to support (towards the ball) or to attack (away from the ball). It is less about where you are, and more about how you're moving. Football to explore, football in motion.
Saelemaekers está com a bola. No primeiro momento, Zirkzee oferece um apoio, movimentando-se em direção ao passe no pé. Enquanto isso, dois jogadores infiltram para dar a opção no ponto futuro. O homem da bola interpreta o que fazer.
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While the average positions and initial shape indicate central overloads, there is no restriction. If possession takes them out wide, players are free to support and collectively progress there. If they wish to remain central and combine through the middle, they are free to do so
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The inside fluctuation of Grêmio's winger further explores the omnidirectional potential and various possible routes of progression that stem from Minimal/Maximal width, a concept explored by
@ahmedmoall
. Dynamic width over static maximum width.
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Another method to engage the opp is slow switches. Rather than one big switch, which can still happen, Lillo instructs his men to switch with shorter and more feet-to-feet passing. At times, long switches can be easier to defend as the block shifts while the ball is in the air.
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Fernando Diniz plays a refreshing brand of football, and his work with Fluminense is incredibly admirable. Not only has he been successful as far as results, but he's built the most entertaining team in the country.
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My favourite tactical feature today was Paquetá and Neymar working together as attacking midfielders. Freedom to roam, constantly finding spaces in between the lines. Masterminds behind Brazil's attacks. (2-3-5 often turned into a 2-3-2-3)
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I’ve just finished Jonathan Wilson’s “The Names Heard Long Ago”, diving into the history of Hungarian football and its undeniable and arguably unmatched influence on the development of football. My appreciation of the Húngaros is immense, and I recommend this book to everyone.🇭🇺
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Fernando Diniz likes his sides to construct possession through a controlled approach. Essentially, this means collectively building out of the back with short passes, progressing through the zones with absolute control of the ball.
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Two key principles in this phase: approximation & numerical superiority. Constant movement to create optimal passing lanes and progress through the zones. Numerical superiority through approximation from goalkeeper & double pivot. (5v2 below).
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New 🇧🇷 manager!
A little bit of Dorival Júnior's functional 4-2-3-1. False wingers with a shadow striker at the 10 (Segundo Atacante). Short passes, approximation, positional fluidity, lack of linear structures. 🇧🇷
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@umirf1
Why does play A drop deep? What's the benefit of player B making those runs? What is the point of player C inverting?
Some teams may have these same patterns, but for different reasons (player characteristics, opposition, structure). Important to take a step further.
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Importance of pass and move, ball-centred fluidity. Space is vacated and someone else moves into it.
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After working under Marcelo Bielsa and Gabriel Heinze, Julio Vaccari has taken over Defensa y Justicia in his first managerial job. My latest
@TotalAnalysis
article takes an in-depth look at the Argentinian's tactics and the clear influence of El Loco.👇🇦🇷
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While the directness of the passing is rather short, their tempo is quite high. In the 2022 Brasileiro, Fluminense have one of the highest passing rates at 14.8 passes per minute of possession.
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