In Friday’s incendiary clash between Adelaide and Brisbane, beneath the crimson flashes of fury and the sickening slips into violence, there was an interesting tactical discussion being staged, with the two teams testing different answers to a similar question.
The Reds and the Roar both set up without a primary play-maker occupying that classic No.10 position. First, to Adelaide.
In fielding a midfield of Isaias and Vince Lia, Marco Kurz pairs a combative ball-winner with a deep-lying play-maker. The rotations these two players cycle through involve the Spaniard dropping all the way back to his centre-backs and collecting the ball with Lia rumbling forward and back, winning tackles and passing simply.
When Isaias does push up and make direct vertical passes in the attacking half, he is most often playing passes out to the flanks, to his flying wingers Ryan Kitto and Craig Goodwin.
Ken Ilso roams out to the flanks, and drops sporadically back into that No.10 spot, but not for long enough to really consider him a telling presence there, only enough to dissuade teammates to join him in the zone. Ben Halloran is an entirely non-traditional winger-cum-striker, and flits all over the park; there is, as a result, a distinct lack of a central probing presence, and Adelaide don’t seem to seek extended periods of possession in the advanced central midfield.
Ilso and Halloran – whose average positions in this game ended up practically shoulder to shoulder – spend the most time in that No.10 zone, but are engaged in a constant interchange of positions.
This is not a bad thing, necessarily, and in Adelaide’s case, specifically. The actions that garnished a lot of Adelaide’s 2-1 in bypassed the central corridor entirely, with Goodwin four times responsible for hitting wonderful raking passes from the left to the right wing.
Taylor Regan then had a go too, but his wasn’t quite as accurate.
Adelaide’s strengths are the pace of their wingers, the accurate crossing and the combination passing strung together at speed. Their opening goal was a product of one of those long diagonals hit by Jordan Elsey up towards Goodwin. Isaias, who was cycling back to the defence before the long ball was hit, had charged up to collect the defensive header, a poor clearance.
Isaias then threaded through Goodwin, who crossed for Halloran.
The flint and fuel for this move was the long pass and the winger’s run; once those two factors combined, the situation ignited, and the goal was forged. There was no need to involve anyone in the advanced central midfield.
(Photo by James Elsby/Getty Images)
Brisbane also seem to be content not to play with a dedicated advanced central play-maker. Of the three central midfielders, against Adelaide it was Matt McKay who was the most advanced position-wise, and yet he had only 21 touches, fewer than a third of the total both his midfield colleagues managed.
McKay appears to be busied most principally with leading the high press, shuffling sideways, patrolling and sniffing out passing routes to block. A defensive forward, should such a thing exist.
Kristensen mops up and resets broken possessions, offers passing outlets to attackers who have run into cul de sacs, and occasionally trots up the pitch off the ball. Lopez is the most involved and offensively interested of the three; he leads the team in goal-involvements and through-balls played this season, but has to embark on missions up-field from a fairly deep position. Compare Lopez’s touch map in the loss to Adelaide to Western Sydney’s Alexander Baumjohann’s – an archetypal No.10 – in the German’s game last week against the Jets: only eight of Baumjohann’s 69 touches were made inside his own half, and the rest were evenly spread across the pitch, working as he does from a held central position.
Lopez, on the other hand, took 29 of his 74 touches in his own half, and his involvements lean slightly towards the left of the pitch; through pure tyranny of occupancy, he cannot demand the central areas to himself.
Eric Bautheac – playing as an inverted winger, left-footed but on the right wing – was probably the Roar’s most prominent attacker against Adelaide, certainly in the first half, and the way he seems designed to collect the ball and cut inside also means having a traditional No.10 would in effect be an unnecessary doubling of work.
Mikkelsen is also an inverted winger, right-footed on the left wing, also tasked with cutting in and play-making or shooting; indeed, the Dane narrowly missed a cut-and-shut on goal in the first half against Adelaide just before halftime.
These two teams are, in different ways, compensating for not having a central play-maker or, to put it another way, John Aloisi and Marco Kurz are trying to find the most elegant way of including a raft of versatile, non-specialised attackers for whom there is no set function.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
For the Reds, a liberal sharing of duties also occurs, with all three of Isaias, Halloran, and Ilso taking turns in the play-making role, making sure than the latter two players also rotate in and out of the striker’s position too. Adelaide’s second goal saw these rotations occur over the course of a few seconds of play; you can see here, as Goodwin squirms out of trouble on the wing, Halloran is placed ahead of him, right out on the touchline, and Ilso – off-screen for most of the build up, save for a glimpse of him rushing back onside – has assumed the central striker’s position, ready to spring off the shoulder of his defender.
Here, too, Isaias shunts up a little, playing a through ball that doesn’t quite come off, a brief morphing into the more advanced play-maker. Then, Ilso drops back to join the play in the midfield, and as he and Kitto combine on the right, Halloran duly drifts into the centre to offer the striking option, eventually taking up a classic poacher’s position that allows him to prey gleefully on a rebound tap-in.
In these sequences, it all seems logical that players should step in and out of these roles, but it’s only thanks to the fluidity of Adelaide’s system that this logic is so expressed.
For Brisbane, Aloisi has made a decision to play McKay in the middle, with Lopez and Kristensen deeper-placed, and has made up for any dearth of creativity this causes by inverting his wingers, encouraging them to step inwards and combine with teammates, or shoot. Mikkelsen’s average position in this game was inside the central corridor, and his touches were dotted across the full width of the pitch, switching flanks, cutting inside, drifting with intent.
Of the two teams, Adelaide’s system is working more coherently, and certainly with Adam Taggart’s injury, Brisbane’s potency will be diminished severely. But both managers should be given credit for their inventiveness; although it’s a sweet luxury to be able to field a high-spec No.10, and build around him, it isn’t the only way of arranging a functional attack.
Adelaide and Brisbane are showing that there are different, perhaps more democratic ways of utilising that advanced midfield zone.
Franko
Guest
My biggest criticism of Taggart, and it was echoed in the commentary by Slater is that yes he scores goals, but boy does it take him a lot of chances. Needs to be far more clinical.
Franko
Guest
Yes and replaced by Wenzel rather than Henrique, who did score but did little else. Wenzel (and Mauk when he came on) nearly swung the game.
jbinnie
Guest
Lionheart - Haven't heard from you for a while. Why I questioned Waz's statement was that I regard "development" in a player as a long term occurrence in a player's career,as against "improvement" in a player, which can be attained with more experience in better company, as would occur in a young player getting a run in a top team. so you see we are talking about two different things,"development" as against "improvement". You mention players "improving under Aloisi" (whatever that means) when in fact all of the players you mention,on average, only played around 80 first team games at Roar, not a lot when one considers "development". What I didn't say was that three of the players you mention,Petratos,Borella and Brown were all at Roar 2 years before JA joined the club and between them they knocked up lots of games in under age teams with the national teams so that put a lot of their development in ,and under, various national level coaches. Petratos at 26,Brown at 24 and Borello at 23 would all have played with those national selections more than 3 years ago,2015. As yo are aware that is the year JA joined the Roar. Cheers mate jb
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
yep, med staff and physio I assume responded on the spot, they would/should have made a recommendation to the coaching staff looked to me like he had a couple of goals in him if he'd remained uninjured, the luck of Roar is rotten, quite rotten
Fadida
Guest
The medical staff have to take a huge share of the blame. A 2 week injury will now be 6-8
Waz
Roar Rookie
Assuming JA is changing to 4-3-3 then a midfield of Lopez, Mauk and a new No. 10 is a definite possibility. But that 10 will have to be experienced and will rule out any youth imo. With Taggart our it will test JAs flexibility. He could play Ricky, D’Aggers or Wenzel-Halls as a straight replacement or he could re-gig the front three completely. e.g. play D’Aggers at 10 with Wenzel-Halls and Mikkelsen just in front. Plenty of pace and a kind of 4-3-1-2 (I think the D’Aggers as striker boat has sailed sadly)
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
JB, if I could add something. I don't think there's any doubt that Corey Brown improved under Aloisi's watch, from Aloisi's first to his second season. Petratos too, improved immensely at Roar, maybe pre-dating Aloisi. Borello too, improved immensely in Aloisi's time, though perhaps in part due to his paring with MacLaren. Macca definitely improved as his time progressed at Roar, recalling that he'd frequently miss 1v1 in front of goal but grew to take them. To be honest, I don't think there's a team in the League that doesn't depend on its foreigners. I don't recall Roar picking up a first-time Australian A League player who hasn't needed development. Most in the past seem to have come via the QAS (or AIS) with a few exceptions, like Brattan and Donachie who've come from NPL club academies (in their case, Rochdale). In the future, I assume, strongly hope, that Roar will develop its own players through their academy.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Good analysis Evan
Jjg
Guest
Good comments waz, I'd like to see Ingham at RB. Hingert's attacking executions are poor. Time for a change. Lack pace in back 6. Mauk looked good when on. Could he play alongside Lopez? Not sure if he is good enough defensively and may give away bad free kicks. Tk looks lost. Both he and Lopez want to control the build up. Taggart out, who is number 9? Henrique will be there if Eric b is back but I think Roar struggle with him centrally. Loss of front 2 to 3 could give youth a go ? Do you think bafford is up to a league quality at 10?
Waz
Roar Rookie
This is one of the criticisms aimed at JA - an inability to react quickly and change things up when he must. Taggs should have been brought off ten minutes earlier.
Waz
Roar Rookie
“When is a player developed” jb is of course, all of those you mentioned. You can’t put in to a mature player what they didn’t learn and practice from a young age. Bolt proved that.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Akbari was offered a contract but it had to be a junior contract as we had 20+3 players whereas victory needed a +3 player. The kid needed the money to support his family so there were bigger forces involved. Hingert is the main problem for me, 5 out of the last 7 goals conceded have come via his channel. If you look at his attempted clearance for that first goal ... ... 2 minutes out from half time and 0-0 is no time to take a risk yet instead of taking the simple and obvious option (and head the ball on for a harmless throw in) he instead jumps as high as he can, headz the ball back in to danger, then lands and falls on his backside because he is so out of balance ... and then is basically as much use as a training cone as Adelaide sweep 20m forward and take the lead. It’s all a bit familiar only it didn’t used to be Hingert - maybe it’s a lack of competition for his spot?
jbinnie
Guest
Waz- Thanks for the comments concerning the recent game,sorry I missed it. This latest contribution re. Aloisi's ability to "develop" a player leaves a lot of room for discussion. When is a player "developed"?, is it as a junior,a youth or a "first up" entrant in the HAL. Take the players you mention,Three of them had all been at Roar longer than JA and Petratos, Borello and Brown had amassed over 50 games in Socceroo youth teams prior to Aloisi's arrival at Roar so I would think those "national" coaches could have had a lot more to do with those players "development" than JA. Mclaren came as a recognised goal scorer and kept that up for his two year stay but again the question has to be asked how much "development" goes on in two seasons. I think you are being just a little too kind re . JA's development of young players. There is no doubt he is in a position that could see him perform that task but results over the last 3 seasons suggest Roar are still heavily dependent on overseas imports. Cheers jb.
Fadida
Guest
Thoughts on Taggart being allowed to continue when clearly injured? Gross stupidity. Key goalscorer. History of soft tissue injuries. Clearly injured. Allowed to continue. Extraordinary
Waz
Roar Rookie
Holman has a second knee operation after the season started, he had one in the winter too. I’d say it’s touch and go whether he plays again this year. DeVere is more of a mystery. He’s training and he looks okay to my eye. I wouldn’t be surprised if Roar free these two up in January’s window.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I don't get what's happening with our defenders Waz. They were poor at times Friday night, and while I think O'Toole has much potential, he is inconsistent, and yet our local lad (used to be s.. but now he's all right) who couldn't get a game last season, played well for MV last night. And as you say, Pepper left at home, Nigro? and DeVeere yet to be seen this season. Even Avraam doesn't seem up to his early high standards. What's going on with Brett Holman? I'll be surprised if we can afford another player, given we let Akbari go because we couldn't afford him, even though we can afford our crowd favourite (because of his past, not present form) who looks lost when he comes on these days.
Waz
Roar Rookie
“but see someone like Petratos coming into his own only after after leaving Brisbane” ... well that’s just not true. Alosi deserves the credit for making Petratos the player he is. A nobody when he arrived and struggling, Aloisi turned him in to a dynamic forward and his stats in 15/16 were outstanding (29 games, 7 goals and 7 assists) and it was only the arrival of Holman the following season that curtailed his appearances. But it was his performance at Roar that got him a $500k transfer to Korea and a million dollar contract. Aloisi can be credited with developing Petratos, Borello, Maclaren, and Brown under his tenure. In my mind there’s no question Aloisi can develop individual players, there’s just a question whether he can coach a team.
Chopper
Guest
Waz what is going on with Holman? He and Devere are taking up squad spots that could be better utilized. I agree with Hingert's poor form and would play Bowles there and bring pepper back into the centre.
Waz
Roar Rookie
jb The main problem is not one problem, but problems. All very familiar as well. In the first half at 0-0 Taggart was one on one with the keeper but only managed to find the post, and a second chance with just the keeper to beat - he found the keeper. Hingerts mistake for the first goal was criminal. O’Toole playing whilst ill could just be misfortune/necessity but who’s asking JA the question today - if it was too late to fly Nigro down why didn’t you push Bowles to LB (a position he’s excelled in) and put Pepper in at CB? And the goal bring scored by a sub was also made by a sub - but to be fair it was only after Taggart went off with a first half injury and Bautheac went off after having seven shades kicked out of him for the second week running.
Daniel
Guest
I don't disagree mate. I've honestly only been following the Roar during the Aloisi days and gross mis-use (or mis-understanding maybe?) of players' skills seems to be a common trend. I know there are a lot of other circumstances, but see someone like Petratos coming into his own only after leaving Brisbane.