There are so many ways to be successful in football, with a defensive style being one of them.
Modern English football is characterised by super fast paced, physical and attacking play. However, a Portuguese manager has had triumph returning to defensive formations. The change to defensive football may not be the most eye-catching style, but it did get the support of the Chelsea owner who gave him a huge transfer budget for a couple years. Some fans may want a certain method of play when they go enjoy a match, but most would take awards over style any day. The most successful years for the club were under the Portuguese coach and that is largely down to the precise nature of his formations. The concept associated with his formations was to utilise the opponents attacks against them by counter attacking anytime the opposition footballers pushed toward your goals.
Amongst the most effective teams currently that plays in a defensive way is the red and white club from the Spanish capital. The 2 Atletico Madrid owners have reaped the rewards from their team using a style that is rigid at the back, with one of the most powerful defences in Europe. The club is dominated by defensive football players, and a goalkeeper with one of the very best clean sheet records in Europe. This form has seen them win the league, succeed in cup competitions and likewise play in the best European tournament, the Champions League. Some people feel like this way of playing football is practically anti-football, but the sides achievements suggests the opposite, and they have been lauded by ex-professionals and pundits for the durability of the team and its work ethic.
There are countless ways to play football, in a defensive style frequently being preferred by a few teams, and this article will analyse 3 of them. The primary benefit of employing a defensive football strategy is of course that you will concede less goals. While this might be apparent, it is a lot tougher to execute successfully than one might initially believe. By setting up to defend, you encourage the opponent to pin you right back and you have very little control. Fundamentally in football, the less you have the ball, the more likely you are to concede, and less likely you are to score. The style has been used efficiently in the past however, with Italian sides being the most recognized for it. The new AC Milan owner may think about reverting back to the renowned side’s method that saw them win every trophy there is back in the 90’s. This style was grounded in using a solid defence, some exceptional creative players in midfield and then a super rapid and ruthless striker. The nature of defensive football formations meant the strikers have very few opportunities, so any that are created should be capitalised on.