Football: After listening to the advice, I became the strongest free man! - Chapter 399

c399 Bedsheets vs. Gunners, the current situation of major leagues

Since Diego Costa returned in the winter window, Atletico’s starting lineup has become very stable.

The Spanish center forward who was trapped by a leg injury entered the roster for this game, but Simeone did not send this Gunners nemesis for the purpose of protecting the players, which directly led to Atletico’s lack of a front-line fulcrum that could pull and drive a large group of troops to counterattack.

Unable to rely on sharp counterattacks to relieve the pressure on their own defense, Atletico seemed relatively passive under the impact of Arsenal’s fast pace.

[Arsenal’s advantage: three midfielders, the cornerstone of control]

After the opening, the two teams that are good at oppressive counter-grabbing are trying hard to make their opponents make mistakes.

Arsenal, which has always been known for its delicate passing and cutting, showed a stronger desire to win. They used their advantages in rhythm, speed and confrontation to compete for the midfield, boosted morale by striving for half of the ball, and relied on the highly fluid combination of the wing and the middle to attack the shortcomings of Atletico’s 442 system, such as weak midfield strength and insufficient defense width.

The reason why Atletico Madrid slipped to the Europa League as a two-time Champions League runner-up was mainly because of its poor performance in the two rounds of the group stage against Chelsea.

Conte chose the three defensive midfielders (3511 formation) to defend and counterattack in both games. The Colchoneros were unable to make full use of the ball given up by the opponent. The inefficient positional attack not only failed to destroy the opponent, but also exposed the huge gap in their backcourt to the opponent.

Arsenal is not a team that is accustomed to actively giving up the ball and has the patience and perseverance to fight with the opponent. The schedule of home first and away later makes it difficult for them to be overly conservative in the first round. It is no secret that Atletico Madrid will choose to switch between high and low defense in different time periods. Whether they can change their strategy in time according to the opponent’s defensive mode is the key to the Gunners’ victory.

Wenger’s ideal front quartet operation mode is dual-core drive to pull two shooters. Ozil controls the ball as the absolute core, Mkhitaryan takes part of the task of advancing and distributing the ball as the deputy, and Aubameyang and Lacazette support each other and take turns to pull the side or advance.

Since losing to Tottenham in the North London derby, Wenger has gradually given up the radical idea of ​​stacking four attackers in the front. He usually adds the diligent Welbeck to the starting lineup when facing mid-to-upper-level teams, and uses a three-midfielder structure to balance the offensive.

The depth impact and suppression capabilities that Welbeck can provide are indispensable strategic resources in the strong dialogue. The Englishman’s impact on Vrsaljko with Lacazette directly led to the Croatian’s early retirement.

The principle of the three-midfielder structure is technical complementarity and mutual support. Xhaka, Ramsey and Wilshere are players with distinct advantages and disadvantages. They are easily targeted by opponents in the double defensive midfielder system, but they can complement each other in the three-midfielder system.

In the absence of Elneny, who is a full-time defender, the three players rely on active cooperation to complete the defense. In the transition from defense to offense, the two offensive midfielders take turns to pop up to promote the rotation of the offensive module. Wilshere can send straight passes and breakthroughs in the middle of the frontcourt to relieve Ozil’s pressure. Ramsey can even serve as a second striker to cooperate with Welbeck and Lacazette to attack the penalty area, forming a three-forward offensive situation.

In the case of equal numbers, Atletico can rely on two forwards to press the Gunners’ deep-lying midfielder Xhaka.

Since Griezmann needs to defend the wing in the 10 vs. 11 off-ball phase, Gameiro alone cannot complete the defense of Xhaka in the middle, and the Swiss can get a relatively loose midfield space to handle the ball. The Gunners can naturally launch an endless attack with efficient rotation in the midfield.

[Atletico’s response: switch from four defenders to five defenders, and bet on Griezmann in counterattacks]

Atletico Madrid in the Simeone era is a team that relies heavily on rear-wheel drive. Vrsaljko, who is regarded as Juanfran’s successor, is such a player who can create offensive width and depth on the wing and enrich the offensive level through the impact of back insertion.

The Croatian had the ability to play on one side during his time at Sassuolo. He has a strong ability to find space and complete accurate crosses. This kind of full-back with a good sense of rhythm and priority to crosses rather than breakthroughs meets Simeone’s standards for using troops.

However, Vrsaljko also has a relatively obvious weakness, that is, his current defensive ability does not meet Simeone’s requirements. The Argentine system requires the full-back to actively grab and delay the opponent’s wing players after they are in position in the half-court, but Vrsaljko’s one-on-one defense success rate in open space is not high.

He is often dribbled past or fouled by opponents because of improper choice of kicking and stealing time. This defect is too obvious in the La Liga field with a slower overall rhythm and speed, and it will be more fatal when facing Premier League teams.

After Vrsaljko left the field with a red card, Simeone quickly directed the team to complete the adjustment.

Thomas Partey, a versatile backfielder, retreated to the right back, Saul and Koke joined forces in the middle, and Griezmann came to the left forward position to protect Lucas Hernandez in the off-ball stage.

On the surface, Atletico’s defensive formation is 4-4-1, but after Arsenal leads the ball 40 meters into the front court, Atletico’s defense will form a five-back position as it shrinks into the penalty area, which can block the opponent’s midfielder from getting in while closing the penalty area.

Saul and Partey’s positions on the right side are more flexible, and both players’ physique and confrontation ability can cope with Welbeck’s impact.

While completing the defensive task, Thomas Partey also repeatedly supported the frontcourt by advancing from behind.

Atletico’s best scoring opportunity in the first half was Correa’s powerful shot in the penalty area. This offensive opportunity came from the pass after the Ghanaian winger’s forced advancement. Relying on the excessive output of Griezmann and Partey, Atletico made up for the number disadvantage by forced running. The team’s long-standing advantage of physical fitness was fully utilized in this situation.

Atletico’s level and density in the central defense area are still very reasonable, and the linkage between three or four people in the ball area on the wing is still extremely efficient.

Their primary goal in defense is to limit the Gunners’ ground penetration, and the blockade of the outside cross is not strict, which laid the groundwork for Lacazette’s goal and Ramsey’s thrilling header before the end of the game.

Arsenal completed four times (28-6) the number of shots of their opponents in this game, but they did not get many absolute opportunities.

After the continuous unsuccessful siege in the first half, their confidence was affected to a certain extent. Atletico’s tight defensive deployment made the Gunners lose their direction at the beginning of the second half.

Wenger’s strategy in this situation was to continue to press the formation forward, with Ramsey and Wilshere closer to the penalty area, and Lacazette, who was not in a good position, looking for opportunities at a distance.

In the 61st minute, Arsenal finally broke the deadlock. Wilshere sent a cross near the left bottom line, and Lacazette beat Lucas Hernandez to head the ball into the goal.

Before this attack, Ramsey also completed a shot. The changes brought about by the active participation of the two No. 8 players were obvious.

Atletico actively sought counterattacks when the score was behind, but it was not easy to score away goals in a 10-to-11 situation.

After Felipe was reimbursed for the season and Carrasco left the team in the winter window, Atletico’s wing attack became lacking in changes and levels due to the loss of the participation of the attacking full-backs. The team relied more on the cooperation of the two forwards in the middle than ever before.

Diego Costa’s advantage is that he can not only find space to complete a single-player advance, but also suppress the central defender to control the ball and drive the back row players to follow up. His fulcrum effect can give Griezmann the opportunity to hold the ball head-on and impact the penalty area.

Gameiro, who replaced Diego Costa in this campaign, does not have this ability. The French striker was replaced by Gabi in the 65th minute, and Simeone put all his hopes of scoring on Griezmann.

Griezmann’s goal came from the mistakes of the Gunners’ defenders. The 33-year-old Koscielny’s core strength has declined significantly in recent years, which has seriously affected his stability in handling the ball in confrontation.

It is worth mentioning that the reason why Simeone did not put Griezmann directly in the center position immediately after the substitution was because his physique (1.76 meters tall) was not enough to suppress the defender, and Correa’s confrontation ability was relatively stronger. The subsequent position change of the two players also played a role in confusing the opponent to a certain extent.

The continuous failures against strong teams this season did not make Atletico lose its enterprising spirit. Simeone’s disciples relied on their rich European war experience and strong psychological quality to solve the emergencies in the game in the first time.

Just like the performance against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern in the Champions League in those years, the Colchoneros once again proved that a team can also get the right to equal dialogue with the offensive team through defensive efforts.

From the Champions League to the Europa League, the transition between the old and the new has not been smooth. The personnel changes in the middle of the season have brought about system turmoil. The stars in the team are trapped in the bottleneck of their careers and it is difficult to make a breakthrough. The meritorious coaches are confused and hesitant in adhering to the established ideas and trying to criticize themselves. The 2017/18 season is a turbulent season for Arsenal and Atletico Madrid. How to keep the bottom line when encountering changes is related to the development of the two clubs in the next few years.

Compared with the Colchoneros, who have already locked in the Champions League qualification, Arsenal needs to win the Europa League to end this unsuccessful season and use the Champions League qualification to attract famous coaches to join.

In the game against Wanda Metropolitano a week later, Wenger and his disciples must make a final fight for honor and dignity.

The Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 are called the five major leagues in Europe, and most of the important competitions in Europe, including the Champions League, Europa League, etc., as well as the top 20 clubs in the world football, are mostly won by teams from these five major leagues. So what are the characteristics of these five major leagues?

Premier League:

The rhythm, physical confrontation and impact of the Premier League are at the forefront of the five major leagues. It emphasizes physical confrontation and does not have too many side skills. Of course, this is also one of the reasons why the Premier League games are so good.

In such a strong physical confrontation, the referee’s standards are relatively loose. If it is a local player, there will be a lot of preferential treatment. There are more young players, and many of them have played as the main force in the team early, but it also comes with the difficult living environment of older players. The minority of older players can only leave the Premier League to seek opportunities elsewhere.

The coaches have a relatively high voice and have been in charge for a relatively long time. For example, Wenger of Arsenal, Ferguson of Manchester United, Moyes of Everton, and Redknapp of West Ham United have all coached their teams for more than 7 years.

The high patience of Premier League teams has made many meritorious coaches, and many coaches have also shaped the glory of their teams.

Another interesting aspect of the Premier League is that it is not obvious that one team dominates. In the past ten years, Leicester City, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have all won the Premier League championship, and the championship every year is full of suspense.

La Liga:

The rhythm of La Liga’s games ranks in the middle of the five major leagues, but it pays more attention to tactical discipline and has higher requirements for passing and receiving the ball. The team may not have a high center forward who can “run rampant”, but it cannot lack a goal-scoring genius who can run and has flexible footwork. The individual technical requirements of the players are high, and the footwork cannot be too poor, otherwise it will be difficult to gain a foothold.

The average coaching time of a coach will be lower than that of the Premier League. The team can accept that you are a “rookie” coach who has no major honors yet. As long as you can clearly understand your offense and defense, have your own set of playing methods, and can achieve results, you can continue to coach;

On the contrary, if the coaching results are not ideal and there is no clear offensive tactics, the only option waiting for you is to be fired. Moreover, La Liga has also cultivated many young stars who have become famous. As long as they have good performance, they will have the opportunity to play.

Serie A:

Serie A teams are most obsessed with defense among the five major leagues. The pace is relatively slow and the tactical requirements are high. Players may not be big names, but they must fit the team’s system and play well together to win the final victory.

Many older players can play well in Serie A, such as De Rossi of Roma, Pandev of Genoa, Quagliarella of Sampdoria, Palacio of Bologna, etc., who have performed well in the league despite their advanced age.

Many coaches in Serie A were dismissed immediately after taking office due to poor performance, but there is a good chance that coaches will return to Serie A after being fired, such as Capello, who coached AC Milan, Roma and Juventus respectively; Sarri, who coached Napoli, went to the Premier League and then returned to Serie A to coach Juventus and Lazio, etc.

After Juventus won the Serie A title for nine consecutive years from 2011 to 2019, Inter Milan snatched the Serie A title last year. The standings this year are also unclear. The two Milan giants and Naples all have a chance to win the title.

The former “Seven Sisters” of Serie A is also a wonder in European football, and its grand occasion has not been surpassed by other leagues so far.

Bundesliga:

The Bundesliga games are more about offense, and they like to pass the ball with one foot, cross from high positions, and pass through desperately. The intensity of offense is higher than that of the Premier League, but this also leads to the inability of defense to keep up, and there are often big score games.

For individual players, shooting ability, dribbling speed and physical confrontation requirements are relatively high, and there are not many young stars who can play well all the time.

Young coaches have a better chance to make a name for themselves in the Bundesliga. The reputation of the coach does not have to be very high, as long as they can bring results, and the possibility of coaches with results leaving the Bundesliga is also relatively high.

The situation of one team dominating the Bundesliga is more serious than that of other leagues. As long as Bayern is there, it is unlikely that the championship will fall to others. In the 57 years of Bundesliga competition, Bayern has won 29 championships, far exceeding the second-placed Monchengladbach and Dortmund.

The Bundesliga’s “50+1” policy has also won the support of local fans, although it is difficult for small teams to turn over.

Ligue 1:

Ligue 1 games are relatively dull, and it is difficult to have big score games. Ligue 1 is also the first choice for many African players to log in to Europe. After becoming famous in Ligue 1, they will go to other higher leagues to fight.

The competitiveness of Ligue 1 teams in European wars is still slightly weaker than that of the other four major leagues. Only Marseille has won the Champions League once, and in the past ten years, Lille, Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, and Montpellier have also won the championship in Ligue 1.

La Liga has declined. Since Ronaldo left in 2018, no La Liga team has won the Champions League. The 2019 Champions League champion belongs to Liverpool of the Premier League, the 2020 Champions League champion was won by Bayern of Germany, and the 2021 Champions League champion also belongs to the Premier League, but it will be born between Chelsea or Manchester City.

So, since Ronaldo left La Liga, La Liga has really become nothing, and it can no longer maintain its position as the world’s number one league.

It has to be said that if Barcelona or Real Madrid appear in the Champions League final, the global attention will be much higher than it is now.

If Paris Saint-Germain or even Juventus appear in the final, the attention may be higher. However, La Liga’s unsatisfactory performance and Paris Saint-Germain’s inability to compete in major competitions have turned the Champions League final into a civil war in the Premier League.

Is Ronaldo’s departure from La Liga the reason for the decline in La Liga’s economic level?

Of course not. After all, a player may be more important to a team, but the impact on a league is not that great.

However, Real Madrid without Ronaldo has found it difficult to compete with Bundesliga and Premier League teams. This is the failure of Real Madrid and the regret of La Liga.

It can be said that for La Liga, if Cristiano Ronaldo had not been lost in the four years from 2018 to 2021, La Liga’s dominance might not have declined so seriously.

Real Madrid still has a chance to reach the final again after four consecutive championships, and may even win a championship in the last three years.

Real Madrid only lost Cristiano Ronaldo, while La Liga lost the Champions League.

Many people say that Cristiano Ronaldo has not proved himself in Juventus. After all, Juventus has not been able to win the Champions League or enter the final even with Cristiano Ronaldo.

There is no need to explain this too much. Cristiano Ronaldo’s competitive level is bound to decline. As he gets older, Cristiano Ronaldo may choose to retire after the next World Cup.

By that time, the only football superstar we can see is Messi.