Manchester Metropolis’s stoop has been the story of the primary half of the season, whereas Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal will nonetheless be hoping they’ll turn out to be the story of the second by lifting the title. However how about two groups sandwiched between all of them?
Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth are in fourth and fifth spot respectively at Christmas, overachieving sources and expectations. What’s most fascinating about that’s not simply that they’ve managed to do it however how they’ve managed to do it.
One of many criticisms of the Premier League in latest seasons has been a type of orthodoxy of strategy, undoubtedly influenced by the success of Pep Guardiola. The sport has bent within the course of his soccer as groups search possession of the ball.
It felt like 2024 was the yr that the tradition wars got here to soccer. Everybody needed to have a view on Ange Postecoglou. In the meantime, Vincent Kompany, a Guardiola protégé, was appointed head coach of Bayern Munich regardless of being relegated with Burnley.
Russell Martin appeared to view Southampton struggling the identical destiny as a worth value paying. “We have to believe in something.” He talked not simply of ideas of play however values, ascribing nearly an ethical aspect to it. Model not as a method however an finish in itself.
In opposition to this backdrop, the rise of Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth feels as well timed as it’s revealing. As a result of these are two of that more and more small group of golf equipment whose coaches seem ready to play a special type of soccer to the remaining.
Within the period of possession, solely Sean Dyche’s Everton see as little of the soccer as Forest. Bournemouth should not far forward of them within the possession statistics. They each rank among the many backside three for the variety of cross sequences of 10 of extra.
Whereas Manchester Metropolis and Southampton are out on their very own because the groups with the slowest – some would say most affected person – build-up, Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest and Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth are the 2 most direct groups within the Premier League.
Chatting with Sky Sports activities about this in October, Iraola mentioned: “The first thing we try to do when we recover the ball is play to the No 9, because that is usually the moment when the opponent is less well-positioned and you can find better spaces.”
No ready for the opposition to get again into form for Iraola. His groups minimize by means of shortly, a vertical sport as some wish to name it. It may be devastating for the opposition and thrilling for their very own supporters. Simply ask those that travelled to Manchester United.
One other intriguing side of that is that whereas a few of Forest and Bournemouth’s numbers are related, different features of their play are wildly totally different. They each progress the ball up the pitch shortly, however they’ve totally different approaches to getting maintain of it.
Iraola’s aspect press excessive. “This season we are recovering a lot of balls high up the pitch.” They’ve had a shot on aim on account of a excessive turnover from that urgent on 35 events already this season, extra occasions than every other workforce within the Premier League.
Nuno’s aspect don’t press excessive. Actually, Forest enable the opposition to progress the ball up the pitch greater than every other workforce within the Premier League, one other of those two being outliers. Opponents journey a mean of 15.5 metres earlier than being stopped.
Forest enable extra passes per defensive motion that every other aspect, they’re content material for these possession groups to have the ball in areas the place they can’t harm them. Nuno’s plan is to ultimately funnel the ball into an space they’ll win it, after which strike shortly.
He’s a pure pragmatist. Talking in 2024, Nuno informed Sky Sports activities: “It does not have to do with more or less possession of the ball. I could have a very good idea but do I think it is going to work out? Do I have the personnel to execute what I think?”
Requested what enhancements he had sought to implement within the workforce, he had sought to make Forest extra compact, he defined. “Our organisation, when we go to recover the ball, the distances between our players, we need to reduce those gaps even more.”
Iraola sees it utterly otherwise. He desires to open video games up not shut them down. “Most games we win are the games that are more open, where there are more chances, where we can exploit one-against-ones on the outside and find bigger spaces.
He added: “The higher the opposition, the extra threat that you must take if you wish to press them. You realize, typically folks say, ‘They’re superb, so now we have to attend somewhat bit longer to press.’ However that means you have got zero probability to recuperate that ball.”
There is a rare intensity to Iraola’s Bournemouth and they love to turn contests into a running game, making the pitch big. Only Ipswich have covered more ground than the Cherries have so far this season. Only Tottenham average more sprints per game.
“We like to prioritise this kind of volume in our running because we feel that in games which are quite close, where one small chance can make the difference, we are not so good.” Forest? In distinction, Nuno’s workforce are the kings of the shut soccer match.
No workforce has received as many video games as they’ve by only one aim. No workforce has misplaced fewer. Protecting it tight is the mantra and that’s mirrored in their very own working stats. They’re within the backside three for sprints. Solely Leicester run lower than them in matches this season.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Nottingham Forest’s win in opposition to Brentford
Two groups with contrasting approaches however two groups with equally spectacular outcomes. And the truth that they’re doing it otherwise to anybody else within the Premier League is a trigger for celebration, kicking in opposition to the homogeneity of recent soccer.
The lesson of David and Goliath is one entrenched sufficient in our tradition to be included within the Outdated Testomony. You can’t hope to beat stronger opposition by doing the identical factor as them. The success of Nuno and Iraola is a brand new testomony to that outdated truism.
