5 things to look for in a team’s defensive set-up
It can be hard to know where to look when you’re trying to analyse a game. Especially when you’re at a match and don’t have the advantage of being able to watch clips on video over and over again.
It’s been a problem I’ve struggled with. You think you’re watching the game, sitting on the edge of your seat, your brow furrowed in concentration. But ten minutes later it dawns on you that you have no clue what you’re looking at, and you have a slight headache.
But if you know where to look and what to look for, this process can become a whole lot easier.
So here I’ve picked out five things you can look out for in a team’s defensive phase. As a fan these pointers might give you an idea of where the weaknesses are in a team. As a new scout they might help structure your thinking a bit.
There are scouts out there with far greater football knowledge than I have. But I do think scouting itself has its own particular set of skills. This list gives some insight into what I mean by that as well.
Let’s get started.
What to look out for
I should point out that if you’re interested in much more detail there are a couple of great courses you should consider.
Everything IPSO does is superb. Even their short 2-hour workshops are packed with information. Their full-length courses are in my view unbeatable. I highly recommend them. And I say that as a former student of theirs, not an affiliate or anything like that.
The same goes for the APFC courses, specifically on the back line. That’s excellent on this subject alone. They take more of a coach’s viewpoint, but it’s still invaluable for scouting purposes.
So what are the five things I’d suggest? Here’s the list. I’ll get into detail below.
- Compact or wide
- Who goes wide? Full back or winger/HM
- Where do they leave the space
- Does anyone step out
- Anyone play too deep
Let’s look at each of those in turn.
Are they compact or wide?
This might sound like an obvious one. But I’ve been to games where I didn’t pay close enough attention to this. So make an assessment. Is a team’s defensive set-up compact? Or is it wide, leaving space? This makes a difference. It helps you determine where you can play the ball.
Then ask another question. If they’re compact do they stay compact? What about if play shifts from one side of the pitch to the other? Are they still compact? Sometimes that’s when space opens up.
You can apply this to a team’s back line as well. Are they compact or do they get spread out?
That leads us to the next thing to look out for…
Who goes wide? The full back or winger?
As a team drops into a low block and with the opposition in possession in wide spaces, who goes wide to deal with the threat? Is it the full back wide? Or does the winger drop? Maybe it’s a holding midfielder who shifts across. Or a bit of both.
In a back three it’s usually the wingback who does this. But are they sharp? Do they drop quickly enough? And if not who (if anyone) covers for them?
This kind of information can help you make sense of the next thing to look for…
Where do they leave the space?
There’s something about spotting where the space is that makes me very happy. It feels like solid evidence of a weakness. But it tends to be the outcome of more subtle things, like those things mentioned above.
For instance, it’s great to spot that space opens up between the right back and right center back. But it’s more useful to know why. Such as when the right back pushes wide and the CB doesn’t shift to cover him because they’re overloaded in the center. That sort of thing.
Spotting these spaces is often enough to trigger this process so you can work backwards. Sometimes the space is there because of the example above. Other times there’s a different reason.
Let’s get to that one now…
Does anyone step out?
This is another one that’s fun to spot. Not only does it mean you get the buzz of spotting space. You might also have identified a weak link in a defensive line.
For instance, if a team’s forward drops deeper, does the center back follow or do they hold their position? It’s not that one is correct and the other not. But it can tell you something about a player. I’ve seen older, superb defenders do this because they don’t want to get beaten by a technically good striker. Likewise, they might stay deep because they don’t want to get turned and outpaced.
Which can lead to something else to look out for…
Does anyone play too deep?
Let’s stick with that example of a veteran defender who has lost some pace.
One thing they could do is drop deeper to avoid getting beaten for speed. Instinctively they’ll feel like it buys them an extra second head start. And it does. But it also gives the opposition forwards an extra step to beat the offside. And open up space in front for opponents to receive.
The good and bad in everything
These are just a few of a thousand things you could look for. But they give you an idea of the little things that make a big difference.
You should also remember that these things are not always bad in themselves. A team may deliberately do them to counter various threats. But it’s a choice. To have an advantage in one aspect always leaves a disadvantage in another. Having this information can prove invaluable to a team and how they fit it into their game plan.
Like I said, there are better people out there who will explain this in much better detail. But from a scouting point of view, or as a fan looking to understand the game from home, these might help explain those things you do see.