Sheffsteel
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Was listening to Talksport very late last night. They had a Scottish journalist on taking about “the prospects of the 3 promoted teams”.
When discussing us he revealed that there is another team in Europe that play an almost identical style to us using overlapping centre backs.
United- said most pundits have Sheff Utd finishing in the bottom 3 but they are the most interesting of all the 3 promoted clubs and he can’t wait to see how they’ll play in the PL. He said he really rates Chris Wilder and they are famed for their overlapping centre back system. He said he’s recently spoken to the Preston manager Alex Neil about last years Championship and he told him the most difficult team they played against was Sheff United because they create overloads in the full back positions and it’s almost impossible to stop.
He said there’s another team that play a very similar system to Sheff United and that is the Italian club ATALANTA, said he watches loads of Italian football and they are his favourite team to watch how they play with 3 centre backs who take turns getting forward overlapping the full backs, he said they overload the flanks getting so many players forward and when out of possession they play a high press with the strikers chasing down players almost acting like defenders.
He said Atlanta is a truly remarkable story, low budget, no big named players but playing a very attacking exciting brand of football where they incredibly finished 3rd last season and qualified for the Champions league for the 1st time in their history.
His one reservation was...that Atalanta’s overlapping centre back system relies on them having plenty of possession and he said they also have an excellent target man to score from the crosses. So he’s really excited to see if Chris Wilder tries to play the same style with overlapping centre backs and whether it works at PL level. He said he suspects it will be difficult because he’s not sure whether SU can get plenty of possession like they did last season in the Championship so he’s doubts whether CW will be able to implement it to the same effect,
Prediction - said probably relegation but said that if our system can be implemented and works in the PL then he wouldn’t be surprised if we finish as high as comfortable mid table.
It bodes well that unfashionable low budget Atlanta can reach the Champions League playing our system....and it also makes me wonder if Wilder/ Knill are aware of the SU/ Atalanta tactical similarities. Going forward we could study their games to maybe tweak and improve our system.
When discussing us he revealed that there is another team in Europe that play an almost identical style to us using overlapping centre backs.
United- said most pundits have Sheff Utd finishing in the bottom 3 but they are the most interesting of all the 3 promoted clubs and he can’t wait to see how they’ll play in the PL. He said he really rates Chris Wilder and they are famed for their overlapping centre back system. He said he’s recently spoken to the Preston manager Alex Neil about last years Championship and he told him the most difficult team they played against was Sheff United because they create overloads in the full back positions and it’s almost impossible to stop.
He said there’s another team that play a very similar system to Sheff United and that is the Italian club ATALANTA, said he watches loads of Italian football and they are his favourite team to watch how they play with 3 centre backs who take turns getting forward overlapping the full backs, he said they overload the flanks getting so many players forward and when out of possession they play a high press with the strikers chasing down players almost acting like defenders.
He said Atlanta is a truly remarkable story, low budget, no big named players but playing a very attacking exciting brand of football where they incredibly finished 3rd last season and qualified for the Champions league for the 1st time in their history.
His one reservation was...that Atalanta’s overlapping centre back system relies on them having plenty of possession and he said they also have an excellent target man to score from the crosses. So he’s really excited to see if Chris Wilder tries to play the same style with overlapping centre backs and whether it works at PL level. He said he suspects it will be difficult because he’s not sure whether SU can get plenty of possession like they did last season in the Championship so he’s doubts whether CW will be able to implement it to the same effect,
Prediction - said probably relegation but said that if our system can be implemented and works in the PL then he wouldn’t be surprised if we finish as high as comfortable mid table.
It bodes well that unfashionable low budget Atlanta can reach the Champions League playing our system....and it also makes me wonder if Wilder/ Knill are aware of the SU/ Atalanta tactical similarities. Going forward we could study their games to maybe tweak and improve our system.
UTB
