Welcome to the Premiership, this is the Premiership, 03 April flashback, Chelsea get pummelled at home 5-2 to relegation fodder West Bromwich Albion, a shock, no, this is the Premiership, the toughest of all leagues, the toughest of all matches, work and sweat for your results. During the match Chelsea went down to ten men on 29 minutes and failed to adjust. The uphill battle became a nightmare, so what is the secret to being the one man down and still maintaining a foothold, a threat to the opposition.

The Manero files to reveal, when into the ten man zone, managers tend to adopt a lone forward with two banks of four, a different tactic is to be offered, a different mindset, to ensure that the team can take the match to the opposition, as opposed to sitting back with negative tactics with the main aim to run the clock down, to protect the goals against column and accept defeat, a relinquishing of the match, a defeatist mindset. Many managers adopt this stance, to counteract the ten men fear syndrome would be to go with a back five with the two full backs left and right side working the lines allowing for a ten yard marker to the touchlines depending on the opposition’s forward movement either side. The system with the three centre backs to cover the full backs as extra cover, a doubling up effect of marking down the spaces of the opposition’s movement, restricting their space with the aim to make the opposition play the ball square across the line of the back five where the crosses threat will be lowered, reducing crosses into the penalty area is another strong desire of the system.

Two forwards will be employed wide right and left adjacent to the outer penalty box lines, this will allow the forwards to put pressure on the opposition’s defenders with a forward ball release to receive. If the forwards gain possession, the two full backs on both flanks will move forward looking to attack with intent inside the opposition’s half with the three centre backs pushing forward with the two left and right pushing wide to offer cover for the team’s fullback’s forward movement in anticipation of the opposition’s counter attacks on gaining ball possession. In defence mode it’s a 5-2-2 tactic converting to a 3-2-4 system on attacking moments, gung-ho in part, but the defence can be quickly solidified if the two full backs fast track back into their positions on losing possession rather than massage the sword as managers do with all team numbers behind the ball. It is important to retain the preferred motto, to keep the opposition’s jugular in view, to keep this concept as part of the match play, even when playing with ten men, to keep the match alive, competitive, better to go down fighting than the frightened football tactic.

The main area of the team to be weakened is the midfield with the two players employed. It is vitally important that the two players keep to the instruction to keep within a ten yard spacing of each other, to work in tandem, not to be stretched either side, if they are passed in the wide positives, it is for the defence to deal with as outlined. It is important that the midfielders try to hold firm on the spine of the system, to be breached the opposition will have to work hard for their goals. The overall tactic as instructed is up to the players to implement with the desire to lessen the blow of playing with the negative, the ten men and to adopt a positive approach, game on.

New Beginnings

The 2021-22 season kicked into gear with the Championship and Leagues 1 and 2 with supporters back in attendance. A welcome return home for Coventry City at the Coventry Building Society Arena, newly named, new beginnings.

Nottingham Forest being the visitors with Forest suffering from the commentator’s curse, in match commentary, quote “The Forest keeper Samba has been faultless following on from last season’s campaign”. Into the dying embers of the match with Samba at fault, flapping at the ball like a feather duster with the palm of the hand, Kyle McFadzean snatching the winner 2-1 to Coventry. Welcome home to the Sky Blues in front of a delirious 20,000 Sky Bluers, the fans. The new boys added to the roll call of the football league is Sutton United who lost their opener 2-1 v Forest Green while a return to football league matches following on from a four year absence led to a 1-0 victory v Crawley for the nicknamed ‘Monkey Hangers’, Hartlepool United, hang your coat on that peg.

The Premiership

First up and running came Brentford v Arsenal on Friday 13^th with another horror show for the Gunners surrendering with a flaky display, a 2 to nil defeat, no surprise there then. A return to the Premiership for Rafa Benitez after a two year absence became a fruitful day for Rafa with a 3 to 1 win v Southampton to settle down the restless natives. Richarlison came good with Benitez hanging the Brazilian’s Tokyo gold medal on a goal input, job done. The early kick off on the Saturday, the 14^th, came with the oldest of enemies which transpired with Manchester United smashing five goals v Leeds, the red, Bruno Fernandes grabbing a hat trick. “Can you hear the drums, Fernando, I remember long ago another hat trick was etched like this, into the limelight my Fernando, oh my Fernando, 1, 2, 3, for my Fernando, Bruno.” No banging on the Bielsa blue drum, just in anger.

A good day at the dentist for Brighton who extracted a 2-1 win from the jaws of Burnley. The Midland clash of Leicester and Wolves fell in favour of the Foxes 1 to nil with the promoted Watford derailing Aston Villa’s spending spree 3-2. Chelsea hit the expected high notes with a 3-0 demolition of Crystal Palace who spent a high percentage of the game in their own half, problems ahead for Viera? The late kick off on the Saturday came with the Canaries battling the Liver Bird, Norwich v Liverpool, a 3-0 win for the Reds was the outcome with the return of the Mohammed, Mo Salah pitching in with a goal, alongside setting up Jota and Fernando who confirmed good on the other two goals. Into any given Sunday and a loss for Guardiola’s City to Tottenham 1-0, with son caning the champions, was Harry Kane watching? Would have been impressed with Spur’s new spirit. The remaining match to complete the Premiership set came with Westham’s fightback to win 4-2 v Newcastle, continued good days at the office for David Moyes, but for the Toon’s Steve Bruce, the supporters are now on one’s doorstep, inside the stadium, grey days ahead for Bruce. As Bruce Forsyth would say “Nice to see you, to see you nice”. The Premiership return, enjoy the season.