2023-01-29, 08:05 AM - Word count:
The tragedy of "midfield destroyers" and "Ball winning midfielders" is that Modern defenses are more about shape than ever. Sure in lower league you can get more by unsteadying the opposition but the movement of the ball at higher levels is always going to be faster than the movement of the players.
However these players exist, and they will continue to be created. Fast, composed, strong, aggressive players whos largest fault is that they lack either the height to win headers or the technical ability or the creativity to fashion chances. The most important thing about "moneyball" as a philosophy is to find market inefficiencies. Defensive midfielders are more than often the least valuable players, transfer listed or wasting away their talent in the bench of a reserve team. These players are out there and they can be gotten for cheap, retraining them and putting them into an unorthodox position to allow them to succeed is a very simple and very reliable strategy.
A very simple truth for example is that players who play out wide need to be faster than players who play in the middle of the field. Inverted wingbacks for example are both wide defenders as well as holding midfielders. However one thing that I think is missed is that instead of looking for wingers that they can be found in the defensive midfield. Instead of looking for a striker, that you can afford, with the complete package, looking at a player for all the possibilities that can come from them is what makes good managers. For SSL I think that the future could be best for a new striker to first model themselves as a strong second striker or a pressing forward before turning into the kind of player who can lead the line.
Next week I'll describe what the ideal of how I hope at least pressing forwards will work. It will require a power point at least so thats something.
However these players exist, and they will continue to be created. Fast, composed, strong, aggressive players whos largest fault is that they lack either the height to win headers or the technical ability or the creativity to fashion chances. The most important thing about "moneyball" as a philosophy is to find market inefficiencies. Defensive midfielders are more than often the least valuable players, transfer listed or wasting away their talent in the bench of a reserve team. These players are out there and they can be gotten for cheap, retraining them and putting them into an unorthodox position to allow them to succeed is a very simple and very reliable strategy.
A very simple truth for example is that players who play out wide need to be faster than players who play in the middle of the field. Inverted wingbacks for example are both wide defenders as well as holding midfielders. However one thing that I think is missed is that instead of looking for wingers that they can be found in the defensive midfield. Instead of looking for a striker, that you can afford, with the complete package, looking at a player for all the possibilities that can come from them is what makes good managers. For SSL I think that the future could be best for a new striker to first model themselves as a strong second striker or a pressing forward before turning into the kind of player who can lead the line.
Next week I'll describe what the ideal of how I hope at least pressing forwards will work. It will require a power point at least so thats something.
