Managerial Mindsets: Comparing Strategies of the League’s Top Coaches

Football is not just about skill, but about strategy. Just like many team sports, knowing the opposition, how they play, the formations they might use, and home ground advantage, are all things a top coach needs to consider when preparing their team.

Surprisingly, while it is commonplace in sports like rugby to have a set piece play, it’s less common in football. That is, until this last season. During the 2023 to 2024 season in the English Premier League, some coaches are adopting this strategy to great effect. So, what are the different strategies being implemented?

Using a set piece

Austin MacPhee, Aston Villa’s set piece coach has already made moves to change the way the game is played. Against Manchester united, the MacPhee implemented a great strategy, using a little-known law allowing a player to be behind the goalkeeper when taking a free kick. Of course, the move was checked and verified as legal first, enabling the team to set this up. It rightfully caused the opposition a lot of confusion resulting in Villa getting the goal they needed.

Similarly, Nicolas Jover, the set piece coach for Arsenal, enabled that team to score 22 goals in the previous season. Almost all of them were in-swinging corners. Another set piece pioneer, Gianni Vio, helped see Tottenham Hotspur to lead the League with 19 goals in the 22-23 season. Sadly for Spurs, Vio has now moved to Watford and helps the US men’s national team as well.

Another set piece pioneer, Keith Andrews at Brentford, has seen a lot of success with his opening kickoff scripted play. Impressively, Brentford scored from the whistle in three consecutive games in the 2023-24 season.

However, it’s back to MacPhee in terms of who has been doing this the best. He’s always got something up his sleeve say the players. And it makes it very exciting for both players and viewers to see what new move and strategy he will come up with.

Player combinations

Now, another, more traditional strategy is to come up with specific player combinations, especially for the center. These layouts are essential when getting into sports betting and using player stats and tactical knowledge to place bets. A team changing things up, can really make the difference to a prop bet or even match betting options.

With this in mind, there are some standard central combinations that are typically favored among coaches. For instance, it is common to find the 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 formats. These shapes are great for narrowing the midfield unit out of possession. It limits the opposing play as well, which means the opposition have to play through the blocks that are created. This format also means narrow runs, which is a great way to give the front line short-passing setups and taking the ball from the defensive pressure in the center.

Inside channels

Some coaches opt for a 4-4-2 setup which places much more emphasis on the central combination and more transitional attacks. But, with a focus on inside channels, coaches need to utilize the rather different formations of 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 shapes. Having a narrow trio means that there is more on both the central and inside channels. It’s a great way to disrupt the back line of the opposition and can help with position changes for the main team.

Blocking

Finally, there are some coaches who opt for the 4-4-2 block approach. This is a compact format that’s good for prolonged defending particularly in the own team’s half. The mid-block means that there is a focus on the front-line pair. With cover like this in place, the team is forced to go into the inside channel or the wide area. It’s a good shape for creating momentum and moving forward without the ball. Staggering the midfielders in defence can also mean easier fluidity of movement, and means that it’s easier for players to follow the opponent’s pivot. This enables the team to protect the centre-backs more effectively. And, this means screening and covering passes with higher efficacy.

Of course, teams will always check to see what other coaches are doing and adapt their strategies accordingly. The best coaches constantly move with the flow, teach their team to adapt and are always on the lookout for something new to implement.