Is Mancini adapting his Inter tactics? [Tactics talk]

[Outrun]

Roberto confirmed in this interview:
<a class="postlink" href="http://mcfc.co.uk/Video/Interviews/Mancini-on-Nasri" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://mcfc.co.uk/Video/Interviews/Mancini-on-Nasri</a>

That Nasri will be used both as CM and winger. Silva, on the other hand, is solely a winger. Hopefully people will stop writing that we'll play him above Yaya and De Jong then.

-- 24 Aug 2011, 21:59 --

The best guess would be employing three attacking midfielders like this:

Silva -- Aguero -- Nasri

Nasri will play the same way as Silva but more central. Silva, as usual comes deep to collect the ball, but drifts wide. Aguero doesn't come down as deep, so he will act more like a second striker to Dzeko.


They will be supported by 2 defensive mids:

NDJ -- Yaya

They will continue to do what they do best, Yaya might revert to a more 'passer' role with the occasional license to steamroll forward.


With the absence of wings, the full backs have the responsibility to come forward often like they have been doing all along.


There, my guess:

NDJ -- Yaya
Silva -- Aguero -- Nasri
Dzeko

Sounds very offensively minded. Silva won't track back and neither did Nasri in Arsenal (when he was a winger), so I doubt that would work in PL. Maybe against poor teams in the cups, but not PL.

With Aguero as attacking midfielder we'll be very thin in the middle, since neither Nasri and Silva will track back and help out (edit: clarification, see below, part of his role to NOT track back). Judging by the first two matches this season, the wingers spend very little time backtracking. I mean, look at our corners - all three stay up. That's why the CM's are VERY Important, and playing Aguero there isn't the answer. Big work rate (Aguero) doesn't mean you automatically position yourself well, and even though Aguero might run around forever it still means the opposition will just pass themselves through.

I still think he'll continue playing Barry/Milner - De Jong - Yaya in the midfield. Nasri aswell, but as CM he'll have to focus on both backtracking and offense (like Yaya did last season).

 

[Andouble]

Sounds very offensively minded. Silva won't track back and neither did Nasri in Arsenal (when he was a winger), so I doubt that would work in PL. Maybe against poor teams in the cups, but not PL.

With Aguero as attacking midfielder we'll be very thin in the middle, since neither Nasri and Silva will track back and help out. Judging by the first two matches this season, the wingers spend very little time backtracking. I mean, look at our corners - all three stay up. That's why the CM's are VERY Important, and playing Aguero there isn't the answer. Big work rate (Aguero) doesn't mean you automatically position yourself well, and even though Aguero might run around forever it still means the opposition will just pass themselves through.

I still think he'll continue playing Barry/Milner - De Jong - Yaya in the midfield. Nasri aswell, but as CM he'll have to focus on both backtracking and offense (like Yaya did last season).

For a winger/attacking midfielder I grade Silva's defensive abilities as above average. To say he won't track back is plain incorrect.

 

[Outrun]

I used the word won't because I feel Mancini doesn't want his wingers as defensively minded this season. And I agree he works well, but as I said he would have much more responsibility if Barry was gone. He would almost need to be a pure midfielder like Barry. He would more importantly never be able to drift freely cause no one would cover him.

Him and Aguero drifting is a direct result of us having three CMs.

 

[alky313]

The attacking midfielders won't he static. You can pretty much line them up anywhere above the DMs and they'll have a license to roam. Yaya and dJ will have to hold the midfield and be able to cover when the wing backs move forward. The great thing about this squad is that it's balance is unmatched only to Barcelona perhaps.

 

[Jumanji]

For a winger/attacking midfielder I grade Silva's defensive abilities as above average. To say he won't track back is plain bullshit.

 

[zangatangring]

I can't fathom the fact that Mancini would derelict his duty to maximise tactical potential by not acquiring a first rate left footed inverted winger, unless (unbelievably) aguero is capable of this. I also can't imagine him getting Aguero without the intentions of using him for a plethora of reasons.

 

[Outrun]

The attacking midfielders won't he static. You can pretty much line them up anywhere above the DMs and they'll have a license to roam. Yaya and dJ will have to hold the midfield and be able to cover when the wing backs move forward. The great thing about this squad is that it's balance is unmatched only to Barcelona perhaps.

But Barcelona have three central midfielders, not two. Iniesta, xavi and Busquets. Having four roaming players running around wont do much good defensively, you need to have a strong core with defense duties. That core is what Mancini excels at, it's why we manage to keep so many clean sheets.

Yes, Silva work hard. But marking and controlling the central midfield area is a whole different thing. It's what players like Essien are so good at. We have played against teams with hard workers and still outplayed them. You really need a strong brain for it, it's why we paid so much money for Yaya, Barry and de Jong.

And, as I said - roberto said again today that Silva is a winger, not a CM.

 

[zangatangring]

The attacking midfielders won't he static. You can pretty much line them up anywhere above the DMs and they'll have a license to roam. Yaya and dJ will have to hold the midfield and be able to cover when the wing backs move forward. The great thing about this squad is that it's balance is unmatched only to Barcelona perhaps.

But Barcelona have three central midfielders, not two. Iniesta, xavi and Busquets. Having four roaming players running around wont do much good defensively, you need to have a strong core with defense duties. That core is what Mancini excels at, it's why we manage to keep so many clean sheets.

Yes, Silva work hard. But marking and controlling the central midfield area is a whole different thing. It's what players like Essien are so good at. We have played against teams with hard workers and still outplayed them. You really need a strong brain for it, it's why we paid so much money for Yaya, Barry and de Jong.

So how were Inter Milan, after their commendable win of the CL, coveted as the best defensive unit in the world?

That's how we played, essentially, against bolton!

 

[Outrun]

The attacking midfielders won't he static. You can pretty much line them up anywhere above the DMs and they'll have a license to roam. Yaya and dJ will have to hold the midfield and be able to cover when the wing backs move forward. The great thing about this squad is that it's balance is unmatched only to Barcelona perhaps.

But Barcelona have three central midfielders, not two. Iniesta, xavi and Busquets. Having four roaming players running around wont do much good defensively, you need to have a strong core with defense duties. That core is what Mancini excels at, it's why we manage to keep so many clean sheets.

Yes, Silva work hard. But marking and controlling the central midfield area is a whole different thing. It's what players like Essien are so good at. We have played against teams with hard workers and still outplayed them. You really need a strong brain for it, it's why we paid so much money for Yaya, Barry and de Jong.

So how were Inter Milan, after their commendable win of the CL, coveted as the best defensive unit in the world?

That's how we played, essentially, against bolton!

Let me quote the fantastic zonalmarking:
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/05/23/inter-bayern-champions-league-final-tactics/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/05/23/ ... l-tactics/</a>

"Indeed, the shape often looked more like a 4-4-1-1, because whilst Pandev and Eto’o had strict defensive jobs, Sneijder had something approaching a free role."

Plus, it was suggested above that all four attackers would roam freely. That is the exact opposite of Mourinho tactics. It's very disciplined, everyone have their role and place. Sneijder was holding the wand, he alone.

And I remember that match. Inter had very little possession, etoo and pandev were tied defensively. That article suggests Inter had 35% possession in the last three CL matches. I wouldn't say we played the same against Bolton. Mancini rely on us keeping possession, holding the ball. Inter used other ways, like counter attacks.<br /><br />-- 25 Aug 2011, 00:30 --<br /><br />I'm not saying one way is better than the other, I'm just saying how I believe Mancini will play, judging on his comments and previous matches. Managers don't change tactics overnight.

 

[Kurple]

I'm not so sure we will continue to play 3 of Yaya, Barry, NDJ and Milner almost every game..

We don't have any others that can play the defensive CM role or that Mancini will wanna use there, maybe one of the LB's at times