February is normally the sign of the beginning of the enterprise finish of a soccer season. So, having an ideal report this month can present a large increase to any workforce seeking to end the season on a excessive. Thiago Motta’s Bologna have taken this mantle by coronary heart after successful all their earlier 5 video games.
The Petroniani have now bought into the highest 4 and discover themselves in an intense title race for the European locations. With Motta, the workforce possesses some of the revolutionary minds within the sport, and this season has been a real reflection of that.
Motta was born in Brazil and, all through his profession, performed in Spain, Italy, and France. The Italian has thus picked varied traits from this nation’s footballing philosophy to craft his techniques.
So, how did Motta and Bologna produce a successful mixture within the present Serie A season?
Bologna 2023-23 techniquesÂ
Bologna’s techniques are an amalgamation of a number of philosophies. These are the Gegenpressing, the counterpressing (Germany 2014), Tiki Taka, and Marcelo Bielsa’s techniques at Leeds. For starters, throughout his time in Spain, he discovered that the principle goal of any sport is the ball. So, the principle focus was to maintain the ball for so long as attainable and, if misplaced, to get well it as shortly as attainable.
Nonetheless, he has mixed this with the Italian techniques of exploiting areas. And that is mirrored in Bologna’s stats. They carry out higher than the Serie A common on Subject Tilt and possession. In addition they are among the many prime groups within the league on metrics akin to complete passes (1st) and correct passes (third).
The stats until now completely present us a aspect that likes to have the ball thus permitting their opponents to have as little ball as attainable. Nonetheless, there’s one flaw on this assumption: Bologna doesn’t have the standard of gamers throughout the squad that may play this method on the similar tempo for the whole thing of a sport.
This implies they lose the ball typically and in addition give the opposition loads of probabilities of their half. Motta has, subsequently, made an excellent defensive technique to counter them. The membership have made essentially the most tackles within the league. On prime of that, they’ve additionally conceded the third least objectives per 90 minutes (0.88), the third-best within the league.
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The explanation behind their spectacular defensive stats is Motta’s reverence of the counter-pressing technique efficiently deployed by Germany on the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Euro beneath Joachim Loew. In his thesis titled ‘The Worth of the Ball – The Devices of Trade within the Coronary heart of the Sport,’, Motta acknowledged that he was extremely impressed by Germany’s willingness to place themselves 5-10 metres close to the opponent as quickly as they misplaced the ball.
In his thesis, Motta additional acknowledged that ‘the ball is at all times the point of interest of my consideration, as a result of I consider that when the workforce positions itself in a constant and homogeneous method with respect to the place of the ball, not solely do the tactical choices of the opposing workforce robotically scale back, however above all of the tactical and bodily effectiveness of your workforce is elevated.’
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Bologna 2-7-2 and off-the-ball workÂ
5 years earlier, Motta precipitated a stir when he really useful that he would favor to play with a 2-7-2 system the place the goalkeeper ought to function as an outfield participant, serving to his workforce with passes to conjure up play from the backline. Nonetheless, Motta’s 2-7-2 was not vertical however slightly aspect to aspect. Because of this the 2 full backs, together with the wingers, managed the 2 wing zones whereas the 2 centre backs, the 2 pivots, and the 2 central attackers managed the central zone together with the goalkeeper.
Motta most well-liked to play the ball extra centrally to make sure his workforce had the utmost possession. And it has labored to important impact for the workforce. We now have to grasp that Motta will sacrifice the pace of his transition for extra possession of the ball.
The supervisor has additionally introduced a brand new evolution to the sport: roaming centre-backs. Pep Guardiola has assigned this function to John Stones at Manchester Metropolis, however at Bologna, each the centre-backs are tasked to maneuver ahead based mostly on the scenario to make sure the workforce retains its tactical form.
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When the keeper begins the ball, Motta will place his centre again to face on both aspect of him contained in the field. Nonetheless, one among his midfielders within the double pivot will transfer ahead, leaving his place. Nonetheless, as quickly because the ball begins rolling, one of many defenders rushes ahead to fill the area. The motto is easy: dominate areas and minimise the possibilities of dropping possession.
That is the place we return to the three basic ideas he talked about in his thesis.
A) To acquire a dominant kick, you will need to not be afraid of the ball.
B) For an assault kick it’s a must to need and get possession of the ball.
C) The defensive section have to be aimed on the quickest attainable restoration of the ball.
We now have tackled Motta’s techniques in depth, however now we have to concentrate on the lads efficiently implementing this on the pitch.
Bologna gamers stats 2023-24 seasonÂ
One of many important males within the Bologna workforce is former Bayern Munich man Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutch striker has been a workhorse for the workforce. His function takes us again to Motta’s thesis, the place he made an fascinating commentary. He argued that at a number of golf equipment the place he performed, he noticed technically gifted gamers trying down upon others who won’t be as proficient as them. This led them to play in a method that allowed the so-called much less gifted gamers much less time on the ball, thus inflicting stress on the workforce’s system.
Motta continues stating that this sense precipitated attackers to not put in effort for defensive work as a result of they deemed it not as crucial as scoring objectives or creating them. Motta stated minimising these conditions was the important thing to a workforce’s success.
Zirkzee is the proper instance of that, as he’s tasked with being the primary defender of the workforce, counter-pressing the opposition centre-backs as quickly as they’ve the ball. He has additionally shaped partnership with Riccardo Orsolini, the workforce’s prime scorer.
Orsolini is the proper embodiment of the 2-7-2 system, as is clear by his heatmap. He runs up and down the wing and solely comes into the field when he sees a transparent alternative, which he is excellent at.
Different prime performers embrace Lewis Ferguson, who has made the center a part of the pitch his personal. He’s the workforce’s enforcer and leads the league in most fouls received for his workforce, which reveals his dedication to not dropping the ball, one thing Motta values above every little thing.
Sam Beukema and Jhon Lucumà have additionally made the centre-backs spot their very own, with the latter being the second-most correct passer in the whole league.
What Thiago Motta has achieved at Bologna is nothing in need of wonderful. And if the membership qualifies for Europe, groups throughout the continent will face a workforce armed with techniques they’ve by no means encountered. This might result in groups selecting up a factor or two from them, and that proper there’s the largest praise for the rising giants from the Serie A.
