๐ผ Manchester City’s EDS vs Chelsea U21s – September 22, 2023
Chelsea signed Alex MATOS (2004) from Norwich City where he joined from Luton in 2016
“forward who can play all across the front” in his own words, when signing his professionnal contract in October 2021
Heโs been deployed in midfield 5212 for Chelsea’s PL2 team against Manchester City on September 22.
โ๏ธ๐ชจโฐ๏ธ
This newsletter will cover what he did well, and why
๐ฆ BOX TO BOX PLAY
โ๏ธCLOSING DOWN
๐ฒ SECOND BALLS
๐ธ๏ธSCREEN THE BOX
๐ฃ๏ธ COVERING CHANNELS
๐ ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
BONUS: Alex MATOSโ cameo at Fulham, and Premier League debut.
๐ฆ BOX TO BOX PLAY
The ability to identify space in front, and change gear on the first touch is an attibute that suits the end to end nature of English football.
Matosโ carry is quick but in control, making up ground whilst keeping shoulders over the ball. Itโs also important to avoid carrying the ball in straight line, carrying diagonally opens up new angles and makes it easier to connect in the path of a team mate; same applies for Stutterโs diagonal run.
Diagonal playing angles is the best way for the carrier to hide intent, and both carrier/receiver to perceive the receiver/carrier and the goal in their field of vision.
Thatโs a very actionable coaching point to enforce: make sure you have the ball and the goal in your eyesight. Then, by elimination, that gives you the situational locations on the pitch where youโre best placed to keep the play alive
Box to box play isnโt just about launching it but also; covering ground to get where the follow up occurs, in this play where the cross is cleared.
The little steps to find separation and provide an outlet to circulate possession is a positive contribution to keep the play alive, both as itโs what the game demands, and all the more because one of the usual quirks โfootball lovingโ 8s have is to get attracted to the ball and smother the ball carrier.
Matos is not attracted to the ball, just like #227930.
Keeps a reasonably safe orbit.
Another positive first touch, and albeit the three runners seem an inviting option to progress the play, the fact that they funnel the same channel (whilst Boniface got on his bike wide left) might have made it a sensible option to carry the ball more to feed a crosser that would then put the ball in the mixer where Chelsea would fill in with as many bodies than City (with Matos following up on any subsequent second ball).
There was room to commit more CBs (and narrow the back line)
โ๏ธCLOSING DOWN
“Dominating midfield” comes through how you dominate “match ups”
Arms half fold, it’s not a shove, just a strong invitation to play backwards.
Reaction time to close down Samuel chasing his touch, with a strong block.
Any “possession based” team ought to have midfielders who can make sure the other team doesn’t have it. Positional play is cool
Putting spanners in the works is funnier
That’s what happens when you get in the way
๐ด๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐’ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐
how to funnel an attack into a triple team (wide)
These little steps are essential
Itโs relatively easy to coach, and makes a huge difference down the line especially in chaotic/counter attacking situations where itโs about funneling plays towards team mate in a process involving 2 or 3 players (more than simply: closest players closes down to get the ball back – due to the space and amount of options afforded to the ball carrier – that Matosโ defensive positioning aims to reduce and influence)
๐ด๐๐, ๐ท๐๐ ๐พ๐ ๐ฝ๐ ๐ถ ๐จ, ๐ช ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐๐ถ?
This is a well executed “defensive rotation” with Cobham’s trademark all-rounders (Brooking is one) CB / DM / RB
They can situationally perform any role
Train footballers so they donโt look out of place when playing a different role, or when the game demands they act in a slightly different role than usual
๐ฒSECOND BALLS
Any team not accounting for the ability to harvest 2nd balls is actively sabotaging their chances to compete
Chaos DOES & WILL happen during games.
Zealoting to keep the ball on the floor has no impact whatsoever on the other teamโs propensity to put the ball up in the air themselves
Deal with it.
Like Alex Matos does.
Some more detail: what to look for, or what to benchmark on
๐ธ๏ธSCREEN THE BOX
– Defending cutbacks? Wewillbedere
Crosses become an issue when defenders run towars their goal. Prepared defenders (like Sergio Ramos or Andreas Christensen) deal with it with slippers on, because they can usually pass the ball back to a midfielder – or surprisingly, the fullback that was just beaten because thereโs usually no way the winger who just crossed is already in position to defend again.
The clearance is good, couldโve been wider, as in so that Washington has more time to draw a defender out of position. Donโt aim for the man, aim for the zone where he can get there whilst the ball is up in the air.
This is the Harry Kane pressure relief thatโs so important at every level to turn around momentum and draw fouls (because thatโs what happens when strikers draw CBs to the T on the midway line close to the touchline).
Washington obviously needs to do better here, heโs backtracking putting his weight on the defender; who intelligently moves out the way and Washington ends up on his arse.
Part of the solution here (for Washington) is to be active before the ball is being cleared, and arrive to the drop point on the move, then stop half a yard before, invite contact, scream and draw a foul. By being there too early (heโs backtracking towards the point where the ball drops), heโs vulnerable to lose the duel to a defeder whith a better skil duel than him
– Filling as RCB situationally on a counter: Matos is lert, on toes, half turn
Then act like on โPeep behind the curtainโ, gain ground when the ball carrier canโt see.
Perfectly executed defensive rotation/interchange.
Gilchrist is drawn to close down a marker outside of the defensive shape, then the nearest player fills in accordingly
This is good stuff from everyone involved: Brooking ends up situational CM, Matos situational CB.
2v2 with an overlap: deepest player (usually the fullback) takes the runner, CM closes down the carrier (and not Hughes getting drawn to the carrier letting the overlap run go lose).
– Perfectly executed defensive rotation, filling it at CB
Itโd be interesting to ask Matos if he felt that he could bait that pass with a step aside. Thatโs another evidence that the non ball carrier (defender) sometimes can impact situations more than getting through the motions and simply being reactive.
๐ฃ๏ธCOVERING THE CHANNEL
Alex Matos was also brilliant at screening the channels all game long
Defensive 101: fullback track deepest runner
However, *if* the fullback locked (1v1) *then* covering CM / CB does
Top (standard) stuff. IF / THEN
Thatโs how you build a functional actionable common decision making framework (game model)
Thatโs a 3v3 (or 2v2 + delayed players – thatโs not quantum physics, just how youโd describe/design a defensive situation)
Brookingโs (#2) situational intelligence is good, he not the closet to close down the relay between the two City players, so instructs Hughes (#7) to close down whilst he takes the runner
Then reminds Matos to track the runner beyond, which he does
Bad defending usually stems from:
reaction time, whoโs supposed to close down who and when. Thatโs a split second the opponent pounces on
poor angles / coordination of the covering players (usually level, arc the run wrong side, clip the player in a rush)
inexistent second cover. ie Matos here, if he decides to grill the sausages on the barbecue and see what happens. Which heโs not, as heโs tracking the run and legitimately getting it back
Thatโs Matos staying alive on the inevitable third man movement: (up-back- then the third pass is through. Head start meaning he gets first where the ball drops)
Worth watching the follow up for some Kiano Dyer things.
Deeply unserious midfield two composition, with a frail technician (Dyer) and a converted attacker (Matos). How can it possibly hold together away at the double PL2 Champions. Hold my fruit shoot.
Matos in a situational wingback situation this time
Louis Pasteur said “๐๐๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐ถ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐น ๐๐พ๐๐น๐”
Is there a similarity between these plays?
47′ and 87′
For you to tell
๐ ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Not the tackle for a free kick at the last minute
Had to take one for the team.
But on that challenge to try to knock the City winger off the ball
– Get the right arm in front. Oboawoduo makes sure he doesn’t
The control is smooth
Then, the advice would be to not move like the flow of the ball
(start to run in the same pace as the ball, same direction, same timing)
Take a delay, as it overloads opponents with +1 thing to pay attention to
Brooking doesn’t see the picture
Matos could take a step back, go away for a second.
He doesnโt, and because he didnโt hit F5, gets caught
Lots of small details to pick up that aren’t necessarily “special” once you get accustomed to looking at them
But good scouting / player development is about compiling them and see / have players execute it consistently. Practical, re-usable examples
Finally, da fuck he on about again
Say hello to:
– ATHOS, the third Musketeer
– hence “swashbuckling”
– #227930, the Athos Asteroid around the sun
– Mountain Athos in Greece
BONUS: Alex MATOSโ cameo at Fulham
For sure itโs also a conjuncture of circumstances, but Matos has been training with the first team for a couple of weeks and it was very deserved that heโd be offered the chance to make his PL debut at Fulham in injury time.
Just like with Mason Burstow, Pochettino accounting for performances in training despite the whirlwind of narrative, new signings, injuries, that could have most managers petrified.
Two goalkepers on the bench ainโt great, nor is filling the bench with academy players if theyโre not meant to be considered as impact option (itโs always better to play than observe how seasoned pros lace their shoes or butter their toast).
The โnext guy in lineโ approach Pochettino (or Van Gaal) always maintained througout their career is one to value at any level.
Just in time to shut the right side of a 4231, with
Ugochukwu-Gallagher in midfield two
Maatsen / Matos wide, and Noni off Sterling
Duracell Bunny Willian releases the ball
Matos giving his best Bee Gees imitation by staying alive instead of filming the ball pumped in the box. Finished the game with 0 turnovers too.
A well deserved debut, obviously also due to Chukwuemeka/Laviaโs absence and Caicedoโs knock seconds before (and give Enzo an ovation).
Token gesture to an extent, but still meaningful in the grand scheme of things.
Itโll be intriguing to see Matosโ evolution, all the more for being a converted attacker performing really well in midfield not only relying on his obvious set of skills (carries, passes, second balls) but a fairly commendable tactical acumen already.
Always making it amusing when put into perspective the โtactical role debatesโ once these players truly break into the mainstream space and people wonder if they can play in a 2 or 3, having played to good standard 6 positions at Academy level.
The stake would only be to scale that up to pro level, rather than lean from scrap the extremely intricate demands of playing midfield when you get around the pitch with quality.
Sรฉbastien Chapuis 