Overloads in the Box
Jimmy Thelin takes charge of his first matches as Aberdeen manager beginning this weekend and he's keen on getting numbers into the penalty area. But how?
“I know what I want to achieve. I want to overload the opposition’s penalty box.”
The words of Jimmy Thelin as taken from one of the many pieces in the Press & Journal this week.
He expanded further: “That’s the most important thing for us, to be really good at something. You can’t be the best team at everything, that’s impossible.
“So if you want to have a strong overload, we have to be really good on that. It can’t be a little bit of this, a little bit of that – then it is not clear and you cannot compete.
“You have to be really good at something.That’s what we want to create here.”
The question is how are these overloads created and what can we identify in the league cup fixtures to give us some clues for the remainder of the season.
The counter attack has become Thelin’s signature goal for enthusiastic Dons fans. Hopes of hitting one of the Glasgow teams in their own backyard in similar fashion to Elfsborg’s destruction of Malmo have definitely entered my mind and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
According to this analysis by Brandon Liss featured in Total Football Analysis, Thelin’s Elfsborg side created chances via midfield turnovers resulting in fast breaks, utilising width and then exploiting the numbers up situation with runners from deep.
The biggest question is how will this work when you’re playing St Johnstone away (we’ll get our answer on August 5th, I suppose). If the opposition wants to skip the midfield, or, at very least, have no interest in committing numbers forward for the build-up phase, how do you create the chances to turn the ball over.
There are three type of games for Aberdeen:
Old Firm: Less possession, keep it tight hit on the break, opposition willing to pass out of defence. This should work well in theory for Thelin and with lesser expectations, I’m fairly confident we can do well in these games in 24/25.
Hearts/Hibs possibly St. Mirren/Kilmarnock: The teams around our level who have their own confidence in keeping possession but lack the quality of the Glasgow duo. Again, this would seem to be a good fit for the Thelin approach.
The Relegation Scrappers: Matches against low-risk, direct teams where there is an onus on Aberdeen to break a low-defensive block. These are the games that expectation, especially at home, is highest, and are most likely to induce pressure on the manager for poor performances. Many afternoon was spent watching Glass, Goodwin and Robson teams pass turgidly in front of a deep defensive line.
There are obviously shades of grey in all three categories and environmental differences that can influence a team’s approach but in such a small league the swings in possession totals and varying levels of opposition create a challenge for a coach implementing a consistent system of play.
The four teams that Aberdeen face in the League Cup themselves are of varying levels but in all fixtures it would be expected that Aberdeen will have the majority of the ball in the four league cup matches.
And if a team is camped in their own box, how will they create overloads?
The ability to achieve to overloads in the box in such fixtures will be vital if Aberdeen are to pick up the points required to push higher up the table this season.
Here are four things we should look out for in the coming weeks:
Pressing traps - Will Thelin look to invite teams to play out from the back or disrupt their own shape by playing into specific zones. This could be achieved by dropping very deep on opposing goalkicks or by leaving certain players free.
Switches of play - Use of width will be important big switches from the defence to the wingers seemed to be a key element of Thelin attacking plan at Elfsborg.
Quick passing sequences - From watching highlights it was impressive to see slick, one touch passing sequences around the top of the box rather than forcing a cross into a crowded area.
Players on edge of box - Elfsborg seemed to create a protective shell around the opposing box to pick up clearances and maintain momentum with a shot or a forward run.
It will take time for Thelin’s philosophy to take shape but it will be very exciting to see the initial elements this weekend against QOTS.