This is part of How soccer works In this series, we will take a partial look at the mechanics of the game.
The secret to Arsenal's success is that the players understand their roles. Bukayo Saka plays high up on the wing. Martin Odegaard works between the opposition lines. And then there's boring old Ben White, a former centre-back who plays as a full-back. His job is to protect the two stars by taking up a safe position somewhere at the back…
Record a scratch. Freeze the frame. Yes, that's our boy Benny. You're probably wondering how he got here.
If you've read articles about tactics, and if you haven't, don't. You probably know that Arsenal do something called 'positional play'. This is a fancy way of saying they like to maintain a careful structure in possession. . That doesn't mean men can't move around. One of the nice things about this structure is that it makes it easier for players to swap positions, yet everyone knows exactly what to do.
In a well-coached team like Arsenal, teammates can read each other's movements and get clues about where to go. When one player wanders out of his position, another player arrives to fill his position.Then someone else might fill it in. that As a result, the team in possession is pretty much in the same shape as before, and opponents are forced to make all kinds of choices about who to follow.
This exchange is known as a “rotation” and is a fundamental part of how the positional flank confuses the defense.
There's nothing new about substituting team-mates – it was the whole of Total Football about half a century ago – but it's a highly controlled move by Pep Guardiola's disciples like Mikel Arteta. During games, rotations are rehearsed, including when and how players will be substituted. Swap positions depending on specific ball movements or defensive adjustments. These are as much a part of modern tactics as passing patterns and pressing schemes.
One of the most common rotations seen on many teams is a triangle exchange near the sideline. The fullback goes up to the wing, the winger comes inside, and the midfielder goes down where the sideline was. They can receive the ball in space. (In some variations, the wingers remain wide while the fullbacks move into the inside channels.) These are called “wide rotations.”
Not all coaches are fans of this elaborate style of play. When the U.S. played Mexico a few weeks ago, Jesse Marsh sparked controversy over the halftime show by criticizing Gregg Berhalter's tactics. Why should Gio Reyna, an attacking midfielder who likes to play between the lines like Odegaard, drop into the full-back space? Marsh did not understand how these “complex rotations” would help the team.
Of course, there are trade-offs with any tactic, but some of Arsenal's most scintillating sequences against Bayern Munich in the Champions League this week showed why wide rotations are worth making.
At the start of possession, when White initiated the striker's run, Arsenal started in their usual expansive 4-3-3 against Bayern's traditional defensive formation under Thomas Tuchel. And in front of them is a narrow pentagon that negates the center. This created space on the flanks that Arsenal's full-backs would normally have.
White is pretty good with the ball as a defender, but you probably don't want him directing the entire offense. If the only space Bayern allowed Arsenal was wide, Odegaard wanted to be the man pulling the strings in possession. As soon as the build-up began, White jogged backwards down the sideline to free up space for Arsenal's best passer to rotate into the full-back space.
Their position swap opened up a few more players. Saka pushed into the half-space and took Odegaard's usual attacking position to complete a wide triangle. Center forward Kai Havertz ducked towards the same side and showed off a line-breaking pass. This allowed Arsenal to overload in wide areas, with four attacking players outscoring three nearby defenders and putting their most creative players on the ball.
It's important to point out that rotation is more than just switching spots so players can get on the ball in a different spot.The main advantage is what happens off the ball meanwhile As the Defenders scramble to find a new assignment, a switch is flipped. Rotations are often designed to pull certain players out of position and free up space that the offense has a plan to exploit.
The unlucky victim of this match was Konrad Reimer, left half of Bayern's defensive midfield pair. When Odegaard evaded the sharp edges of Bayern's press, it was Reimer's job to shift wide to stop him. However, each time play shifted back to Arsenal's left flank and Odegaard started drifting into midfield again, Reimer had to run back inside to protect the center of the pitch and run 30 yards.
Odegaard played the ball down the right flank, toying with Reimer, pulling him out and passing to the centre-back to bring Reimer back inside. He repeated this three times and Reimer would not stop talking, either because he was tired or just frustrated. Odegaard was left with enough space to pick a pass and took advantage of Arsenal's overload on the right to run Saka in behind for Arsenal's opening goal.
Most rotations are not simple one-time switches. The attacker thus moves back and forth, not fully settling on either position, prolonging the moment of indecision as the opponent adjusts to different expressions. It may not be until his second or third try that a rotating player finds a situation he likes, but as long as he has the ball he can continue to rotate and destabilize the defense. can.
Watch almost any high-level match and you'll see central midfielders hiding outside the opposition's blocks, with full-backs and wingers switching roles in front of them, testing their opponents with wide rotations. I would.
To take a notable example, Toni Kroos likes to rotate to Real Madrid's left flank, while Ferland Mendy explores channels on either side of Vinicius Junior. They did it often against Manchester City, sometimes with deadly results.
Even in that game, where Marsh was frustrated by the USMNT's wide rotation, many were concerned about disrupting the Mexican defense by drawing Reina deep while Christian Pulisic hid inside and Anthony Robinson stood wide. achieved success.
But Marsh was also correct in pointing out that wide rotations can cause headaches for offenses. It can leave players in unfamiliar roles. It's not crazy to want to put your best attacking midfielder in midfield and let your defenders defend instead of running a striker. Additionally, if you're not careful, confusing transitions between similar shapes that confuse your opponents can leave holes on your side in possession.
Not long after Arsenal's first goal, Arsenal tried the same wide rotation again. With Saka on the wing, White ran the attacking channels and Odegaard dribbled around the edges of the Bayern defense and sniffed out through passes. This time, however, Reimer arrived in time to finish the game and the result was almost disastrous for Arsenal.
Bayern were ultimately unable to mount a successful counterattack, but by forcing Arsenal into a strange shape, they managed to escape London with an important 2-2 draw. Consistent wide rotations, even when executed wisely by elite positional play teams, don't always result in wins.
But hey, at least we got to see the center back play as a striker.
