Chapter 3: How To Become A Football Manager Overnight...

As I sat in the library, surrounded by towering bookshelves and the scent of old paper, I felt the exhaustion of days spent researching weighing down on me. My eyes strained as I flicked through countless tomes on football tactics, my hands increasingly weary with each page turned. Suddenly, without warning, the book I was holding slipped from my grasp and fell with a resounding thump onto the wooden table below. My shoulders sagged as a groan of tiredness escaped my lips, and I couldn't help but wonder if my efforts would ever come to fruition.

As a temporary Manchester United manager, I felt the weight of expectations on my shoulders. It wasn't just about winning games; it was also crucial that I provided enjoyable football for the fans. So, I dedicated most of my free time before the pre-season to researching and studying different tactics that would suit the players I inherited. I spent countless hours inside the footballing library, poring over books, analyzing gameplay, and scrutinizing players' strengths and weaknesses. I knew I had a monumental task and had to be adequately prepared.

At the same time, I knew I would have some money to spend in the transfer window. However, I knew that it wouldn't be enough to rebuild the entire squad. Therefore, I had to make the most of what I had and be strategic about my transfer decisions. I had to evaluate the current players' abilities and determine which positions needed strengthening. It was a challenging task, but I was determined to make the most of every available resource to ensure we had a competitive team to deliver the results the fans expected.

In modern football, the top teams have predominantly used possession-based football. This style of play focuses on keeping the ball for long periods and requires a high level of technical ability, patience, and discipline. The most successful teams in Europe have all followed the Tiki-Taka philosophy, which emphasizes quick, short passes, movement off the ball, and positional play. FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team have notably popularized this style of play in recent years. 

However, as a football club, Manchester United has always been more about playing on the transition. Their culture values quick and direct football, quickly changing from attack to defense and vice versa. A high defensive line characterizes their style of play, pressing the opponents high up the pitch and playing with high intensity. This approach requires a different set of skills from the possession-based philosophy, such as speed, power, and athleticism. Despite not following the Tiki-Taka philosophy, Manchester United has been successful in their own right, winning numerous trophies and titles over the years.

In recent times, Manchester United has had a difficult time achieving success on the field due to a decline in the effectiveness of their playing style. This has been frustrating for the team's fans and management alike. The struggles have been compounded by the fact that the club has seen numerous changes in its managerial staff over the years, each with a different philosophy and approach to the game. For instance, Van Gaal's possession-based style and Mourinho's defensive approach differed vastly. This has made it difficult for the team to develop a coherent playing style and achieve sustained success.

To sum up, I found myself in a situation where I had taken over a team that consisted of players accustomed to playing different types of football. Most players were more inclined towards playing counter-attacking football. However, I knew I could not rely solely on counter-attacking football if I wanted to establish myself as a competent manager and not just be a temporary solution. Although this style of play might have yielded positive results, such as a top-four finish, it would not have guaranteed job security beyond the current season.

Thus, I'd spent as much time researching a tactic that would provide results and satisfy the fans.

I'd gone through the journals of some of the best managers of all time: Guardiola, Cruyff, you name it, I'd read it. But none of them had experience rebuilding a club from the ground up, not without substantial financial aid anyway. 

As I was about to wrap up my visit to the footballing library, I realized that despite being in a space where time seemed suspended, my human body still required rest. As I approached the exit, a book lying face down on one of the shelves caught my attention. Intrigued, I looked at the title, which read 'Why Formations No longer Exist In Football.' The book's cover featured an image of a soccer field, with players scattered seemingly randomly. 

My initial response was to dismiss the book, but my curiosity got the better of me. Turning to the first page, I saw a quote: "Systems No Longer Exist In Football. It's All About The Spaces Left By The Opposition. You Must Be Quick To Spot Them, Know The Right Moment To Strike, And Have The Courage To Start The Move Even When Pressed."

I was intrigued. In modern football, pressing is probably one of the most vital characteristics that every team should have. Our rivals, Liverpool, are among the best-pressing sides in the world. They have succeeded over the past few years using Jurgen Klopp's gegenpressing philosophy, even snagging a title from Manchester City. So, hearing of a tactic that is not only about beating a press but also turning it into an attacking opportunity was undoubtedly worth reading.

As I picked up the book out of curiosity, I never imagined it would become an obsession. The enthralling story kept me hooked, and before I knew it, hours had flown by in what felt like mere minutes. I was so engrossed in the book that I lost track of time and the world around me. Finally, after reaching the last page, I was left with a sense of satisfaction and many thoughts. I headed to the library's whiteboard to organize my understanding and started jotting down my book interpretation.

The tactic initially favored a Four-Three-Three formation. The idea behind the tactic was to create and attack space. In possession, you would look to dominate the ball, combining short passes with intelligent off-the-ball movement to manipulate the opposition shape to create space to move into.

To do this, you would look to move out from the back, inviting in the opposition press to make more space higher up the pitch by creating a Four-Two base and using the goalkeeper as the extra man. This means there will be seven players in your defensive third; this will almost always outnumber the opposition's press, especially when you consider the threat offered by your front Three, who will remain high up the pitch to force the opposition to keep men back. This will give you a significant advantage when building out from the back.

However, if the opposition attempts to go man-to-man, you must rely on confident, ball-progressing centrebacks to carry the ball out of the defense and pass toward your forward players. Even if your forward players are marked, they can look for long balls into the channels.

Because the tactic is entirely focused on creating and attacking space, the formation is very fluid in possession. Players can find themselves floating into different positions to find space. This means going from a Four-Three-Three to a Three-Two-Five or even a Two-Three-Five, depending on the scenario.

Despite this, some constants within the formation remain, such as always having your forward three threatening to run in behind the opposition defense. This helps to create space in deeper areas by vertically stretching the opposition. Combined with the short passing out from the back, this isolates your forward players and the opposition's defense, creating great counter-attacking opportunities.

In the final third, you will rely on your wingers beating their man to create problems for the opposition's defense. This will allow them to get a shot away or play a pass in the opposition's box. If your wingers struggle to beat their men, you can try some short-passing maneuvers to work your way into the box again.

Out of possession, you adopt an aggressive man-marking counter-press to force the opposition to turn over the ball, allowing you to attack directly through the center of the pitch. If a team does manage to play through the counter-press, then you have your back four become compact to slow down the attack and force the opposition to go wide, protecting the box.

Looking at the tactic for a few minutes, I was sure it was what I was looking for; not only was it unique to the premier league, but it also gave distinct advantages over our rival's styles of play. The only issue was that many of my players weren't suited to the style.

However, I was confident that some could adapt to it and, if not, dipping into the transfer budget to obtain a few cheaper players that could wasn't something I was above doing.

After several days of intense brainstorming sessions In the footballing library and strategy meetings with my coaching staff, I finally had a clear vision of the Manchester United team's direction. It was a moment of great relief and excitement, as I had been struggling to find the right balance between offense and defense and identify the key players who could help us achieve our goals. As I lay in bed that night, I felt renewed determination and focus, knowing that the hard work and long hours we had put in were finally starting to pay off. With a firm plan in place and the support of my team, I was confident that we could succeed and bring glory to the club and its fans.