Whats wrong with just putting your foot through it?

[shefcanary 2,407]

For those who CBA'd.

In modern football, the tactical zeitgeist’s lexicon has centred itself around a few choice buzzwords. From ‘pressing’ to ‘triangles, the language we use to describe our strategic approach to the game is universal and entrenched. Though the concept has been around since the days of kick-and-rush, one term in particular is becoming increasingly pervasive in our collective tactical discussion: “overload”.

It’s a remarkably simple but uniquely powerful notion. If the team in possession has more players in any area of the pitch, their chances of positively progressing the ball are increased. Schoolboy stuff, you might think.

But crucial to any tactical theory is finding a way to overload the opposition in such a way which doesn’t compromise the defensive integrity of your own team. This balancing act between defence and attack is the reason we don’t see all 11 players storming up the pitch at every opportunity. No matter how much we as fans love to see players barrelling about the pitch, fluctuating chaotically from defence to attack, it makes infinitely more sense from a coach’s standpoint to progress upfield in a more calculated fashion. This approach generally necessitates creating overloads, not just in the final third, but over every blade of green grass. 

Enter Ricardo La Volpe, the Buenos Aires-born coach whose tobacco-stained fingerprints can be found all over the football of Pep Guardiola, Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel as well as hundreds of hundreds of. Enter La Salida Lavolpiana.

La Volpe developed his trailblazing brand of cavalier attacking football in charge of the Mexico national team and Boca Juniors in the early-to-mid 2000s. The principles which underpin his sides’ attacking gameplay is the Lavolpiana build up, sometimes referred to as the “three-man build-up”. In a four-at-the-back formation, this build-up is initiated when a defensive midfielder drops back between the two centre-halves, prompting the two full-backs to push up towards the midfield line. 

In theory, this should bring about a numerical advantage over the opposition. The goalkeeper, the two centre-halves and the withdrawn defensive midfielder-****-defender create a matrix of passing options. Whichever player is in possession should, in theory, always have an out-ball. If the opposition is closing down the man on the ball and the passing angles around him with two players, they should still have two passing options open to them. If they are closing down with three players, the man on the ball should have at least one. 

The advancing full-backs provide another out-ball for the base of the three-man build-up. Assuming the team in possession are playing with three central midfielders, the remaining two will look to create a structure which is conducive to attacking progression. This usually means one dropping into the space vacated by the defensive midfielder-****-defender and the other moving into space, looking to cue a line-breaking pass. 

As the ball moves up the pitch, the attacking team’s wingers have the option to push infield or to stay wide. If they opt for the former, this has the potential to create an overload in the centre of the pitch. Depending on the play’s axis of movement, this move also allows space for the full-backs to overlap the wingers, creating a potentially decisive overload which creates a dangerous crossing opportunity. If the wingers choose to act as more conventional wide-men, they will occupy the opposition full-backs, forcing them to stay in their withdrawn defensive shape and creating space in the channels for a through-ball. 

The number 9 in La Volpe’s system will usually stay central in a fairly advanced position, busying the opposition centre-backs and again making space in the channels for the wingers and overlapping full-backs to plunder. In staying in this advanced role, the centre-forward isolates the opponents’ defence from their midfield, creating a less congested space in which the attacking midfielders can operate. 

This is a broad overview of the classical system implemented by La Volpe. There are countless variations on the same theme. Thomas Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint Germain, for instance, has asked his central-defenders to shift sideways, allowing a central midfielder to drop into the wide centre-back position rather than in between the two men as in La Volpe’s system. 

Pep Guardiola too has taken La Volpe’s system and stamped his mark onto it in Catalan wax. He has employed “inverted full-backs” – wide-defenders who move into more central positions ahead of the back four – to create an overload in defensive midfield. Lateral ball progression is made much easier by the fact that the attacking team has license to reconstruct itself into a shape which essentially has eight players making up the spine of their team (nine if you count the goalkeeper, which Guardiola definitely does). 

The above are just two takes on Salida Lavolpiana. As mentioned, there are many more. The proactive strategy we see in elite-level football today is due, in large part, to him.

[Nuff Said 5,140]

9 minutes ago, shefcanary said:

It ain't rocket science, but my heavy criticism of McLean stems from the fact he never did it (until Preston last Weekend). 

As for La Salida Lavolpiana, it literally translates as "The Lavolpian Exit". It sounds more like something from the Kama Sutra than a football coaching manual!

Maybe that explains what the guy who exposed himself at the 1p5wich game was trying to do?

[hogesar 9,671]

1 hour ago, shefcanary said:

It ain't rocket science, but my heavy criticism of McLean stems from the fact he never did it (until Preston last Weekend). 

As for La Salida Lavolpiana, it literally translates as "The Lavolpian Exit". It sounds more like something from the Kama Sutra than a football coaching manual!

Maybe your criticism should be towards the coaches then, as clearly once given a tactical instruction he carries it out to a T, probably another reason he's been picked by every single manager / coach that's been at this club whilst he has.

[Mr. Raumdeuter III 77]

12 hours ago, Barham Blitz said:

It's not just pressing to retrieve the ball though. It's also an attacking philosophy about playing with an incisive penetrative attack immediately after winning it as It's Character Forming has suggested.  It's the main difference between Guardiola and Klopp and potentially between Farke and Wagner.  

Edit: Hadn't seen Mr Raumdeuter's post before mine.  His is a good description.

I like the Guardiola/Klopp Farke/ Wagner comparison. Note: we’re talking style NOT quality. It makes the two styles easier to contrast. Daniel Farke definitely was more of a “positional play” manager, whereas Klopp has always been gegenpressing, aggressive and fluid. 
I’m pretty certain Farke himself said he was more Guardiola than Klopp in his All In Yellow podcast appearance. 

Very important to pick up on its attacking intent, to leave the back line disorganised, and with the 4-2-2-2 there are central overloads with fast passes direct to goal. This is why some people get confused with “long ball” vs playing “Vertically”. I think a crowd subconsciously understands the intent even if they don’t know about the tactic. It’s the difference between “we hoofed it into the channel”, and “we played a dangerous forwards pass into the  space.” There is a clear intent to how it looks and feels. 
 

R.B Leipzig under Nagelsmann finished their counters in under 10 seconds as this is optimum time to create a chance. 
 

Test it out, folks. When Norwich win the ball back count the seconds and see if this is what they’re trying to do. Then we’ll know! 

[Nuff Said 5,140]

1 hour ago, Mr. Raumdeuter III said:

Test it out, folks. When Norwich win the ball back count the seconds and see if this is what they’re trying to do. Then we’ll know! 

To be pedantic, we’ll know if they’re doing it successfully. All these tactics work so much better if you have a Man City or Liverpool level squad.

[Robert N. LiM 4,344]

13 hours ago, Mr. Raumdeuter III said:

The mashing fist

that's definitely something out of the Kama Sutra

[Robert N. LiM 4,344]

1 hour ago, Mr. Raumdeuter III said:

I’m pretty certain Farke himself said he was more Guardiola than Klopp

And of course Pep famously said how relaxing he found it watching Farke's team.

Especially when Man City were playing against them...

[shefcanary 2,407]

1 hour ago, hogesar said:

Maybe your criticism should be towards the coaches then, as clearly once given a tactical instruction he carries it out to a T, probably another reason he's been picked by every single manager / coach that's been at this club whilst he has.

It's interesting isn't it. Four managers before Wagner were not able to convince me that Kenny was worth persevering with - sure good in the Champs, but if Norwich were really to show ambition he has to be good in the EPL to really get me onside. I admit Kenny was unlucky here as he is now the only constant across the management of those four, but that is football. Now I appreciate he played really well on Saturday, doing the relatively simple things I have been asking him to do for the best part of four seasons now, incredibly showing a bit of positional discipline for once. However if it really was the managers fault up to now, I think that looks poorly on Kenny himself, for a seasoned pro not to try and change things is also not a good look. Maybe that was why he got dropped from time to time 🤔.  

Let's see if Wagner can produce a modern miracle and get us promoted. Then he may be able to prove once and for all Norwich can show ambition and have Kenny as a starting player in the EPL at the same time. Prove me wrong once and for all, Wagner & McLean!

OTBC