What is Positional Play?

[@tribalcho]

Of all the basic principles the rule for the 3rd man is the most importnat one imo..Here is what Xavi Hernandez said in an interview : “The third man is impossible to defend, impossible … I’ll explain what it means. Imagine Piqué wanting to play with me, but I’m marked, I have a marker (defender) on me, a very aggressive guy. Well, it is clear that Piqué can not pass it to me, it is evident. If I move away, I’ll take the marker with me. Then, Messi goes down and becomes the second man. Piqué is the 1st, Messi the 2nd and I the 3rd. I have to be very alert, right?! Piqué, then plays with the 2nd man, Messi, who returns it, and at that moment I’m an option. I’m now free of my marker who has moved to defend closer to the ball. Now I’m totally unmarked and Piqué passes me the ball. If my marker is looking at the ball, cannot see that I’m unmarked and then I appear, I’m the third man. We have already achieved superiority. This is indefensible, it’s the Dutch school, it’s Cruyff. It is an evolution of the Dutch triangles. (…) To look for the third man is, for example, that the central players have the ball and one of them is always open because you always have one player more than opposing strikers. In that case, Puyol has the ball and goes up, up and up until a defender challenges him. If the defender who tries to stop him is my marker, then the third man happens to be me! If it is Iniesta’s marker who moves to challenge Puyol , then Andres is the third man. And so we seek superiority in any area of the field. You make a three against two, you win and you have the third man. We advance positions up the field”

[@bernardojsvamorim]

Could you please put on the link of that interview? Thanks for your comment, it truly made sense to me!

[@tribalcho]

@@bernardojsvamorim sorry, its not a quote from an interview..it's a quote from an article from this site - spielerverlagerung.

[@bernardojsvamorim]

@@tribalcho Thanks. I'll read it! Have a wonderful week 🤙🏼

[@shehanudayakumara4]

Thanks alot man! It really made me grasp the idea

[@samuelbiswas615]

He’s explaining the importance of not only passing in possesion tactics but also dribbling. Once you take on someone successfully or somebody comes to tackle you it removes a man out of the equation so you could play the ball.

[@VictorLima-mv4ni]

4:05 that striker has been offside for about 34 years

[@zaccarpenter8578]

Scoring for fun though isn't he 😂😂👍🏼

[@thibautnarme6402]

Came here for the same thing

[@joelmutagwaba255]

😂😂😂😂

[@isihakamahawi7793]

😂😂😂

[@joshhowe7795]

Beat me to it, well noticed sir.

[@kyleraines6715]

The way that he said coaches in the beginning is sublime

[@edwinlam4679]

Voice of a 30 year old, voicecracks of a 12 year old

[@NIGERIANFIFASKILLER]

I swear

[@WaterCarrier07]

@@edwinlam4679 Older than you think is our Joe 😉

[@archierobinson4704]

Ahaha I didn't notice that but that's killed me

[@marceloscoelho]

Tifo is ASMR for football fans

[@avenellroad]

Apart from being one of the best players, Johan Cruijff created this in his mind when footballers where just kicking a ball around. That's insane football intelligence. Not only that, he did it in the early 70's and 50 years later managers try to adept and understand this. Absolute genius.

[@fengsports2063]

Herbert Chapman used positional play principles to implement a new formation not seen by English football at the time

[@andrewmonos4951]

Actually there is a clear line from Cruyff and R.Michels to Hungarian coach G.Sebes and English coach J.Hogan before him. More of an evolution rather than an invention

[@ayushprabhash]

*4:35* What a poor number 9, always caught offside. No wonder Guardiola prefers a false 9

[@jeremymuriuki5423]

😂😂😂

[@Anonassassin]

Gabriel Jesus every now and again, at least he better than Morata now

[@fLightTakesFlight]

@@Anonassassin is he really tho?

[@richcymru3976]

Always happens in these videos. Defending team are statues, attacking team move as fast as Usain Bolt or attacker knocking it in 20 yards offside.

[@Anonassassin]

@@fLightTakesFlight Lol true! It's debatable for sure, my man can't even take over from Aguero after YEARS at the club.

[@AtTheBridgePod]

“Lots of rotation” all FPL managers know about that with Pep

[@nazrulsuani757]

😂

[@NarendraWicaksono]

Ah yes, the beloved Pep Roulette

[@matthewcox4139]

Yes. Never captain a City forward. I’ve made that mistake way to many times

[@gezzzkz9228]

Every single fucking time😂

[@indrayudhsarkar4679]

In this respect, rotation means rotation of players already on the pitch. Like Bernardo playing RB while Stones rushes forward. Or Cancelo playing the second holding role to allow Gundogan to drift up and left.

[@debsicus]

Is it weird that football related things I searched for on KZbin suddenly ends up as content of TiFo. This has happened 3 times in now. Literally searched for Positional play a couple of days ago

[@Tifo]

Great minds... 🤜🤛

[@tptitus]

@@Tifo or may be you guys are tapping our search history!!🙊

[@Kriscur20]

@@tptitus 👀

[@azaanhm]

@@tptitus ...I like this theory much better 😂😂

[@abhisheksrivastava5633]

You searched for it and it popped up for you. I was thinking about it in my mind and this video popped up on my you tube home page.

[@fernandosalazar2298]

“positional play is a number of simple ideas which together are extremely difficult to coach and implement correctly…” And I thought I would only ever hear this from my wife...

[@nzomy3056]

Bruh

[@Lions4322]

Haha, great

[@mchachorichard1166]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@lovee1173]

Hhhh

[@SingwithPianoCollections]

Thats what she said

[@NeonNoodleNexus]

"Haters will call it goalhanging, I call it positional play" - The striker probably

[@arpitrohilla285]

Hahaha

[@dude99844]

Ronaldo be like

[@jainalmiraz5409]

@@dude99844 which one?

[@abdulwahidalhassani5129]

@@dude99844 Or when you dribble selfishly and lose the ball when you could've made a pass, like Messi does.

[@dude99844]

@@abdulwahidalhassani5129 bro chill im just making a joke lol, dont have to be so butthurt

[@ggmu4656]

4:05 damn I thought Inzaghi retired Good to see him back

[@Nifava]

That was funny.

[@sanjaypatel-oh9gl]

Nice to hear Michael Laudrop being mentioned, very underrated player and coach

[@kieranive8763]

"Football is not about moving the ball, but about moving the opposition." - Pep Guardiola. Or something to that effect, anyway 🤣

[@prasoonjain1600]

ONE OF THE BEST FOOTBALL CHANNEL OUT THERE. CHANGE MY MIND.

[@frederikskovhusdall7933]

Agree

[@pberufy]

The best actually

[@rorey9074]

Sadly I cannot. As you are 100% correct

[@sebastianalban4654]

Just waiting for this to blow up

[@pipcollector8655]

I can't

[@adamhafiddin9564]

Thank you Rinus Michels and Johann Cruyff for creating and developing total football and makes football today enjoy to watch.

[@BlackChrishi]

Leeds is a good example of this too, it helps the players to adapt to multiple roles within a system

[@kohchungwei]

Last time I was this early PSV hadn't signed Ibrahim Sangare yet

[@joecaird517]

Oh shit did he finally get a transfer

[@otto_jk]

@@joecaird517 half a year ago

[@otto_jk]

@@joecaird517 the New Tifo underrated meme player is Yves Bissouma.

[@zaeidanis]

@@otto_jk hehehe

[@abdihassan7208]

@@otto_jk wdym?

[@virtualfootballdt]

This is just amazing. Positional playing is really difficult but when mastered is unstoppable !

[@JuanVilorio]

I was planning on going to sleep at 2 am but tifo uploaded a video 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@Sebastian-pf4ih]

Mate it’s 3:30

[@mcg9864]

I feel uncomfortable if I'm not wearing a suit and tie watching tifo vids

[@totallybored5526]

The thought of what you would be doing if you got to the F.A Cup Final on Football Manager is worrying 🥳

[@gauravalley]

Laudrup's Swansea were a treat to watch. They played absolutely brilliant football that got the best out of the likes of Dyer, Routledge, Ki, Pablo Hernandez, Chico Flores, Ashley Williams, De Guzman, Shelvey, Britton, Davies and the great Michu. That team was fantastic and deserved the Carling Cup they won that season. I was sad to see their downfall but hope they come back next season.

[@JP-yt3hd]

Yes wilson aaa

[@JP-yt3hd]

Gaurav thapa älä käytä kääntäjää tämän tekstin kääntämiseen.

[@waleedgaming4910]

4:06 OFFSIDE!! Come onnnnn REF, thats a clear one!!! what are you doinnnnnn

[@carlx8409]

Football leagues corrupt

[@Smeadygonzales]

always like learning about concepts through your videos, one thing i would like to see is a section on how it comes undone/how are teams successfully against it

[@aymbot]

Thank you for letting me know about this strategy. I will use it in team matches against my friends for sure ! (I don’t mind it being difficult to execute)

[@lungabiyela9081]

Bloody hell. One of the requirements of becoming a football manager in the future will be a university degree in physics.

[@DomenBremecXCVI]

The goal at 4:05 was clearly offside, even VAR could get that right

[@lullabysanton2241]

Even ENGLISH* Var could get it right

[@yaqubsalim5563]

Great video. Please make more content like this on on other tactics and perhaps coaching styles and philosophies! I feel like I'm learning more then usual! Thanks

[@russow1074]

Plz tifo can you do a another video on Sergio busquets ,Thomas Muller? Felt like they are too much disrespected and Underappreciated by normal football fans.

[@aayush7232]

They already have in the past.

[@lucozade8373]

Who disrespects them?

[@riyosebastian4848]

@@lucozade8373 Busquets is massively disrespect by our own fans now

[@heehee4651]

When everyone says a player is underrated they stop being underrated. That’s where players like busquets, muller and Fernandinho are at. Everyone’s aware they’re class players just not the flashiest or most electrifying so they don’t get too much attention . I think that’s fine; at the end of the day football is about entertaining paying fans so it makes sense the flashy players get the limelight.

[@leonard1587]

@@heehee4651 you are smart

[@davidiraki5459]

thanks alot... your training videos is improving my game... my coach and team mates are really proud of the player i am becoming... thanks alot

[@sfisozonke865]

Can you make a video about Chelsea's transformation under Thomas Tuchel. What has he changed tactically? I noticed he played Kai Havertz as a false nine against Crystal Palace and it worked to perfection

[@kathoden]

Moving the opposition is the end product of positional play. This is why I think Xavi would become a game changer. His idea is to utilize positional play to give individual players time to think of their next move rather than just pass or cross. Watching Man City now and watching Barcelona in the Xaviesta era it becomes obvious they were the catalysts and Messi was their executioner. Pep taught them magic, they brought us beauty.

[@youngplayer7707]

I am a coach working with this playing style every single day... The single most important principle in this philosophy is the free man. You want to create superiorities by the help of several subprinciples like zonal structure and the third man to generate an unmarked player, the free man, to progress the ball fairly risk-free up the pitch The reason you see teams with this philosophy retaining the ball for excessive periods of time is cus they are not able to find the free man, thus circulating the ball and patiently looking to create a new superiority and free man

[@miguelrosado6348]

Finally, some videos teach people how having good players is not everything, and you also need to know what to do with them.

[@Skepsis0Metal]

It's crazy how you see this kind of game play out over 90 mins, and how it really exemplifies a game of "trust" in the team itself. You see, especially evident with Pep teams more than others, that players are more passing the ball to *areas* rather than other players. They trust that someone will know to be there when they pass it, and often don't need to look twice before making the pass. And almost without fail, somebody will be in that area, because that's what they have trained. As a team, they become less reactive to the opposition and more proactive about how to get the ball where they want it. It matters less *who* is being marked, and more about *where* the marking is occurring, so the ball can just be clipped into a zone and one of the free men will pick it up inevitably. It's so hard to defend against when the team is fully fluid and properly drilled. Watching Tuchel build Chelsea into this system is great because you can see it take shape, flaws and all. When teammates are not on the same wavelength or not expecting a pass or just too comfortable playing a static role then everything just breaks down and you have to start again, which is why you see the ball recycled endlessly between the CBs and wing-backs without moving forward because everyone else is still learning their movements. I made some comments earlier in the year about how this is actually making a player like Ziyech look a lot worse than they are, because they're picking out these incredible passes but nobody is running onto them so it looks like they just passed to nobody and wasted possession. Same with Gilmour - I think that's why Tuchel is hesitant to use him because his key strength (like Fabregas was) is threading the needle with his passing and vision, but if the forward players are static or haven't got their heads up to rotate into zones, then it's pointless.

[@PhilWhelanNow]

Can you do an analysis of how referees are playing at their own games, interpreting football in ways that are anathema to actual football players. Examples would include, not knowing the difference between a foul and simulation. Not treating simulation as cheating. Seeing robust ball winning aerial challenges as fouls; not seeing that reversing under a jumping player is dangerous play; adding more or less ‘added time’ depending on the club that needs more time, rather than the actual amount and duration of injuries and delays, restarts etc. Please?

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

That's a phenomenal question!!! I loved all the details, it seems like we speak the same language, i also make a bunch of questions like this, but i never thought about how a game it's viewed from the referee's perspective, how they think (and i think this is specially interesting with football given all it's trickery).

[@gmanrowe]

Just want to say this is by far one of my favourite channels on KZbin, amazing content Keep up the great work!

[@h_enrix_92]

This is basically zonal and man-to-man markings being implemented at the same time. Genius.

[@raf5.13]

Now I finally got to understand what positional playing is. Thanks man!

[@flame8388]

Can you please do a sensible transfers video for Juventus? Love the content

[@tomralph8540]

Sign big money free agents in their prime on massive wages who subsequently fail to reach the same levels before being knocked out of the Champions League early. Done.

[@otto_jk]

I think Ronaldo out is the sensible choice. He's great but he's a liability for defence because he can't get fast enough behind the ball. Also the Champions league loss was partly his fault. That wall was awful.

[@dhananjayan6260]

I'm from India i follow your content for quite some time, you're doing an amazing job and all videos are in depth and interesting keep it up

[@theo5502]

Reference to Michael Laudrup’s Swansea 😍

[@lullabysanton2241]

Shelvey

[@JP-yt3hd]

Donald trump

[@scottmescudi9630]

only real ones know

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

5:22 That's crazy!!! Really creative, it reminds me the "overload" concept of Cryuff's Netherlands (not surprising).

[@simonhaugan7926]

This is actually a fantastic explanation, thank you!

[@ordenax]

This is the content I subscribed for

[@-ingar-]

Would love to see a video on the decline of Ipswich Town and their future prospect under new ownership.

[@josephdominic9305]

Agreed!!

[@kazuhira_miller]

4:05 I think that's an off-side

[@andrewmiller5967]

Every time

[@jordanroper5739]

Where is this book, I can’t find it anywhere. Is there any recommendations for something similar? 0:30

[@priyansu510]

I was just anxiously waiting for this

[@ljb265]

Please do a video on the Spanish 3rd division structure this season and how it is being re-organized for 2021-22, i tried to read about it today and had no idea what was going on @tifofootball

[@Nifava]

I'll try. Spanish football until very recently was structured like this: 1st Division (20 teams), 2nd Division (22 teams), 2nd Division B (4 leagues of 20 teams, semi-professional) and 3rd Division (18 leagues of 20 teams, mostly amateur). Last season all leagues under 2nd Division were not finished due to pandemic and there were no relegations so the spanish football federation used the oportunity to restructure. Starting next season the structure will be like this: 1st Division (20 teams), 2nd Division (22 teams), 1st Division RFEF (2 leagues of 20 teams, semi-pro), 2nd Division RFEF (5 leagues of 18 teams, semi-pro) and 3rd Division RFEF (18 leagues of 18 teams, amateur). The system of promotion and relegation during the current transition season is complex but it could be summarized like this: 4 of the 102 teams in Segunda B (3rd tier) will promote to Segunda División (2nd tier), 36 of the remaining 98 teams in current Segunda B (3rd tier) will play the new Primera RFEF league (3rd tier), joined by the 4 teams relegated from Segunda División 8 (2nd tier). The 62 remaining teams of Segunda B (3rd tier) wil be either relegated to Segunda RFEF (4rth tier) or Tercera RFEF (5th tier). Top teams of the current Tercera División (4th tier) will compete to "promote" to Segunda RFEF (new 4th tier) or "stay" in Tercera RFEF (new 5th tier). I hope this explanation helped.

[@quintonsibisi389]

Has the W-M Formation returned? Please do a video on Man City and Cancelo tactics, everytime Cancelo goes into midfield next to Rodri, City's attack set-up resembles the classic W-M Formation...has Pep perfected it? Has history gone full circle? Only Tifo can let us know! Good video by the way!

[@ME1986c]

pep has done that since bayern

[@avibhau3852]

Outstanding video. Very informative.

[@cartelligunzafc1351]

Yes tifo great video again

[@ashadams318]

Awesome vid.

[@ashleyadams3145]

Wow

[@kurtcampher4716]

Awesome video. Thank you!

[@alvinaditya1610]

After watching many of tifos video, i feel like a football expert 😆

[@deabarker6005]

those goals are tiny - the way that striker squeezed it in at 3:33 was unbelievable!

[@cuisonte]

The linesman was asleep tho

[@deepwawa8525]

This is going to bang in my fifa pro-clubs group

[@henryallsebrook]

Please can you make a video on Ajax’s academy, and the principals behind it

[@RF24597]

Great video once again

[@DrBGMI77]

Pioli's AC Milan plays similarly. Coupled with a high press and good hold up by Zlatan, they have improve vastly. The only thing holding them back is the countless injuries.

[@alexalex6231]

Thank you very much and it helps to develop my coaching skills as a development coach 🙌 .

[@weestyboys6829]

Zone-dine Zidane and Math-ias Sum-mer would be ideal in midfield for positional play

[@hcp0scratch]

Great work! TY!

[@bangfiz9292]

This is my favourite tactical..play position play and create more passes and try to score at any suprise position

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

3:08 That's so coooool!!! 😍

[@user_habibi123]

Guardiola is honestly the smartest brains in football. The man is a beast!

[@bunga_raya96]

This blew me away

[@ilyasibrahim3506]

Where would I be without Tifo football 💞

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

Incredible video! 👏👏👏👏

[@MrChris30134]

It seems the ruled of office is not taught in positional play with the amount of offside goals in this video. Non the less very informative!

[@pistolcucapse]

Excellent series 👏👏👏

[@mightymcgee9199]

This channel is in love with Pep 😂

[@charlesbaijahe1773]

Thanks for your explanation, it's going to improve me tactically.

[@omaremad5798]

keep-up the amazing content

[@nickzzz1177]

VAR might wanna have a check on these goals.

[@adamgeigerjr6995]

more of these videos please thanks

[@mnoblesavage]

Perfect video, without music, it could be ever better . Thanks

[@alongkawasakizxr9140]

Absolutely brilliant

[@DaMarkus388]

Really love the video guys! Can I ask a question though I was wondering is positional play not almost rigid in a sense in that it requires players distributed across the pitch in a certain way and with a cetain number of players in each zone and laterally as you describe, does this not mean that it will only work with certain formations which enable the creation of the diamonds, triangles and overloads that you mention and maybe is one of the reasons why when Guardiola for example will try a different formation for specific games it never quite works and the movement doesn't tend to look as fluid at least in my opinion (I'm thinking of Man Citys' Champions League Semi against Lyon last year and previously when Guardiola used a 424 against Real Madrid as Bayern manager as examples) ? Apologies for rambling and again I'm not really sure if what I'm saying makes sense, I was just curious while watching and was wondering if anyone who understands tactics and formations better than me could maybe explain. In any case love the video, Tifo always does such amazing videos and I look forward to the next one :)

[@muhammedgamal5871]

Thoose videos are missed, really great as much as it is simple

[@anupriyakanna]

one of the best contents i have seen... 😎

[@audrishekhardutta1854]

Loved this video 👍👍 can you describe pros and cons of counter attacking teams like this ??

[@billal2731]

Idk why but i love this channel

[@thataaronb]

Bielsa beating this system with a significantly weaker team makes it all the more amazing.

[@Lions4322]

Tbf, Bielsa's gameplan totally went to bits after the red card. Second half was a study in character and will for the Leeds team.

[@bboyneon92]

I think for someone who's learning coaching. I would love some match footage and in detail coverage of each topic. Your content is important to us. I wish we had examples to deduct from immediately.

[@super_organist]

I think Liverpool uses that too.Pressing,counter pressing, mid covering for full backs,overloads and switching of play

[@joebarnes100]

Definitely. It's not even a question.

[@gyanchudasama4412]

This is exactly how I think football should be played and this is how I think all teams should aim to play like. And to the argument "football would be boring" as the video explains, positional play effects attack and defense, so naturally different teams will have different styles

[@opinionatortv6457]

There is no "best style" for football. All coaches use tactics that fit their teams. If I implement a wrongly fitting style to a team, we would lose every time. If my team is best suited to long diagonal balls, I should play them that way to get the best from them

[@georgkoch6243]

I regulaly watch your videos and because you ask so nicely i just subscribed to the Channel. You do Great work, Best of luck also After reaching 1milion subscribers 🙃👍

[@83justinluo]

Wao fabulous video!

[@karumehuie1407]

Great information

[@stephenkoshy3127]

Would love to see Laudrup managing at a side in one of the 5 major leagues.

[@utkalgaur579]

1:29 - if a fullback cuts inside , the winger will push out ....but you said that there can't be more than 2 players on the vertical line and in this case there were only 2 , so what was the need for the winger to push out

[@andyhills9972]

This system seems to have no concept of the offside rule 😂. Otherwise great video.

[@ujjwalsharma4784]

Can you please highlight tactics of pep guardiola at Barcelona in nxt video .........

[@AmanAli-hn7ll]

Please make a video on Mourinho's coaching success with every club

[@gauravmufc1]

Sir alex's team was a perfect example of rotation play and pep guardiola's city is pure beast due to same reason the success of united under ole is also somewhat a credit to rotational play where the full backs move up higher and the midfielders cover for them but united lack this in their front three as only bruno can play in any position others lack this ability and hence teams get through by marking bruno and the front three get no service and depend on long balls from the centre backs.

[@badumzbadumz]

yep, subscribed

[@wissamallam4010]

Thank you you are awesome ❤

[@amakundi2792]

I'm studying Engineering but i so much love football mehn Tifo makes me feel i can become a Football manager one day😄

[@fjrprsj]

Hey could you make a video about Lingard at West Ham?

[@arjunsajeev3406]

Pls make a vedio on counter attack strategy

[@opinionatortv6457]

That would be a great idea