What do people think of New "Box" Midfield tactics

And really just the new type of play we seen from Man City at the 2nd half of last season and Arsenal and even us most of the time under Ange.

Seems the early days of it but it kind of looks like the best set ups in football now are to have like big fast defenders and then basically a separate attacking team who dominate the game in the oppositions half and then when you are countered those big defenders mop up and then you go back up the park again.

Like Man City and Arsenal playing superb with basically 3 at the back type set ups. That only collapse back into an old style 4 out of possession. Stones and Zinchenko becoming midfielders and doing very well, especially Stones who looked sensational even from right-back or centre-back.

Can see why Arsenal signed Timber and Rice as well - as although Zinchenko was good for them he is still a poor defender with no pace so gets took apart when the oposition are on the attack where as Man City were untouchable with Walker/Akanji and Ake and why Man City want Gvardiol, quick, mobile defensive guys who can be left in the defensive areas to clean up breakaways and let their separate attacking players dominate games and do what they want.

Full-backs are dying I think now, feels like football players are faster and more athletic than ever and the most dominant way of playing now is to keep the ball high up the park and have mad athletes at the back to stop you getting countered.

Cancelo and Alexander-Arnold would probably have been great 10 year ago but now they're liabilities and guys like Akanji, Ake, Ben White and that are better. You don't really need attacking full-backs overlapping and crossing now, you need more midfielders and creators and big fast centre-half types defending.

Like if I was a manager now i'd want a team like

Allison
Akanji Kim Gvardiol
Alexander-Arnold Rodri
De Bruyne Gundogan
Salah Mbappe Vinicius

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These tactics were unheard of like 2 year ago 3 at the back but no wing-backs. A bit of pace out wide/up front, creative passers in midfield and guys who can run like * at the back but one if the midfielders who drops into a full-back area when defending.

Tactics based more around passing it forward through teams and movement off the ball. The past most successful style was probably the Barcelona style of keeping possession and trying to cut teams open from wide with overlapping full-backs but it doesn't seem as successful now.

Think we'll see more teams ending up playing like this. We would be really good at it the now and were under Ange where Johnston and Starfelt defended well out wide and Taylor played well in midfield and we have guys like Abada and Maeda even after selling Jota but Rodgers probably won't play the same way.

 

Our version could be....

Hart​

Nawrocki Carter-Vickers Starfelt

Johnston McGregor
Hatate O'Reily​

Abada Kyogo Maeda

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Or even.....

Hart​

Nawrocki Carter-Vickers Taylor

Johnston McGregor
Hatate O'Reily​

Abada Kyogo Maeda​