De Zerbi vs High Press
How does De Zerbi & His Brighton team solve and beat the high press.
Firstly, A performance problem is a problem presented by either the rules of the game or by opposition strategies. For example, one of the main rules in football is you cannot use your hands, so the performance problem is how do we keep possession of the ball without using our hands. Or, in this case, the performance problem presented to De Zerbi is how do we keep the ball, move into the opposition’s half and create chances, against a high press. His main solution or answer to this problem is the concept…
ASSESS - ATTRACT - FIND - ATTACK.
To assess the press, attract the pressure, find the free man & attack the overload (or numerical equality). The wording used is my own description and I have coined the concept as ASSESS - ATTRACT - FIND - ATTACK. Adam Lallana, a key player for the Seagulls recently alluded to this concept when asked to explain the Italian’s methods.
“To start with its not tiki-taka for the sake of it, its the end goal. The end goal is to create 4v4, 3v3 in a big space to go and hurt the opponents. Where your Julio’s will do what they love doing and create 1v1’s. The madness behind the methodology is find the spare player. Draw the pressure, Draw the numbers out, and find the spare man.”
Adam Lallana (The Big Interview)
Right there from Lallana. Draw the pressure, find the spare man, create the 4v4 or 3v3. The following video presented by APFC show numerous clips of Brighton’s build up under De Zerbi against teams like Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City. As you will be able to see, the constant concept of assess, attract, find, attack is in motion.
Key to this is to overload the backline whilst starting with numerical superiority in-front of the first line of pressure. Allowing Brighton to build-up and assess the pressure successfully. Then by using probing line breaking passes into their double-pivot of Caicedo and MacAllister, backwards passes to their center-backs and wide passes out to the fullbacks, they attract pressure by baiting opposition pressing triggers. With the opposition jumping to press, the spaces and distances between the lines get bigger. Creating a larger space for the attacking players to drop in and receive between the lines. Brighton must be able to create an angle to play into the free man created and for him to receive either on the half turn or facing forward. This creates the opportunity to drive forward and attack the 4v4, 4v3, 3v3 situation created and exploit the big spaces.
The second the blues find & play into the free man behind the midfield line, normally on the half turn, the tempo of Brightons attack quickly changes. Something Xabi Alonso alluded to on his Pro License, Playing with two tempos.
Control and Build with Organisation
Fast Creative, Unpredictable Attacks
This is definitely the case with De Zerbi’s teams before and after they find the free man facing forward. As Lallana stated it is all about the end goal, attacking with numerical superiority, A key APFC Concept, or equality and creating 4v3s, 4v4s, 3v3s increases the teams chances of scoring.