Dropping Into the First Line: Problems and Solutions in Build-Up
After reading Michael Cox’s recent article on how Southampton suffered in negative transition versus Arsenal in situations where centre midfielder had dropped into the first line, my mind started to think of ways how this could be avoided whilst still being able to maintain possession of the ball and progress the ball in a controlled manner.
But to start, it might be best to understand why teams usually have a midfield player drop into the first line, between defenders during build up.
One common reason that is prevalent throughout the world of football is to create an overland against the pressing opposition forward line. If the opposition look to press with 1 forward, then 2 players in the first line (commonly the centre backs) would suffice. If 2 forwards pressure, then a 3rd player would be required and so on. By having an extra player in build up, an extra layer of security is added. If the ball is lost, a team is still going to have an extra player when defending. Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds are an example of this. They will often change formation based on the shape and pressing of the opposition. Versus Burnley, who usually defend in a 4–4–2, Leeds used a back three:
Also, as noted by Daniel Fraiz-Martinez’s in his fantastic article [https://danielfraizmartinez.medium.com/libero-ated-a-look-at-the-principles-behind-how-a-gabriel-heinze-team-plays-out-from-the-back-4032d5e5d210] on the principles behind how Gabriel Hienze’s Velez Sarsfield play out from the back, is how the positioning of a libero will impact the position of the centre backs. With them positioned wider, they are able to play around the pressure of 2 central forwards. If either forward is forced to move out of a narrow position to pressure the centre backs, central space is then opened up which the back line can then exploit.
Being able to progress the ball up the pitch under control is also reliant on the dribbling and passing ability of the players on the 1st line. If you are working in youth football then you can develop and encourage your defenders to be composed on the ball and look to either carry the ball or pass into midfield. You may be working in senior football where you do not have the time to develop these attributes, or have players who possess these qualities. This may mean you have to create a different way to bring the ball out from defence, and having a more able midfield player drop into the defensive line may facilitate this. It may also be that this is a position that a midfield player likes to take up when distributing the ball.
Potential issues in build-up and transition
Often we’ll see the centre backs split and try to provide as much width as possible. This allows for the ability to switch play if the option to play forward is unavailable, and as mentioned above, may create space in the centre by forcing an opposition forward into pressing the ball in a wider position.
This will also impact upon the positioning of the full backs. With the centre backs wider than usual, they can now move higher up the pitch (this will also affect the wingers, who may move into more central areas or the half spaces in order to receive between the lines). The problem that potentially occurs is the centre backs become too far apart from each other. If the ball is lost, the opposition have an opening through to goal if the two defenders can’t regain a defensive shape quick enough. An example from 2013 of Swindon conceding to MK Dons highlights this issue. The defenders are far enough apart that, when the ball gets turned over quickly, they are not in a position to regroup quick enough and Patrick Bamford (now of Leeds United fame) can convert with ease. Having a midfielder positioned between the two could alleviate this?
But the problem that usually arises from having a midfielder drop into the first line is the responsibility of that player during negative transition. Does that player stay in the defensive line to stop penetration? Do they move back into midfield and the space in front of the centre backs? This was the issue Cox identified for Southampton. With James Ward-Prowse or Ibrahima Diallo dropping between the centre backs during build up, when the ball was lost in midfield their go-to responsibility was to step back into the space they would usually occupy and cover the opposition attacking midfielder or forward within this space. This movement then made it difficult to track back as it would work against their initial movements, and the distances between the centre backs would still too great.
A linked issue to this is that when a midfielder drops between defenders in the first line, the subsequent positioning from players ahead of the ball does not change. This then causes problems with ball progression due to the vertical distances between the defensive and midfield line. In an example from the AZ Alkmaar-Ajax game, Teun Koopmeiners is positioned between the centre backs (and causing centre midfielder Daavy Klaasen to pressure him, creating an even bigger space), yet nobody has occupied this central space. The result of this is that Koopmeiners has to play a long pass to progress the ball, and subsequently the ball is turned over.
Progression and Security
So how can sides create scenarios where a midfielder is able to drop into the defensive line to create a sufficient overload or aid ball progression, whilst at the same time protecting themselves in negative transition? There are a multitude of solutions that coaches could come up with, both pragmatic and creative, but here I want to illuminate several simple solutions that have come to my mind that can allow a player to drop into the first line, whilst still allowing the team’s shape to not be affected and reduce the risk involved for defenders in negative transition.
Inverting full backs, dropping midfielders or double pivots
One solution to cover the space in front of the defensive line, and provide forward passing options could be the use of an inverted full back (or full backs). While somewhat of a recent innovation (mainly used by Pep Guardiola at both Bayern Munich and Manchester City), the idea of having the full back move into a central position can give benefits in both rest defence (allowing defensive security during transition), central passing options and access to advanced wide players.
As in the example above, with a midfielder dropping into the first line, the full backs can move centrally to occupy this space vacated by the midfielder. This will help continue to offer central passing options during build up, as well as allowing an easier opportunity to move the ball to the wingers when the widest players in the first line have the ball. Man City’s use of an inverted full back will often allow them a quicker way to move the ball to a winger in a 1v1 situation:
It doesn’t necessarily have to be both full backs that invert. A team utilising 2 central midfielders (in a 4–4–2 as an example) or a team operating with a double pivot (in a 4–2–3–1) may still have a player positioned in the second line. While both full backs could invert to increase the passing options available in to midfield (and potentially create numerical superiority), it is also feasible that only one full back would need to invert. This would still allow a team to maintain shape centrally, and allow for a full back to remain in a deeper wide position, offering a potential passing option around pressure.
While this does allow more security in central areas, it does shift the issue of positioning in transition to the full back. Do they stay central and leave the wide space open for the opposition? Do they move back into their usual position, hoping teammates will transition back into central space? Obviously this will rely on clear responsibilities within all phases of the game, as well as an understanding of how the opposition play. Another solution would be to have a more advanced player, typically a higher positioned centre midfielder drop into the defensive midfielder position, though this reduces players positioned in the attacking third.
Dropping outside of the centre backs
If the dropping of a midfielder is required to help create an overload (based on the available players, quality of the players and the team’s shape), then the positioning of the midfielder could be key to help both progress the ball and reduce the distance between the centre backs. A simple solution could be having the dropping midfielder move outside of the centre backs.
There are several benefits to this idea. As mentioned already, the centre backs are already positioned closer together. While being in a position to help increase the playable space and ability to advance the ball, in the case of a loss of possession they would still be at a close distance in relation to each other. This allows them to regain their defensive shape more easily and reduce the risk of the opposition penetrating from a counter attack.
Another benefit for the midfielder in this scenario is that positioning outside of the centre backs would most likely locate them in the half space. This could be of benefit for when this player is in possession due to the impact that the position in the half space has upon the defensive shape of the opposition, as well as it’s strategic value. An in-depth explanation of this can be found on spielverlagerung by Borussia Monchengladbach assistant coach, Rene Maric.
This can also be seen in examples by both Ajax and PSG. Ryan Gravenberch dropping into the left half space for Ajax, and Danilo Pereira making a similar movement for PSG (in the right half space). These types of movements can help with the progression of the ball whilst also allowing the distance between the centre backs to remain shorter, helping them in the case of any loss of possession.
Lopsided defensive line
Is there a scenario where a midfielder doesn’t have to drop into the first line? Is there a situation where an overload is already created? Or can the defensive line be adapted to sufficiently deal with opposition pressure and advance the ball?
If a team has adequate ball playing qualities in their defensive line, then the need for a midfielder to drop into the first line may be redundant. However, to still have full backs provide width higher up the pitch, lopsided positioning could be used.
In a similar context, Manchester City have shown how this can be deployed in a game-realistic situation. From their home game versus Sheffield United, although setting up with a back four, Kyle Walker takes up a more central position to create a 3-man defensive line with Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte. The width on the right side is created through Ferran Torres’ positioning, and on the left side Oleksandr Zinchenko is able to either remain wide or take up a positioning more centrally.
The benefit here is that by not having players drop into the defensive line, more players can be positioned higher up the pitch, meaning the ability to move the ball forward when building up from the back becomes a greater possibility. It also means that even with a single pivot in midfield, the space in front of the defensive line is covered. Another benefit here is that with players positioned higher up the pitch, the opposition can also be forced into a deeper block. This mean that the defensive line now has more space and time in which to dictate possession and progress of the ball.
Conclusion
These are just some simple solutions to allow a midfielder to drop into the defensive line during build-up, yet still maintain the ability to have players positioned centrally within midfield. There are an infinite amount of possibilities to create this scenario, and an infinite amount of ‘what about’s’ and ‘what if’s’ that could turn this article into something similar to war and peace. It will come down to the coach to devise a plan and structure that understands the qualities of their team, has clear roles & responsibilities for each player and takes into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition.