Gangwon FC: The concepts behind ‘Byungsoo-ball’
Since taking over as the head coach in 2019, Kim Byung-Soo and his Gangwon side have gained a reputation for playing a progressive, possession-based style of play that has gained many admirers. This has given rise to the tagline, ‘Byungsoo-ball’.
To garner opinion about Gangwon and ‘Byungsoo-ball’ from the 2020 K league season so far, podcasts are ideal as we can gauge the success (or lack of) from week to week. Both Gazzetta Football Korea and K League United have been able to highlight the highs and general plights of the club this season. Earlier in the season, they were lauded for their style of play after some impressive performances, including a win over current champions, Jeonbuk (a breakdown of the game can be found here):
‘He [Kim Byung-Soo] plays a brand of possession football considered the ‘right way’ of playing football. It’s certainly a very attractive way of playing football. […] They like to get the ball to feet and they like to try and get shots on target.’ — Matthew Bins
More recently, after a string of defeats, Gangwon have looked to be more reserved both in and out of possession. The hope being that they return to some sort of form, although this has somewhat taken away from their usual approach:
‘Gangwon had no creativity, and they were pretty dull to watch actually, which they hadn’t been at the beginning of the season so something’s going a bit wrong with them at the minute […] Byungsoo-ball. Byungsoo-no-ball At the minute’ — Thomas Clark
‘Byungsoo-ball’ has gained plaudits, yet the team is in need of some form of equilibrium. They’ve been expansive and proactive, but they’re still trying to find a way to maintain this style without shipping goals. The stats bear this out. After round 17 of fixtures, they rank 1st in total passes (8,942, 526 per game) and average possession per game (58.2%). However, they’ve conceded 26 goals. Only FC Seoul have conceded more in the league, and 2 more than bottom side Incheon United. Here is where the focus of the article will be. What has made Gangwon so impressive this season, yet how is it holding them back and what they’re trying to do to deal with it.
Overview
Gangwon have regularly utilised a 4–3–3 shape in the 2020 season. This has been used in multiple variations in midfield, two deeper centre midfielders with one in a more attacking position, and vice versa. The use of the full backs has varied, with either both being inverted, or one inverted and one deployed in a wide position, similar to that of a winger.
More recently, after a string of defeats (5 losses in 6), and facing 1st place Ulsan, the team opted for the use 4–4–2 both in and out of possession. This carried over to the game v Seongnam, where although a 4–3–3 shape was used in possession, a 4–4–2 was used while defending. The intention here being to to offer more defensive stability.
‘W’ shape and Inverted Full Backs
During build up, Gangwon will often take up a a 2–3 shape in the first two lines, giving the appearance of a ‘W’ shape. How this is constructed in game varied depending on the available players and the way in which the opposition pressure the ball.
The use of W shape in build up had been frequently used in earlier tactical evolutions. The 2–3–5 formation was very much the default set up throughout the late 19th and early 20th century, utilising 2 full backs and 3 half backs behind 5 attacking players. This eventually gave way to the W-M (3–2–2–3) that Herbert Chapman developed after the change in the offside law and made successful with Arsenal. Italian coach, Vittorio Pozzo abhorred the use of a third back in the W-M (the centre half being dropped between the two centre backs), instead choosing to use a W-W formation (2–3–2–3). Gazzatta Della Sport journalist Mario Zappa wrote that this W-W formation was, ‘a model of play that is the synthesis of the best elements of all the most admired systems’.
While not being deployed between the two full backs, the centre half was given more defensive responsibility. However, Pozzo still required this player in an attacking sense. The centre half needed to be capable of playing longer passes directed to the wings to initiate attacks. A demand that led to him dropping Fulvio Bernadini because he was more of a ‘carrier’ than a dispatcher’. Pozzo’s W-W formation was successful with the Italian national team, being used in their world cup wins of 1934 and 1938.
How Gangwon construct this ‘W’ shape in game varies depending on the available players and the way in which the opposition pressure the ball. For Gangwon, it usually begins with the positioning of the full backs. The common structure that Gangwon utilise is the right back, Shin Kwang-Hoon, inverting to position alongside two deeper central midfielders. The left back will typically operate in the left wide space, with the amount of depth provided depending on the personnel. An example vs Deagu shows Shin Kwang-Hoon inverting alongside two midfielders. The left back for this game, Cho Jae-Wan positions in the space usually taken up by that of a left winger (his usual position).
Vs Jeonbuk, the same shape is constructed, though this time the left back, Chae Gwang-Hoon, is deeper, more akin to an advanced position a left back would usually take up when in possession:
There is also the option of both of the full backs (in this example Shin Kwang-Hoon and Kim Young-Bin) positioning to either side of a central midfielder:
The use of inverted full backs, positioning in central space and attacking through inside channels (half spaces) has developed more recently through coaches such as Pep Guardiola. During his time as coach at Bayern Munich, he helped evolve the role of the full back. No longer just being an attack-minded wide player, the position now utilised the technical and positional strengths of players such as David Alaba and Phillip Lahm:
‘Take our full backs for example. They can be absolutely decisive players depending on the role you give them. Now I don’t want full backs to play like wing backs. What I want are full backs who play as inside midfielders. And I want midfielders who play where the full backs once were.’ - Pep Guardiola
Tifo football’s video on the use of inverted full backs also provides a rationale for the use of inverted full backs. They identify 4 key reasons for their use:
1/ Midfield players can position higher up the pitch
2/ Ability to defend in transition (resting defence)
3/ Increased number of players in central positions
4/ Create additional space in wide areas for wingers to utilise
Patrick Mills’ article on the benefit of inverted full backs in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City also highlight these points. He also notes that the increase number of players positioned in central areas can also be beneficial in maintaining possession. The aim here is to create overloaded situations versus the opposition. By having additional players in central areas of the pitch, the ease at which the possession can be kept, as well as the ability to progress forward becomes heightened.
Using the example v Ulsan below, we can begin to see how the use of the full backs in this way can provide these benefits. With the full backs positioned either side of the deepest midfielder, the central midfielders can position higher between opposition defensive lines (1). The top of the ‘W’ are able to form a barrier to help defend when the ball is turned over (2). The full backs add to the number of players within central areas, increasing the ability to maintain possession and create numerical superiorities (3), which also increases the space that the wingers can operate in (4).
Resting Defence
The use of the ‘W’ shape and the more central positioning of the full backs in build up can also be used as an attempt to provide defensive stability whilst in possession. This can be defined as resting defence. The name derives from the German translation of the term, Restverteidigung. This refers to the players that are not actively involved in the team’s attack, with the ability to take up defensive positions when the ball is lost.
With an increased number of players in central areas behind the ball, when possession is lost there is an opportunity to surround the ball quickly and stop the opposition from attacking or playing forward quickly. Thus, this allows time for players to move back into their defensive positions and the team can regain their shape.
In Pozzo’s W-W shape for the world cup winning sides of Italy, the shape was utilised mainly to strike the right balance between attacking and not being vulnerable in defence, with Zappa again highlighting the benefits of this formation in his comments on the team:
‘The big secret of the Italian squad is its capacity to attack with the fewest amount of men possible, without ever distracting the half-backs from their defensive work’
Pyramid formation
The deployment of the ‘W’ shape in build up also has implications further upfield. As mentioned above, the benefit of the full backs moving in to more central positions is that rather than having central midfielders drop deeper to receive the ball, they are now able to move higher up the pitch to support the attack, without impacting on the overall shape of the team. The wingers within the 4–3–3 shape are also able to maintain the width with these central midfielders now occupying advanced central space.
The ‘W’ shape, coupled with the advanced players positioning can often give the appearance of a pyramid of hourglass formation, something akin to a 2–3–5. With Cambridge University being credited as the first team to use the formation, the formation became widespread within the footballing world as a forward player was positioned deeper to help deal with the change from a solely dribbling game to that of a passing game. This eventually lead to the creation of the centre half within this formation, something that would now be close to a defensive midfielder of deep lying playmaker, as the role required both defensive and attacking qualities.
Most recently, this pyramid formation was used by Pep Guardiola during the 2015/16 season at Bayern Munich, as a means to try and break down opposition teams who would sit deep and seek to nullify their attack. Guardiola highlighted 3 main reasons for the use of this pyramid shape: 1) to allow for increase domination both in and out of possession 2) to allow for squad rotation during the season and 3) to use an increasing number of attackers.
Focusing mainly on point 3, having 5 attackers positioned to utilise the full width of the pitch allows to exploit space both centrally and in wide areas, as Guardiola describes:
‘Passes from the midfield or further back are more likely to be safe and efficient if they’re aimed outside, towards the wingers but we’re more likely to do some more damage if they go inside (although more likely to be intercepted). But five strikers gives us so many more men to pass to. The other players can choose to pass to the outside (less risk) or to the inside (more risk but more threat to the other team). It just gives us so many different options.’
With the inclusion of inverted full backs, the ease at which the ball can move from a deeper position to the winger is increased due to the passing angles created in the pyramid shape. The winger is also now able to operate in an increased space due to the full backs positioning and, if a qualitative superiority can be created, can isolate the opposing full back into a advantageous 1v1 situation, either going past the player or crossing into the box for incoming forwards. An example of Manchester City this season (19/20) shows how with Kyle Walker positioning more centrally, upon receiving is able to cleanly move the ball forward to the winger (Sterling):
This can also be seen in the away fixture versus FC Seoul. The variation here is that with the full backs inverting, the passing lane between the centre back (Lim Chae-Min) and the winger (Jung Seok-Hwa) becomes open, allowing Gangwon to play around pressure to the outside and advance the ball:
This pyramid formation and the use of wide areas in build-up and attacks has also been advantageous against opposition utilising a back 3/5. While maintaining width through the positioning of the winger, a midfield player can utilise that available space afforded in the half space and wing. The game vs Deagu shows a good example:
Right back, Shin Kwang-Hoon, takes up a deeper position, and the right winger (Kim Kyung-Jung) remains advanced. With Deagu playing in a 5–2–3 when out of possession, there is an increased amount of space outside of the block in which Gangwon can play around. Here is where Seo Min-Woo drops into this space to receive the ball, advances, and then looks to combine with Kim Kyung-Jung to penetrate.
The Issues with ‘Byungsoo-ball’
Byungsoo-ball has not been without it’s problems. For all of Gangwon’s possession and aesthetically pleasing football, they have conceded goals at an alarming rate. They concede an average of 1.53 per game, and have kept just 3 clean sheets this season. This is even more surprising given their xG against per game is 1.28 (ranked 9th in the league), meaning they’re likely conceding more goals than they should be, based on the quality of opposition chances.
While helping them position more players ahead of the ball, and the inverted full backs can provide resting defence, an issue that has occurred is the amount of space that the two centre backs have to cover in moments of negative transition. With the full backs being positioned narrower than usual, a centre back will not only have to cover the space for their own position, but also the space vacated by the full back. This increased space in the full back zone is one that opposing attackers looked to exploit in transition after periods of prolonged Gangwon possession.
In examples v Ulsan and Deagu, forwards are able to take advantage of this space, remaining unmarked as the centre backs seek to maintain shape and protect central areas:
One way they have tried to counter this (and the number of goals conceded) in recent games is to utilise the inverted full backs less and have them instead maintain a more traditional position. In the encouraging 1–0 loss to Ulsan Hyundai, and then again in the FA cup fixture between the two sides, the use of an initial 4–4–2 shape allowed the back 4 to remain flatter when in possession, allowing the ability to circulate the ball and create conditions to progress the ball, whilst maintaining the team’s shape in the event of a turnover.
This was also seen in their away fixture to Seongnam FC. With the back 4 positioned deeper and full backs more reserved, they are also able to create a +1 overload vs Seongnam’s 3 pressing forwards:
By encouraging more players to be behind the ball and help provide more stability, a consequence has been that the attack has been stunted. With more players back, the number of players Gangwon are able to commit forward becomes less. Thus, attacks becoming easier for the opposition to defend against. Compare the previous example vs Ulsan of Gangwon using inverted fullbacks to allow for advanced positioning with this example vs Seongnam. Here, Gangwon are looking to attack with 4v9. From this scenario, possession is reset and played back to the defence:
Conclusion
This is the crux of Gangwon’s problems this season. By being progressive and open, they have been vulnerable in transition. When using a more traditional structure, they have lost what has made them revered. As Jonathan Wilson argues in his seminal work, Inverting the pyramid:
‘It could be said that the whole history of tactics describes the struggle to achieve the best possible balance of defensive solidity with attacking fluidity.’
There inconsistency throughout the season can be revealed in the league table. Currently 8th (after 17 games), they’re too good to be near the bottom of the table, yet unable to stop conceding and challenge at the top end of the table. Kim Byung-Soo has sought to evolve the team’s shape to deal with this, playing 4–4–2 more frequently in recent games. Will this change of shape allow Gangwon to get the balance correct between their in and out of possession game? Are additions required to maintain this progressive playing style? Or does ‘Byunsoo-ball’ need a rethink? Ryan Walters sums up Gangwon and ‘Byunsoo-ball’ perfectly:
‘Gangwon is maybe the most entertaining team in k league […] If they can get some consistency at the back I think they can sort things out’
Notes
- Quotes from Mario Zappa, and information regarding historical tactical trends are referenced from Inverting The Pyramid, by Jonathan Wilson
- Quotes from Pep Guardiola and information on his time at Bayern Munich are referenced from Pep Guardiola: The Evolution, by Marti Perarnau
- Stats from this season on Gangwon come from K League and Footy Stats