Fernando Gago’s first managerial job with Aldosivi

Fernando Gago retired from playing football in December last year before taking his first job with Aldosivi a month later as a 35-year-old. In his fledgling managerial career, he has had to deal with a lot of obstacles as his side had a COVID-19 outbreak on his first day of pre-season while his brother tragically passed away during his third game and the first win of his managerial career. In his introductory press conference, he identified Spanish Manager, Luis Enrique as a mentor and one of the most transformative people in his playing and managerial career. Last year, Aldosivi were a primarily counter-attacking side while Gago has sought to implement his own possession-based ideas as he has faced his own obstacles in applying his methods.

Build-up

Aldosivi operate in a 2-3-2-3 formation as Gago has incorporated an involvement from the goalkeeper in build-up play as the fullbacks will play either side of the deepest-lying midfielder with two free-8s in between the lines. Gago’s side will look to attract pressure before the centre-backs play line-breaking passes to the eight-space to beat the first line of pressure and transition. Under opposition pressure, Gago prefers the goalkeeper pushing up in between the centre-backs rather than the deepest-lying midfielder dropping in between the centre-backs as the goalkeeper can either ping passes to the free man in between the lines or switch the ball to one of the fullbacks to beat the first wave of the opposition press.

Before Gago’s appointment, Aldosivi rarely involved the goalkeeper but with the former deep-lying playmaker implementing a possession-based style and Aldosivi facing a press, the goalkeeper is needed as extra man, pushing in between the centre-backs to receive possession, especially when Aldosivi back-pass from a higher area. The goalkeeper can then play a pass to the midfielder in the six-space or one of the eights dropping in between the lines as well as switching the ball to the flank. In short goal-kick situations, the centre-backs will drop either side of the goalkeeper with the fullbacks in the deep wide zones as well as the deepest-lying midfielder in the six-space to attract opposition pressure and facilitate a deep line-breaking pass from the goalkeeper.

In the situation above, the centre-backs are in possession with the attackers pressing them while the six-space is an option for a pass in between the lines. The centre-backs will normally trade passes until a passing lane to the six-space is available before either driving the ball forward to play a pass in between the lines or lay-off a pass to the six-space. Or the centre-backs will play the ball to the six-space for the deepest-lying midfielder to turn and work a pass to the midfielders in the eight space or switch a pass to the weak side. Once the ball is played to the six-space then the deepest-lying midfielder will be able to turn which will attract pressure for the eights to make a blind-sided movement into space in between the lines for the midfielders in between the lines.

This is Gago’s preferred build-up routine as once the eights receive possession in between the lines this will trigger an overlapping run from the fullbacks allowing the wingers to tuck into the half-space to receive possession where Aldosivi can work a wide routine for high quality cross into the box. Another of Gago’s changes is moving midfielder, Joaquin Indacoechea to right-back to receive possession and play deep vertical passes into the next line or thread a pass down the lines and move into the half-space to receive possession in order to facilitate a switch to the weak side. If the goalkeeper switches the ball to the right fullback then Indacoechea has the ability to work a quick connection to move into the half-space and facilitate a transition while in the opposition half, he can tuck inside and act as an inverted fullback or auxiliary midfielder to connect play in the central spaces.

The left-sided centre-back which is either Federico Milo or former Liverpool and Stuttgart fullback, Emiliano Insua is tasked with a greater amount of responsibility in the build-up phase. Aldosivi will normally circulate the ball between the two centre-backs to move the oppositon line of pressure in order to create space for the left-sided centre-back to drive the ball forward to work a pass into the six-space or for the attackers in between the lines to make a variety of blind-sided movements to open a passing lane for a direct vertical pass in between the lines or to create space for an attacker to drop deep and receive possession. One of Gago’s favoured routines with his left-sided centre-back is when the centre-back drives forward to trigger an inverted run from the right winger to draw the opposition left-back away from his flank to create space for Aldosivi’s right-back to push forward and receive a switch ball from the left-sided centre-back.

Aldosivi will use this routine regularly as the right-back can receive the switch ball to work a one-touch pass into the centre for his side to create an opportunity on goal or for the right-back to control the switch ball with his right-winger making a movement inside while the ball-near 8 to receive possession as Gago’s side can work a three-man wide interchange to create an avenue into the centre of the pitch as well as the opportunity for a better crossing situation. This manoeuvre can also be used for the left-sided centre-back to push up and switch the ball for the right winger making a run in behind the striker to get on the end of a long ball. However, in some games, the left-centre-back pushing up and switching the ball could be due to Gago’s side struggling to evade pressure while playing constant long balls into the attacking line can result in them struggling to maintain possession as well as an inability to create clear-cut opportunities.

In the early stages of his managerial career, Gago has seen the risks associated with attacking football as it has been impressive to not alter his attacking ideals throughout the season but his side have been plagued by poor decision making in possession. His side has conceded a great amount of goals from individual mistakes as they have conceded possession to give away leads as well as being careless in seeing out games. There have been a few games where Gago’s side have conceded goals in the latter stages of games due to gifting the opposition turnovers. Aldosivi have also struggled when the opposition has presented them with certain obstacles in their press, especially with how they adapt to certain situations in man-orientated pressure.

In certain situations, Gago has cleverly pushed his keeper in between the centre-backs, allowing the deepest-lying midfielder to remain in the six-space while attracting the opposition press as this will allow Aldosivi to have an extra man for the keeper to switch the ball to the fullback or play a pass in between the lines to the extra man behind the first wave of opposition pressure. However, in the situations where the deepest-lying midfielder, normally Gaston Gil Romero, drops in between the centre-backs, Aldosivi fail to adjust and maintain proper player spacing as they will normally expect one of the centre-backs to push forward with possession but the timing of one of 8s dropping into the six-space to receive possession will normally be ill-timed or the 8 will maintain a higher position which will lead to a massive gap in between the three-chain and the deepest-lying midfielder which is inopportune for build-up.

In the situation above, the deepest-lying midfielder has dropped in between his centre-backs as the opposition has begun to push forward and press him in a man-orientated fashion with the right-sided centre-back managing to push forward with possession with only one central progressive option as the pass to this option would be longer and riskier due to poor player spacing. When the deepest-lying midfielder drops in between the centre-back, this should act as a trigger for one of the deeper-lying midfielders to drop deeper to receive possession through one of the centre-backs working a wall-passing situation with the centre-backs or for the three-chain moving the ball to one of the wide centre-backs who will be in space due to the numerical superiority in the first line and be able to push up to work a direct pass to the six-space.

The centre-back in the situation above is in an isolated situation as he will be unable to switch the ball, if he manages to pass the ball to his most direct central passing option, his teammate will be caught in a 3v1 and poor player spacing and organization means that Aldosivi lack the numerical superiority to effectively move the ball out of this zone. The defender will most likely have to rely on a pass with little chance of success, a pass down the line which will not give his side the best side of effectively transitioning or a long ball which will most likely lead to Aldosivi ceding possession. In this situation, the centre-back attempted a direct vertical to the nine space where Aldosivi lose possession.

However, Aldosivi lose possession due to two issues that plague them, poor adaptation and player spacing as well as poor decision making. Just as the right centre-back is pushing up and playing the ball, the right-back is occupying the wide zone, the midfielder is occupying the central space and the winger is in the half-space as with better player spacing, they can create better options for the right-centre-back to move the ball with a short passing sequence. The midfielder and fullback can drop deeper to create a 3v1 numerical superiority in the wide zone as this would also allow them to attract pressure with the winger dropping deep to encourage his fullback to push forward while the opposition midfielder behind the ball-near 8 will also be attracted to follow his marker which allows the striker to drop deeper to create more space to receive the ball while attracting the opposition defensive line higher.

Aldosivi are then in the perfect position for the right-sided centre-back to create two passing options for the right-sided centre-back for a wide vertical connection as the opposition defence will be in a higher line with an opportunity for Aldosivi to expose them with a pass into the channels. For instance, the ball can be played to the central midfielder which will trigger the winger dropping deep to attract a marker while the fullback will begin a third man run in behind for the midfielder to lob a pass in behind for the fullback to make a run in behind with the opposition fullback exposed as Aldosivi’s right-back would have less chance of being caught offside with the winger, striker and two midfielders making runs into the box for crosses. There is also the possibility for the right-sided centre-back to push up and play a pass to the fullback who can flick a pass to the central midfielder for the winger to drop deep and the fullback to make a run in behind or the fullback can play a pass down the line to the winger while the fullback veers inside to make an underlapping run into the half-space to receive possession or to drag a defender out of position for the winger to cut inside or play a pass into the centre.

This is a fundamental of play that Gago uses when one of the centre-backs pushes up and there is movement in between the lines to create spaces as well as open passing lanes as when a centre-back pushes up, there should be passing options dropping deep to create numerical superiorities in the zone as well as offer more direct passing options. This will also entice the opposition to push forward and attract pressure which is one of Gago’s ideals in possession but Aldosivi will need to do a better job of making the decisions and rotations to exploit the spaces they create and not lose possession, especially when they are out of their staple 2+3 shape.

Aldosivi rely on their 8s in build-up which is integral in the 2-3-2-3 shape as they can attract pressure for direct passes to the 8 space to ease transition. However, they sometimes have issues with their 8s dropping out of position to receive possession in between lines leaving Aldosivi with little representation in between the lines. Gago will need to enhance his team’s ability to adapt to opposition man-marking systems as there needs to be more cohesive movement and interchange of positions once the opposition find coverage on Aldosivi in the pressing phase.

In the situation above, the 8 has dropped closer to the centre-back to receive possession as he has also dropped in front of the opposition’s second-line of pressure while there is a massive gap and no out-ball in the ball-near zone for the centre-back in possession. Even if the centre-back works the ball to the left-back then his only option would be a pass down the line to his winger which would be easier to defend for the opposition. During the game situation, the centre-back managed to find the ball-near 8 but Aldosivi were unable to work the ball out of this situation due to the lack of options in between the lines and the ball-near 8 taking a heavy touch with his lay-off.

If the ball-near 8 holds his position in between the lines in the same vertical line as the ball-far 8, this forces the opposition midfielder in that zone to hold his position and allow the left-sided centre-back to push up which will lead to the striker dropping out of the nine space to receive possession. If the opposition midfielder pushes forward to engage the centre-back then the 8 in between the lines can make a blind-sided movement by side-stepping into a pocket of space to receive possession without forfeiting his position. The ball-near winger could also respond to the 8 dropping deep by moving into the open space as the centre-back can work a wall-pass with the 8 before threading a pass to the inverted winger which will trigger the fullback making an overlapping run while the 8 makes a central run as the winger could play the to the wide zone for the fullback to have a crossing opportunity or the 8 could drag a central marker out of position to create space for a direct pass to the nine space or a switch ball for the ball-far fullback or winger to have a crossing opportunity.

The 8 dropping deep denies Aldosivi the opportunity for the triangular player spacing that they have accomplished on the ball-far flank as their overall build-up shape becomes less symmetrical which would have a negative effect on their ball rotations with possession. This disrupts Aldosivi’s circulation as well as their ability to work connections and switch the ball to the opposite flank to stretch the pitch as it in integral the Gago educates his side to adapt to each other’s movements. The space left by the 8 does not just disrupt Aldosivi’s ability to circulate the ball on the left flank but to also work switches to the opposite flank to transition into the attacking phase.

Staggering is an integral part of the build-up play phase as it allows the side in possession to manipulate the opposition press as if players are positioned in the same flat line then it is easier for the opposition to press effectively with coverage in a flat line. If the side in possession are staggered, it is easier to create passing lanes for rotations, even if the opposition have a numerical superiority in a certain area. In his general 2-3-2-3 shape, Gago seeks to stagger with the two 8s pushing in between the lines so the deepest-lying midfielder can receive possession in the six-space to thread passes into the next line after attracting pressure. However, with players dropping out of position to receive possession then Aldosivi have weaker staggering and player spacing which allows the opposition to press them.

In the situation above, the ball-near 8 has dropped into the same line as the deepest-lying midfielder and fullback. However, it is important to take note of the fact that this is one of Gago’s ploys in possession. The 8 will drop into the same line as the deepest-lying midfielder to attract a marker before pushing into space to draw his marker and open a passing lane to the six-space so the deepest-lying midfielder can receive the ball, turn and thread a pass into the next line, usually to the ball-far 8 to evade pressure and instigate an attacking move. The 8 can also drop deep to receive possession, once an opposition attacker vacates a space to apply pressure on a centre-back, to work a combination with the deepest-lying midfielder to play a progressive pass forward like in the video below. In the above situation, it would be more pertinent for the 8 to hold his position in between the lines as that would hold his marker so the fullback can play the ball to the six-space or the fullback receiving possession can trigger the striker to drop deep in between the 8s and receive a direct vertical pass from the right-back. Gago utilizes Indacoechea as a right-back specifically for this situation, especially his passing range and ability to work quick combinations.

In the situation above, the opposition have a strong pressing situation as they can isolate Aldosivi in that area of the pitch while the option for out balls is limited with the 8 dropping deep as well as the inability to switch the ball. Aldosivi would have to resort to a long-ball which would result in them losing possession. The deepest-lying midfielder has been marked while the right-back is unable to play a back-pass due to the striker closing down the ball-near defender while the opposition midfielder is pushing up to closing down Aldosivi’s 8. Gago’s side could work combinations out of this situation if the 8 makes a late run into the channels to clear space for the fullback to pass to the six-space to work a one-touch pass for a midfielder in the channels which will trigger the central striker dropping deep to receive a vertical pass into the central spaces.

Aldosivi have conceded goals and lost games after giving up possession in build-up as their timing as well as the positioning and player spacing of their players in build-up has left something to be desired. Gago will need to work on these issues in order for his side to improve when the Argentine Primera Division restarts as his side have no issue in dominating possession but moving the ball effectively and efficiently has been a struggle for his side after a short and unconducive pre-season. Gago has good ideas but will need repetition for his side to master their timing and movement to evade opposition pressure.

Positional Play

Aldosivi under Gago have become one of the top sides in terms of holding possession in the Argentinean Primera Division as they seek to string together coordinated moves in the opposition half to create goalscoring opportunities. However, they have issues in creating space in the opposition half to move the ball efficiently while they will regularly switch the ball to work wide combinations for better crossing or cut-back opportunities into the box as they can rely on switching the ball and crossing from low quality areas which would make their attack one-dimensional. Their movement and ball-circulation in the central zones is also in need of improvement as the timing of the movement and passing as well as the player spacing will need to improve.

One of the most dangerous attacking moves is the pass from the wide zone to a central attacker in the nine-space or ten space which is facilitated by an attacker in the half-space drawing an opposition defender with a dummy run to clear the passing lane to the central areas. Aldosivi have worked this move well on many occasions under Gago but will need to improve as this is a move that can ease transition while creating an avenue to create chances through switch balls to the weak side or other attackers making runs off the striker. In the situation above, Aldosivi are in a prime situation to work this move, with a player in the half-space drawing his marker out of the passing lane as well as the ball-near attacker making a run in behind for the central attacker to drop deep and receive possession.

In the situation above, if Aldosivi work this move successfully, then the striker can receive the ball in the deeper areas to work a one-touch pass to the runners in behind which will create a situation for a cut-back and a high-quality goalscoring opportunity. The striker can also receive possession and switch the ball to the weak side where the fullback will receive possession and be able to create another high-quality goalscoring opportunity with a 1v1 on the weakside. Two attackers have moved closer to the nine-space to facilitate this move as the winger tucking in allows the fullback to establish width while this also allows Aldosivi to move the ball with one-touch passing combinations when the central striker receives possession.

The player in the half-space can also drag his marker out of possession to open a passing lane to the six-space forcing the opposition to shift while the deepest-lying midfielder can switch the ball to the weak side or play a pass in between the lines to one of the attackers. This is a Heinze-esque or Bielsa-esque ploy from Gago as it involves using wide rotations to find the free man in the central areas to facilitate a switch to the weak side or quick combinations in the central areas. In the situation above, Aldosivi have the spacial superiority as the fullback can work a pass to the ball-near attacker who can play a one-touch pass for the runner to receive possession in the half-space to create a goalscoring opportunity. This is one of Aldosivi’s most successful attacking ploys but it is also a move which requires timing that the sometimes lack and will hopefully build on as Gago gets more time to work with his team.

When Aldosivi are working wide combinations, there is also an importance on how they position their attackers when making runs into the box as well as knowing the specific zones to cross from. Aldosivi will normally attack the opposition box with three players which is standard as it allows them to position one player at the near post, another player making a run to the back-post with a player moving to the deeper and more central area of the box. There have also been situations where they have crossed the ball into the box with only one or two solitary players in the box which has resulted in the opposition defence easily clearing the ball. It is also important for the three players to switch areas when they are attacking to create space for an easier delivery as it disorients the opposition defence. If the central player makes a run to the near post to drag a marker then the player at the near post or back-post can move into the central area to receive a cross in an open area.

In the above situation, Aldosivi are in the wide areas with Indacoechea holding possession as an inverted fullback as the ball-near attacker is making a blind-sided movement into space to receive possession. With the central attacking front three, Aldosivi are making their usual movements with one player dropping into space to make a movement towards the ball with a striker making a run in behind while the other attacker is in the same vertical line as the attacker making a vertical movement towards the ball in case of a dummy. The winger is stretching play in the wide areas as there is the opportunity for the fullback to play a pass into the central positions for a one-touch pass into the wide areas and a cross into the box. The fullback could also play a pass into the central position for the ball-near attacker to dummy the ball and make a run in behind to receive a lobbed pass from a teammate to have a clear-cut opportunity at goal.

In the approach play phase, Aldosivi generally operate with a 2-3-5 shape as Gago prefers to have the fullbacks interchanging with the wingers in the wide areas or the fullbacks in inverted positions, either side of the deepest-lying midfielder as this is one of the reasons that Gago utilized Indacoechea as a right-back in the first part of the season. Positioning the fullbacks in inverted roles, allows the 8s to push either side of the striker with the wingers stretching play while having the fullbacks tuck inside creates triangles for with the ball-near 8 and winger. Utilizing inverted fullbacks also facilitates Aldosivi’s switches when they are in possession as they can switch the ball to the inverted fullback who will spread the ball to the winger on the flank which shortens the distance of the switch ball rather than working a direct switch to the weak side.

With the focus on more direct switches in the build-up phase as well as in the positional play phase, Aldosivi can have issues with creating direct 1v1s for their winger against the opposition fullback which will allow the winger to cut inside and have shots at goal or crossing opportunities. Aldosivi can switch the ball to wingers who are isolated on the flank with two markers leaving their winger to have beat two markers before being able to attempt a delivery into the box or the winger will have to attempt a direct delivery into the box from a low percentage area like the deeper part of the flank with Aldosivi not having much representation in the box. Aldosivi will need to switch the ball more efficiently as once the ball is switched to the weak side then a fullback or midfielder should make a run into the half-space to drag a marker out of position and create space for the winger to cut inside while another player could make an overlapping run to receive possession or draw a marker to create a 1v1 for the winger.

Another issue with Aldosivi’s positional play is their progressions in the centre as their central front three will normally look to make runs in behind which will create a distance in between them and the midfield three which makes it easier for the opposition to defend. The player spacing in the central areas to string together connections can be laboured which could result in Aldosivi losing possession and the opposition counter-attacking them. Aldosivi prefer to move the ball with elaborate triangles in the opposition half but struggle as players in the attacking line are unsure of when to drop deep to receive possession or when to hold their position which makes it difficult for Gago’s side to play penetrating passes into the opposition half and create high quality goalscoring opportunities with regularity despite hoarding large amounts of possession.

Aldosivi will also need to improve their blind-sided movement as this is crucial to drawing opposition players out of positions and creating space for passes into the opposition half, especially for players in attacking lines dropping into space and receiving the ball as well as one-touch combinations in the final third. In a clip above from the match against Rosario Central, Aldosivi are circulating the ball amongst their highly placed centre-backs to find avenues into the next line as there is a moment where the right sided centre-back receives the ball and seems like he is going to drive possession as Aldosivi have two players marked in the same zone. Both players drop to receive the ball and are tracked by their markers which is why the right-sided centre-back decides to play the ball to his centre-back partner.

In this situation, the midfielders should hold their position and allow the centre-back to drive forward while one of their markers will look to engage him by pushing forward which will allow the free-man to side-step into his markers blind-side to receive the ball where Aldosivi can work a wide combination to create a crossing opportunity. The two Aldosivi midfielders can also work a move where one of the midfielders drop to receive possession to draw their marker out of position for his partner to move into position to receive possession or draw his marker to create space for the striker to drop deep and receive possession in the nine-space. There is also a move where the centre-back can hold possession longer and drive the ball forward as there is move where one of the players drop deep and the other pushes forward for the centre-back to push up with possession and thread a pass to the midfielder in a higher position in between the lines.

In another situation, Aldosivi work another switch to their inverted right-back who receives possession in the half-space before playing the ball into the wide areas and continuing his run to open a passing or dribbling lane into the centre. Instead of moving closer to the flank or holding his position, the midfielder in the half-space drops deeper meaning the winger has to pass the ball to him in a deeper area where he receives possession and is tackled by the opposition defence. By dropping deeper, he made the situation easier for the opposition to defend as if he held his position, Aldosivi already had a deeper midfielder in the area while they had three players attacking the box. The winger could cut inside to play the ball to him for him to lob a pass to the fullback on the flank for a cross into the three attackers in the box or he could receive possession to lay-off for his winger to switch the ball to the weak side for a cross into the box or a slide-rule pass into one of the attacking players in the box. The midfielder could also receive possession, hold the ball and switch to the opposite flank or work a dummy for one of the attackers to have a shooting opportunity.

When Aldosivi wingers receive possession on the flank and look to cut inside, the players in the central areas or half-space always drop deep to receive possession instead of holding their position as that allows them to occupy opposition defenders and allow for players to make blind-sided movements to receive possession in the same line. Once they drop deep, opposition defenders are able to defend the space in front of them which is easier than making them defend the space behind them as this will result in Aldosivi conceding space on the pitch and the opposition defenders having an easier task of pushing forward to make tackles. When opposition players cut inside, Aldosivi need to hold their position to receive possession in between the lines or in the attacking line or draw defenders out of position with forward movements to clear passing lanes to the nine-space instead dropping deeper out of positon to receive the ball.

These issues seem to come with Aldosivi recognizing these situations as they are playing a different style under Gago where they look to hold more possession and play a more expansive style under a new manager with a shortened and disrupted pre-season. There will need to be more repetition on the training ground to improve the timing and tempo of these moves as Gago has some intelligent ideas that he will need to work on translating into a cohesive playing style.

Counter-pressing

In order to sustain possession and attacking moves, Gago’s Aldosivi will look to counter-press to prevent opposition counter-attacks as well as create opportunities of their own. However, with Aldosivi switching to a more possession-based style of play, they will need to improve the consistency and fluency of their counter-press as they can have situations where players are unsure of whether to push forward and engage the opposition player in possession or hold his position. In some situations, this has led to Aldosivi conceding goals while in other situations, their counter-press has not been ferocious enough allowing the opposition to string together attacking moves. Their player spacing also presents an issue as if players are not positioned closer together then Aldosivi will struggle to transition to a counter-press with Aldosivi players having more space to cover in the counter-press.

However, Aldosivi are most efficient with their counter-press in situations where they can mimic standard pressing situations, especially when they lose the ball in the opposition half before the opposition play a pass back to the centre-backs or goalkeeper where Gago’s team will push forward and look to regain possession with coverage over the opposition defence. In these situations, when Aldosivi lose possession, they will push up to suffocate the man in possession to force a back-pass so they can continue their press, force a turnover or force a long ball where their defenders can regain possession. Aldosivi will also be able to counter-press effectively when they lose possession from crosses into the box where they will push up and apply pressure in the box to force a long ball or turnover where they can regain possession and begin to recycle their attack. This aspect is pertinent with Gago utilizing a build-up ploy where his left-sided centre-back will push up and work switches to the opposite flank as if they lose possession then they can counter-press.

When Aldosivi lose possession in the deeper areas, for instance during build-up play in their normal build-up shape, the 8s will be tasked with retreating to apply pressure on the man on the ball to regain possession or return to their usual positions to close spaces and allow their teammates to retreat into their defensive positions. However, there are situations where the winger will tuck inside to regain possession as Gago’s side look to apply pressure on the ball-carrier as this can lead to gaps being opened in Aldosivi’s defensive shape as if the opposition circulate and switch the ball effectively then they can attack spaces in the defensive shape. Aldosivi will normally counter-press with three men looking to regain possession and apply pressure as well as marking the players closest to the opposition player in possession to force a back-pass where they can transition into a high press or a turnover so they can launch a counter-attack.

There were games that Aldosivi could be extremely effective with their counter-pressure while in the latter stages of some games, they could be lackadaisical in transitioning into the counter-pressing phase, especially with the three players around the opposition player in possession being slow to apply the squeeze to force a turnover. The result of this is that they could concede opportunities, especially when they lose possession in the build-up phase with intercepted passes from the six-space or a defender pushing up to have his pass intercepted with Gago’s side being unable to apply the counter-pressure to quell an opposition counter-attack by forcing a turnover. This is another facet of Aldosivi’s game where Gago has the right ideas which could be improved with the young manager having more time on the training ground with his playing staff.

Pressing

Aldosivi press in a variety of shapes as they can press as a 4-1-4-1, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 as well as a 4-3-3/5-2-3 shape as they look to press high to force turnovers as they will rarely press the goalkeeper as if the ball is moved back to the goalkeeper, the striker or highest player will take up a position at the top of the opposition box while looking to cover the passing lane to the six-space as well as being ready to apply pressure on the centre-backs when they receive the ball. Aldosivi will mainly only apply pressure on the opposition goalkeeper during the counter-press as they prefer to close down the passing options to force a long pass in order to have a higher opportunity to regain possession. Gago’s side are mostly very effective in applying pressure in their 4-2-3-1 shape where they are able to gain coverage over the opposition and close down the six-space as well as showing potential in pressing as a 4-4-2 or 5-2-3 shape.

In the situation above, the opposition have managed to play the ball to the six-space which has triggered Aldosivi’s attacking midfielder who has pushed up to apply pressure on the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder to force a back-pass as the striker will push forward to directly engage the centre-backs while the ball-near winger will close the passing lane to the fullbacks so that the opposition will be forced to play the ball to the goalkeeper. The opposition centre-back could turn out of pressure and play the ball to his partner who will be free as this will engage the opposition winger to push up as the attacking midfielder will push higher to close the passing lane to the six-space as well as holding the deepest-lying midfielder in his cover shadow while Aldosivi’s striker will shift across to apply pressure. The opposition will play the ball back to their goalkeeper as Gago’s side will only directly engage the goalkeeper if he receives possession outside of his box to force a long pass.

If the goalkeeper receives possession inside the box and are playing with a singular player leading the press then the striker will slow down and scan to ensure that he is closed the central passing lane to the midfielder behind him as if the ball is played to the fullbacks then the wingers will move to the wide areas to engage them while the striker will be tasked with engaging the centre-backs as the attacking midfielder will push forward to mark the opposition deepest-lying midfielder. In their 4-2-3-1 shape, they shift in between man-orientated and ball orientated responsibilities as if the ball is played to the wide areas, the winger will mark his fullback with the striker and attacker shifting to the ball-near flank with the deepest-lying midfielder and ball-near centre-back in their cover shadow while the ball-far winger will also tuck inside to intercept switch balls. Aldosivi will look to force loose passes or a turnover in order to regain possession and launch a quick counter to create a high-quality opportunity.

In their 4-4-2 pressing shape, Aldosivi will be more likely to directly apply pressure on the goalkeeper as they will start their press from the top of the opposition goal with one player pressing the centre-back in possession and ball-far striker pressing the goalkeeper as the midfield line pushes up to win loose passes into the second line as well as facilitating the wingers marking the fullbacks. In other situations where Aldosivi are pressing from slightly deeper, they will not engage the keeper with one attacker marking the space in between the centre-backs while his strike partner marks the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder. Once the ball is played to the ball-far centre-back, the striker pressing the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder will then shift to apply pressure on the centre-back as a pressing trap initiating a higher press. The ball-near winger and midfielders will push forward to prevent access to the fullback and support the striker while the midfielders will push up to close down the six-space, respectively. The fullbacks will push up to regain loose passes to the winger while the centre-backs will be aggressive in pushing up to win loose passes into the central spaces.

Aldosivi will also sometimes look to defend in a 4-1-4-1 medium block which will transition into a 4-2-3-1 high press as the two central midfielders behind the striker will mark the opposition double-pivot. They are also given the remit to track their markers if they drop deep to receive possession from the centre-backs while if the striker pushes high to press the centre-backs and a midfielder drops into the six-space then one of the midfielders will track him and thus change their shape to a 4-2-3-1 with Aldosivi’s deepest-lying midfielder pushing high to recreate a double-pivot as the defensive line will also push higher to support the press. In the wide areas, this shape allows Aldosivi to compress the space with the striker, ball-near winger, fullback and midfielder moving to the flank to force a turnover while it also leaves the deepest-lying midfielder vulnerable in press security as the opposition have an outball to the spaces next to him where they can ascertain numerical superiority.

Aldosivi will press as a 4-3-3 to mark the opposition if they are in a three centre-back system or if the opposition deepest-lying midfielder drops in between the centre-backs as Aldosivi will mark the opposition three-chain as an attacking three. In this shape, Gago’s side will operate in a heavily man-orientated fashion as if the opposition utilize a double-pivot then two Aldosivi midfielders will push up to mark them while if the opposition utilize a singular pivote, one Aldosivi midfielder will push up to mark him while the other two midfielders shield the defence and provide press security. As the wingers will normally be tucked inside, when the ball is moved into the wide areas, the fullbacks will push forward to engage the opposition fullbacks with their wingers shifting to the flank, the defence shifting towards the ball while the deepest-lying midfielder will provide cover in the half-space. Gago’s side will look to be more aggressive when pressing in this shape.

In certain situations, Aldosivi will also press in a 5-2-3 shape, especially in situations where they are defending in a 5-4-1 and are looking to seamlessly transition into a higher pressing shape. The striker will be positioned in between the centre-backs with the wide attackers being positioned in between the centre-backs and fullbacks with Aldosivi’s two midfielders marking the opposition double-pivot. The deepest-lying midfielder will drop in between the centre-backs which allow the wing-backs to push up and apply pressure when the ball is moved to their flank while the wide attackers and ball-near midfield will shift across to support them in order to win a turnover. Under Gago, Aldosivi can be very effective in winning higher turnovers in the press, especially in phases where they are controlling games as this is one of the more effective facets of their game.

Defensive Shape

As Aldosivi can press from a variety of shapes, they also use a variety of shapes in their defensive phase, namely a 4-1-4-1, 4-4-2 or a 5-4-1 as they look to close down the opposition in the centre to win possession in order to work quick counter-attacks or force the opposition into back-passes so they can transition into their high press. Their medium and deep block is a work in progress as Aldosivi can leave spaces open in their defensive shape for the opposition to attack, especially when they are in their 4-1-4-1 defensive shape or in certain aspects of their 4-4-2 defensive shape. Even though Gago is in his first job in management and that his Aldosivi side are far from being the finished product despite his intelligent tactical mind, his side have conceded an alarming amount of goals in the latter stages of games due to mistake to give away points from winning or drawing positions.

When Aldosivi defend in their 4-1-4-1 shape, they tend to leave spaces in between the lines which the opposition can attack with passes in between the lines. One of the disadvantages of the shape is that, if the spaces in between the defensive line and midfield line are not tight enough then the opposition can work passes in between the lines. In the situation above, the opposition have found a pass in between the lines with their attacking midfielder occupying a pocket of space in behind the attack line as Aldosivi scramble to win possession as their deepest-lying midfielder is forced to push out of his position to regain possession. The opposition striker is also dropping into space to receive possession with the ball-near winger tucking inside to receive possession as the opposition can work a quick passing interchange out of this situation to create a goalscoring opportunity. The pass in between the lines has also had a negative effect on the defensive line as a centre-back has to push higher to regain possession which will lead to the right-back having to tuck inside which will give the opposition ample space on the ball-far flank for an effective switching opportunity. Teams regularly find avenues into this pocket of space when Aldosivi are operating in a 4-1-4-1 medium block as they transition out of a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 press.

Aldosivi are much better at operating with a 4-1-4-1 defensive block as they can keep the spaces in between the lines small while they can easily transition into a 5-4-1 deep block with the deepest-lying midfielder dropping in between the centre-backs. This allows the ball-near centre-back to move towards the flank to assist his fullback and winger in closing down crosses and regaining possession in the wide areas. One of the reasons that Gago utilizes a 4-1-4-1 defensive shape is due to the fact that once the opposition move the ball deep into the Aldosivi half, they can easily transition into a 5-4-1 defensive block to cover the spaces and force the opposition into back-passes so they can push up and apply pressure on the ball in a 4-1-4-1 shape or in a 5-2-3 pressing shape.

In the situation above, Aldosivi are defending in a 4-1-4-1 defensive block with the striker out of the picture as if the opposition work a pass in between the central lines, the centre-backs can push up to make an interception and regain possession or if an opposition player receives possession in between the lines, the midfield and defensive lines have small spaces to cover to regain possession. Gago’s team are forcing the opposition into the wide areas where they will be able to have numerical superiority in a 2v1 situations to deny the opposition a crossing opportunity. The centre-back is already moving towards the flank as the deepest-lying midfielder will respond by dropping in between the two centre-backs with the midfield line dropping closer to the defensive line as Aldosivi will have the numerical superiority out wide and inside the box in order to defend a cross by blocking a delivery in the wide areas or deflecting it out of the box.

Their striker is positioned in the higher areas as an outball once Aldosivi regain possession as Gago’s side can work fast paced and cohesive counter-attacks. With the players positioned closer together in the defensive phase, they can work quick passing interchanges before launching an early pass for the striker to chase into the channels or for a switch ball for marauding winger on the opposite flank. Once the winger receives possession, he will cut inside as a midfielder makes a run inside him with his fullback making an overlapping run outside him as they striker will make a run inside the box to get on the end of a crossing opportunity. Gago’s side may not have the ability to beat deeper low blocks but Aldosivi’s experience a counter-attacking side before his appointment as well as his focus on possession has given his side the ability to work quick passing interchanges before playing a longer pass to burst forward on the counter-attack.

Aldosivi will also defend in a more natural 4-4-2 shape, looking close down the spaces in between the lines while also having the ability to press with two strikers when the opposition play back-passes. However, Gago’s side will need to have more discipline in maintaining their defensive shape, especially with the positioning of the two attackers as well as with their tackling and players closing down attackers in their zone. Defending in a 4-4-2 shape allows them to transition in and out of their 4-2-3-1 press as the wingers drop into the midfield line to provide support for their fullbacks as Aldosivi can defend in a 4-4-1-1 shape as well as a 4-4-2 shape depending on if the attacking midfielder continues to mark the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder.

In the situation above, Aldosivi have managed to create a numerical superiority on the ball-near side as they have a 2v2 with the opposition wingers as well as their ball-near midfielder and centre-back marking the opposition ball-near attacker. They have looked to close the spaces in between the central lines but will have an issue if the opposition manage to switch the ball to the opposite flank where the opposition have a 2v1/3v2 numerical superiority on the ball-far winger and fullback. The defensive line has shifted to close down the opposition on the ball-near flank as the ball-far winger is looking to provide cover for his fullback but has a 2v1 numerical inferiority against the opposition wide players. If the opposition move the ball back into the centre of the pitch, the Aldosivi strikers who are out of the picture will have to drop deep and look to regain possession with an attacker moving onto the ball-far flank to provide support to the wing-back if they manage to switch the ball. Aldosivi will also have the opportunity to counter-attack if they force a turnover as the opposition are vulnerable while being in a strong pressing position if the opposition work a back-pass as they will only have to press the opposition’s two centre-backs and goalkeeper.

Aldosivi look the most rigid and comfortable in defending in a 5-4-1 shape as they utilized a back three before Gago’s appointment as well as being able to more effectively cover the central areas as a team while also being better prepared to shift from one flank to another to defend switches of play as they will always be able to defend in a 2v2 situation with support from the centre-backs in the half-spaces to block crosses. They can also seamlessly shift into a 5-2-3 high press as if they regain possession in the defensive phase, they can break with early balls into the strikers in the channels, with the midfielders and wingers racing forward into the central positions as the fullbacks provide width on the overlap. With more rigorous training and better adaptation to situations, Aldosivi could be better tailored to defending with a back four under Gago.

Conclusion

It is extremely impressive that at 35-years-old and just over six months away from the end of his playing career, Fernando Gago is assured in his own style of play while having intriguing ideas to facilitate this style of play. Aldosivi’s first game against Godoy Cruz was catastrophic with his side constantly losing possession in the build-up phase and lacking any cohesion to their new system to a drastic improvement in their second game against Racing proving his potential as a coach. His side played their best football of the season in the first 30 minutes during the second half against Estudiantes as if they can improve as drastically as from their first to second game as well as making performances like the one against Estudiantes more regular, they will be one of the more entertaining sides in the Argentine Primera Division. Gago’s early experiences in management also speak to the emotional toll that it takes to be a manager in South America as Hernan Crespo and Gabriel Heinze did not live with their families when they managed in Argentina while Gago experienced tragedy but never missed a single match on the technical bench. It will be interesting to see his progression with Aldosivi when the Argentine Primera Division restarts.