Guardiola's Blue Moon (False 9 Version) 4-3-3 by Boroboy

Replicating the False 9 tactic Pep used recently against Chelsea. Scintillating football with the best attack and defence in the league-leading to the double

Overview

Pep Guardiola will no doubt be remembered as one of the greatest football managers of all time. A disciple of Johan Cruyff, Pep is a major reference point for aspirational coaches around the world, with many inspired by his ‘Juego de Posicion’ philosophy.

Although he has stated on a number of occasions that there is no right or wrong way to play football, Guardiola does have a clear definition of what ‘good football’ is from his perspective. For some, fast-paced counter-attacking or build-up play with a focus on verticality are the most enjoyable styles to observe. For Pep, however, the emphasis is on intelligent manipulation of the opponents.

Guardiola’s tactics are remarkably complex, with each player given highly detailed positional instructions to ensure the team’s shape is perfect at every moment. The basic idea behind playing possession football rather than counter-attacking at speed is to maintain an evenly-distributed shape, gradually working up into the final third to suffocate and overwhelm the opposition. Guardiola does this by splitting the pitch into 24 zones, and demanding that no two players are ever occupying the same space. If the winger is on the outside, the full-back must dip infield, for example, while every single player needs to be alert to shifts in the overall pattern. The idea is to be spread vertically and horizontally at all times, offering multiple 45-degree passing angles to whoever has the ball; constant triangles are created by this ultra-diligent grid system.