[FM23] Born to Run - A Journeyman’s Escape from America - AC Milan

[keeper#1]

Ajax supporter here: "NOT PSV!!!!!"

[13th Man]

5 hours ago, keeper#1 said:

Ajax supporter here: "NOT PSV!!!!!"

Sorry, but Ajax had their chance, they said no.  They didn't even interview Lindsay!

Edited May 27, 2023 by 13th Man

[Hootieleece]

PSV will make for an interesting choice. Are you going to raid your Austin FC "Feeder Club" for some players?

 

Are you going to keep the "Lindsey Ball" tactics or try something new?

Edited May 27, 2023 by Hootieleece

[13th Man]

[ @Hootieleece, doing what I’ve been doing in your thread - asking the questions I’m about to answer in this post. Tactics will come up a bit later though…]

The European Adventure begins…

Things moved fast, and PSV made sure Lindsay didn’t say yes to any of his other suitors - with Club Brugge joining Sturm Graz and Levante as suitors. While Leeds had made Lindsay wait weeks for his answer, PSV had offered Lindsay a contract within days.

For the time being, Lindsay decided to stay on as manager of the US national team. If juggling both proved too bothersome, he’d resign from the USMNT to focus solely on PSV.

Lindsay felt vindicated in his decision to stay in Austin as long as he did. Rather than toiling in the lower divisions or maybe taking on a club trying to avoid relegation, he took the helm of one of Europe’s premier clubs after a successful stint with the national team. He would be managing in the Champions League and challenging for titles. Lindsay had not yet reached the mountaintop, but he felt like he’d taken a shortcut to a high altitude base camp. If he did well enough, he might just follow his predecessor and leap to a truly top club. 

Lindsay takes over a club used to domestic success, especially lately under Van Nistelrooij, who’d won two of the last three Eredivisie titles, including the 2025/2026 season. They were predicted to place 2nd or 3rd in the coming season, and would enter the Champions League at the league phase. They had the 44k seater Phillips Stadium, superb training facilities, and an excellent youth set up.

The expectations were high. The board allowed for one season for Lindsay to get used to life in the Netherlands. He would merely have to challenge for the title. After that, the board were expecting the Eredivisie title full stop.

The board and fans demanded possession football over all else. While Lindsay had switched away from his previous shape and philosophy in the World Cup, he’d spent most of his time at Austin leading a side that controlled possession, and found that this PSV side were well suited to his Coiled Spring.

It was a club positively bursting with attacking talent. The club appeared to be a landing spot for talented players who just needed a chance to reach their potential.  There was a theme of massively talented players that hadn’t quite been able to break into the first teams of truly top clubs. 

Former Chelsea man Noni Madueke was a great talent on the right, full of skill and pace, if lacking a bit of toughness and aggression. Pablo Torres was a creative, technical player heading towards his prime, and could play in midfield or anywhere along the attacking midfield strata.  He’d never quite made it at Barcelona but was blossoming at PSV. Then there was Dutch international Xavi Simons, who was already a complete player at 23 and still could improve. After coming up through the Barcelona youth system and spending time at PSG, Simons had found a home at PSV. The scary thing was that these players were 24 or under and had not yet fully realized their potential.

Beyond the young attacking talent, Sebastián Haller was aging (32) but still a handful. Nao Lang, an excellent Ajax product who defected to PSV after a few years at Club Brugge, was in his prime.

Emerging talents 

The defense, while perfectly decent, was far less talented than the forward line. The biggest issue, though, was a lack of defensive minded midfielders. DM Eden Kartsev was solid enough  - hardworking and aggressive but technically limited, though with the attacking talent around him he didn’t need to be a creative force. The problem was that he was the only defensive minded midfielder at the club. Dani Cellabos, one time Arsenal bright spot when on loan from Real Madrid, was decent defensively but not comfortable as a DM, unfortunately. Apart from that, he was a very solid all around footballer.

Keeper Walter Benitez was solid and well suited to Lindsay’s desired SK role, with a commanding presence in the box. He was 33, though, and being scouted by Ajax. Lindsay would hope to both look for a long term replacement and to come up with a contingency plan.

The other area that was of slight concern for Lindsay was that there was no backup for Haller up front that could impose themselves physically in the box.

One of the first things Lindsay checked on was some of his former players at Austin. Unfortunately, both players in positions of need had left Austin. GK Antonio Sivera had joined Brentford for a mere €7.5m, and his value had shot up, while BBM/DM Tommy Doyle had been traded so wasn’t looking for a move.  Lindsay considered bringing Danny Levya back to PSV, but he wasn’t quite what was needed, with PSV lacking aggression and strength - neither of which Levya possessed.

Edited May 27, 2023 by 13th Man

[karanhsingh]

Squad looks good and a great club to manage. Nice to see Noni back there as well. 

[SixPointer]

Third place is some achievement with the USA!

PSV feels like the perfect club for Lindsay to weave his magic. The fact it was from an affiliate makes it even more realistic!

Best of luck in Europe 

[13th Man]

12 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Squad looks good and a great club to manage. Nice to see Noni back there as well. 

The squad is really something going forward. A but suspect at the back but looks like they can make up for it by scoring more.

10 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Third place is some achievement with the USA!

PSV feels like the perfect club for Lindsay to weave his magic. The fact it was from an affiliate makes it even more realistic!

Best of luck in Europe 

Thanks! Was quite a journey with the national team!

And agreed on PSV. Couldn’t script it any better. Club Brugge, SK Sturm Graz or Levante seemed realistic on paper. Lindsay’s connection to PSV through Austin mean they would be much more familiar with him and his accomplishments in the US, and therefore more willing to give him a the job where Ajax didn’t even interview him. I actually forgot that Celtic also dismissed Lindsay’s interest instantly, though that was before the WC raised his profile.

[13th Man]

The business

The transition was certainly a jolt. Lindsay had traveled Europe a bit, and had a run in a the Paris FC II squad without ever making the cut. He was also from New York City, so he was more used to urban density. Still, the full density of Europe was a surprise. In the Netherlands, the furthest PSV would travel in the league is 261km (161mi) to FC Groningen, which is actually 4km less than Austin’s shortest away trip to Houston (261km/162m).

[Eindhoven with the Phillips Stadion in the distance, to contrast it with Austin.  The Q2 stadium is not in sight because it is 16 miles north of the city center.]

The density of major metropolitan areas is something that is quite stunning to Americans, with a strip of the Eastern Seabord being the only equivalent, with New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC all in a 230 mile line.  The density of football clubs is unimaginable in the US as well.  The Netherlands boasts 18 top flight clubs with 17.8m population while the state of California (by itself over twice the population of the Netherlands) has 3 MLS clubs.

Lindsay was very much looking forward to much, much less traveling.

Budget

To show just how far Lindsay had come, he was met with a transfer budget of over €40m and a wage budget over three times that of Austin at €47m/a, or, to put it into European terms, €900k/w. [Now that Lindsay’s in Europe we’re switching over to Euros and wages per week] With the club already over the wage budget, however, some maneuvering was required, especially when some players were entering the last year of their contracts.  This level of transfer budget would also not come around every year, with the club bringing in a net transfer profit of €56m in the 25/26 season. 

Being new to Europe, Lindsay would be relying on DOF Nico van Oijen’s knowledge at first. Lindsay didn’t want a repeat of his early years at Austin, where Renya sold their star keeper during the business end of the season, though, so he and van Oijen would both have to sign off on transfers in or out. After the complexities of the draft, salary cap, and MLS registration rules, though, Lindsay found European transfer dealings refreshingly simple. When you buy a player, the only question is whether or not you can afford them. No need to buy down salary cap impacts with various funds and calculate everything…

The business

Contracts

Lindsay arrived to find PSV over its wage budget, yet with several players asking for improved contracts. This included  attacking midfielder Pablo Torre, who was on only €18k/w - a squad player salary - despite being one of the better players on the team. After diverting a good chunk of the transfer budget to wages, Lindsay and DOF van Oijen worked out a €65k/w contract that put Toree much more in the top bracket of earners as he fully deserved.

Club captain Armando Obispo was inexplicably on the transfer list, possibly after falling out of favor with Van Nisterooij. Lindsay liked his overall skill set - best suited to a WCB - and felt like he would possibly be part of his first choice pairing. On the last year of his contract, a €30k/w extension was worked out.

Transfer dealings 

DOF van Oijen was in agreement about the need for a DM, and brought in a solid looking Andy Diof from Stade Rennais for €11m with another €3.9M in possible appearance money.  Diof was a solid all around player with no real weaknesses and was fit and, in an added bonus, quite good in the air.  He was also quite comfortable on the ball and was pretty decent on the dribble, which would help PSV escape the high press.

Looking for forward depth, they also tried to bring in a Brazilian starlet. After activating his €16.5m release clause, however, the 19 year old forward demanded €140k/w. This was comically outside PSV’s budget, especially for a player not fully ready to lead the line. He ended up at Everton instead…

A bit disappointing, but PSV did have a decent backup forward in the squad, just no one especially physical. With the main squad need taken care of, however, Lindsay was able to head into the season feeling okay - and would work on adding to the squad as needed when he got more familiar.

Backroom

On the backroom side, Van Niesteroij brought a handful of the staff with him to Manchester United, so there was work to be done. After putting out advertisements, Lindsay and van Oijen brought in Sami Hyypia - a solid defensive coach who’d been on the Austin staff throughout Lindsay’s time there - and Robin van Persie who would coach technical attacking.

[karanhsingh]

2 hours ago, 13th Man said:

Still, the full density of Europe was a surprise. In the Netherlands, the furthest PSV would travel in the league is 261km (161mi) to FC Groningen, which is actually 4km less than Austin’s shortest away trip to Houston (261km/162m).

Welcome to Europe! 

Fun fact - I also on a recent trip found out that the journey from Amsterdam to Dortmund is just over 2 hours by road... crazy!

[13th Man]

Super Cup!

Lindsay would be heading straight into the thick of the rivalry as his first match in charge would be against Ajax. The stakes weren’t especially high, however, as it was only the Super Cup…

Ajax were predicted to come out with a pretty standard, if cautious, 4-3-3. Likely because the match would be at Phillips Stadion in Eindhoven.

PSV Power

Lindsay had admired Italy’s set up in the World Cup. While he would primarily train a modified version of the Coiled Spring, he also took inspiration from that Italy side to create a 4-2-3-1. The idea was to use the same concepts as the 4-3-3 overall, but use central overloads and have more players in forward positions for lightning fast transitions and to isolate the opposition defense from the midfield/forwards.

Lindsay arrived late in preseason, only getting one friendly match against low quality opponents. He was glad to get a chance to test out tactics in a relatively low stakes match, but against a top Dutch club.

Despite PSV having the better of the early running, Ajax appeared earned a penalty after only 6 minutes. Happily, VAR intervened and overturned the decision, deciding that it was a fair, 50/50 challenge.

The other highlight of a fairly mundane first half was that new signing BWM Diouf was looking really good. He was locking down the left side, disrupting attacks and tidy in possession.

At half time, Lindsay changed to the 4-3-3 Coiled Spring. He wasn’t especially happy with the 4-2-3-1. It had not led to many chances for PSV and though it kept Ajax quiet for most of the half, they seemed to start finding holes by the end of the half.

Within ten minutes, PF Haller had a decent chance. With less bodies pressing high for PSV, though, Ajax are able to play out from the back easier and gain a foothold that way.

Lindsay again changed to the 4-2-3-1, and Haller soon got even closer to scoring on 73 minutes. He got the ball behind Ajax and rounded the keeper. This gave Ajax just enough time to recover, though. One CB got a foot to Haller’s shot that took the sting off it, but it was still rolling into the goal before a goal line clearance from the other CB.

After missing several good chances during the match, Haller capped a bad day at the office when missed his penalty. Ajax went 5 for 5 and the Super Cup would go to Amsterdam.

PSV Power is powerless

Lindsay’s new tactical experiment with the 4-2-3-1 system he called PSV Power was inconclusive against Ajax. PSV was generally on top throughout the match, but that seemed to be true in either shape. The 4-3-3 seemed to create better chances, at the cost of allowing Ajax to play out of the back. The 4-2-3-1 brought greater control, but also had a weakness behind the CMs. The problem could be solved by dropping them into the DM strata, but the club didn’t have enough players comfortable at that position.

The first league match against PEC Zwolle, however, firmly made up Lindsay’s mind. 

They escaped with a win, but it was due to Lindsay switching back to a 4-3-3 at halftime after going 1-0 down. Zwolle were able to play right through the 4-2-3-1 and had close to 60% of the possession. Upping the pressure with higher lines and pressing got PSV back possession and control, but the chances they created were terrible, while Zwolle got a goal as they caught PSV out.

The 4-3-3 resulted in less chances but far better ones, and though Zwolle got a second, it was from a corner and PSV created two great chances for the goals. The winner was quite lucky, with a defensive miscommunication between the keeper and CB leading to a miscue from a CB and sub Mattheus Taferne squeezing the ball into an open net from a tight angle to give PSV a lucky three points.

The 4-2-3-1 experiment needed to be shelved for the moment. Lindsay had liked a lot of elements of it, but needed a rethink - or different personnel to play as DMs.

[Hootieleece]

Just remember the 4-2-3-1 Wide that comes "Out of the box" in FM23 uses DM Strata midfielders. Actually, almost all formations now use them.

Defensive Minded MC's can easily be retrained on the fly.

Don't Give up on the 4-3-2-1 Wide Formation.

[karanhsingh]

Nice one, unlucky with the super cup. Haller seems to have a problem putting away high stakes penalties IRL as well. I agree that the 433 brings better balance, with time you can try 4231 again with different personnel and using a Volante perhaps. Btw i trained up a player who could only play MC and AMC to play DM and he was accomplished there in about 6 months - through both training and game time. 

[SixPointer]

Loving Lindsay’s intro to Europe. System looks perfectly balanced! 

[13th Man]

@Hootieleece and @karanhsingh - Like Emperor Palpatine, somehow, the 4-2-3-1 will return.  The 4-2-3-1 always does.  Does Lindsay have the DMs or potential DMs to play it though?

2 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Haller seems to have a problem putting away high stakes penalties IRL as well.

He's missed another as well a good bit later in game.  Think he's going off penalty duties despite being supposedly quite good at them from an attribute standpoint. 

2 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Loving Lindsay’s intro to Europe. System looks perfectly balanced! 

More balance must be brought before the 4-2-3-1 can truly return.  In time it shall return.

[13th Man]

Transfer deadline day

[We’re going to go a bit more thematic for the moment, and go out of chronological order.  I’m looking to catch up to where I am in game.  So here’s a brief transfer update, which will be followed by the first two league months, then the CL.]

With no desperate needs, Lindsay went into transfer deadline with €20m available, but with no pressing needs he wasn’t itching to spend it. He looked into a promising left back, but he was a risk and at €14.5m it would make it hard to make any other deals if needed in the winter window. 

An agent offer, however, tempted Lindsay into making a bid.

22 year old Diego Coppola had been a solid performer on an Empoli team relegated from Serie A. The Italian defender was very well rounded, consistent, and had one attribute the club was lacking - aerial ability and strength. His very affordable €6.5m relegation clause gave Lindsay the confidence to buy him even if he wasn’t fully scouted. In his first training sessions he looked ready to take a starting role in the side…

Lindsay didn’t make a move on him, but also amongst the agent offers was a hopeful line from the agent of Mohamed El Arouch - the midfielder brought in for a very successful half season loan to Austin. He was a player Lindsay very much rated and apparently the feeling was mutual. Creative midfielders were not a need for PSV however - he wouldn’t get much time behind stars Simmons and Torre. Lindsay  would keep an eye on him, though, in case one of them was lured away from the club in the near future.

Two hours before the window shut, Ajax came in with an €25.5m bid for PSV’s #1 Walter Benitez. It wasn’t quite out of the blue, Ajax had offers in the region of €12m and €15m rebuffed as Lindsay and van Oijen couldn’t find a quality replacement for that kind of money - along the general aversion to selling to a rival. The €25.5m offer for the 33 year old would have given Lindsay a headache, other than that there was no time to find a replacement - van Oijen accepted the bid, but Lindsay pulled the plug.

REJECTED 

Another late move was unable to get finalized as a backup CB would have to wait until January for his €12m move to Germany.

[13th Man]

Return of the Coiled Spring

Tactics

After the unsuccessful excitement using a 4-2-3-1, Lindsay returned to the 4-3-3. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. The 4-3-3 shape meant PSV could have their best players on the pitch, and ensure good depth. There might be a time or situation where he’d want to use the 4-2-3-1 again (likely with DMs) but it would not be his primary system.

The shape and tactics would be familiar to Austin supporters, but had several important differences to bring the best out his new squad. Specifically, it would allow Torre and Simons to play alongside each other, unlocking defenses with their creativity, flair, and dribbling abilities.

The Austin big club variant on the left, the PSV variation on the right.

PIs - 

Both wingers - stay wider, roam from position

AP(a) - roam from position, move into channels

RWB - sit narrower

LCB - Stay wider [new]

By the end of August Lindsay had settled on his primary tactic.  Comparing it to what he was running at Austin in his final year there, the first thing to note is that it is flipped. This is due to RW Madueke being the bigger goal threat while LW Lang was the better creator.

At Austin, Lindsay wanted the ball at the feet of his wingers as quickly and often as possible.  At PSV, he had two very talented and creative central midfielders in Torre and Simons, so he made what had been a CM(a) into a AP(a) to attract the ball more to central areas. With both of PSV’s RBs having good crosses, he didn’t want to discourage them with the IWB instructions, so he instead asked them to just sit narrower.

The other change was making the LB a CWB. With PSV expected to win most domestic matches, Lindsay wanted to push forward. With a very solid Diof at DM, the LCB pulling wide, and the RB sitting narrow he figured the defense could handle a bit more of an adventurous LB.

How it went 

A few things stand out from PSV’s early run under Lindsay. After missing a lot of chances in the first two matches, forward Sebastián Haller caught fire with the extra space he was afforded, scoring 8 goals in 6 league matches. The other two of the front three were looking unstoppable as well, with LW Noa Lang always dangerous on the dribble and RW Noni Madueke leading the Eredivisie with 8 assists to go along with a fantastic 4 goals. The duo of Xavi Simons and Pablo Torre was carving apart the Eredivisie with ease, hardly seeming to break a sweat as they cooled controlled match after match, and both had chipped in with a few goals themselves by the end of September.[Click below to see three delightful screenshots filled with pretty possession stats, passing maps, xG stories, and match momentums] 

Spoiler

 

The first three matches after Lindsay committed to the 4-3-3 were brutal for the opposition. They were, however, all matches PSV were expected to win comfortably.

A match against a decent FC Utrecht side, however, ended no differently. With Utrecht effective on the counter, Lindsay decided to pull back his lines a little into the old Coiled Spring. It was brutally effective, with PSV getting 4 in the first half as they kept possession, pulled Utrecht out and either hit them with quick strikes or on the counter again and again.

With 74% of the ball and a staggering 840 passes in the match, PSV were brutally efficient. This was even more impressive when considering the fact that RB Teze was red carded after only 34 mins. PSV were already 3-1 up, but were able to comfortably see out the rest of the match and even scored another goal despite being down to ten men.

League Table

Unsurprisingly, with a 100% record and scoring for fun, PSV sat top of the league after six matches. Ajax and Feyenoord were right on their heels. Both were unbeaten, but both had drawn with AZ and as such were two points back. Lindsay wasn’t going to get overconfident however, with Vitesse the only opponent that was in the top half of the table.

Champions League Draw

Going a little out of order here, with matches against Arsenal and Hertha Berlin already having happened in September, but those will be for the next update. The draw was a mix. There were four very winnable matches against the likes of Berlin, Rangers, Nice and Tel-Aviv. Then there were the matches that Lindsay expected his side to struggle in, with the opening match against Arsenal in London, as well as playing PSG in Paris. On the whole, Lindsay hoped to match his predecessor and at least make the knockout stage...

[karanhsingh]

Good start. How old is Haller in the game? I guess long term you'll want a more well rounded striker if playing just one up top. 

[13th Man]

2 minutes ago, karanhsingh said:

Good start. How old is Haller in the game? I guess long term you'll want a more well rounded striker if playing just one up top. 

He's 32 in 2026, so this is probably his last year as a top level starter.  Lindsay is definitely looking at potential long term replacements as he expands his scouting knowledge in Europe.  A few have been picked out but are likely too expensive.  Playing with one up top definitely means that a really good all around player is needed.

[Jogo Bonito]

Just caught up on this. A great follow through the WC and 3rd was, as they would say in USA...awesome!

Great reward with the PSV job, a realistic opportunity and one where the extra quality will be a welcome change. But certainly there will be pressure.

It's a country that (along with Belgium, and maybe Italy) I was thinking of as and when my time in Germany ends. I've always been impressed by Lang whenever I saw him playing in Belgium, he's a great asset for you at PSV.

[13th Man]

5 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Just caught up on this. A great follow through the WC and 3rd was, as they would say in USA...awesome!

Great reward with the PSV job, a realistic opportunity and one where the extra quality will be a welcome change. But certainly there will be pressure.

It's a country that (along with Belgium, and maybe Italy) I was thinking of as and when my time in Germany ends. I've always been impressed by Lang whenever I saw him playing in Belgium, he's a great asset for you at PSV.

Thanks, and yeah - Awesome dude! Lindsay was definitely proud of the 3rd place WC finish.

PSV’s been the perfect step as well. High pressure but also high profile with the ability to not only play in the CL, but the quality to actually compete (even if a deep run is unlikely). 

Lang’s been immense even if he’s not scoring at the rate of Haller and Makueke.

 

[Jogo Bonito]

7 minutes ago, 13th Man said:

Thanks, and yeah - Awesome dude! Lindsay was definitely proud of the 3rd place WC finish.

PSV’s been the perfect step as well. High pressure but also high profile with the ability to not only play in the CL, but the quality to actually compete (even if a deep run is unlikely). 

Lang’s been immense even if he’s not scoring at the rate of Haller and Makueke.

 

Glad to hear Lang is impressing.

[13th Man]

The Champions [League]!

PSV’s first match of the Champions League campaign (and Lindsay’s first introduction to Europe's top competition) would be a trip to London to take on Arsenal. It could be worse, but it would definitely be a challenge.

[Not going to lie, I’d forgotten that they had the CL music in this game, and got a bit excited when it started playing…]

Arsenal would set up in a positive 3-5-2. They’d had a so-so start to the season and while Lindsay felt it was criminal to waste Saka’s talents as a WB, it was going to be a tough match.

The supporters and the board didn’t expect anything from the match. Neither did Lindsay, but he felt like they had a chance of pulling an upset.

Setting up in the old fashioned coiled spring, PSV would look to use Arsenal’s positive mentality and narrow shape to pull them out and hit them on the break.

Arsenal were definitely the better side, and PSV were a bit fortunate to escape with a draw. Early on, Arsenal were able to get in behind PSV’s high line a few times, so Lindsay pulled the line back and that seemed to quiet Arsenal. Other than the goal - which was almost straight from a goal kick - PSV mostly limited Arsenal to low quality chances and wishful shots from distance. PSV did threaten on occasion as well - Haller had a first half goal chalked off for a narrow offside.

Things were looking bleak for PSV midway through the second half, however. They were down and Lindsay was unsure about risking too much for fear they’d conceded more - knowing that goal difference could prove crucial in the tight CL league phase. Forward Haller had been kept quiet and was tiring, so Lindsay brought on backup forward Camello. It was a substitution that looked ahead to the weekend, keeping their goalscorer fresh for the weekend, especially as Camello was on a goal drought.

Within a minute, however, he’d put the ball in the net after his fantastic run into the box was found by BBM Simons with a fantastic pass.

Arsenal upped the pressure, and that’s when Lindsay decided to shift into a defensive 4-2-3-1 to solidify the central areas.

This shape was not only defensively solid, but allowed PSV to control the final few minutes of the match. Something Lindsay took note of for later marches against top clubs. Maybe the 4-2-3-1 was best used against top sides?

In the U18s CL, the youngsters did the club proud by going a step further than the first team and winning in London!

Hertha Berlin (H)

After their 1-1 draw in London, PSV hosted Hertha Berlin at the Phillips Stadion a few weeks later. While the supporters and the board only wanted PSV to be competitive in the Champions League, Lindsay had hopes of knockout ties. If PSV were to progress in the competition, these were the matches they would need to win.

PSV certainly were the better team, creating lots of chances in the first half, but Berlin defended well and when PSV got through the keeper was up to it. It took a bit of luck to finally break the deadlock. 

LB Augustinsson picked up a clearance on the left flank and charged into the box, seeming as shocked as anyone as he beat three defenders on the dribble. His low hard drive would have been covered by the keeper, but a deflection wrong footed him.

Berlin had a chance to equalize after a corner, but the shot bounced off the crossbar.

Haller added another goal to his incredible start to the season as PSV executed a fantastic counter that made the rest of the match far less stressful. Madueke should have gotten one for himself too, only to get too cute one on one with the keeper, trying a lob when he was far too close.

The finishing was unusually lackluster, but Lindsay got his first win in the Champions League so he couldn’t complain.

Eredivisie Preview

Up next, after a very successful first two months, was an October in which PSV would truly be tested domestically. They would face both 2nd placed Feyenoord at home and Ajax away. The first match would open October in a clash of the top two…

Edited June 4, 2023 by 13th Man

[keeper#1]

Great start with PSV and CL. Love the tactical breakdown. 

[Hootieleece]

With the waste time, work the ball in the box, and play for Set Pieces TI's that 4-2-3-1 is definitely a Defensive Tactic. So, I am not surprised it worked against Arsenal.

Usually, a 4-2-3-1 Wide is an offensive tactic used with Gegen press or Vertical Tiki-Taka styles and Positive or higher mentalities.

Good work in the Champions League so far.

[13th Man]

5 hours ago, keeper#1 said:

Great start with PSV and CL. Love the tactical breakdown. 

Thanks!  It's the part of the game I'll be focusing on most for the next little while.

 

5 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

With the waste time, work the ball in the box, and play for Set Pieces TI's that 4-2-3-1 is definitely a Defensive Tactic. So, I am not surprised it worked against Arsenal.

Usually, a 4-2-3-1 Wide is an offensive tactic used with Gegen press or Vertical Tiki-Taka styles and Positive or higher mentalities.

Good work in the Champions League so far.

The waste time etc was to just see out the match.  Lindsay played mostly in the 4-3-3 and only switched after the equalizer.  What was surprising is the PSV, on the whole, looked better after the switch in terms of movement.  A seed has been planted...

[13th Man]

Pressure drop

PSV were to be truly tested for the first time in the league as they faced 2nd place Feyenoord at Phillips Stadion. The “club of the people” had been almost as dominant as PSV, failing to win only once and having a GD of 14 after six matches.

Though it was early in the season, there were still title implications as the previous season’s top two squared off. Even more so when results from elsewhere came in.

Ajax had only managed to draw at Vitesse, so a win against Feyenoord would give PSV a four point lead at the top… 

The result was great, the finishing, not so much. The solitary goal came from a scramble after an early goal, with CB Syrota poking a loose ball into the net. PSV were dominant however, and really should have been 2 or 3. With the game technically in the balance until the end, the final whistle was a relief, especially when Feyenoord had no business getting anything from the match.

The result widened the gap at the top to four. With Ajax away coming up to end October, the month might very well be crucial to the title race.

A frustrating stumble away to NEC Nijmegen saw PSV lose its perfect record.  Lindsay had rested some starters ahead of the midweek Champions League match against Rangers - which ended in a disappointing and boring 0-0 draw. They returned to form against Willem II, even with another rotated team as PSV prepared for their biggest match of the season so far.

Win and the gap between PSV and Ajax stretches to 7 points. Lose and it’s only 1…

[KlaaZ]

Just wanted to drop in and say that your tactical breakdowns have given me some great insight in why some things weren't working in my Nancy save. Thanks!

[karanhsingh]

Good start - the ajax game will definitely lay down a marker. How is Xavi Simons faring as an AP?

[13th Man]

17 hours ago, KlaaZ said:

Just wanted to drop in and say that your tactical breakdowns have given me some great insight in why some things weren't working in my Nancy save. Thanks!

Much appreciated.  I'll have to come by and take a look.

 

16 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Good start - the ajax game will definitely lay down a marker. How is Xavi Simons faring as an AP?

Xavi Simons has mostly been playing as a BBM (Pablo Torre is the AP in the midfield 3.  He's maybe not able to do everything he can from that role, but the balance made it worth it.  Things might be changing though based on a few upcoming results...

[13th Man]

Singin’ don’t worry…

[Outdated picture but try to suspend disbelief, okay???]

23rd min

…It’s absolute bedlam inside the Cruyff Arena.  Ajax are 2-0 up over rivals PSV after only 23 minutes!!! Ajax take advantage of the chaos following a corner to double their advantage.

PSV may feel unlucky here, as they were by the fifth minute penalty [a strange echo of the Super Cup, but this time upheld by VAR], but it’s been all one way traffic here in the first twenty minutes. That corner was Ajax’s fifth of the game so far.

Brian Lindsay needs to do something, anything to stop the bleeding or his first real De Topper match looks set to be a long night.

Will you look at this! After some animated discussion with his side, Lindsay appears to have changed the shape. PSV kick off and it appears Torre is playing higher up the pitch while Simons is deeper and sitting more alongside Diof…

Half time

…The score remains 2-0 as we head into the half, but what we’ve seen on the pitch in the last twenty minutes was nothing like the first. PSV have been in the ascendancy since they switched their shape to a 4-2-3-1. PSV have looked much more like the side that has jumped out to an early lead in the Eredivisie season. 

That lead, however, will still be reduced to one point unless PSV can conjure up two goals in the second half…

53rd min

…Madueke charges into the box…he cuts it back….

PENALTY!!!

Madueke is taken down in the box and PSV can get back in this match with a chance from the spot.  VAR is checking…

NO PENALTY!

It’s a let off for the home side!  VAR shows that the ball was won cleanly. PSV have been slowly upping the pressure and it looked like they’d finally have a chance to break through but they’ve been denied by VAR!

63rd min

…Madueke has been an absolute handful down the right flank. Again he gets into the box, drives to the byline…some trickery…

GOAL!!!  Goal for PSV!!!! Madueke’s rabona finds Torre surging into the box and the Spaniard smashes it home from close range!!!

PSV are back in this match! They finally get the goal their play has deserved!

69th min

…[LB] Lucas picks up the pieces outside the Ajax box. PSV are tightening the screw as they look for an equalizer.

Lucas drives into the box…HE’S HACKED DOWN JUST INSIDE THE AREA!

PENALTY!

VAR is checking but this is about as clear a penalty as you’ll ever see…

70th min

…Haller steps up to take the penalty, jeers raining down at him from the home support. He starts his run up…

SAVED!!!

After missing the crucial penalty in the Super Cup, Haller fails again from the spot to deny PSV the chance to equalize!!! It’s as if he refuses to score against the club he played for back in 2021-2022. Okoye makes a great save and the ball dribbles out for a corner.

71st min

…Oh my that was a clumsy challenge on Diouf and it gives PSV a free kick just   outside the Ajax box. It’s a little wide for a shot, though with the form Torre’s been in you wouldn’t be surprised if he gave it a go.

He opts to put it into the box instead…

GOOOOOOAAAAL!!!

XAVI SIMONS RISES TO MEET THE BALL AND HIS HEADER FLIES PAST OKOYE!!!

PSV have done it! They’ve come back from 2-0 down with two goals in less than ten, drama filled minutes. Even a missed penalty wouldn’t deny this PSV side!

The away stand is in full voice while the rest of the Cruyff Arena watches on in horror. They started the night thinking they were going to enjoy a demolition of their rivals, now the home support are praying they can escape with a point!

Full time

In the end, it was disappointing to only get a draw, but coming back from 2-0 down was still massive.  The fight they showed was immense, even when the score remained 2-0 going into the final quarter of the match.

It also gave him a lot to ponder tactically, with the 4-3-3 proving completely ineffective against Ajax, while the 4-2-3-1 turned the match on its head. The PSV Power had also been quite effective against Arsenal late in that match. Lindsay wondered - if he’d started the match in the 4-2-3-1 PSV Power system, would PSV have returned to Eindhoven with a commanding 7 point lead in the title race?

[karanhsingh]

Great come back, but for heaven's sake please take Haller off spot kicks!

[Hootieleece]

Maybe the 4-2-3-1 is the "Right" Formation for PSV.  Do you know what they were playing before you arrived?  Check the previous coach's profile. Also, it seems to take about a whole season for a team to be totally comfortable with a new system. (This is probably Confirmation Bias, but most of my teams do better the second season using a formation)

[13th Man]

9 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Great come back, but for heaven's sake please take Haller off spot kicks!

Yeah he’s off. I’d already played this match when I saw your warning so it was too late.

5 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

Maybe the 4-2-3-1 is the "Right" Formation for PSV.  Do you know what they were playing before you arrived?  Check the previous coach's profile. Also, it seems to take about a whole season for a team to be totally comfortable with a new system. (This is probably Confirmation Bias, but most of my teams do better the second season using a formation)

It was the switch to 4-2-3-1 that got PSV on the comeback trail, while the 4-3-3 had been doing well for so much of the season so far. A lot to think about as both have been ineffective or dominant. Seems PSV doesn’t like to just win 1-0, it seems it’s always 0-0 or 4-1.

[13th Man]

Más Que un Partido

While the Arsenal match away in London was certainly a test, this would be Lindsay’s first match against a truly world class club side in a meaningful competition (he didn’t especially feel like playing Manchester City in the Club World Cup really counted for much other than as an experience).  The fans and pundits seemed to be giving PSV a decent chance in the match, maybe simply due to the home advantage.  Still, Barcelona were on a five match winning streak, which included a 2-0 win over PSG, and Xavi had his side ticking along nicely.

PSV on the other hand, had yet to be beaten, but were slumping a bit after their spectacular start to the season.  Three draws in the last five matches, including a disappointing 0-0 at home to Rangers in the Champions League.  Especially after the dramatic comeback draw at Ajax, Lindsay had been thinking about his shape and system. The 4-3-3 had been very effective against low level opposition but much less so against quality sides. In London, Lindsay had figured that Arsenal were simply the better side until the switch to the 4-2-3-1 had given PSV the upper hand towards the end. Maybe the system had been the issue all along?

What had held Lindsay back previously was the idea of Xavi Simons playing deep as a Regista or Segundo Volante. He was perfectly capable there, but Lindsay worried that his ability on the ball and in the final third would be wasted.  Turns out he was quite wrong.  

Against Ajax Simons’ average position was higher after his move from a BBM to a Segundo Volante and it wasn’t exactly as if his involvement in the match was any less. 

[Top image is Xavi Simons’ passes completed and heat map in the first 23 mins, the bottom is the rest of the match]

If anything, Simons’ role allowed him to have a much greater effect on the match than before as he was able to drift into space, receive the ball across the pitch, and dictate play from deep.  A pattern often emerged with the backline either giving the ball to Simons directly, or often having it hit sideways to him from BWM Diouf.  Rather than limit his ability to change the match, this new role enhanced it.

Even if we isolate just the first 23 minutes before the switch and the rest of the first half, we can see that Simons was more involved across the pitch and was able to make many more progressive passes after the change to the 4-2-3-1.

Lindsay decided to roll the dice and play the 4-2-3-1 against a strong Barcelona side. Though the bookmakers were surprisingly positive about PSV’s chances at home, Lindsay felt like they had little to lose…

PIs -

Both wingers - stay wider, roam from position

AP(a) - move into channels, roam from position, close down more

RWB - sit narrower

LCB - stay wider

How it went

Was it the system, or was it Pablo Torre seeking revenge on Barcelona after they let him go?  Lindsay knew one thing for sure, along with the Spaniard’s two goals and an assist, the 4-2-3-1 was doing exactly what Lindsay hoped when he drew it up.  They allowed Barcelona all the time on the ball they wanted, but rarely let them get into dangerous areas.

Within eight minutes, PSV were 2-0 up.  Yes you read that right.  LW Noa Lang went close right from the kickoff in a statement of intent, and he would prove to be a difference maker only three minutes later.

After Haller won the ball back inside Barcelona’s half, he passed it to AP(a) Torre, who fed it wide to Lang.  He charged into the box, dragged two defenders to him, made a nice move before finding Torre’s attacking run.  Torre’s thunderous finish left Ter Stegen no chance.  Lang’s run was excellent, but it was made possible by the fact that when Haller won the ball back, he had Torre right there with him.  The number of bodies forward also allowed PSV to apply pressure and hit quickly on the counter without committing to a high press.

In the eight minute, Torre turned creator as his beautiful corner was driven past Ter Stegen with a towering header from CB Coppola.

Barcelona tried to get back into the match, but PSV kept them at arm's length for most of the rest of the half.  Sadly, LB Augustinsson’s muffed clearance allowed Raphina a chance to get one back deep into first half stoppage time - though in fairness to the Brazilian, he still had plenty to do from a tight angle.

2-1 at the half, you would put money on Barcelona coming back and drawing or even winning.  Instead, it was PSV who struck just after the restart.  Once again, it came from Haller’s pressure on Barcelona’s backline - though this time it was inside PSV’s half following a Barcelona throw in.  The ball was sent back to CB Eric to recycle possession, but Haller was onto him quickly and intercepted the pass.  Haller sent it wide to Lang who was surging out from the PSV box. Lang’s lung busting run was rewarded with a goal that wasn’t quite a carbon copy of the first goal, but it was quite close!

There were some nerves in the final 30 minutes though, after calamity befell PSV’s backline.  A Barcelona shot took a deflection off LB Augustinsson and somehow everyone lost track of it.  It hit the crossbar, dropped to the pitch, and slid across the line with agonizing slowness. [Honestly don’t know if I would have been able to resist the urge to savescum if PSV hadn’t won…]

It had to be one of the shock results and headlines of the season, the latter being due to its truth.  It was not a match where PSV were hanging on by a thread.  They should have won by two or even three.

Suddenly, the 4-2-3-1 PSV Power system was looking exactly like what Lindsay had envisioned.  It was direct, purposeful, flexible, and the ability to win the ball high up the pitch without giving up defensive solidity.  The other benefit was that, while the Coiled Spring too often relied on moments of individual brilliance - think Druissi during Lindsay’s time in Austin - as well as stellar forward play, the PSV Power was more flexible and spread the goalscoring burden out among the squad a bit more.

Time would tell if Lindsay would abandon the 4-3-3 system entirely, but the 4-2-3-1 was suddenly looking like the more attractive option… 

Fortunes can change so fast, but it was a magical feeling to look at the CL League table and see PSV a single point off top and in the automatic round of 16 spots!

[Hootieleece]

Are your midfielders MC's or DM's in the 4-2-3-1?

 

Great work against Barcelona!

[13th Man]

2 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

Are your midfielders MC's or DM's in the 4-2-3-1?

 

Great work against Barcelona!

Lindsay pulled them back to DMs. It’s allowing Simons to dictate the match from deep. Switched from VOL to Regista to give him the freedom to be a playmaker as well.

[karanhsingh]

Enjoying the tactical focus of your posts. Great and deserved result against Barcelona. 

[SixPointer]

Lindsay’s steep learning curve in America has served him well. His experience and tactical know how putting him in good stead in Europe.

The result against Barcelona is a culmination of all this hard work and knowledge paying off. Fantastic work and the updates get more and more enjoyable as the save progresses KUTGW

[13th Man]

On 06/06/2023 at 21:30, karanhsingh said:

Enjoying the tactical focus of your posts. Great and deserved result against Barcelona. 

On 06/06/2023 at 21:58, SixPointer said:

Lindsay’s steep learning curve in America has served him well. His experience and tactical know how putting him in good stead in Europe.

The result against Barcelona is a culmination of all this hard work and knowledge paying off. Fantastic work and the updates get more and more enjoyable as the save progresses KUTGW

Thanks, the Barcelona match was immensely satisfying. Tactics were definitely a focus of this write after The Ballad of Benjani was more narrative focused. Lindsay had to focus a lot on squad management at Austin due to MLS salary cap etc, but we’re getting to the business end of the career here! It’s not all clear cut yet though, with the 4-2-3-1 Power system and the 4-3-3 Coiled Spring 

[13th Man]

USA v Brazil and Canada

Lindsay’s continuing stint as USA manager was, for the second year in a row, mostly taken up by friendlies.  This did allow him to feel a lot less pressure as he juggled international and club management.

Having done so well in the World Cup running at 3-4-1-2, Lindsay ran the same against a decent Chile side in the first friendly, and found the USA entirely toothless.  Against a team that wasn’t going to charge forward and take the initiative, the shape just didn’t bring results.  A return to the Coiled Spring brought a run of three matches that the USA dominated, scoring 11 and conceding once - even with significant rotation as Lindsay tried out a few new players.

In November, however, the US team would face a big test - a Brazil side ranked #2 in the world. In the meantime, Lindsay had been refining his system at PSV, and found himself using a 4-2-3-1.  Fresh off a win over Barcelona using the new shape, Lindsay decided to see if it would work against Brazil with the US.

He’d never previously considered the 4-2-3-1 for the USA, but as he mulled it over, there was a lot to like. He hadn’t especially been happy with Pulisic as an AM, but Mihailovic had been playing very well as an attacking playmaker for AZ Alkmaar in the Eredivisie, popping up in Lindsay’s news feed as man of the match on several occasions. Musah was a great candidate for the key Segundo Volante role (changed from the Regista role that Lindsay gave to the creative Simons at PSV).  He’d liked the look of the two as a deep double pivot in the semi-final loss to Italy. Having Adams covering on the right also meant that Scally could charge ahead as a CWB and combine with Pulisic. 

It seemed like the direct but defensively solid shape would allow the US to play less reactive than they did in the 3-4-1-2, while still being solid defensively.

It went incredibly well in all ways other than the scoresheet. The USA dominated Brazil until the later stages of the match, but simply couldn’t score. Ederson had a great game in goal, and Brazil got lucky at times as well, but the USA should have done better.  Still, the stat line was very encouraging.  7 shots on target, xG of 2.91 including two clear cut chances and three times off the woodwork, 54% of the possession, all significantly better than Brazil.  GK Steffen was called into great saves on two occasions when Brazil broke through, but it was the USA who were the much better side.

Lindsay was convinced - the 4-2-3-1 Power was the ticket, for both PSV and the USA.  It had a nice balance, it was direct and purposeful in attack, and it was pretty solid defensively - with the main weakness being if the BWM is caught too far up the pitch and leaves a gap.

But then, against a poor Canada side, the USA power was rendered powerless.  Lindsay had rotated a lot, with the top players tired from the Brazil match, but it was still unimpressive.  The first half saw Canada happily absorb whatever the US threw at them, and it was only after Lindsay changed to the 4-3-3 that LW Renya got through to score. They were by no means impressive, but it was certainly better - other than when a few errors in a row by a just subbed on Pulisic allowed Canada to equalize.  The US kept the pressure up and were able to win at the death from a corner.

Was the Canada match an off game from a largely rotated side? Was Brazil a better indicator of what was possible?

Edited June 10, 2023 by 13th Man

[karanhsingh]

I would definitely judge the tactics basis the performance of your strongest side. 

[13th Man]

4 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

I would definitely judge the tactics basis the performance of your strongest side. 

It’s a good point, but this was not the only instance where the new 4-2-3-1 came up wanting, as you’ll see in the next post. 

[Jogo Bonito]

The USA results were fine, but you're a manager who looks way deeper than that. It's good that you don't just settle for what you have, and want to see how you can be better. 

Echo what was said, great result over FC Barcelona.

[13th Man]

15 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

The USA results were fine, but you're a manager who looks way deeper than that. It's good that you don't just settle for what you have, and want to see how you can be better. 

Echo what was said, great result over FC Barcelona.

The results themselves were definitely fine, but it could be better.  It’s way more fun to be constantly looking for ways to improve anyway!

[13th Man]

Back and Forth

The month of November saw Lindsay swing between complete faith in the 4-2-3-1, and utter disappointment.  

First the good -

Just before the international break, PSV had played a FC Groningen side sitting just outside the European places and Lindsay had started in the 4-3-3.  Things had not gone well until he switched to the 4-2-3-1 and PSV scored less than a minute later - PSV would go on to win 2-1.

Returning from USA duty, Lindsay kept with the 4-2-3-1 and PSV tore apart relegation threatened Almere City.  While they again couldn’t keep a clean sheet, the second goal was a great example of the system at its best.  Simons picked the ball up from deep, sprayed it wide to RB Roman (sped up to show a bit more in 6 seconds), and then RW Madueke did what he’d been doing all season long…murdered the entire defense and scored. [Here’s the whole thing in 2D very sped up.] He also set up the third goal as he (#7) drifted across the pitch in search of the ball.  When he got it, he one-touched it deep down the left flank for #13 Taferner to put in a cross for Haller.  You can also see his run into space after the pass, and had the ball been cleared, he would have been in a great position to pick up the pieces or make a late run into the box.

Having worried that the 4-2-3-1 would stifle his biggest talent, Lindsay was watching Simons flourish in the Regista role. He was given the freedom of the park, and he’d become the engine that made PSV tick.

Then came Nice in the Champions League.  

Lindsay’s first real loss as manager of PSV was just horrible. PSV conceded once [in a goal not unlike the CL winner] in a moment of disorganization, only to let Nice score again almost from the restart with a sloppy pass and sleepy defending. 

Looking at the stats, it was not nearly the one sided match that the scoreline suggested, and really PSV should have won the match based on chances created, but there were plenty of worrying signs.  Other than two very good chances, though, PSV looked impotent while Nice were consistently dangerous. Their striker sat in the little hole of space between the CBs and DMs, and Nice did a good job of pulling PSV around the pitch to create space for themselves.

This match was followed up by a trip to a Heracles Almelo side second from bottom. An early penalty put the hosts ahead, and PSV struggled to respond. Having wondered what could have been while thinking about the Nice match, Lindsay switched to the 4-3-3 midway through the half, and LW Lang scored within a minute, then again before the half to earn a 2-1 victory.

Which one?

After thinking he’d found all the answers, Lindsay was feeling unsure again. The 4-2-3-1 had been so good on occasion, but inconsistent. The 4-3-3 had been consistent and solid, if sometimes a bit underpowered.

It wasn’t as if having two shapes was a problem, but Lindsay wanted to pick the right one ahead of the match. The 4-2-3-1 worked better against top teams that wanted to attack. It applied pressure high up the pitch without aggressive pressing and with the number of players in forward positions, PSV could break into space in the blink of an eye.

Against the lesser sides, though, it wasn’t so cut and dry. Sometimes it seemed the only way to punch through a stubborn defense was the 4-2-3-1, and others the 4-3-3 was required to pull sides out of their shapes and create space.

It was great to have choices, but Lindsay wanted to do a better job of figuring out which one to start matches with.

The pressure was on too, as a very strong looking AZ Alkmaar was coming to Eindhoven.

With a decent chunk of the season gone AZ were right in the thick of the title fight. They’d overtaken a Feyenoord side that had lost twice more since their loss to PSV and were even on points with Ajax. Four points back, AZ had forced draws from both Feyenoord and Ajax, and were looking to cement their title credentials with another strong showing at the Phillips Stadion.

Edited June 11, 2023 by 13th Man

[karanhsingh]

Good going in the league. And wow that goal from Madueke is incredible 

Welcome to the "we hate Nice" club. They did you guys dirty there. 

[Hootieleece]

8 hours ago, 13th Man said:

It was great to have choices, but Lindsay wanted to do a better job of figuring out which one to start matches with.

That is why I generally stick with one formation and just adjust mentality.

I want to do more but I don't really know enough about playing football/soccer to know what to look for and definitely not how to fix it.

That is why I generally stick with keeping morale up as well as Tactical Familiarity in my saves once I find something that works.

And in my current save have too many of the same type of player at the club......

Edited June 11, 2023 by Hootieleece
added words I forgot

[13th Man]

22 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Good going in the league. And wow that goal from Madueke is incredible 

Welcome to the "we hate Nice" club. They did you guys dirty there. 

Madueke has been absolutely filthy (this an Americanism?) in his dribbling and finishing on occasion.

The Nice match was just brutal. Not as deflating as losing a final, but a massive let down after beating Barca!

17 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

That is why I generally stick with one formation and just adjust mentality.

I’ve normally done this, or rather, I try to adjust TIs and roles as mentality changes the whole way the side plays (which can be good, but not the way I like). I’m going to go over this in an upcoming post, but I think the key to using two shapes is to make sure the style of play is the same, you just emphasize attacking and/or defending different parts of the pitch.  For instance, the Lindsay’s 4-3-3 has a weakness on the flanks/channels of the wingers are caught up the pitch and the CMs can’t cover. With just one DM there’s a lot of ground to cover to get out. The 4-2-3-1 is better in those areas, but will see both DMs sucked up the pitch on occasion, leaving a big hole. Both of those could be addressed with different player roles (Lindsay favors proactive midfield roles, which can lead to issues) but that would change the philosophy of the system too.

[13th Man]

Keeping the faith

Lindsay was prepared for a tough, tough match. AZ Alkmaar ran an interesting system - a narrow 4-1-2-2-1. They were one of the best sides in the league at keeping possession, boasted the best defense, and had US international Mihailovic having a fantastic season pulling the strings from the right AM play making spot.

With their narrow shape and two central attacking midfielders, Lindsay felt the balance tip towards the 4-2-3-1.

It only took a minute for Haller to score after AZ couldn’t get the ball out of their defensive third.  The consistent pressure PSV put AZ under were responsible for the next two goals as well - with RB Teze’s 30 meter blast a sight to see - but Simons’ 29th minute goal was a thing of beauty (3D) to make it 4-0.  First you will notice the intricate combinations down the left, with LW Lang (#6), AP Torre (#14), BWM Diouf (#19) and CWB Lucas (#20) taking part in a rapid fire barrage of movement and quick passing.  Then there’s Simmons’ excellent run.  At the start of the move, he’s drifting towards the left side, but once the move gets going, he heads right for the AZ box.  CWB Lucas spots his run and Simmons’ finish is cool across the face of goal.

[Here’s a very professional looking and expertly drawn visual of his movement off the ball before receiving the ball.  Remember, he’s a right sided DM…]

Once again, Lindsay watched as his biggest fear in using the 4-2-3-1 was unfounded.  Simmons certainly didn’t feel restrained by his new role as a regista.

4-0 up before the half hour mark, PSV had made a mockery out of the Eredivisie’s best defense.  To make matters worse for the visitors, they had a man sent off for a tackle that was brimming with frustration in the 31st minute.  Lindsay was able to rest players for Champions League and to lower the tempo and see out the rest of the match in relative comfort.

Having arrived in Eindhoven hoping to make headway in the title challenge, AZ returned home with their tail between their legs, victims of a 4-0 thrashing as the PSV machine just kept on rolling. Ajax could only draw at FC Utrecht and PSV’s four point lead at the top of the table was extended to six….

[DavidBeckham]

Smashing it mate! I always have a soft spot for PSV due to Ruud van Nistelrooy! You're having a great start to your tenure too! KUTGW mate!