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….

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! 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.

Good business and great first half. Sorry if you already answered, but where did Brighton finish the previous season? Do you think you can keep up a title challenge? Seems like you’re comfortably beating all but the top teams…

It’s so tough to lose a top player, especially to PSG, but at that kind of money you’ve set up the club for years to come. Reinvest it wisely, keep some in reserve, and suddenly you have more quality across the team and less reliance on one player!

Definitely a brutal start. On the bright side, if you can find a way to just keep morale up, you might be able to get in decent form once the fixtures get easier.

Good stuff here in France! That final hurdle of PSG is just so hard to overcome. Your 4-3-3 looks really nice and I’m glad my save helped you work some things out in this one. Funnily enough, I’ve gone more towards a 4-2-3-1 right now, even with the inverted players on both flanks. The key though is creating the space in other ways as it can get congested in the middle of the pitch. Against top sides, though, like PSG, it might be worth considering? I like variations you added as well, CF(s) + MEZ(a). I imagine the MEZ combines well with the IW and the CF(s) is great in build up, creating space for the IF(a) and making late runs.

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.

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!

Those forced signings are always frustrating, but making do is part of the job!

Good luck! This definitely seems like a one club save. With you already punching above your weight, I doubt Jester gets sacked unless they’re truly abject, though.

Weirdly missed all this action here! Congrats on the league title, and the Brighton job. Heartbreak in Europe. As you’ll see, I had an eerily similar result against Nice in Europe, though in a much less massive match. Looking forward to new adventures on the south coast!

Not surprised that your side are top for final third passes and maybe a bit low on passing %. Key thing, though, is whether the passes are worth the risk, and it certainly seems like they are!

An FA cup final would have been memorable, but promotion is far sweeter. Glad the FA cup didn’t cost you in the end. How you feeling about your chances next season? You going to spend, spend, spend or keep the core of the squad that got you there?

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.

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?

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

There always seems to be that boogie team that is only decent generally, but is a massive struggle to beat. Good stuff overall as you juggle the squad management. Tough choice on the RB - you want a player that can perform now, but to spend money and block the progression of a player is not something you want to do either. Great win over Bayern, though, and doing well in a tight race at the top of the table.

Excellent run mid season, but seemed to run out of steam late. Do you think the cup run hurt with the already busy schedule? Good luck in the playoff (though it sounds like you maybe already played it?) Also - I do feel like the game periodically decides to have your players do the crossbar challenge in matches for months on end…

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.

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!

Really nice, direct and purposeful play for so many of those goals. In an era when so many try to pass it into the goal, it’s refreshing to see. Looking really strong this season. The title isn’t assured, but Liege have certainly put themselves in a great position.

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

Pretty good all things considered. Never going to beat Juve, but you’re beating some teams in the lower half. Think the updates are solid, maybe show or mention the opposition shape just for tactics nerds like me?

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?

Oh wow. That Wankdorf. Oh wow. It's getting bigger and bigger [sorry, couldn't help myself]. One - Bumbercatch has them playing really well. Seems like you can really focus on Europe with the league all but settled.