After a slow start to Tusker FC’s season, one that saw the Kenyan giants lose to Shabana and cause an uproar within their fanbase, the team has been on a steady resurgence, and now sit second, seven points off league leaders Gor Mahia.The upturn in form is because they have been scoring for fun.They are currently the league’s highest scorers on 32 goals.Granted, this can be attributed to the red hot form of dangerman Erick Kapaito on eight goals.However, Tusker have tweaked how they play.Matano opens up on Tusker’s win over marauding AFC LeopardsThe Brewers are majorly known to be a long-ball-in-behind side, with emphasis on wide combinations and their main mode of progressive passing being switch, or diagonal balls to the ball far fullback or winger.Most teams have countered this by having their fullbacks deeper and within the zone of cutting out the diagonal passes, something Gor Mahia did well and stifled Tusker.Others have forced them into wide progression, then blocked them with neat man-for-man pressing.To counter this approach by opponents, Tusker needed to find a way of guaranteeing they could play through the center, invite the opponent, then go wide for crosses.##NAJAVA_MECA_7958599##How have they done it? Through a nominal 4-4-2 formation.By having a double pivot of David Odoyo and Chris Erambo, with Siwa Shaphan and Kapaito dropping to play between the lines as they did against AFC Leopards, Tusker manage to create a box midfield ( in instances where Kapaito does not come in, John Njuguna or Michael Odour do).These movements are coupled by the fullbacks staying wide in build up.In this structural tweak, Tusker have managed to leave the opponent in a dilemma, as they have created deeper width in their shape with their full-backs, posing the question to the opponents on whether they should mark the full-backs or the midfielders.Tactical Analysis: Masters of the counter attackBuilding with a back four and two holding midfielders in front is how Tusker have been able to play out from the back, or from settled possession so reliably thus far.When teams do not press high against them, Tusker will create a wide back five (using their back four plus the goalkeeper) with two pivot players in front.This aids Tusker as the front- four are pinning the opposition’s defensive line back.This guarantees Tusker an overload in the first phase, whether from build up from the goalkeeper, or settled possession.Once the goalkeeper plays the ball to one of his center backs, the double pivot shuffles over to engage in another overload, creating a triangle or a box with the center- back on the ball, and the wide full-back.With this, the nearest winger then drops in to offer himself as an outlet.Tactical Analysis: Why ‘On The Shoulder’ forwards are being employed in the FKFPLThis movement creates another dilemma for an opposition fullback: to track or not track the run. Tracking the run leaves the backline three vs three, and creates space for Kapaito to attack on the shoulder of the center backs.This movement by the winger is something Tusker did very well against KCB FC in their 2-0 win in Machakos.It is important to not that when Tusker begin to form their build up shape, the ball far full-back is always already in an advanced position ready to act as an outlet for their diagonal ball if needed.The dilemma of who to mark confuses and frustrates opposition center-backs too.When Shaphan or Kapaito drop, occupying deep positions, it is to follow or pass on the markers.To counter this play, a 4-4-2 will work, as it will mean going man to man, but this again would require the opposing center backs to jump higher than their full-backs, leaving a gaping hole behind the defensive line, which of course Tusker can exploit at will.”Its been my ambition”: Erambo elated with maiden Harambee Stars call-upThis central occupation has seen Tusker generate a lot of shots from outside the box, aided well with them always having a player on the D-Zone too.It will be interesting to see this Tusker attack grow more into what their manager wants.
