Ready, Steady, Box !

Applying pressure is the simplest method of ball retrieval in team sport. You harry at the opponent, causing them discomfort in possession, leading to them either immediately losing the ball or taking unfavorable decisions. All in essence of disrupting their control over the current game phase.

In football, pressing has returned to the front-row of the constant football evolution. Yet, what distinguishes your Sunday league press to that of Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham, Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool or Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is organization. Teams at the top level spend countless hours on the training pitch to maintain the needed organization to create an effective pressing scheme.

The other option — and that’s probably what everyone does in their five-a-side — is pressing haphazardly. The consequences are that against a good passing side you are easy to pass through. The simplest false movements from the opponent will drag you out and create vacant space for their forwards to attack.

Transitioning from theory to practice we found ourselves at Bramall Lane. Sheffield United were entertaining Chelsea as both are seeking European places in the forthcoming season.

The suffocation from the press was rather mental than physical. Sheffield United didn’t need to be on the front-foot during every Chelsea possession. It was more of how can we press their decisions rather than pressing them themselves.

Boxing Chelsea’s build-up players was key. David McGoldrick, Oli McBurnie and Oliver Norwood didn’t need to aggressively mark Jorginho. Quite simply, positioning around him in a way to box him inside and lure the other Chelsea players away from passing into the Brazilian.

It wasn’t only confined to Jorginho. The idea was to simply limit Chelsea’s build up by putting their build-up players in an imaginary box. Then, the other Chelsea players would try to move around by passing in a U-shape or go direct. If Chelsea decide to reach out to the player inside the box, the positioning of the Sheffield United players and their body orientation near him would make it easier for them to press. In this example, they managed to retrieve the ball off Mason Mount and McGoldrick’s header was Sheffield United’s first major chance in the game.

The organization and positioning brought theory into practice. John O’Connell’s few steps forward and Norwood’s couple of steps towards Mount, makes the Chelsea midfielder an unfavorable passing option for Reece James. Eventually resulting in Chelsea restarting their attack.

Another point that shouldn’t go under the radar is the ability of Chelsea’s center backs on the ball. Well, the lack off ! This means that Chris Wilder’s side don’t need to worry about them having the ball. They would rather control Jorginho and Ross Barkley who is dropping to support the build up. You can spot Norwood here completely changing his entire attention to Barkley.

He does that while keeping in mind not to free Jorginho. That’s when he signals to McBurnie to be around Jorginho to continue the ostracization.

Now once the ball reaches James his two progressive passing options are removed. Norwood is blocking the passing lane into Barkley, while Jorginho is dropping into the box where it would be easy to collapse on him. That’s of course without mentioning Ben Osborn who is in James’ face.

Just like the previously mentioned Mount situation, which was directly after Sheffield United’s first goal, Norwood and co are again seeking to box Chelsea’s normal progressive options. The positioning and spacing between the Sheffield United players and Jorginho and Mount makes the decision to pass the ball into them quite skeptical. As a result, Cesar Azpilicueta goes long and Dean Henderson collects the ball easily.

It’s important to note Norwood’s role in orchestrating the press. Two seconds earlier he is signaling to Sander Berge to keep track of Mount, for the ultimate goal of maintaining the boxing.

The idea would continue and the pressing didn’t need to be that ferocious on the ball as denying Chelsea the progressive option serves the same purpose of the press. Limiting their decisions on the ball.

Another example can be seen after Chelsea circulate the ball because of the denied options.

Norwood is moved away by Barkley and the passing lane into Jorginho is open. At that moment, Norwood signals to O’Connell to pick up Barkley as there is not a passing lane open into him unlike Jorginho.

Then, McBurnie and Norwood adjust their positioning, leaving James to pass the ball into Willian. Chelsea are closed down and yet again have to reset.

The other feature of Chelsea’s play is Pulisic’s inside movements to present himself as a passing option. Chris Basham marshaled the American whenever he wanted to go inside.

Breathing down Pulisic’s neck with his back to goal also means that he doesn’t have time to adjust his body shape to be facing the goal. Therefore, he can’t utilize his pace and quick feet to go at the Blades’ defence.

In the second half Chelsea switched shape to a 3–4–3, then a 3–5–2 depending on aerial balls towards Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham, then a 4–2–4. None of that worked as Sheffield United won all the individual battles as well.

Chris Wilder’s side has long been lauded about their overlapping center-backs, but it’s not only about that. The organization in possession and out of possession makes them a tough team to beat while playing free-flowing football.

Organization that separates your Sunday league press from professional football press.

Chelsea saw their passing options clearly, but they couldn’t touch them.