The era of positional play should be over: let's play relationism Diniz's style

[fmcalciomaestro]

Replicating Fernando Diniz's Tactics in Football Manager 2024: A Complete Guide



1. Game Mentality and General Overview

Let's summarize the key characteristics of Diniz's play:

• Mentality: Maintain possession. This is the foundation of Diniz's game. It allows the team to keep possession, look for openings, and advance patiently.
• Narrow play: although relational play might seem "wide," Diniz's hallmark is the concentration of players near the ball to create numerical superiority, favoring short, quick passes. This deliberately creates a confined space where the game develops.
• Short passing: essential for possession and combination play.
• Slightly higher tempo: this reflects patience in build-up and the search for the right moment to accelerate, progressing the ball forward.
• Passing Focus: Prioritize passing and combination play over individual actions.

2. Team Instructions

Positive Mentality


In Possession

This is where the essence of Diniz's "relationalism" and build-up play is defined:

• Much Pass it shorter: Crucial for maintaining possession and encouraging close combinations.
• Pass Into Space: Playing the ball into forward spaces for better-positioned teammates helps replicate Fernando Diniz's "give and go" play.
• Work Ball Into Box: This encourages the team to bring the ball into the area with passes and movements, rather than seeking long balls or long-range shots.
• Narrow Width: This encourages players to stay compact and close to each other, occupying the central areas of the pitch.
• Underlap (left and right): In Diniz's play, players' forward movements mainly occur in central areas of the field, seeking to gain numerical superiority in the central opposition half, particularly near the penalty area. With frequent through balls, players look to run into spaces, especially between the opponent's full-back and center-back.
• Slightly Higher Tempo: Encourages players to bring the ball into the opponent's half more quickly.
• Be more expressive: Indispensable for relational play and the positional adaptability of players. It allows for rotations and position swaps.
• Play Out Of Defense: Fundamental for deep build-up and managing possession right from the goalkeeper.
• Low crosses to exploit cutbacks.

In Transition

These instructions manage the shift from one phase to another:

• When Possession Is Lost:
  
  • Counter-Press: Diniz emphasizes immediate aggression to win the ball back high up the pitch.
• When Possession Is Won:
  
  • Hold Shape: Fluminense doesn't rush into quick counter-attacks; they prefer to rebuild possession.
  • Goalkeeper: Distribute to Center-Backs: To encourage build-up from the back.
  • Goalkeeper: Take Short Kicks: To maintain possession right from the goalkeeper.

Out of Possession

Here, we replicate the defensive aggression and compression:

• Much Higher Defensive Line: Essential for high pressing and compressing the field.
• Higher Pressing Line: To initiate aggressive pressing right from the attack.
• Much More Intense Pressing: To man-mark and apply constant pressure on the opponent.
• Prevent Short Goalkeeper Distribution: To stop the opponent's build-up from the back.
• Step Up More: In combination with the much higher line, this asks the defensive line to push up to apply the offside trap.
• Trap outside: Again, to force the opponent to play down the wings and compress the central space.

3. Player Roles and Duties (and Individual Instructions)

This is the most delicate part of replicating Diniz's "relationalism." Each role is chosen to favor fluidity and proximity, allowing for exchanges and combinations.

Goalkeeper

• Sweeper Keeper (Support): Participates in deep build-up and drops back to create superiority. No specific instructions needed.

Center-Backs

• Ball Playing Defender (Defend): Both must be skilled at passing to initiate build-up from the back.

Full-Backs

• Inverted Full-Back (Support): Both full-backs move centrally to create numerical superiority in midfield, favoring tight combinations. Personal Instructions: Pass it shorter, Get Further Forward.

Central Midfielders

• Roaming Playmaker (Support): This is the pivot of the game, receiving the ball from defenders and orchestrating the first plays. Starts on the right but moves extensively in central areas of the pitch, also covering the left side when the other midfielder pushes forward. Personal Instructions: Pass it shorter.
• Segundo Volante (Support): Offers dynamism, runs into space, and support in both phases. Their energy is crucial for pressing. Personal Instructions: Move Into Channels, Pass it shorter, Get Further Forward.

Attacking Midfielder

• Advanced Playmaker (Support): Fundamental for playing between the lines and creating links. This is the perfect role for a player like Ganso. Personal Instructions: Pass it shorter, roam from position.

Wingers/Wide Forwards

• Inside Forward (Support): Both cut inside to combine and attack the spaces between the opponent's center-backs and full-backs. They often swap positions with each other or with the attacking midfielder, confusing opposing defenders. Personal Instructions: Roam From Position, Sit Narrower, Pass it shorter.

Central Striker

• Deep-Lying Forward (Attack): Like Germán Cano, they must be a clinical finisher capable of attacking the far post. Personal Instructions: Pass it shorter, Roam From Position.

4. Analysis and Reasoning Behind the Choices

• Relationalism and Fluidity: The instructions Roam From Position, Move Into Channels, and Pass it shorter for almost all players are crucial to encourage positional exchanges and tight combinations. The Extremely Narrow Width also serves this purpose. The roles of Roaming Playmaker (a role that by definition favors midfield rotations) and Advanced Playmaker behind the striker (instead of an attacking midfielder) are also important.
• Build-Up From the Back: The Sweeper Keeper and Ball Playing Defenders with instructions for Pass it shorter and Distribute to Center-Backs form the foundation.
• Numerical Advantages: The choice of two Inverted Full-Backs and the concentration of players through Narrow Width constantly creates superiority in midfield and on the ball side.
• Attacking Spaces Between Full-Back and Center-Back: The Inside Forwards and Mezzala with the Move Into Channels instruction are the main executors of this tactic, seeking runs between the center-back and full-back.
• High Pressing and Gegenpressing: The Much Higher Defensive Line and Higher Pressing Line combined with Counter-Press and Much More Intense Pressing replicate Diniz's aggression without the ball, turning ball recovery into an offensive opportunity.
• Crowding the Box: The Pressing Forward (Attack) with the Move Into Channels instruction and the tendency of Inside Forwards to cut into the area, along with the Work Ball Into Box instruction, encourage a massive presence of players in the goal area.

Final Considerations for Football Manager

Replicating Diniz won't be simple, as FM can't perfectly simulate human relational dynamics. However, with these settings, you'll have a solid base that encourages the type of football Diniz prefers: patient possession, fluid movements, constant numerical superiority, and immediate aggression when out of possession.

Additional Tips:

• Training: Focus on Tactics and Team Cohesion training. Also work on Possession, Attacking (for combinations), and Defending (for pressing).
• Roles and Attributes: Look for players with high attributes in Decisions, Vision, Technique, Passing, Off the Ball, and Determination. Stamina will be fundamental for pressing and constant movement.
• Patience: Initially, the team might struggle to assimilate the system. Give players time to get used to the instructions and roles. Analyze in-game statistics and heatmaps to see if movements are occurring as expected.

Results

I tested this tactic with Fluminense during 1 year winning Campeonato Carioca, Campeonato Brasileiro, Copa Libertadores, Recopa Sudamericana and Copa do Brasil. I got knocked out in Qauarter Finals of FIFA Club World Cup by Paris Saint-Germain.

More details in my video here

 

[leopfv]

Fluminense fan... Diniz fan.. I"ll try!