Premier League pressing levels
My theory is that the gap in pressing quality and intent between the Premier League and other leagues explains a great deal, from why Amorim's build-up fails here to why Slot and Ten Hag's Eredivisie strengths became vulnerabilities.
The posts
- Opinion Slot and Ten Hag failed the same way, for the same reasons Both arrived from the Eredivisie, both succeeded by profiling their best players, and both were undone once they moved towards their actual models.
- Tactical analysis Amorim's build up: the fatal flaw The inverted centre-back is only part of it: why Amorim's goal-kick structure fails in a league where 47% of games come against elite pressing sides.
- Opinion Amorim should be judged on adaptation, not replication The back 3, the wingbacks and where Bruno fits are the wrong questions; the real ones concern risk-reward, pressing structure and whether his model can evolve here.