Built to Fail | Leandro Trossard (RAM) | Belgian National Team | England
Despite finishing top in there group, the England National Team faces intense scrutiny and criticism for their performances in what was a weaker group. The scrutiny and criticism today is largely the same as it was 10 Years Ago, 20 Years Ago, and 30 Years Ago. Why? Because England have been doing the same thing for 30+ Years. English Football Conflates Selection or the Idea of Picking Their Best Players with Lineup and Roster Construction. They almost always Pick Their Best Players, the Problem, those Players don’t make sense together as a Team. There is no Functional Formation that allows Kane, Bellingham, Saka, Declan Rice, Phil Foden, and Cole Palmer to play in the Same XI.
But England are not alone. This isn’t an England Problem, it’s a Football Problem. The Belgian Media has largely blamed the Belgian Players for not winning anything during what was considered their Golden Generation. Again, like the English Media, the Belgian Media have failed to diagnose the Real Problem. The Real Problem isn’t Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Axel Witzel, or Jan Vertonghen. The Real Problem is the Belgian FA. The Belgian FA has saddled the Belgian National Team with coaches who haven’t been good enough to get the best out of Belgium’s Generational Talents.
Leandro Trossard and Positional Functionality
Once again against Ukraine, Belgium underwhelmed. They underwhelmed partially because their Head Coach Dominic Tedesco played Leandro Trossard as a Right Attacking Midfielder (RAM). Trossard has largely operated as a Left Attacking Midfielder (LAM) for both Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal FC. Trossard likes to pick up the ball in a Mid-Wide Space and come inside where his technically sound right foot can shoot or pass the ball. This is how he creates goal-scoring actions for his team. But in the presence of Jeremy Doku, Leandro Trossard can’t play as a LAM. What does Dominic Tedesco do? Tedesco is desperate to have his Best Players on the Pitch even if that means those Best Players are playing out of position. So What Happens? He plays Leandro Trossard as a RAM. What’s the Problem? While Trossard is quick, he’s not an out and out speedster, who is capable of consistently getting around the Left Back. He also doesn’t have the Traditional Instincts of a Right Footed RAM, who likes to get to the by-line and cross the ball. Trossard wants to come inside so he can impact the game in the box. There are two problems with that. When Trossard decides to come inside he has no space to operate because Kevin de Bruyne operates in that area of the pitch. They become redundant. Two, when he plays on the Left, Trossard can turn 90 Degrees to create significant space. When he operates on the Right, he has to take multiple touches and turn 180 Degrees to create space. But that space never gets created because of the time it takes him to make his move inside. Plus it’s predictable.
Depth Chart Management
Sport is the Art of Creating Space. There are a multitude of different ways to create that space. One Way is through Sound Team Building. Sound Team Building sometimes requires Managers and Coaches to make difficult decisions. It requires leaving out a Leandro Trossard to be an impact substitute and Man-Managing that situation. Finally, this is a Pattern that you will see over and over and over again in Sports. Run Away from it at your own peril.