Eerie Descent
1:08 Fri May 29
Re: Marcelo Bielsa new manager of West Ham
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Well, one thing is for sure, those who have moaned about the boring football, myself being one, have, certainly been given what they want!
Welcome, Biesla son.
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Gentile
1:07 Fri May 29
Re: Marcelo Bielsa new manager of West Ham
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Bielsa's signature formation in his squads, which he made famous and brought to the front of the world's mainstream football scene during his coaching tenures in the Argentina national football team, Chile national football team, Athletic Bilbao and Olympique de Marseille, is the 3-3-3-1 formation.
For this formation, the players are: 3 defenders (1 líbero with 2 stoppers at each side), 3 midfielders (1 central midfielder with 2 lateral-volantes at each side), 3 attacking midfielders (1 enganche and 2 wingers at each side), and 1 centerforward. 3-3-3-1 allows great transitions from defending to attacking, as many of the players used in the formation can perform both defensive and attacking tasks. Moreover, it establishes superiority in numbers in every part of the field, since with this formation his teams could defend with 7 players, attack with 6-7 players, or protect a scoreline by overwhelming the midfield with 6 players. To use 3-3-3-1, all players have to quickly set to attacking positions when the ball is in the team's possession, and all players have to aggresively press and recover the ball when it isn't in possession, so it requires great teamwork and understanding between teammates.
This signature style of Bielsa's had so much influence in the football scene that many present coaches, former players under Bielsa's command, are heavily influenced by the style, like Diego Simeone, Mauricio Pochettino, Matías Almeyda and Marcelo Gallardo.
A fanatic of football videos that he adds to his collection, Bielsa on occasion checks pitch measurements by pacing them out before deciding on a particular formation. He allocates separate training times for different parts of his squad. Former Argentine national team captain Roberto Ayala and defender under Bielsa stated "Sometimes we wouldn't see any of the strikers, because he'd have them training at a different time, and it was the same with the midfielders."[3]
He is known for watching and collecting numerous football videos to the point of obsession. He edits and analyzes each video for each individual player. He also utilizes statistical software and other technological tools to prepare for games. John Carlin, an English journalist, has stated that Bielsa has "the most learned football library on the planet." [28]
Former Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente said in an interview, "At first he seems tough and he may even annoy you with his persistence and don't-take-no-for-an-answer resilience, but in the end he is a genius." [29] Current Bayern Munich and former Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola called him the "best manager in the world" in 2012.[30]
As Bielsa refuses to grant exclusive interviews, the press conference has become his preferred method of communication. He has been known to field every last question from the assembled media during these gatherings. If the talk turns to the intricacies of the game, a three- or even four-hour press conference is possible. According to him: Every section of the media should get the same attention from me, from the capital's most prominent TV channel to the smallest newspaper in the provinces.[3]
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