Sheffield United’s Tactics & Overlapping Centrebacks

Sheffield United’s tactics & Overlapping Centrebacks.

Sheffield United’s performances in the Premier League this season have put them in the hunt for European football – for a newly-promoted side many thought would be mired in a relegation struggle, Sheffield United have played with huge tactical ingenuity and skill as well as work ethic and organisation. Chris Wilder and Alan Knill, the assistant manager who has overcome his run-in with a squirrel to become one of the most tactically innovative number two’s in the game, have forged a team greater than the sum of its parts by developing and refining an approach that gets the most from its players, producing excellent football and results.

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#sheffieldunited #chriswilder #sufctactics

[matthewsouthcott]

As a Blade it is with immense pride that I see my beloved team play such praise worthy innovative football, especially with players normally considered 'Championship' players and with a core of British talent. All the more so when you have a huge Blades fan in Wilder Managing the team and another huge Blades fan in Billy Sharp as Captain of this team. This is truly the greatest period for Sheffield United in my 30 years watching and am under no illusion things change quickly in modern football but I am going to savour this time and no doubt talk about this period and Wilder's team into my old age. "Na then lad thas n'er seen big Jack O'Connell and Bash bomb wing has tha, na that wut Football!"

[arunjaswal]

Could you do an England version of sensible transfers that's called sensible choices which goes through each position for the euros

[NoPerspective]

I can't imagine the scenes if they make it to the CL knockout stages.

[neemnoa]

Imagine the Champions League anthem ringing at Bramall Lane as Sheffield United hosts Real Madrid in the group stages. This could happen next season, lol

[joefieldsend]

I like how you called us "United".


Not a lot of pundits want to do that because of some other team despite it being a very common appellation in Sheffield.

[sydshrimp]

Sheffield United are the best thing to happen to football in recent years, a delight to watch and with players from League 1 days still playing vital roles in the side. All credit to Wilder and Knill.

[kingaufswag]

I think the overlapping centre backs has got to be the most creative innovations to football in the 21st century. It actually blows my mind that nobody else has thought of how much this can add to a team's attack

[matthewsmith]

Best team I Saw at elland road last season! The only manager to really out do bielsa was wilder only the ignorant thought Sheffield United would struggle I’d love to see them in Europe next season

[brunowg]

Tifo : * Releases a football video analysis of Sheffield United *
Thirty seconds later
Me : 🧐🧐🧐

[Pilot.]

Being a blade right now is like something out of a movie! Cant believe I was watching us in League 1 for 6 years only a few ago. Now were in the Prem, challenging for the CL in our first year. Love it! UP THE BLADES! Sheffield is Red and White, the city is ours!

[zerosuitsamus]

Come On Sheffield United! I want to see you guys against Barca and Bayern next seasons!

[Figz]

“Alan Knill, the assistant manager who has overcome his run-in with a squirrel”
Me: “I’m sorry, what?”

[lfc-europe]

Best way to wake up on a Monday morning. Cheers Tifo.

[lchg]

Could you make a tactical analysis of Atlanta Bergamo

[filipbardsley]

Finally Alex gave in!
Thank you so much for giving us what we desire❤

[tdyerwestfield]

See what happens when you actually coach defensive tactics rather than just play a low block? They're up fighting for Champions League football. Most teams' most difficult fixture this season has been away at Bramall Lane because their defence is so tactically astute.

[oscarv]

I have been waiting for us to appear for ages get innn

[erikbladh]

I just earlier this season watched RB Leipzig play a similar (although a slightly more attacking) way in a 3-5-2/3-4-3 with overlapping centrebacks in a match. It hit me that they played Lukas Klostermann, usually a right wing back, as the right centre back of the 3 and him regularly entering the opposing penalty area with runs from deep, even creating chances for himself to score.
I thought that it's not uncommon to have a centreback make a run into the box once or twice a game for a chance, but it happened time and time again so it couldn't be a coincidence. A genius innovation by the brilliant Julian Nagelsmann I thought, as I hadn't seen something quite like it before. It seems Sheffield has found success doing something similar.
If RB Leipzig keep doing it and Sheffield are having success with it, overlapping centrebacks could become a trend in the new decade of football, and I'm really excited for it as it turns dull 5-back formations into real fluid, positive attacking football!

Another amazing video by the best football channel on youtube.

[thomasr]

It terrifies me how good Sheffield United could become with higher quality players. Wilder and Knill are incredible tacticians.

[axelcoker]

a video on Sheffield!

Like Liverpool and Leicester a team doing it the right way.