Fernando Gago’s controlling Racing Club

After his 36th birthday and after ending his playing career about a year and a half ago, Fernando Gago is already on his second managerial job, such is the fast-paced and ruthless nature of South American football. His Aldosivi side were intriguing for the style he sought to play but had their defects while it is interesting to see the young manager iron out some of the issues with his style as his Racing side led their league in points, touches in the opposition box while they also led the league in passes per defensive action (PPDA) as well as finishing 2nd in expected goals as their metrics have been constantly improving since the start of the season. Racing are the third most supported club in Argentina as they were initially sceptical of hiring a manager in the midst of a losing streak, but their style of football and early success has breathed life into the terraces of the Estadio Presidente Peron as well as hope into the fanbase.

Build-up

Most of the issues that Gago struggled with in Aldosivi in the build-up phase was due to the utilization of the eight space, space occupation and player spacing in build-up as he remedied those issues at Racing. The Argentine Zone A Leaders employ a 2-3-2-3 build-up shape as the 8 space is integral to them working connections to evade pressure while if one of the midfielders drops out of the 8 space, Racing have a series of movements to ensure that the space is filled and that they can play out of pressure. Another issue that Gago’s Aldosivi struggled with in build-up was switching to a three-chain effectively as this too has been remedied at Racing with the 36-year-old manager utilizing a series of different three-chain compositions and shapes throughout the season to create numerical overloads in the first line. Gago has added an immense number of tactical tweaks and variations to the build-up phase at Racing which makes them one of the most interesting teams to watch in world football.

In the image above, Racing are in their 4+1/2+3 shape with deeper-lying fullbacks who are integral in the build-up phase as the back-two work short passing interchanges to drive the ball forward in the case of a medium block or to attract pressure. The deepest-lying midfielder is positioned in a deeper-role as if he drops in between the centre-backs then one of the 8s will drop into the six-space to receive possession as Gago has ensured more fluidity in this situation than at Aldosivi. The left-sided centre-back can play the ball to his left-back at which point the ball-near 8 will drop deeper to receive possession as Racing have a build-up sequence where the fullback and ball-near 8 work a wall-passing situation to attract pressure to the flank and allow either the ball-far 8 to tuck inside or in this situation, the deepest-lying midfielder to push up and receive possession behind the first line of pressure to facilitate a switch ball to the opposite flank.

Racing have also attracted pressure in this situation for the centre-back to have a direct passing lane to the 8 space where the 8 can play a lay-off to the six-space for a switch or flick the ball to his partner in midfield as the right-back will make a movement inside to receive possession or to make a dummy run to clear a passing lane to the winger who will receive possession in the wide zone to stretch the pitch. Gago’s Aldosivi had an issue with midfielders dropping out of the 8 space and leaving the area vacated as at Racing, this issue has been remedied with the 8s holding their position as they are a highly integral conduit in Racing’s 2+3 build-up shape. In the picture above, Racing’s deepest-lying midfielder is deeper than usual as Anibal Moreno is normally positioned in behind the first line of pressure as once the ball is played to him behind the first line, the 8s who will be marked by opposition midfielders will engage in blind-sided movement side-stepping into space to receive possession in between the lines or with the ball-far 8 dropping into space to receive possession while the ball-far 8 pushes into the eight space to receive the ball.

When the midfielders receive possession in the 8 space, they can lay-off to the six-space to facilitate a switch, flick the ball to a teammate, turn and drive the ball forward or even dummy passes to teammates in the attacking line. The fullbacks, especially Facundo Mura, are highly involved in the build-up play phase, receiving possession in the deeper zones or either side of the midfielder in the 2+3 shape as it is encouraged that the fullbacks play the ball to the six-space which will result in the movements from the midfielders in the eight space or the ball-far midfielder tucking inside and making a run into the centre to receive possession or create a passing lane to the winger for Racing to stretch the pitch. In certain situations when the centre-back is driving the ball forward, the fullback will push up either into the wide zone allowing the winger to tuck inside and receive possession in the centre or the fullback will move into the half-space to allow the winger to receive possession in the wide zone or to receive possession in the half-space to facilitate transition and work connections with the winger to create crossing situations. Once the fullback pushes forward, Leonel Miranda will drop into the fullback position or drop deep to create a three-chain with the other centre-backs.

Miranda’s positioning and use in the build-up shape is intriguing as when the deepest-lying midfielder, normally Anibal Moreno drops in between the centre-backs, Miranda will be the midfielder to drop into the six-space as in certain situations, when the centre-back is pushing up with possession, Moreno will then drop into the space he has vacated in the defensive-line for Miranda to move into the six-space from his wide position to act as a vertical passing option for the centre-back in the midfield line where he will receive possession and look to play a progressive pass in between the lines. When Mura pushes up from his right-back role, Miranda will tuck into the right-back zone or will drop into the defensive line to create a three-chain with the centre-backs, allowing Moreno to remain in the six-space as once he receives possession, he can push up and work a pass to the flank where Racing have an overload or will utilize movement or he will play the ball for Moreno in the six-space. Racing also switch into a 2+4 shape in build-up as Miranda will drop into the right half-space in between the Mura and Moreno to attract a marker into the position before making a dart forward to drag a marker out of the zone for Mura to be able to work a pass for Moreno in the six-space.

When Racing are in their 2+3 shape, they will also utilize their 8s to draw markers out of position or occupy opposition midfield markers for the centre-backs to play deep passes in between the lines to Enzo Copetti or Javier Correa to receive possession in between the lines to lay-off to one of the 8s to spread the ball to the flank for deliveries into the box. When the fullbacks have possession in the wide areas, the 8s can also be utilized to make blind-sided movements to drag markers out of position to open passing lanes to the 9 space as the striker will move closer to the flank to receive possession. In certain situations, the 8 will move to the wide zone and allow the winger to tuck into the eight space to receive possession and work connections with the other midfielders to switch the ball to the opposite flank with the fullback making a run to stretch the pitch.

Fluidity and overloads in the eight space are essential to Racing’s build-up. This is another way that Gago remedied his issues in the 8 space from his Aldosivi tenure as in situations where his midfielder drops or moves out of the 8 space then a striker or a winger will move into the vacated area to receive possession. When the midfielder moves out of the 8 space this allows Gago’s side to utilize movement with the evacuation and occupation of space to ensure the space is not empty while creating overloads in the area for quick connections that can lead to the creation of shooting or crossing opportunities.

In the image above, the left-back is hugging the touchline while the ball-far 8 has dropped deep with the winger tucking inside as the 8 is making a blind-sided movement to receive possession. If the ball is played to the fullback, the ball-near midfielder can make a movement towards the flank allowing the winger to drop deeper and receive possession, laying off to the six-space while the ball-far midfielder will push up into the 8 space to receive possession as the ball-far fullback will make a movement into the centre to receive possession to facilitate a switch to the winger on the far side. With the centre-back pushing up, the 8 could drag his marker closer to the touchline to facilitate a pass in between the lines to the winger who has tucked inside to trigger the fullback making an overlapping run while the winger lays off the midfielder who will play the ball to the fullback for a crossing opportunity. Once the midfielder receives possession, the ball-far 8 will also push up into space to receive possession and switch the ball to the opposite flank as the ball-far fullback makes a run into the centre.

Another move that Gago’s side could utilize is the ball-near deep-lying midfielder dropping into the defensive chain as the centre-back pushes up to drag his marker with him and open a passing lane to the ball-far midfielder who will now become the deepest-lying midfielder as once the midfielder receives possession, the fullback will either make an overlapping run allowing the ball-far winger to tuck inside and receive possession or make an underlapping run into the centre to receive possession in the midfield zone. If the opposition midfielder does not track the movement of the deepest-lying midfielder dropping deep, then the centre-back can play a back-pass to him to push up and attract pressure to work a pass to the ball-far centre-back to play the ball to the six-space with the same routine of either the fullback or winger tucking inside. Another move that Racing could utilize is the centre-back pushing up to attract the opposition defensive line to cover the overload and movement on the left flank before switching possession to the weak side on the right flank.

Racing have utilized different variations of three-chain shapes in different formations throughout the season as Gago has impressively added variety to their build-up play. Their main sequences to switch to a three-chain involve Moreno dropping in between the centre-backs, Mura tucking inside and creating a three-chain with the centre-backs while Miranda will also drop deep to create a three-chain with the centre-backs. They utilize a 3+1 shape as well as a 3+2 shape in a 3-4-3 system at the beginning of the season and in certain points of the season. Gago’s side usually switch to a three-chain to create numerical superiority in the first line, to allow their fullbacks, especially Mura, to push higher and for the midfielders to drag opposition markers out of position to open passing lanes to the 9 space.

In the situation above, Mura has tucked inside to create a three-chain, Miranda has moved into the wide zone to allow the winger to tuck inside while there is the presence of triangles with the six-space and the three-chain as if the deepest-lying midfielder receives possession, this will trigger the attackers either side of the striker to drop deep to create another triangle, However, another sequence that Racing utilize if the ball moves to the six-space is the players either side of the striker holding their position to occupy their markers and their defender while the central striker drops out of the nine-space to receive possession to work a switch to the opposite flank. The midfielders will utilize movements to create space for passes in between the lines or blind-sided movements to receive possession in between the lines. Miranda’s movement to the flank has allowed the right-winger to tuck inside and receive possession in the central lines while he has also drawn his marker closer to the flank to create a passing lane for the striker to receive possession directly for the centre-backs.

Switching to a three-chain also allows the centre-backs to drive the ball forward as in the photo above, Racing have a 3v2 numerical superiority as they can circulate the ball to the ball-far centre-back allowing him to drive the ball in between the lines to play a deep vertical pass to the nine-space to facilitate the creation of an opportunity in the central spaces or a switch to the opposite flank. Centre-backs will also drive the ball forward to lob passes in behind for runners to create direct shooting opportunities for Racing. In the photo above with Miranda occupying the wide zone if Racing move progress into the next line from the opposite flank, there is the opportunity for the winger to move into the wide zone to drag a marker out of the space before Miranda tucks back into the 8 space to receive possession in the central lines and facilitate a switch to the opposite flank.

If the wide centre-back pushes the ball forward, the deepest-lying midfielder and ball-near 8 or a player positioned in the half-space will drop closer to the zone to create a triangle and direct passing options in the area, either for a direct pass to the six-space where the midfielder can turn and play a switch pass to the opposite flank. There are also situations where the wide centre-back can drive the ball forward where the player in the half-space, wide area and central space could make a triangular movement to interchange positions to create space to receive possession or for a teammate in the half-space to drop deep and another teammate to make a run in behind to receive possession for a crossing opportunity. Gago’s Aldosivi utilized constant triangular movements in the wide areas but at Racing, his side utilize the movements more effectively as his Aldosivi side also utilized the left-sided centre-back pushing up to switch the ball which is a ploy that Racing still utilize but not as regularly.

Racing can also switch to 3-4-3 build-up shape which is normally a ploy for the midfield double-pivot to attract markers and create space for deep passes to the nine-space while also allowing the wingers to tuck into the central areas. This will allow one of the midfielders to drop deep or evacuate the six-space to open a passing lane to the centrally placed winger who will lay-off or play a pass into the centre while the fullback makes an overlapping run in the wide-areas to receive possession for a crossing opportunity. In the 3-4-3 shape, Mura will normally tuck inside as a centre-back but there are routines where he will push forward with Miranda dropping deep to tuck inside and receive possession while Mura makes an overlapping run, allowing the winger to tuck inside and receive possession from Miranda in the defensive three-chain.

Racing will also play longer passes in build-up under intense pressure or on rough pitches as Gago seeks to alter his style against certain teams. Against River Plate, Racing faced immense pressure and they utilized a tactical ploy akin to Tim Walter’s team when they evacuated the six-space to allow the defensive line to circulate possession for one of the centre-backs to push into the midfield line while in certain situations when the ball was out wide, the ball-near centre-back would push into the six-space with the ball-far centre-back tucking inside to receive possession and evade opposition pressure. Gago has been able to better implement the variety in build-up he sought to have at Aldosivi with Racing as the results have seen his team become arguably the most entertaining side to watch in Argentina.

Positional Play

Gago also had to iron out some issues in the attacking phase with Aldosivi, especially with blind-sided movement and ball circulation in the final third as the young manager has managed to make Racing a more effective team in the opposition half. Players are more effective at occupying and evacuating space as Gago’s side prefer to attack in a 2-3-5 shape with intelligent movement in the final third. Some of the tenets of that he used at Aldosivi like centrally placed fullbacks, movement in the wide areas, high quality crossing opportunities and direct passing angles to the nine-space have been transferred to Racing Club with great success as his side are much more effective at creating high quality opportunities in his second job than in his first.

Racing circulate possession using a traditional 2-3-5 shape with a focus on establishing width in the opposition half and utilizing triangular passing interchanges to circulate possession with a higher degree of flexibility in interchanging positions than he used at Aldosivi. In the situation in the photo above, Racing have triangles in the ball-near area with the midfielder, winger and fullback creating a triangle near the flank while they have an attacker moving closer to the flank from the central areas as they can work combinations with a back-pass to the midfield line as the player in the wide-zone and player in the half-space dropping deep to receive possession enticing the opposition defensive line to push up for a lobbed pass into the channels for the attacker to run onto the ball to receive possession as the player in the half-space makes a circular run around him. The striker will make a run to the near post while the ball-far winger or midfielder will make a run to the back-post to create an opportunity.

Gago’s team also utilize wide interchanges as the ball will be moved to the wide zone for the player in the half-space to make a vertical dart into the wide zone while the player in the attacking lane will drop into the half-space in the deeper areas as a passing option.

Racing will also circulate possession utilizing inverted fullbacks within the midfield three as on the right flank, the right-sided midfielder is pushing up and tucking inside while the fullback is tucking inside into the midfield three. The left-sided midfielder can receive possession to turn and play a switch ball to the fullback who is tucking in or to his centre-back who will drive the ball forward and work a pass to the fullback. Once the fullback receives possession, his ball-near midfielder will push into the attacking line, allowing the striker to drop deep and receive possession or the fullback can work a pass into the wide areas for the winger to have a 1v1 opportunity. In the build-up phase, there will be sequences where the fullback will receive possession in a more central position, the ball-near midfielder will move wider, allowing the winger to tuck inside and receive possession in the half-space as this is applicable to the attacking phase as well.

This creates interchange in the wide areas which is crucial to Racing’s style of play as the winger can receive possession in the half-space, lay off to the fullback who can spread the ball to the wide areas for the winger to cross or cut inside while the fullback will make an overlapping run to the flank where he can receive possession to have a crossing opportunity. Racing look to get the fullback, especially Mura, into a high-quality crossing areas be it in the half-space, in a 1v1 situations in the wide zones or in cut-back situations from the by-line inside the opposition box. For cut-back opportunities, Racing can work sequences where the fullback can have possession in the central areas for the central striker to drop deep to receive possession as the attacker in the half-space could side-step into the nine-space before the fullback spreads possession into the wide zone to make an underlapping run into the recently vacated area in the half-space to receive possession and have a cut-back opportunity.

An essential facet of Racing’s chance creation, progression of possession into the opposition box and general attacking play are direct passes into the nine-space from the wide areas as the striker is heavily involved in attacking moves for Gago’s side. One of the 8s will normally be positioned in the central spaces with the striker as Racing will move the ball to the wide areas as a teammate in the half-space will make a run to drag a marker out of position and clear a passing lane to the nine-space for the player in the wide areas to play a deep vertical pass to the nine-space where the striker can receive possession to have a direct shooting opportunity, drive the ball into the box to have a low crossing or shooting opportunity as well as dummy or flick-on the opportunity for a teammate. As the season has continued, Gago’s side have become more elaborate with these moves as with one of the 8s or wingers positioned closer to the nine-space, the 8 can make a run to clear a passing lane to the nine-space for the striker to receive possession.

Racing can also work direct vertical passing moves to the ten space with the attacker clearing a passing lane with a run into the box while the central striker will make a second run to drag a defender out of position with the midfielder positioned in the ten-space pushing up to receive possession at the edge of the opposition box. In certain situations, Racing will work a direct vertical pass to the striker will dummy for his teammate behind him to receive possession and have a shooting opportunity. Gago’s side will also work different variations of this move as they will have possession in the wide areas for an attacker to make a run into the channels to receive possession for a shot on goal or a high-quality low crossing opportunity into the box.

Frequent movement and interchange in the nine-space is crucial to Racing’s attacking interchanges while drawing markers out of position or drawing markers deeper to create space for runs in behind in the channels or in the central areas are frequently utilized chance creating sequences. Racing prefer to create space for attacking moves with movement in the wide areas for the creation of crossing opportunities and movement in the central areas for the attackers to have high quality shooting opportunities. On some of the rougher pitches in South American football, Gago will also at times switch to a more direct style of attack with regular switches and longer passes in transition, especially long passes in behind or into the channels to create attacking opportunities.

In the picture above, Racing would show their movement in the attacking line as the attacker in the ball-near half-space would drop deeper dragging his marker and the defensive line forward to create space for the striker to run in behind and receive a lobbed pass in the box as he attempted a lay-off which was intercepted. Racing’s composition in attack is intriguing as Mura is pushing the ball forward on the flank with the winger stretching the pitch, the ball-far winger is stretching the pitch as the ball-far fullback has moved into the eight space. Utilizing the ball-far fullback in the eight space is a frequent ploy utilized by Racing as if they switch the ball to one flank, the fullback will make an underlapping run inside his winger to receive possession or clear space to the flank while in the attacking phase when both midfielders have moved into the attacking line either side of the striker, the ball-far 8 will tuck inside to the eight space to receive switch passes where he can spread the ball to the flank, attempt a cross from the half-space or look to work connections in the central areas.

For instance, if the ball is played to the ball-near centre-back who plays the ball to his centre-back partner, he will play a direct pass to the fullback in the eight space in between the lines as the central striker will drop deep to receive possession and lay-off for a switch pass to the weak side or for the striker to make a run in behind while the ball-far midfielder tucks inside to receive possession. When the ball-far midfielder tucks inside, the winger will move into the half-space with the fullback pushing up to stretch the pitch or the fullback tucking into the central spaces with the winger maintaining his position in the wide zone. Once the ball-far midfielder has received possession when he has tucked inside, he can dummy the pass for his teammate in the half-space to receive possession and have a crossing opportunity or he can lay the ball off with him and his teammate in the half-space dropping deeper for the player positioned in the wide zone to make a run in behind and receive possession to have a crossing opportunity. These movements will also be synced with the movement of the striker who originally made a run in behind to clear the passing lane as once the ball is played in behind to the wide zone, he will make a run towards the near post with the midfielder making a circular movement around him to provide a cut-back option at the top of the box or a crossing option in the centre of the box while the ball-far winger will attack the back-post.

Racing are facing a deeper defensive block and are also known to respond to deeper defensive blocks by alternating the different variations of three-chain shapes as in the situation above, Mura has tucked inside next to the centre-back. The deepest-lying midfielder would drop in between the centre-backs, allowing Mura to push forward and the winger to tuck inside as one of the 8s would drop into the six-space to receive possession while the other 8 will be positioned in the same vertical line as the centrally placed winger. By rearranging the composition of their three-chain, Gago’s side are able to alter the shape of the whole team as in the photo above, if Mura played the ball to his centre-back to attract pressure with the deepest-lying midfielder dropping into the back-three, his marker will push forward to press him as the centre-back in possession will either play a back-pass to the goalkeeper or the deepest-lying midfielder dropping in between the centre-backs creates a pocket of space in the six-space for a midfielder to drop into the space, receive possession to turn and work a pass into the next line or into the nine-space for a switch to enable Racing to create a crossing opportunity.

Another compositon of a three-chain that Racing would utilize is Mura pushing up and Miranda tucking into the right-back or right sided centre-back zone where he can receive possession, drive the ball forward as Mura pushes high to stretch the pitch, allowing the winger to make a timed movement inside to receive possession. Racing also work routines where the fullback will push forward to stretch the pitch, Miranda will push up with possession with the winger tucking inside and dropping to receive the ball to attract a marker and open a passing lane for Miranda to play a pass into the channels for Mura to have a high-quality crossing opportunity in behind the opposition defence. The movement in the wide areas is crucial to how Gago’s side circulate possession and stretch the pitch in the attacking phase as it allows them to create space for passes in between the lines while also attracting the opposition defence to one flank before switching possession to the weak side. Once possession is switched to the weak side then a player will make a run into the half-space to drag an opposition player out of position for the player in the wide zone to cross as well as for the player in the half-space and have a low crossing opportunity from the by-line.

With the way in which they stretch the pitch, Racing are patient and will utilize back-passes to circulate possession and facilitate a more effective switch. In direct switches, once they switch possession to the weak side, the wide player will have a 1v1 situation with a teammate making an overlapping run as well as underlapping run as they will both drag markers out of position and act as passing options. During direct switching situations or their more patient switching sequences, once the ball is played to the weak side, the underlapping run will be utilized for a teammate to receive possession for a low crossing opportunity or to clear a passing lane for a direct delivery into the nine-space. Racing will also switch possession to play a direct pass to the nine-space for the attacker to lay-off for the player who originally made the pass to push up and have a shooting opportunity on goal.

 This is also a crucial movement for Racing’s movement in the box from crossing situations as they normally look to attack the box with three to four players with one player making a run to the near post, another towards the centre of the box and another to the back post. Gago’s side have different variations of this attacking composition as their strikers tend to move into the channels to receive possession with a midfielder moving into the nine-space. If they are in this specific situation, the midfielder positioned in the nine-space will make a circular movement around the striker making a run to the near post while the striker will make a dart to the centre of the box as the ball-far winger makes a late run to the back-post. The strikers, especially Copetti, prefer to make runs to the near post for the midfielder to make a movement into the centre as well as a teammate making a run to the back-post. The winger can make a run from the back-post into the central area with the midfielder moving to the back-post as Racing will look to normally have interchange from crossing situations while a forth runner will look to receive a cut-back at the top of the box.

Racing will also utilize a 2-4-4 attacking shape with heavy movement in the final third as the deepest-lying midfielder will move to the ball-near side as a passing option, triggering the ball-far 8 dropping into the same vertical line as him while once Racing switch the ball, the fullbacks will make runs into the half-space allowing the wingers to stretch the pitch and to receive possession to spread the ball to the flank. The 2-4-4 also allows Racing to transition into a three-chain shape with Miranda dropping into the three-chain and the centre-backs pushing forward to create an overload against an opposition deep block with Racing playing passes into the midfield zone as in the video above, a player from the attacking line drops into the ten space for the left winger to make a run in behind to the vacated space as the pass is over-hit. The fullback was also making an overlapping run on the flank as the purpose of the 2-4-4 is for movement and interchange in between the lines.

If the ball is played to the wide areas to the fullback, one of the midfielders will move in between the lines to receive possession as the two wide players will interchange with one of them dropping deep to receive possession to lay-off to the ball-far midfielder who has pushed forward to facilitate a switch to the opposite flank. This shape can also be utilized to play through passes to the flank for crossing opportunities as Racing utilize deep runs in behind for direct passes in the attacking phase. In the 2-4-4 shape, the midfield line and attacking line will be positioned in two straight vertical lines as once possession is progressed, players will begin to move into space in between the lines and make deep runs to facilitate attacking interchanges and ball circulation in the final third.

The utilization of blind-sided movement is a facet of the game that has improved the most in Gago’s style of play since Aldosivi as the interchange of positions, players dropping deep to receive possession and dummy runs have become essential to Racing’s creation of high-quality opportunities. Racing have sequences where they can work connections on one flank for the ball-far winger to make a vertical run in behind to receive possession on the ball-far flank to receive possession in behind. The striker will frequently drop out of his position, allowing a midfielder to make a deep run in behind to receive possession from a lobbed pass and have a high-quality goalscoring opportunity. The blind-sided movement in the nine-space is crucial to Racing’s attacking play with a midfielder or winger tucking inside so the striker can drop deep to receive the ball or drag a marker forward to create an opportunity for a lobbed pass. Racing have worked moves where multiple players have dropped deep at the same time to entice the opposition defensive line forward for a singular player to make a run in behind and receive possession.

Blind-sided movement is crucial in Racing’s ball-circulation, especially with the central midfielders making movements to receive possession from the centre-back as well as in the wide areas with the interchange of positions to create space for a pass into the channels or to create space for a teammate to receive possession in the half-space. Racing circulate possession with triangular passing interchanges as their blind-sided movement allows them to move the ball in tight spaces around the opposition box as the inverted wingers or midfielders will drop out of the attacking line to receive possession in between the lines, playing one-touch passes and lay-offs in the final third for Gago’s side to switch the ball, teammates to make deep runs in behind or passes into the channels. In the wide areas, there is the aforementioned player making a run into the half-space but there is also a player dropping deep to receive possession as a direct passing option who can turn and work a direct pass to the nine-space, play a back-pass or switch the ball to the other side of the midfield line.

Counter-pressing

Counter-pressing is crucial to Gago’s side as it is the facet of the game that Racing improved on when he first took over as the young Argentine manager defends with a high-line as once his side losing possession, they will vigorously apply pressure on the man in possession, maintaining their high-line in order to win a turnover and continue their attacking moves. Racing also counter-press to quell counter-attacks and maintain their dominance on games as once they lose possession, they are well-versed at applying pressure on the opposition, forcing a turnover and recycling attacking moves in order to create opportunities. Racing prefer to defend in the opposition half rather than in their own half as well as winning possession closer to the opposition goal.

Once they lose possession, they will have two to three players in the zone directly apply pressure on the ball to force an immediate turnover or lose pass which one of their highly placed centre-backs can push up to intercept. The other players in the zone will focus on closing down other opposition players but if the most direct counter-pressing player is beaten, the focus will shift to closing down the player in possession in the second-phase of the counter-press to force a turnover and deny the opposition a counter-attacking opportunity. After a Racing player is beaten, it is normal to see other players pushing forward to engage the player in possession with more tackles as the centre-backs will also push forward to make tackles or win interceptions as once the first player is beaten, the counter-press becomes more intense and will swarm the player in possession with the last resort in a Racing player making a tactical foul.

If Racing lose possession in the opposition box, they will switch to man-orientated counter-pressing scheme to force a long-ball or a rash pass for an early turnover or to force back-pass which will allow them to transition to a much higher press around the opposition box. If Racing lose possession and do not have the cover to apply a direct counter-press, the attackers will drop deep to engage the man in possession to force a tactical foul or turnover, while opposition players will focus on creating a more compact defensive shape and tracking runners as wingers will tuck into the centre, the centre-backs will push up and the fullbacks will drop deep to cover any runners and intercept passes into the wide areas. When Racing counter-press, the focus is on compressing the space by applying direct pressure on the ball to force a turnover in the area as quickly as possible.

If the fullbacks lose possession when they are in a higher position, they will also directly counter-press the opposition player in the wide areas or tuck in to close down a player in the central areas instead of looking to retreat and cover their position. Gago’s side will then look to laterally press the wide areas to force a turnover as if the opposition play a back-pass to the goalkeeper or centre-back, the central strikers will push forward to engage the man in possession to force a turnover or a long ball. When the fullback is caught in a higher area, the focus is on closing down the space and not allowing the opposition to progress in the wide areas as they look to win possession instantly around the opposition box. After a more congested playing schedule, Racing have been conceding more and more counter-attacks and had to defend more but their vigorous counter-press is key in allowing them to control games and deny the opposition control of the game.

Pressing

Racing will normally press in a 4-3-3, looking to push high and apply pressure on the opposition to force turnovers and long-balls as their main pressing triggers are back-passes and sideways passes. One of the better facets of Gago’s Aldosivi side was their pressing as they consistently managed to win high turnovers and be resolute defensively as with Racing, they have the lowest passes per defensive action (PPDA) with 5.77. They will also switch pressing shapes as sometimes they will alternate in between a 4-1-4-1 and 4-2-3-1, especially if they need to close down the six space with an attacking midfielder marking an opposition defender as Gago’s side utilize pressing to prevent the opposition from gaining any influence on the game as well as a chance creation mechanism.

The central striker will be tasked with leading the first wave of the press, moving across to directly apply pressure on the centre-backs while the ball-near winger will be focused on marking the fullback, the ball-near midfielder will also push down to close down the deeper-lying midfielder as the ball-far winger and midfielder tuck inside to create a compact defensive shape in order to force the opposition into a long ball or a back-pass. If the ball is played back to the goalkeeper, the central striker will push up to engage the goalkeeper with both wingers tucking inside to apply direct pressure on the centre-backs while if the goalkeeper holds possession for a certain period of time, the ball-near winger will move to engage the goalkeeper to force a turnover or long ball. If a lobbed pass is played to the flank, the fullback will push up to close down the opposition fullback with the ball-near midfielder tucking under him to support him. Racing defensive line will shift while the deepest-lying midfielder will also look to cover passes into the channels as if the opposition play a pass into the channels, the defensive midfielder could slide across to make an interception.

From opposition goal-kicks, the striker will lead the press from the centre with the two wingers tucking inside as if possession is played to the fullbacks, the ball-near winger will engage the opposition fullback with the ball-near fullback pushing up as the ball-near midfielder will shift closer to the flank to prevent possession being played in the central spaces. The striker will also shift across to close down passing access to the ball-near opposition centre-back as if the ball is played back to the goalkeeper, he will lead the press as Racing will compress space to force a long-ball or a turnover at which point they will switch the ball to the opposite flank in an attempt to create a crossing opportunity. When Racing are in their 4-3-3 press, the ball-far players tuck inside for close player spacing in order to cover for each other if a player is beaten to maintain pressure on the ball as the player who is beaten will move into the vacated area until they can force a long ball or a turnover.

Racing will also switch to a 4-2-3-1 press with the central striker leading the press, apply pressure on the centre-backs and the goalkeeper, the attacking midfielder will close down the six-space while the wingers will mark the space in between the centre-backs and fullbacks, moving closer to the centre-backs when the ball is played back to the goalkeeper. Racing switch to this pressing shape to have coverage in being able to close down the six-space while they can also transition into and from their 4-4-2/4-1-4-1 defensive shape. Racing will also switch to this shape when closing down a back-three with the central striker closing down the central centre-back, the wingers tucking in to close down the wide centre-backs as the attacking midfielder marks the deepest-lying midfielder. The ball-near fullback will push into the midfield line to close down the wing-back as Racing will press with these man-orientated responsibilities or drop into a 4-1-4-1 medium block with the striker as the solitary pressing player with his teammates in a resolute defensive shape behind him.

Defensive Shape

Racing utilize a 4-1-4-1 or 4-4-2 defensive shape as they can sometimes drop into a compact 4-2-3-1 medium block as this aspect of their game is more prevalent with the increase of fixtures on their schedule and the rotation of their squad. Their defensive shape is not just integral in defending in an organized shape behind the ball but in also defending counter-attacks once the opposition evades the counter-press. The way they transition in between these phases of the game is crucial as is the way the speed at which they counter-attack once they regain possession in the defensive phase. Defending in an organized shape and counter-attacking at pace is another aspect of Gago’s philosophy which has translated well from Aldosivi to Racing as his team looks to constantly maintain their potential as an attacking threat.

In the picture above, Racing are in a 4-4-2 defensive shape as the ball-near winger is covering his defender while the ball-near striker is shifting across to directly engage the opposition player in possession while the ball-far striker will tuck inside and close down passing access to the six-space. Racing’s two central midfielders have closed down passing access to the opposition’s players in between the lines while the ball-far winger is tucking inside to mark the ball-far attacker in the half-space. Racing are maintaining small spaces in between the lines in their defensive shape as if a direct ball is played in between the lines, the ball-near centre-back can push up to make an interception as one of the strikers will drop deep to receive a direct pass in between the lines, the other striker will make a run in behind while one of the midfielders will push up to receive a lay-off from the striker in order to switch the ball or play a direct pass in behind.

With the spaces tight and the opposition players closed down, the player in possession could turn and play a back-pass to a centre-back or the goalkeeper which will trigger a higher press from Racing as the striker positioned in the centre will lead the press through the middle, closing down the centre-backs or the goalkeeper while both wingers will push up to flank him as Racing transition into their 4-3-3 pressing shape or they will directly transition into a 4-4-2 pressing shape with the two strikers pressing the centre-backs and goalkeeper, the wingers pushing up to close down the fullbacks with the central midfielders closing down space in the centre. Racing can also switch into their 4-1-4-1 defensive shape with the central striker pushing up and applying pressure on the centre-backs as the opposition defence circulate the ball as Racing will focus on intercepting early passes in between the lines and pushing up when they regain possession.

When the counter-press is evaded, Racing will immediately look to isolate the opposition attackers with 1v1 marking in tight spaces, as well as forcing the opposition to the wide areas where a defender can mark the opposition attacker in tight quarters, slowing down their attacking transition to allow Gago’s side to reorganize themselves in their defensive shape. They will also look to close down the spaces and put constant pressure on the ball, forcing the opposition into sideways and back-wards passes while they cover central passing lanes to transition into their defensive shape. Above, is a situation where they are transitioning to defend an opposition counter-attack, the opposition switch the ball for Racing to cover the space on the flank as whilst the opposition attempt to circulate possession in the centre, a player pushes up to apply pressure on the ball instead of Racing looking to sit in a deeper block.

Once a player pushes up, a Racing defender will slide across to cover the zone he is vacated while the defenders remain cognizant to marking opposition attackers, closing down passing lanes while tracking them when they drop deep to receive possession. There is moment where the ball is played wider once again for the fullback and centre-back to shift across to close down the space, leaving a pocket of space that the deepest-lying midfielder recognizes and drops into, in order to cover the space, as once the ball is played back into the centre, the midfielder pushes out to the midfield zone with the defenders tucking back inside. This situation forces a back-pass where Racing transition into their high 4-3-3 press to force a long pass into the channels for a harmless cross into the box where the opposition had no attackers in the area.

In the video above, Racing also have a situation where they are defending into a 4-2-3-1 deep block in their own half as the situation starts with a back-pass as the ball is played to the deepest-lying midfielder, triggering a Racing attacking midfielder to push up and engage the opposition midfielder as if a backwards pass is played, the central striker will push up to lead the press. This situation also shows the interchange in defensive shapes as with the attacking midfielder pushing up into the attacking line, Racing could switch to a compact 4-3-3 defensive shape or press while if a winger drops deep, they could switch to a lower 4-4-2 block. In the situation above, the deeper-lying midfielders have moved wider to close down markers which gives the opposition access for a direct pass to the nine-space as the Racing centre-back pushes up to regain possession.

Gago’s more favoured defensive shape is a 4-1-4-1 defensive shape as it allows his side to more readily react to triggers in order to transition into a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 high press while the sequence in the above situation is less likely to happen, due to the presence of a defensive midfielder in between the midfielders and defence. Racing will defend in a deeper block with the striker applying direct pressure to deeper-lying midfielders and defenders with a line of four and a midfielder patrolling the pockets to deny the opposition direct access to the central spaces, forcing the opposition into the wide areas where Racing will shift the defensive block to the flank with the winger, ball-near midfielder, ball-near fullback applying direct pressure while the striker shifts across to cover back-passes into the centre and the deepest-lying midfielder covers any progressive passes into the centre. This shape also allows Racing to intercept passes into the centre of the pitch as the close player spacing allows quick vertical connections and deep runs for switch balls as well as direct passes in behind for Gago’s side to create counter-attacking opportunities.

In all of their defensive shapes, Gago’s team will utilize compact player spacing to deny the opposition passing access to the central areas and once the ball is played into these areas, players will close down these spaces quickly to regain possession. However, this close player spacing is crucial to Racing regaining possession to work quick connections in tight areas before playing a deep pass to one of the strikers for a lay-off and then a pass in behind for a runner to lead the counter-attack and create a high-quality opportunity. Once Racing regain possession, they will work quick connections before playing a deep pass against a disorganized opposition defence to create high quality opportunities behind the opposition high line while his team are incredibly well-versed in passing in tight spaces and stretching the pitch.

In the situation above, Racing have just regained possession in the defensive phase as the opposition are in a counter-pressing situation while Racing’s 4-1-4-1 defensive shape has led to them having phenomenal player spacing for circulation once they regain possession. The player in possession can lay the ball off to the six-space for a pass to the ball-far 8 as the wingers push up with runs while the 8 plays a direct pass to the nine-space for a lay-off and a deep pass for a run in behind which could lead to a high-quality crossing or shooting opportunity. Racing managed to create a high quality opportunity after this particular situation as the ball was laid off into the six-space for a direct pass into the nine-space for another lay-off to the six-pace for the ball to be switched to the ball-far winger who played a direct switch for a runner in behind as he squared a cross for the striker to tap into an empty net but the centre-back was on hand to make a brilliant tackle. The intriguing aspect of Racing’s counter-attacking moves is that wingers will make vertical runs inside to receive possession in the central positions for shooting opportunities while this could also allow fullbacks to make overlapping runs to receive possession in space.

Racing would have another counter-attacking move, regaining possession on their left flank as they were re-organizing their defensive shape and applying pressure on the ball. The ball would bobble to the nine-space after the tackle for the striker to lay-off as Gago’s side immediately looked to switch to the opposite flank for the winger to make a timed vertical run inside while his fullback made an overlapping run to receive possession and lob a cross to the back-post for the shot to be saved. Racing are consistently looking to create attacking situations out of pressing situations, counter-pressing situations and defensive situations with quick triangular passing sequences and lay-offs in tight spaces before stretching the pitch or searching for depth with direct through balls to runners or switch balls to the weak side to burst forward and create high quality opportunities. The movement, interchanges as well as the timing of runs and passes is well co-ordinated as Racing can create opportunities from a variety of situations.

Set-pieces

Since joining Racing, Gago has dedicated more time in training sessions, especially pre-game training sessions, to working on innovative ways to attack set-pieces. In a 2-2 draw against River Plate, they came back from 2-0 down to draw the game 2-2 by scoring their two goals from throw-in and switch sequences. In that away game, there was also a particular focus on taking throw-ins quickly in order to be able to move and switch the ball before the opposition defence could reorganize. Throw-ins were also taken quickly so Racing could play long throws to create goalscoring opportunities. In his tenure at Racing, attacking set-pieces has become a more crucial aspect of his style with him dedicating more training sessions throughout the week and closer to games to set-pieces and looking for innovative ways to attack set-pieces to create goalscoring opportunities.

Above is a throw-in routine from this season as there is a player positioned close to the throw-in taker, another teammate is positioned near the half-space as Racing have a player positioned closer to the box in order to establish a triangle as well as a 4v4 situation against the opposition defenders. The throw-in is played to the second player in the half-space who moves closer to the throw-in taker as the third player then moves into the space vacated to receive possession, the throw-in taker makes a circular movement into the deeper areas as a direct lay-off option who can facilitate a switch, a cross into the box or a lobbed pass into the channels. The first player holds his position to occupy his marker while the player who originally received the throw-in makes a run into the space the third player evacuated to receive a back-heel to send a shot over the bar from inside the box. This is a brilliant move as the possibility to switch possession and work a direct cross into the box was available as Racing could work this routine with a left-footed player receiving possession and the throw-in taker making a circular run into the box towards the near post where the left-footed player could cut-back to him for a higher quality shooting opportunity. Despite having success against River Plate with throw-in and switch routines for crosses on the weak side, Racing also showed the ability to be creative without switching which adds variation to their throw-in routines.

Early on in Gago’s tenure at Racing he exhibited an enhanced attention to set-piece techniques which was also extended to free-kicks and corners. Above is a free-kick routine from one of his earlier games, his side conceded a 3v5 numerical superiority to the opposition in the box which could also be seen as a 2v6 with only 2 Racing players being positioned in the box while three-attackers were positioned just outside the box. Three players are positioned around the ball to take the free-kick while another player is positioned in the central midfield area, far outside the opposition box as the opposition are playing with a 1-man wall. This may seem like a poor spacing players with more players around the ball to take the free-kick than near the six-yard area but before the free-kick is taken, all three players positioned at the top of the box, move into the box while one player moves away from the free-kick leaving two players to take the free-kick as the player positioned the highest makes a run to the back-post for the free-kick to be lobbed to the back-post.

A Racing player positioned in the nine-space, moves towards the near post to occupy opposition defenders as the ball is lobbed to the back-post as once the ball drifts to the near post, another Racing attacker positioned at the near post spins and begins to make a run into the six-yard area. At the back-post, the Racing player plays a one-touch pass across the face of goal as the attacker making a run to the near post is just a few seconds late with his run. The context of this set-piece routine is intriguing when the situation and time is considered as it was in the 79th minute while Racing were 2-1 down. Most teams in similar situations would send most of their outfield players into the box while Racing implemented a free-kick routine where as many as three outfield players were outside the box with the free-kick taker as they nearly created a goalscoring opportunity.

Gago has utilized short corners with more regularity which was apparent as he has been employing short corner routines since his appointment at Racing, with mixed success at the start as with more practice, his team are capable of playing numerous elaborate short corner routines. In the conclusion of our article on short corners, we outlined Gago as a manager to watch in this space as he has continued with short corners this season as Racing utilize short corner routines with a greater regularity than most other teams in Argentina.

In the short corner routine above, Racing employ the ‘Hansi Flick delayed crossing routine’ as they have a player positioned near the touchline next to the corner-kick taker to attract an opposition defender out of the box and towards the flank. The corner-kick taker plays a backwards pass to the half-space for a midfielder to play the ball to a teammate in the ball-far half-space to stretch the pitch to the opposite flank where two strikers make runs into the six-yard area with another attacker veering out towards the top of the box to receive a cut-back which was intercepted. The move was well-worked as Racing managed to generate space in a congested penalty area as at the beginning of the clip, the midfielder who eventually stretches play to the flank moves from a position inside the box to outside the box while Racing attackers in the box are gesturing for a deep pass corner based on the space provided outside the box, meaning that Racing adapted to the situation in the moment. At the beginning of Gago’s tenure, Racing would utilize this specific style of short corner but would end up circulating possession in the deeper areas without being able to get a cross into the box as they have trained and improved with this style of corner.

In the same game, about 7 minutes before the corner above, Racing would attempt a short corner from the same situation with a player positioned by the touchline next to the corner-kick taker. This time, the corner-kick taker would play the ball to his most direct pass who would drive forward with possession before sending a pass into the centre of the pitch. However, instead of spreading the ball to the opposite flank, the midfielder would play the ball to another midfielder in the centre of the pitch who played a short pass back to the flank where the original corner was taken. He then made a run into the box while attacker veered out to the space he vacated for a back-pass to be played into the centre of the pitch as Racing had no players in the six-yard area and most of their players were moving towards the top of the box for a teammate to unleash a shot from range which was blocked on the line. For the rebound, the midfielder who made the run into the box cut-back for an attacker who had a close range shot blocked before the opposition cleared the ball. This sequence would inform Racing’s decision to play a direct deep pass and switch the ball in their next corner as they worked a different corner out of a similar situation where they managed to accrue two shots at goal.

In another game, they worked a different short-corner routine as they had three players in the box against 7 opposition defenders with a teammate positioned closer to the corner-kick taker and another player positioned in the half-space as they manage to drag two markers out of the box. The corner-kick taker rolled a pass to his teammate before making a run towards the box where he received possession to attract both opposition markers before spreading a pass for a teammate in the half-space. Racing players began to make runs and move into the box with a player making a run from outside the box and veering towards the back-post while a teammate made a run to the near post to drag an opposition defender out of the line of the delivery and blocking him, preventing him from intercepting the cross. Before the cross was made from the half-space, another run was made towards the centre of the box to the back-post to clear space for a teammate who was unable to divert the cross into the box. This sequence was more focused on the movement inside the box rather than the movement around the box as Gago and his side have shown creativity and invention with their short-corner routines.

The back-post seems to be a pivotal area for Racing attacks as well as for Racing set-pieces as they frequently utilize back-post movements for flick-ons as well as back-post runs. They would have another short corner with a player positioned by the touchline as once the player positioned next to the corner taker received possession, a teammate from the centre of the box would move closer to the wide area as a passing option. Most of the Racing players in the opposition box were positioned in the opposition six-yard box in a 3v3 situation as they dragged the defence’s attention towards the six-yard area. They played the ball back into the deeper areas for a pass into the ten space as the ball was laid off for a one-touch pass onto the opposite flank as the original corner taker would make a run to the back-post for a lobbed cross which was intercepted by the opposition.

In a situation where Racing were 1-0 down with about 7 minutes left in the second-half, Gago took the opportunity to utilize another short corner as a player was positioned near the touchline next to the corner-kick taker while another player was positioned in the central positions, moving towards the half-space. The ball was played to the player moving closest to the touchline while the player moving towards the ball-near half-space made a run into the box while the corner-kick taker made a run into the central positions. The ball was played to the player making a run into the half-space to cut-back a cross from the by-line into the six-yard area where a striker sent a high-quality header wide. The positioning of the players in the box is also integral to analyse as Racing have three players positioned at the top of the box with one player making a run out of the box while the player is making a run into the box to attract the opposition defence to push forward, expecting the back-pass like in a previous short corner situation.

The other two players hold their position at the top of the box for cut-backs and to occupy markers, the player at the near post moves as if he is pushing towards the top of the box before making a run back into the six-yard area to the near post which creates space for his teammate behind him to receive possession at the near post. At the back-post, a player makes a run into the six-yard box then to the top of the six-yard area to also receive a potential cut-back opportunity at the top of the six-yard area. Another interesting facet of this move is that Racing end the sequence with 5 players in the opposition box against the opposition team that have every one of their players defending the corner which is opposite to common beliefs that the attacking team should attack the box with as many players as possible to increase scoring opportunities. In two set-piece situations, down a goal in the latter stages of the second-half, Gago has gone in a different direction. It is also interesting to note that Racing have three players positioned outside the opposition box as if a deflection is made then Gago’s team will be able to recover the ball while Racing are also threating playing the ball backwards from the corner to switch to the weak side for a cross or to play the ball back to the same flank for a crossing opportunity.

Gago is impressive with his set-pieces as he is quite varied and open-minded with his use of them as he even attempts longer corners. Even in a long corner situation, Racing would have a player positioned by the touchline to receive possession from the corner-kick taker and to drag an opposition defender towards the flank. Racing would once again have 5 players positioned in the box against 9 opposition defenders as the sequence started with Racing having 4 players positioned at the back-post with one player positioned at the centre of the box, leaving the near post empty. Before the set-piece was taken, a player made a run from the back-post towards the near post with another teammate making a run to the centre of the box. The corner came in and the player at the near post flicked on for his teammate who had made a run to the centre of the box to have his header saved.

Intriguingly, the original player positioned in the centre of the box would have no role during the actual corner but once the cross came in, he would move away from the keeper and into an onside position in order to finish a rebound. Another teammate would make a run from the top of the box to the back-post of the six-yard area to also have an opportunity to tap in a rebound. Racing would have only five players in the box against 8 outfield players and a goalkeeper, their movement was exceptional as they would have a player positioned at the near post, three players positioned in space in the centre of the box with two in the six-yard area as well as a player making a run to the back-post. The movement and the timing of the movement and runs were phenomenal as it led to Racing having a high-quality opportunity as Racing are innovative at attacking set-pieces both from short situations and from long situations which makes them unique amongst most clubs.

Racing would have another short corner sequence where they started the move with none of their players occupying the six-yard area. A teammate would be positioned by the touchline to receive possession as the corner-taker was about to make a circular run around him towards the top of the box before cutting back to the outside to receive possession by the by-line as three players would make runs to the near post, central area and back-post. Racing would begin the corner sequence with only three players in the opposition box against eight opposition defenders. The two runs into the box were made from outside the box as one player trotted into the box from the right flank as another made a run from the central area as the runner from the right tucked into the central area and sped up his run as he got closer to the six-yard area. One of the Racing attackers in the box made a movement towards the back-post as the player from the centre made it seem like he would make a run to the back-post before Racing would have three players making a run to the near post for a blocked low cross.

While searching for a goal, three minutes away from the 90th minute, Racing would utilize another short corner situation. With no player positioned near the touchline as they started with three or four attackers in the opposition box against eight opposition defenders. Racing would have four players clustered at the top of the opposition box as one player would move closer to the flank to receive a direct pass to take a touch before playing a pass back to the corner-kick taker who made a run closer to the box as the corner-kick taker would pass back. By the time the player in the centre received the first pass, Racing would have two players making runs towards the six-yard area as when he received possession again, Racing had four players positioned by the six-yard area with two players making runs from the top of the box, one to the near post to attract attention of an opposition defender and another to the back-post as he was in space to receive the delivery but was unable to direct his opportunity at goal.

Conclusion

Racing have experienced a resurgence while Gago has also been catapulted to one of the more revered coaches in such a short space of time as his managerial career is only a year old. At Aldosivi, he was a manager with intriguing ideas while Racing has seen him build on his ideas to become one of the leading coaches in Argentina as he has only experienced one defeat in all competitions this season. Including set-pieces into his management style shows an ability to develop ideas and an open-mindedness which will prove beneficial to his longer-term managerial career as his ability as a coach may have been questioned at Aldosivi but will no longer be up for question. The 36-year-old has faced adversity in his managerial career but has even overcome a sacking to restore faith into one of Argentina’s footballing institutions as he may also have a future in Europe with his playing career and early successes in management as it will be interesting to see if he can add some silverware to his early promise.