Dictate The Game

The theme of this article is the concept of on-the-field partnerships. And how such relationships between players have proved to be so important for some of the most successful teams in the history of the game. Today, nobody can think of Barcelona from mid-2000s without remembering the names of Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi. Or Chelsea team from that same period. Alongside Man United, it was easily the most dominant team in Premier League and Europe at the time. And the names of its legendary trio: Frank Lampard, Claude…

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When the Dutch Total Football first appeared on the international football scene in the early 1970s, it seemed to be destined for greatness. With the way Ajax was playing, football enthusiasts wondered if anyone could ever stop the Totaalvoetbal juggernaut. The expectations were set when Amsterdam club took home every European Cup between 1970 and 1973. A total of 3 European Cups! Then came the two consecutive World Cup Finals in 1974 and 1978. But in both Finals, the Flying…

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This is the follow-up to my last piece, which was the first part in the Zona Mista tactic guide. It can be found here. Whereas that article gave an introduction to the Catenaccio roots of Italian Game, this one will examine the player roles you will actually need to set up the Italian counter-attacking style in FM21.

Different football styles inspire many things in us. There is Brazilian Jogo Bonito with its almost sexual joie de vivre. Makes you want to dance samba just watching it. Then there is German Gegenpress with its cold-blooded efficiency. And Italian Calcio which to me personifies romanticism of a simple bygone era. Also Italian football just made sense to me, even as teenager who knew little about football. Score goals and don’t let the other team do it. Actually Calcio from 70s-90s is one of the best jump in points to learn…

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