Coaching career started as a college team coach

Gasperini, the head coach of Atalanta, is a typical head coach whose strength is greater than his fame. He has a clear framework for his team on the court. His favorite 3-4-1-2 formation is so far in line with his style.

They resolutely implement the tactics of oppression and pressing, and increase the number of people on the offensive end, and constantly attack the opponent's defense with excellent positional passing and cutting cooperation and free position change of players.

Relying on strong off-ball running and passing combinations in the opponent's half to create a large number of opportunities has been fully proven in actual combat.

If the backcourt is the lifeblood of Manchester City, then Atalanta's backcourt is obviously not the case. Their transmission is very smooth, and it is their typical feature to quickly send the ball from the wing to the frontcourt. The wingback plays a very important role in this formation.

"In order to create a numerical advantage on the field, Gasperini's choice is very radical. They directly raised the two wingbacks to the position of wingers, which made the formation on the field close to 3-2-5 or even 2-3-5 during the game."

Wei Le pushed the buttons representing the wingers on both sides forward, and said while arranging them, "This is actually a bit like Manchester City."

"Atalanta chose a very radical attack because they have a group of frontcourt players with excellent footwork." Wei Le looked serious, "and this led to Atalanta being able to effectively control the midfield in almost all games."

"I think they will definitely restrict Rodri more in their game against us, and even send out a 3-5-2 lineup, removing a front midfielder and adding a central midfielder to specifically defend him."

"So, it will be difficult to play." Celars concluded.

"Yes, it will be difficult to play." Wei Le paused, "But there is a way."

Gianluca Conte was looking forward to Wei Le's ideas, and he quickly asked, "What do you mean?"

"That is to let us give up the midfield directly!" Wei Le said shockingly.

"What do you mean by giving up the midfield directly?" Although he was very shocked by this statement, Gianluca believed that Wei Le's "giving up the midfield" was definitely not as simple as handing over the control of the midfield.

"Wait a minute." While Wei Le was brewing, he put the Wolves' lineup on the whiteboard, opposite to Atlanta.

Is this a set of... 4-4-2?

Gianluca Conte looked closely, yes, it was 4-4-2.

The 4-4-2 formation is really too old and has too much "historical background". Not long after the development of modern football, in the era when it was still black and white film, the 4-4-2 formation already existed.

It existed earlier than the 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 variants that appeared in the system later.

If the time now is a few years in the early 21st century, then Gianluca Conte will not feel strange at all, after all, 4-4-2 is everywhere.

But now it is 2017, and the tactical iteration is very fast. There are many different schools of tactical play in the 4-back system. When these new tactical play encounters the big brother 4-4-2, the characteristics of 4-4-2 are exposed.

That is, this is a set of tactics that rely on fast passing through the midfield, and the requirements for the wingers are very high. At the same time, due to only two central midfielders, the 4-4-2 system has no inherent advantage in the midfield.

This is a set of play designed for fast counterattacks. The goalkeeper passes the ball to the two side defenders, and the two side defenders then pass the ball directly to the two side forwards, and then the two side forwards cross the ball to get an offensive opportunity.

It is very simple and inefficient, but it is really useful.

Because the wing players burst out, you say you can't defend, and you really can't defend.

"It's time to show these Italians our Canadian speed!" Wei Le laughed, and he put a note with "Alphonso Davies" on the left back position.

"We don't need to do mid-position pressing at all. We can just curl up the formation at the beginning, like a tightened fist." Wei Le stretched out his right hand and clenched it into a fist.

"In the beginning, we can do some disguises, such as changing the players' positions at the beginning of the game to 4-2-3-1, which seems to be trying to control the midfield with the opponent."

"But our counterattack mainly relies on the breakthrough of the wingers on both sides. We don't need to waste time with them in the midfield. Just pass the ball to both sides!"

Wei Le's arrangement is of course supported by reliable data. Atlanta's 3-4-1-2 formation's wingbacks on both sides are prone to running up and not being able to run down. In addition, their three central defenders often have problems.Some... outrageous mistakes.

Wei Le believes that Atalanta adopts an offensive style of play and attacks desperately. On the one hand, you are good at attacking, and on the other hand, it is because they can't play defense well.

Their defense often makes mistakes when facing a quick counterattack with impact.

"In the midfield, we let Rodri and Dendoncker go up. When Dendoncker defends, he comes back to be the fifth defender, and Rodri goes to sweep."

"The so-called 'Wolves-style counterattack' has not appeared in the European arena yet!" Wei Le likes this term very much. "Everyone must participate in defense. The purpose is to force the opponent's formation in the first 30 minutes."

"Then, give the ball to Afang and let him break through the opponent!"

It's very simple, but very practical.

When dealing with such a strong team, there is no need to go around in circles. Sometimes the simplest is actually the most useful.

"Then, it's the same question again." Gianluca asked, "How can we ensure that the opponent plays according to our ideas?"

Wei Le showed a "warm" smile, "I have arranged the interview, now I just need to add fuel to the fire..."

"Wolves hope to die standing, the young head coach emphasizes the importance of offensive play!"

Gasperini held up the information in his hand, which was the information of the latest daily press conference of Wolves. Atalanta's scouts almost immediately sent the important news to Bergamo, Italy.

"Do you think what he said is true?" Gasperini asked his assistant coach Gritti. Since 2013, Gasperini has been working very happily with his assistant coach Gritti in Genoa.

Gritti, who originally served as an assistant coach in Genoa since 2002, actually followed Gasperini in 2016 and left Genoa, where he had played for more than ten years, to Atalanta.

Gasperini certainly attaches great importance to the opinions of his assistant coach.

"Well," Gritti pondered, "I think there's no need for this young man to lie."

"Obviously, we are the dominant side." Gritti continued, "We did draw a good lot. After all, they are just a newly promoted team from the second division."

"Don't take it lightly." Gasperini freed a hand to tidy up his silver-white curly hair, "Do you think they might actually want to mislead us?"

"Even if they want to mislead us, what do they want us to do?" Gritti asked back, "Does it mean that he said he wants to control the midfield and play an offensive style, and we have to do as he wishes and defend this game?"

Gasperini smiled and shook his head, of course it wouldn't be like that.

"You are the head coach, you have too many things to consider." Gritti was a little helpless, "Sometimes you are really suspicious."

Gasperini smiled bitterly and didn't answer. According to common sense, as his assistant said, the Wolves head coach's speech this time does not represent anything. But he is always a little worried, and he doesn't know why.

After all, even if they are promoted from the Premier League, they actually won the Europa League by defeating a number of giants. This is very unreasonable.

So, can we still use common sense to look at Wolves' actions?