Nuno Espírito Santo Tactical Analysis (or anyone else who becomes fav)

[tommye]

...the last one we had as manager was Mike Walker.

 

[HuddersfieldToffee]

Top work, got to ask, why didnt you do all this when Big Sam came?

See Megson.

 

[Thomasc]

Wouldn’t even read it if he got the job

 

[Joey66]

What does an NES Everton look like?

Before looking at a whole XI, it's important to note that literally the only thing I've stressed so far about the way Nuno plays is despite his time at Wolves, where he was incredibly consistent with elements of his formation (he would oscillate between 3-5-2 and 3-4-3, with the occasional 3-5-1-1 with a player playing in behind Raul Jimenez, usually a speedly player like Adama Traore or Pedro Neto but always played a back three), it's easy to see the kind of players that Nuno would like in our side and also what kind of players he's utilised before.

If we begin from the back, it's hard to see him replacing Jordan Pickford as Number 1 and it's incredibly unlikely he'll be moved on but it's likely NES will find a back-up goalkeeper to add to the squad. At the back, there are interesting options whether you want to look at a back-three or back-four: Mason Holgate, Jarrad Branthwaite and Ben Godfrey are all accomplished ball-player defenders (Branthwaite is slightly significantly less experienced however) and Keane and Mine, the other two centre-backs in the side, represent good aerial defence and solid defensive organisation in the middle of the pitch. Godfrey has recently been played at left-back in Gareth Southgate's England team and Holgate can play on the right, so both offer mobility and physicality in the defence, which is useful for an aggressive approach to ball-recoveries (which Nuno likes).

Digne is a certain starter, however, in a three and four man defence, and his crossing ability will mean he is sure to be a winner if NES is appointed. On the right, question marks about Seamus Coleman's ongoing ability to play at the highest level will be concerning, but links to Denzel Dumfries, Max Aarons from Norwich and Zeki Celik from Lille (fresh from winning the Ligue 1 title) show that Marcel Brands is considering the area a high priority for rejuvenation this year. If not, Jonjoe Kenny is an adequate replacement and better than his recent spell at Celtic suggests. The personnel as they stand hint that Nuno might have to consider a back-five as his starting defensive base.

In Midfield, it's clear that Nuno rates Andre Gomes, but his mobility has declined since his injury, and he may want to replicate the role of Joao Moutihno or Ruben Neves in a deeper position, hitting balls over the top and hitting diagonals to the onrushing wing-backs. In terms of links, it's hard to get past Marcel Brands who indicated he wanted to make a move for Ryan Gravenberch, with the Ajax midfield to set out his stall at the European Championships with Holland this summer, he would offer height and extreme craft in passing to the midfield of the side.

It's hard to see what Nuno wouldn't love about Allan, and given his predisposition for intelligent defensive midfielders, it's easy to make the case for him and for Jean-Phillipe Gbamin, who are both known for their ball recoveries and defensive positioning, to make a claim to the role fulfilled in his Wolves team currently by Leo Dendoncker, as an energetic forward-pressing midfield in a midfield two or to play as a calming defensive midfielder at the base of a midfield three and also easy to see a case for Tom Davies, whose energy will be admired by NES.

It's harder to see a role, however, for Gylfi Sigurdsson, as Nuno prefers his playmakers to have more energy than the languid Icelander, despite his excellent dead-ball ability and goal-threat. Especially should Gravenberch be signed, who offers similar passing ability but with greater height, it's unlikely there is a role for Gylfi unless he adapts to playing deeper in the midfield, to possibly replicate Dani Parejo's role for Nuno's Valencia side, however that role can equally be done by the lung-busting Abdoulaye Doucouré.

Up front, it's hard to see past a front two of Richarlison and DCL, pending both of them staying at Goodison Park, but more difficult to see roles for many of the bit-part attackers of 2021. Nuno likes to have pace in his side and it remains to be seen whether Richarlison will play through the middle or off the dual-threat speedy and tall DCL in a narrow front three, and much depends on the signings. The club have been linked with Adama Traore, who can fill in at RWB and RW, and Robert Skov, who can similarly back-up at a number of positions besides striker, so it might be something to look out for in our signings: replacing the rigidity of the players signed under Carlo to the fluidity of the signings of NES. Equally, Moise Kean (should he remain) might offer a good option up front and allow a bit more control and physicality against two man back-lines.

If I was to pick a before and after transfer window Everton line-up under NES, however, I would pick suggest something like these selections;

Now
View attachment 129996View attachment 129997View attachment 129998
Maybe with a good transfer window
View attachment 130000View attachment 130001View attachment 130002

Conclusion

Nuno is an excellent man-manager and creates coherent, well-drilled sides. His football can be exception, and can be exhilarating to watch, especially on the counter attack and with the high-press - but this has to suit the game plan and tactics needed to get the result. Appointing NES would be a good move in the face of succeeding Carlo, as he is rigid and regimented and good at building team spirit, which will be vital in the coming months, especially with a severed pre-season. Expect boring early on, possibly for some time but a solid style of play that is committed to intensity.

TL;DR: He's ite.

If anyone else becomes the front runner, I'm happy to do something similar for Mr Gallardo, Mr Howe, Mr Galtier, Mr Potter etc etc. Hope this is of use to some people.

Conclusion he is a mercenary who turned us & Palace down - don't want him move on .....

 

[trueblue84]

With that much analysis and charts, I was expecting the conclusion to be that sigurdsson is the best midfielder in the world.

 

[KaiserEFC]

Stopped reading when I saw forward pass arrows coming from Andre Gomes

 

[Michael Tsui]

Love reading this, but Andre Gomes had slid a lot...

 

[Visbaluz]

good analisis but . did james already left? not a single mention about him ..

 

[canuckblue]

I'll wait for the movie, thanks.

 

[HuddersfieldToffee]

good analisis but . did james already left? not a single mention about him ..

Interesting one, but I can only see him playing behind the striker in a 3-5-1-1, NES prefers faster players up there and he can only really be brought in for a static number 10 role because he won’t play him in a front 3 in a 343 imo

 

[Visbaluz]

Interesting one, but I can only see him playing behind the striker in a 3-5-1-1, NES prefers faster players up there and he can only really be brought in for a static number 10 role because he won’t play him in a front 3 in a 343 imo

so are we asuming IF he stays (wich i really hopes he does) NES (nintendo entertainment sistem) would straight and plain send him to benchland? for the likes of ... siggy - gomez?

"he can only really be brought in for a static number 10i" i thnk this is not entirely true: james played as a second pseudo defensive midfielder at bayer munchen under heinkes . his job was to deliver the ball from the CBS into and attack if needed, he proved good enouch to score 11 times (cant remember) and qualify to bundes liga top 11. yes he was healthy then but he said here , after his cut from the national team , that he is treating his calf problem from a diferent angle hoping to be healthy once again...

james can perfectly replace (and completly erase) gomez in any of those formations...

 

[HuddersfieldToffee]

so are we asuming IF he stays (wich i really hopes he does) NES (nintendo entertainment sistem) would straight and plain send him to benchland? for the likes of ... siggy - gomez?

"he can only really be brought in for a static number 10i" i thnk this is not entirely true: james played as a second pseudo defensive midfielder at bayer munchen under heinkes . his job was to deliver the ball from the CBS into and attack if needed, he proved good enouch to score 11 times (cant remember) and qualify to bundes liga top 11. yes he was healthy then but he said here , after his cut from the national team , that he is treating his calf problem from a diferent angle hoping to be healthy once again...

james can perfectly replace (and completly erase) gomez in any of those formations...

That’s a fair point, he did play on the left side of midfield for Bayern. He seems to play a lot more statically for Everton - maybe that was under Ancelotti. My feeling was he wouldn’t translate into the kind of player that would flourish under the Nintendo Entertainment System. But you are probably right, he does persist with Moutinho (played 33 games this year) and he’s in there purely for his quality on the ball (which J Rod definitely has). Perhaps it’s more pertinent to say that he’d play the Gomes quality, but given Ancelotti crowbarred him into the team, I thought the System would have wanted to bring in Gomes give he is highly rated, even though the jury is definitely still out on his return, and he’s worked with him before - as Ancelotti and Rodriguez had. Both (if NES had come close to the job) could have played a role especially with their equitable fitness issues.

 

[Noisy noise annoys]

Look forward to to hearing
Nuno,nuno, nuno
Nuno, nuno,
Nuno there’s no tactics

two unlimited n ting

 

[HuddersfieldToffee]

Rrr another budding tactics expert looking for a job at The Athletic.

All the best kind sir.

I’ve been doing this since before the Athletic was a twinkle in his daddy’s eye btw.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

Is there a podcast version?