THE FUNCTION OF POSSESSION

In a competition such as the Hyundai A-League where many teams defend deep and compactly, possession can be a critical means to a victorious end when effective strategies are able to be implemented, such as those of Ange Postecoglou and his all-conquering Brisbane Roar side of a few years ago.

The aforementioned of ‘move the ball to move the opposition’ is key in framing the purpose of possession under the tenets of positional play, as it provides a different reference for what having the ball actually means.

Gombau’s Western Sydney attempt to build-up through varied areas of the pitch, often playing in depth but switching regularly to wider areas. Prolonged and multi-directional possession is considered to have two effects, with the degree of emphasis on either dependent on the opposition and their own strengths and weaknesses.

The densifying of the opposition, thereby making space in other areas of the pitch available.

The increasing of distances between opposition players, thereby allowing a greater opportunity for penetration.

In these two outcomes, possession has been used to manipulate the defensive shape of the opposing team in a manner which is conducive to either penetration or the increase of accessibility to a free man.

The first outcome is one wherein the opposition have been drawn towards the ball, away from their positions, increasing the density of the area surrounding the ball. This can be achieved by sustained possession within a small, controlled area, and triggers multiple defenders to approach the ball, creating space away from pressure for a teammate.

This principle also applies when explaining the rationale behind playing out from the back; as more members of the opposition press the ball in deeper positions, they become more detached from their supporting line, ensuring that the ability to play between the lines is enhanced and resulting in an increased likelihood of a successful build-up.

When playing out from the back, Western Sydney draw the opposition onto them before exploiting the space left behind.

The second outcome introduced above was in relation to increasing the distance between opposition players through rotational movement of the ball. By playing the ball into different areas, heights and lines across the pitch, individual defenders will generally become less and less inclined to remain in their set position. This can sometimes lead to an increase in the total distance between a team’s players, creating better conditions for penetration as a result. The total distance between defenders is in itself an important aspect of football, as it has been shown that the team that has the highest cumulative distance between players when without the ball is more likely to lose the match.