SUPERIORITIES

Now that the theoretical context behind possession from a positional play lens has been provided, it is necessary to describe the processes which allow for progression up the pitch when a team has the ball.

These processes are commonly referred to as superiorities, and describe situations in which one team or player has a clear advantage over their opposition, which has the potential to provide the conditions required to progress the play.

The most widely understood concept is that of quantitative or numerical superiority, in which one team has more players within the active area in close proximity to the ball. As an example, a 2v1 situation in a wide area, where fullback Llorente may link up to isolate an opposition player, presents an opportunity to the team to progress should the 2v1 situation be completed successfully. Even within central areas, quantitative superiority can be employed to densify the opposition through controlled possession, before playing the ball into the newly available space to find a free player.

A 4v2 situation in wide areas assists the Wanderers in progression whilst playing out from the back.

Qualitative superiority represents a situation where one player has an advantage over his direct rival. This echoes the sentiments of FC Barcelona’s in-house genius Paco Seirul-Lo, who once said that “not all one versus one situations are of equal standing”. This is true, and the reason behind this is of a qualitative nature. For example, a 1v1 situation where Lionel Messi has the ball is heavily weighted towards the success of Messi rather than the success of the defender. In some instances, situations with one attacker against two defenders can also be situations containing elements of qualitative superiority. Another objective of positional play is to find the moment where qualitative superiority exists in a dangerous area of the field, such as in central or wide areas of the final third. However, these opportunities are just as advantageous during build-up, and a successful 1v1 situation limits the effectiveness of the opposition defensive structure. In the right areas, qualitative superiority is crucial in creating goal-scoring opportunities as well as bringing the ball out from the back, and is often a focal point at some stage during the development of a positional play philosophy.