Fan Comment

Marco Silva — A Potted Tactical History in 7 Matches

18 January 2012 FC Porto 1 Estoril 0, (Taca de Liga)

The history here is that Silva had come in to the struggling provincial club and turned things around. He had a spectacular and instant impact and had the team flying and by the 12th game they had climbed to the top of the table where they would remain. We are past Silva's 9th league game and he's unbeaten since tasting defeat in his first game. In the cups, they'd qualified for the group in the League Cup (which this is) but had lost the first group game, and now they went to Vitor Pereira's fearsome Porto side.

Estoril lined up in a 4-3-1-2. That's a flat back four, with fullbacks pushing on, 3 midfielders sitting deep, number 10 sitting deep and two strikers who appear to run the channels and wait for long balls up the pitch. Estoril are under the cosh for most of the game. Estoril seem to be defending quite comfortably, save for a wicked deflection hitting the post. However, the highlights are only going one way. The goal arrives in the 65th minute. Alvaro Pereira runs down the left tries to play in a pass to Varela, but it takes a deflection and loops a ball into the middle, where Silvestre Varela brings it down well with his right, knocking it inside for his left, and then he smashes a bobbling shot down low to the keeper's left. The keeper gets at least a hand to it, but he can't keep it out. He will surely have thought he should have saved it. Porto keep coming forwards, but Estoril defend well. They have a half chance late on, then a typically fast counter attack sees a triangle down the Estoril right with the full back playing it quickly inside to the central midfielder and the right winger galloping away towards the byline. He plays in a low cross behind Gerso, and the balls comes to an unmarked Pedro Moreira who skies it over the bar when he had a free shot on goal. Estoril were setup to defend and counter. The defending part they did well, only really beaten by a deflection onto the post and shot the keeper should have kept out. They spurned their best chance.

NB there was a spectacular 4-6 defeat that season in the actual Cup, but sadly it's not on youtube for assessment.

6 May 2013 — Benfica 1 Estoril 1 (Liga NOS)

If I picked the first game because there was little choice on YouTube, I picked this game because it is of massive significance. Clearly this is Silva's second season with Estoril, but his first in the top flight. Estoril got off to a shaky start in the league and come into this game in 6th position, on their way to an eventual 5th position. However, Benfica are top and on their way to the title. The gap to Porto in 2nd is 4 points, but three games left. They do have to go to Porto in the game after this, but if they beat Estoril, and helpfully I read that 93% believe Benfica will beat Estoril, then they only need to win their last game and the result in Porto is irrelevant. Manager of Benfica is Jorge Jesus the respected Portguese coach who you will recognise (Portuguese Barry Manilow?) and he is also the guy that Sporting sacked Silva to get him into Sporting. The consequence of this result is more for Benfica who allow Porto to catch ground on them and then lose the winner takes all game in Porto. Estoril are finishing like a train, they come into this game having just snatched 5th from Braga, upsetting them by snatching a 2-1 comeback win. The pre-game vote had 90% in favour of a Braga win.

So onto this game. Silva lines his men up in a 4-4-2. It's a diamond shape. Of note is Evandro on the right of the midfield 3. Estoril play a very narrow back 4. The left back, Jefferson gets forward well and his a decent left peg. Estoril demonstrate some of the counter-attacking flair we hope to see, but this is not vintage Silva. His outclassed side are under the cosh but they are well drilled defensively and stand firm. They go ahead due to a flukey goal scored by Jefferson who whips in a left footed free-kick which misses everyone and bounces underneath the hapless keeper who should never have conceded that. Sure he was unsighted by Lica who missed his head, but that should not have slipped under him like it did. Lica then went very close to double the lead, before the Benfica right back Maxi Pereira popped up unmarked on the edge of the box and smashed a super shot past Vagner. Carlos Martins is then sent off for a second yellow on 78 minutes, to give Estoril a man advantage, which they use to press for the winner, bringing a decent save from the Benfica keeper. We can see a nice compact narrow defence. Estoril look solid for a side heavily outclassed by Portugal's traditionally biggest club. Silva's counter-attacking tactics appear to be working and they get a good point that swings the title race away from Benfica, whilst allowing themselves to seize 5th back from Vitoria Guimaraes.

23 February 2014 — FC Porto 0 Estoril 1 (Liga NOS)

There was only one game to do for this season. 2nd at home to 4th. Silva did extremely well to get 4th last season, but he was overshadowed by Paulo Fonseca. In Silva's first season he had won the league and got promoted, whilst Fonseca was 3rd and didn't. But Fonseca did enough to get the Pacos de Ferreira job and took perennial relegation battlers to third. As a result it was he, not Silva, who got the Porto job, replacing the Olympiacos bound Vitor Pereira. Going into this game Fonseca was 2nd, he had recently lost to Benfica and so the lead had stretched to 4 points. After he drew his next game (after being 2-0 up), he was sacked. This defeat saw Porto slip to 3rd and 7 points back on Benfica, and when that grew to 9, he was gone. The damage was really done by this defeat, which saw Porto lose their 5 and a half year unbeaten home record. For added spice, Porto had 3 former Estoril players in their squad!

Both sides line up in a 4-2-3-1. Evandro is the Estoril number 10, playing further forward than he was in game 2. The game saw Estoril defending for their lives. Wave after wave of Porto players attack, but the first half ended with no clear cut chance for either side. In the second half Porto continue to huff and puff, but Estoril are defending deep, narrow and compact, and Porto can only find space down the outside. Their crossing is poor and they can't find a man in space in the box. The one occasion they do, out races Vagner and smothers it. As the game gets to the hour mark, Estoril start to have joy on the counter, and come more into the game. There's a chance that's headed very narrowly over from a corner (set pieces are a big thing for Silva and the year before Steven Vitoria of Canada was top scorer with 11 despite being a centre back, he then got a big move to Benfica, which didn't come off well and he's now in oblivion). Javier Balboa then had a decent chance but pulled it wide of the post. Silva went mad at something and was sent to the stands on 67th minute. On 76 minutes, a great ball is played through the lines and into the box, Evandro gets there ahead of Mangala (yes the same one) who clumsily clips Evandro's foot and gives away a penalty and gets sent off. Sure Evandro made a lot of it, but there was silly contact and it's yet another example of why Mangala is not as good as some think he is (Man City for one), Evandro would not have been able to get a shot off before the keeper closed the distance. Quaresma thumps a couple of free-kicks in a way that Vagner spectacularly saves, but they make the keeper look good rather than the keeper pulling off a worldy. So yet another good defensive action. Narrow back 4, compact and congesting the centre and forcing the opposition down the flanks, and the opposition could not get the space they needed to get a decent chance.

5 November 2014 — Sporting 4 Schalke 2 (Champions League Group G)

I could have picked Sporting getting knocked out of the Europa League by Wolfsburg. The same season we beat them at Goodison, when they had de Bruyne. The two goal hero was future Sporting striker Bas Dost (big yard dog!). I could also have gone for the cup final when Sporting rescued the game after trailing 2-0 with 6 minutes to go, with goals from Slimani and Fredy Montero. Instead I've gone Champions League. After draw away at Maribor, defeat at home to Chelsea, and then a defeat against Schalke, Sporting were left bottom of the group. Incidentally after this win, and then beating Maribor, Sporting needed only a point at Stamford Bridge to qualify but lost 3-1, and missed out by a single point, if only they'd won at Maribor in the first game.

For this must-win game, both sides lined up in a 4-2-3-1. Remember the Estoril left back Jefferson, he's now at Sporting. Right back is Southampton's Cedric. The midfield is set up with Carvalho sitting, Adrien Silva on the right and Joao Mario on the left. Slimani is up top. Nani (yes him) and Mané (no, not him) are wide. Schalke have Fuchs (Leicester), Choupo Moting (Stoke), Huntelaar, Howedes (Juventus) and their current hero Meyer in the no10 position.

The first two goals are set pieces, Schalke go ahead after Slimani gets the last touch to send it past his own keeper. Sporting take the lead from a great hit from Jefferson's sweet left foot, just outside the box. Nani's goal highlights the Silva trademark counter attack. Everyone goes down the right where Andre Carrillo (Silva took him to Watford) is, and after he beats his man and sends in a low cross, there's Nani on the far end to tap home into an empty net. Agogo gives Di Matteo's men hope with a good touch past the defender and then put it past the keeper. Can't blame tactics for this goal as he had two men closing him down, they let him bring it down with a great touch, he was forced wide and smashed it powerfully through the keeper. The fourth goal was a Hull style counter. Schalke are going all out for the goal they need to secure qualification, Sporting punt it forwards to Slimani who is too fast and too strong and races in on the keeper and puts it past him from the edge of the box. That's the Silmani Leicester wanted playing for them.

Sporting finished 3rd that season and won the Cup. Sporting were a lot more open than Estoril. They couldn't play Silva's brand of countering from deep with rapid attacks. Instead they had to play a more possession based game, with opponents in Portugal sitting back and defending. Silva did quite well at that, but not well enough as he came 3rd in what some would call a 3 horse race. But you need to look closer at the results. Sporting lost 7 games that year: Chelsea (Champions League), Schalke (Champions League), Vitori Guinares (League), Chelsea (Champions League), Belenenses (League Cup), Wolfsburg (Europa League), Porto (League). Only 2 in the league, one shock defeat in November (immediately before the game above), and the Porto away game that everyone loses. After that Porto defeat in March, they win 9 and draw 2 in the league finishing like a train, and so the mood amongst the actual fans of Sporting was that this was a bedding in season, that Silva had won his first trophy (and theirs for 7 years or so), and that he had Sporting playing well and that next season would be better. Instead Jorge Jesus was poached from the Champions and Silva was dispatched for a load of ridiculous reasons.

29 September 2015 — Arsenal 2 Olympiacos 3 (Champions League Group F)

There's no other game to pick. Olympiacos walk the league by 30 points, losing just once (AEK), and losing in the cup final (AEK again). In Europe, they're in with Bayern, Arsenal and Dinamo Zagreb. They lose to Bayern, beat Arsenal here, beat Zagreb home and away and leave themselves in a great position, only for Bayern to beat them again (7-0 over the two games) and for Arsenal to thump them at home to ensure the gunners went through at their expense. This game though shows their best qualities.

Fortunous is the standout player for Olymiacos. The Greeks are playing 4-2-3-1 with Fortuitous in the no.10 position. They take the lead from a set-piece before Theo easily beats the Greek keeper to level. The second goal is memorable, Ospina drops it / takes it over the line and the goal is given by the ref behind the goal, and Sol Campbell in commentary reckoned it was not over the line. Sanchez draws the gunners level with a free header from a cross. Slovas closes down, with Cambiasso dropping behind him, Botia is in position to his right. When Slovas drops back Cambiasso is playing in between the two centre backs, and Botia has drifted too far away. Cambiasso leaves Sanchez, Solvas can't recover any ground, Botia is caught in no man's land between Sanchez and Ozil, and Sanchez has a free header. Terrible defending. Finbogasson pops up with the winner straight from kickoff. It's a famous win, their first on English soil in the Champions League. They ended the campaign with 9 points, the same as Arsenal and going out on head-to-head. Having won the League, Silva was tempted home with the Porto job and resigned to get it. Instead they appointed the Wolves manager, and he was left waiting before popping up at Hull.

4 February 2017 - Hull 2 Liverpool 0 (Premier League)

Hull have picked up some wins already and this lifts them to 18th. I won't set the scene any further as you all know the score.

Hull play a 4-4-2, but with the CMs dropped deep and the wingers pushed on so more of a 4-2-4, but in a defensive counter-attacking way. Evandro of Estoril is on the right wing, Niasse is on the bench. Huddlestone is the deep passer, critical to the tactics. Hull get a lucky goal from a corner. Then Liverpool pound them. There's then a great counter where Robinson races forwards from left back and hits a long diagonal to Grosicki, who quickly plays Hernandez through on goal but he can't beat the keeper. Niasse scores after Ranocchia plays a great ball over the top, Niasse outpaces the centre backs who allow him between them, and unlike Hernandez, Niasse just slips it slightly wide of, and just under the keeper. Great finish. That was on 84 minutes and Liverpool were beaten.

Silva used a variety of tactics and formations for Hull, but mainly sat them deep and tried to play on the break.

21 October 2017, Chelsea 4 Watford 2 (Premier League)

After beating Arsenal in the last game, Watford had gone 4th. Koeman was sacked 3 days after this game. But here on ToffeeWeb some of us had our eye on Silva and used this game to scout him. This game encapsulates Watford's time under Silva. So much promise, so close to glory, but ultimately defeat.

Tactically, Silva lined his side up in a 5-4-1 or a 5-2-3. Not a 3-4-3, this was a back 5. I'll let MotD do the analysis:

I would like to conclude by pulling it all together. If you bothered to watch them all, you'll form your own opinions. Mine is that Silva is a pragmatist. He learnt counter attacking football and used it to great effect for Estoril. It was a case of needs must and the underdog overachieved. Then at Sporting, for once he had a slower start, a good finish and landed a trophy. Perhaps the slower start can be explained at having to adapt to possession based tactics and less of the counter attacking game. It was more of this at Olympiacos, they dominated in Greece, and won 3 of 6 champions league matches (the same as Arsenal). They counter attacked well, but three heavy defeats (Arsenal and Bayern x 2) showed hoa badly wrong it goes when it does indeed go wrong. At Hull it was back to Estoril tactics and they almost helped him pull off the impossible. At Watford he was more adventurous going between different tactics (4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 4-1-4-1, 5-2-3 / 5-4-1, 3-4-3, 3-5-2) as he tried to out-think the opponent and he got things working early on. We can all guess what went wrong after we came calling. Was it his head was turned? Or was it a horrific injury list? Or a mixture of factors.

Silva is a pragmatist, that's for sure. And he's not scared to experiment tactically. I expect his tactics to be built around Sigurdsson and expect him to work with a 4-2-3-1, but one thing this article might teach you, he's not predictable.

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