Luís Castro outlines 10 principles he wants at Grêmio | OneFootball

Luís Castro has sketched out 10 on-field principles he wants to see at Grêmio, while warning the process will take time. The Portuguese coach is still chasing his ideal line-up after three matches without a win.

After Saturday’s draw with Juventude, asked about rehearsed routines, he delivered an unusually detailed breakdown of his game principles. According to Globo.com, his focus is on coordinated movements in attack and defence, many governed by tight timing.

He said a month is not enough to showcase everything, though he will not use that as an excuse. Monday marked one month in the job, counted from the start of pre-season on the second of January. The past week brought two defeats and a draw.

In possession, he wants triangles when building wide with a full-back and a wide player, then switches to advance midfielders and find the front three running in behind. If the front three drop and free space, the far-side wide player or midfielder must drive forward. When one full-back goes, the other covers as the third man in the defensive line’s rotation.

If the centre-forward comes short, the wide players move inside to receive and combine. On losing the ball, there is a three or four second counter-press, otherwise the team organises in four-four-two or four-five-one depending on the opposition. When sitting deeper, it becomes five-four-one, with the far-side wide player tucking in diagonally.

If opponents go long to escape pressure, Grêmio must be set for first and second balls, then attack the space once the second ball is won. If the counter breaks down, they should reset within four seconds. In build-up from the goalkeeper, shapes vary between a square and a triangle, either two plus one or one plus two, with the centre-forward sometimes dropping to form the square.

By creating superiority in midfield, either a pass pierces the first line or the ball goes direct to wingers in one against one. Implementation, Castro accepts, will take time.

Source: Globo.com