Swansea vs QPR- Key tactical takeaways

Quick look at how Swansea's shape stifled QPR's build-up, how QPR reacted with solutions and the impacts of playing a high defensive line against Swansea.

Rangers lost 0-1 to Swansea on Saturday over in South Wales in a tactically interesting game. The final game of a three-game week, all three games unchanged, something Beale admitted he was at fault for not freshening the side up, but he’ll learn as a young coach. Russell Martin’s preferred 3-4-2-1 shape has changed in recent games to a 4-2-3-1 shape in possession, with his out of possession shape something that was key in the game and impressive to my eye.

1. Swansea’s off ball shape and press

Example of Swansea’s 442 narrow shape off the ball. Empty the far side CB and FB. The double pivot screens our two 10s. The wide midfielders are in ‘half positions’ to jump to the FBs when triggered.

As the image shows QPR had a +1 advantage in midfield which Swansea tried to manipulate. Dozzell (no.11) if received would cause Paterson to come inside or Grimes (6) to jump up. The spare midfielder gave QPR an option to overload areas.

Like mentioned previously, Swansea set up in a 442 midblock out of possession. A compact structure to nullify spaces and passing lanes but on the other hand can be penetrated if the structure isn’t correct, because you only have to play through two defensive lines and you're attacking their defensive line.

442 Swansea shape compacting central areas. Rangers tried to manipulate the shape through emptying the midfield with Dozzell in the RB area and Stef in the backline ahead of the front two to create a 3v2. Both Grimes and Allen screen the likes of Chair and Willock to prevent easy access to them.

Front 2 block access to Field and the two split CBs in build-up. Paterson starts inside and reacts to the trigger (pass to Laird) and presses the ball. Sorinola on the far side also tucks in on Stef ready to press Paal if he was played into.

Swansea showed especially in the first half they executed some high pressing traps to prevent Rangers building out their half, forcing them long and preventing the backpass.

Another pressing trap in build-up. Laird receives and Paterson applies pressure. Cooper m2m on Dickie so the backpass is off. Piroe tucks onto Field and Grimes steps up and follows the deeper run of Chair to get on the ball.

QPR try to find solutions to break the press, which they do, but Swansea force them around their narrow shape.

FBs pushed higher in the build this time. Dozzell drops in to create a 2v1 overload. Front 2 prevent central access, Paterson in a ‘half position’.

Dozzell plays the ball into Laird giving him space ahead. Paterson proactive to the trigger, but it leaves Laird isolated to attack Manning 1v1 unless support from the ball side 10 (Willock).

Swansea’s 4-4-2 shape was effective at nullifying Rangers’ fluidity on the ball. The narrow shape meant higher emphasis on wide combination play and riskier penetration needed from our CBs to find our 10s between the lines.

2. Build-up and solutions to Swansea’s shape

I alluded to it earlier that despite Swansea’s 4-4-2 midblock being an effective off ball system to prevent central space and block off QPR’s main threats by using the double pivot to screen, Rangers did try to find solutions to build through Swansea with manipulation, braver CBs and creating overloads.

As highlighted in the previous two screenshots (overload with Dozzell 2v1) we tried to build around the shape with the spare CM dropping in. Another way we build through Swansea was with Rob Dickie stepping in. Jimmy Dunne has his strengths as a CB (aerially dominant, aggressive and passionate which our fanbase love) but he’s not progressive or brilliant on the ball, along with some other obvious weaknesses which I’ll touch on later. In this game as shown, we needed Dickie to be braver and try to break Swansea’s structure.

Dickie steps in, Dozzell creates a 2v1 to attack down the sides. Note Swansea’s double pivot is wider than they’d like.

Dickie breaks through the midfield line. Doesn’t execute as a Swansea CB intercepts the ball from the receiving Chair but right idea. Needed to be braver in our possession choices.

Again, Dickie steps up and there’s space to attack between the channel space (Paterson) and Grimes.

Dikcie breaks both Swansea’s lines, finds Willock between the lines and he can play on the half turn and gain us some territory.

Just from those two examples you can see the impact one action has on our attacks. We’ve turned it from build-up to attacking in one simple and effective move.

Another way we managed to build through Swansea’s shape was manipulating the shape through positioning.

Rangers break the first line with a wide starting shape and Field dropping in to play on the half turn.

Field progresses the ball to Willock past the Swansea midfield 2.

Willock then bypasses the pressure from the 2 CMs and finds Chair between the lines with numbers to hit them quickly.

Another simple move (three passes) that helps break the shape effectively that gives us another opportunity at driving at their defence. Final ball/execution wasn’t there on the day, but it was pleasing to see us execute solutions proactively considering the impact Swansea were having on us when they were without the ball.

3. Impacts of the high line

For the last three games at least it’s been evident about our line turning from more of a midblock (where the distances behind and in front are equal) to a high line. It hasn’t always worked as goals for Watford and Hull were scored from exploiting our high line. It’s fairly simple, for a high line you need mobile CBs and for me Dunne isn’t mobile enough to play it. Dickie isn’t the quickest CB but over distances he’s mobile enough and the more mobile of the two. Clarke-Salter, will make life much easier with the high line, as shown how comfortable both Dickie and JCS were in defending transitions against Blackburn.

What was interesting was Beale stated that he didn’t ask for it to be high, which doesn’t tailor to the needs of our current CBs personnel wise.

Very high line, just behind the halfway line.

Another high line, Swansea pinning us 3v3 on our LB and both CBs. Both Piroe and Sorinola blindside to their markers.

Wood (on the ball) finds the blindside run of the athletic Sorinola. Thankfully the ball gets intercepted but a big let off.

Sorinola proved to be a huge threat making the deeper 3rd man runs off the blindside of Paal in particular, and we never reacted to it.

Piroe and Paterson slightly offside in this phase, deceiving the backline. Dunne tries to step but Sorinola (deeper far side runner) tries to manipulate the lack of rigidness in the defensive line.

No communication in the defensive line. Paal drops, Dunne steps keeping Sorinola onside which Grimes is able to find.

Sorinola beats the high line with acres of space in front. Piroe and Paterson both onside in the 2nd phase but Laird intercepts the poorly weighted pass to Piroe.

With the full backs having better pace and athleticism to get up and down the flanks, they both show their importance in recovery runs/tackles.

Piroe plays a one two with Cooper to beat the line. Another high line, with loads of space for Swansea to exploit.

Paal makes a brilliant recovery challenge, which he has to get right. Dickie the nearest other player with his better mobility over longer distances.

All in all, the high line didn’t work and caused us a load of problems all game. It doesn’t suit the personnel we have at CB with Dunne, at least until JCS comes back from injuries. Neither CB had a brilliant game, but Dickie’s braver choices in possession helped us going forward and when in a game where you require mobility to defend proactively and break a set shape out of it on the ball, Dunne causes us more problems than positives. As for Balogun, it’s very much a wait and see with him.

That being said, it was a good performance from Russell Martin and Swansea particularly out of possession to stifle us. They allowed us only 0.46xG (as per Infogol), the lowest in the championship all weekend. Fatigue was a reason for defeat, but we also looked void of ideas going forward in the final third to break open Swansea’s shape.

A poor defeat, but one Beale can learn from.