Nottingham Forest fans have been treated to their first glimpse of an Ange Postecoglou training session, showing the Reds working on a skill that will be crucial to the new head coach’s success.
Pressing was a key part of Postecoglou’s first session, as the Reds squad get used to playing more on the front foot than they ever did under Nuno Espírito Santo.
However, in his first interview with the club, Postecoglou did hint at being more adaptable, which was music to the ears of Forest fans worried about the drastic tactical change.
The Reds will be more on the front foot, though, evidenced by Ange’s attempts to implement a Tottenham tactic into his new squad ahead of the clash with Arsenal.
Murillo in action for Nottingham Forest vs Fiorentina
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Ange Postecoglou has Murillo working on Tottenham tactic
Plenty has been made of Postecoglou’s preference to play his defence much higher up the pitch than Nuno ever would, but with the suggestion that he would be more adaptable, perhaps Reds fans were hoping for a slightly altered stance on the defence.
However, as seen in training footage released by the club, it looks as if Postecoglou is preparing Murillo for his new high-risk role.
In the video, Murillo was seen making sharp turns while attached to an elastic band, as well as short sprints that would end in turning around a pole.
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These drills will help him build up more agility, a crucial aspect for a defender in a Postecoglou side as he will be expected to push up and leave space in behind, so his ability to recover going backwards will be important.
This may seem like something that should come naturally to the Forest defenders, but Espírito Santo’s system put them in positions where speed and agility were rarely required.
Nuno Espírito Santo utilised his defence in a different way
Espírito Santo’s counterattacking style was perhaps more defined by the speed of the attack, rather than the role of the centre-backs.
The deep starting point of the team meant that the training that Murillo is doing with Postecoglou was simply unnecessary, with the stats showing how little the Forest defenders sprinted last season.
Murillo – 8.5km per 90
Nikola Milenkovic – 8.9km per 90
According to the Premier League, Murillo sprinted the least per 90 minutes in the league last season, with Nikola Milenkovic not far behind him.
Clearly, then, the transition into more regular sprinting will be one to monitor as Postecoglou learns just how far he can adapt his new squad to his preferred tactics.