Andrew Cooling For Slice of Cheese

Possession Isn’t Everything

Football is a game that is continuously evolving, styles of play and tactics are in a constant flux. Every few years a new style arises and that is then seen as how football should be played, the blue print for a side to be successful and win trophies. In the past decade the ‘best football’ has been based on controlling the ball as much as possible, playing tiki taka, or implementing systems reliant on possession, firmly based around a strong midfield with ball playing centre backs who can pass out from the back.

More recently however, we have seen a lot of successful teams who are not all that worried about having the ball. They leave the passing game to the opposition and instead focus on launching quick counterattacks once they have drawn them up field. We have seen this used to tremendous effect, most notably by the likes of Leicester City and Atlético Madrid. These teams will not necessarily park the bus but they are happy to cede possession to their opponents.

This is the approach that Devonport have adopted, they are not a side that will slowly build with a string of short passes and they do not need the majority of possession because when they do have the ball they make it count. They defend with a deep line and then counter attack very quickly. The front three of Adam Gorrie, Brayden Mann and Brody Denehey are all among the quickest forwards in the league, they are capable of bursting forward and exploiting space in behind. They rush to join in attacks before opposing midfielders can get back to support their defences. The Devonport defence always have outlets to hit with a long diagonals, or they can play the ball to short initially to their midfielders who split wide, then look to move it directly for their forwards to run onto it. It's a lightning fast transitional game that is based upon quick movement of the ball into wide areas.

But there is a lot more to this side than simply playing on the counter attack and they can only play in this manner because of their rock solid defence.

The Yellow Wall

The strikers boast the tightest defence in the NPL TAS this season and they have proved extremely tough to break down.  The first thing that stands out is the sheer size of the back four. The centre backs Joe Zupo and Nathan Gratton are both towering figures and the full backs in Kieran Mulraney and Dom Smith are certainly taller than your average full back. Both full backs probably get forward less than their South Hobart counter parts, but they are very rarely beaten. Wingers find it hard to get around them and they sit slightly narrower, tucked in closer to the centre backs. They can do this because their two wingers, Gorrie and Denehey are so diligent in getting back to help out in defence. The pair are tireless in their work rate and Savill makes full use of their incredible fitness in how he deploys them.

This approach helps maximise the strength of the two powerful centre halves, Nathan Gratton and Joe Zupo. It covers the lack of pace and plays to their strengths. That being their ability to dominate in the air, winning the vast majority of aerial duels. Both also excel at anticipating the ball coming into the strikers and nipping in front of them to cut it off before they get it. Should attackers find a way past this yellow wall, then they still must contend with finding a way past a goalkeeper who has a fair claim to be the best in the state, in Niko Giantsopoulos.

Of course helping them out immensely is the man sitting just in front of them, Daniel Syson. He is Devonport’s fiercest watch dog, biting at the heels of opposing midfielders and sticking to them like glue. Seldom do opposition attackers have time and space on the edge of the box because Syson shields them to tremendous affect and forces them out wide. His fellow central midfielders, be it Joel Stone, Beau Blizzard or Miles Barnard, play slightly more attacking roles but they also work back very hard in defence and try to shut down the passing lanes. By having their midfield three working so hard to block off the middle of the pitch, they funnel opposing attacks into the wide areas. They are less concerned than most sides with crosses coming in, or attacks developing from out wide because they are so strong in the air allowing them to deal with this, especially when Niko Giantsopoulos so excels at coming out to claim crosses.

The Leading Mann

At the front of this side, leading by example is the captain Brayden Mann. The prolific goalscorer registered his 100^th Victory League/NPL goal in just his 73^rd game last weekend and in this cup run he has notched up a remarkable 13 goals in 3 games! He is lethal when given space anywhere near the area, with the ability to score off either foot and he knows how to find a yard of space in the box. These traits have made him such a dominant goal scorer down the year.  Yet it’s not just the goal scoring that has stood out about Mann this year, his work rate has been phenomenal. He sets the tone with his work rate when the opposition have the ball, always running, always pressing and making defenders move the ball on quickly. He has shown a willingness to sacrifice his own game for the team and the leadership he has brought to the team is a big reason for their success.

A Boulder Sized Hole In Midfield

Football can turn in the blink of an eye. In the 73^rd minute against Hobart Zebras Joel Stone flicked the ball away after it had gone out, delaying a throw in for which he was booked. Two minutes later he was half a second late into a challenge, blocking an attackers run and he was booked for a second time, sent from the pitch and now out of the final. His suspension leaves a massive hole in the middle of the Strikers midfield. Stone has been one of the form players in the league this season and his absence will be heavily felt. He links the defence to the front line, he has the silky skills to beat a man and he is so often is the man who plays the crucial ball to unlock opposing defenses. Beau Blizzard is the man who will be charged with filling the hole, but he has been battling a knee injury all season. He is the best like for like the Strikers have and last time out against South Hobart he put in a tremendous shift, but after missing a number of games, it will be a tough ask for him to step in and replace the form midfielder of the competition. How he steps in performs will be a key to Devonport's success or failure, without someone playing that link up role, there could be a danger of Devonport becoming too predictable with the long and direct passing game.

Road To The Final

Rd 16:Glenorchy Knights 0-4 Devonport

QF: Kingborough Lions 1-7 Devonport

SF: Somerset Sharks 0-10 Devonport

Expected Line Up