Beating the press & solo skill - tactical trends of Euro 2024

Football is moving connected truthful quickly astatine nan infinitesimal that you tin beryllium near down if you are not connected nan crushed - connected nan writer aliases astatine games - to consciousness what is happening.

You realise that erstwhile you measurement retired it, nevertheless briefly, for illustration I person done since leaving West Ham astatine nan extremity of past season. You deliberation you cognize a lot, but really things are changing each nan time.

I've taken connected a domiciled arsenic a method perceiver for Uefa astatine Euro 2024 because I wanted to spot for myself what is going on, and what caller ideas are retired there, successful each aspects of nan game.

I've been a head for much than 26 years, and I want to walk connected my acquisition and thief nan adjacent procreation study nan aforesaid measurement I did, but I still person that thirst for knowledge myself too, to proceed picking up bits and pieces arsenic I spell along.

During nan 1998 World Cup, erstwhile I had conscionable started retired arsenic a head pinch Preston, I went to France to effort and study arsenic overmuch arsenic I could from nan teams astatine nan tournament.

I had written to each of nan 32 countries progressive beforehand, asking if I could travel and watch them successful training, but nan only ones who said yes were Scotland.

I knew their head Craig Brown well, truthful I went to spot them successful Avignon wherever they were based and luckily nan Scottish Football Association sewage maine immoderate tickets for a fewer games.

I hired a mini car and drove astir nan southbound of France for a fewer weeks, watching nan matches down there. I was fixed immoderate backing by nan Professional Footballers' Association but staying successful hotels was still not affordable for me, truthful I slept successful nan car immoderate nights.

That was erstwhile I was successful my improvement shape arsenic a coach aliases manager, erstwhile I was trying to watch arsenic overmuch shot and study arsenic overmuch arsenic I perchance could.

I americium still doing nan aforesaid successful Germany now, though, conscionable pinch a spot much entree this time.

I americium very fortunate because of nan activity I do for Uefa to get to speak to truthful galore different group successful nan crippled to perceive really they spot things.

It was nan aforesaid erstwhile I was moving for nan BBC earlier successful nan tourney too, listening to nan different pundits to understand their constituent of view.

I americium a head and yet I person my ain thoughts and principles astir really things should beryllium done, but that does not mean I americium not adaptable aliases consenting to alteration - you person to beryllium some if you want to enactment successful shot for very long.

Along pinch group for illustration Fabio Capello, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Rafa Benitez, I americium portion of a group of 12 Uefa observers, external who are going to games successful Germany and talking astir what we've seen.

We look astatine a batch of analytical information and besides research immoderate wide tactical trends - so, if location is thing caller going on, aliases thing which isn't happening immoderate much that has done successful nan past.

The thought is to effort to spot wherever nan early of shot is heading, and what should beryllium fed backmost to younger coaches astatine each levels of nan crippled down to nan grassroots.

Those are nan places wherever group request to spot what changes are coming, truthful they tin effort to instrumentality it into their ideas arsenic well.

I person been to a fewer games pinch Rafa and ex-Romania midfielder Ioan Lupescu, and person travelled astir pinch erstwhile Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Packie Bonner too, feeding backmost what we've seen to effort to build a image of what Euro 2024 has been about.

On nan tactical side, location is thing really caller that has stuck retired arsenic being different aliases surprising, but immoderate of nan smaller specifications person been interesting.

Lots of teams are doing tons of pressing, but location are besides a batch of longer balls retired from nan back, possibly because group are recognising that it is not a awesome thought to effort to play retired erstwhile teams are pressing you truthful difficult and truthful high, and are truthful bully astatine it.

So, alternatively of trying to hit nan press, teams are playing complete it., external

There is besides a different accent successful really teams are trying to create and build play erstwhile they get connected nan shot - immoderate style they mightiness commencement retired in, it often becomes a 3-2-5 aliases 2-3-5 successful possession.

Another point we person noticed is that location are not truthful galore runs being made successful down defences by number nines, but different players are making much - nan number 10s are doing it more, and nan wide attacking players.

It is nan effect of those wide players that this tourney will astir apt beryllium known for. I was astatine Spain's triumph complete France connected Tuesday, but moreover earlier past Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams had evidently stood out, and Georgia's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and England's Bukayo Saka person too.

That benignant of individual accomplishment has decided a fewer matches, and players who for illustration going 1 versus 1 and taking defenders connected person done a batch of bully things successful nan competition.

It's been breathtaking to spot that benignant of talent coming done and we consciousness it's a consequence of nan measurement young group crossed Europe turn up watching shot now.

They tin spell connected YouTube and watch intimately nan likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi aliases immoderate of nan apical players successful nan world, and really they do things, whenever they want to.

Even conscionable that connected its ain is astir apt helping create amended players from other, smaller, nations, and it is awesome to see.

As a team, Portugal astir apt tried nan astir different things tactically. They played very good erstwhile I watched them successful their quarter-final, but contempt having a batch of possession they could not really wounded France.

Along pinch Germany, they were astir apt nan squad astir disappointed not to spell further than they did and make nan semi-finals, but location were other, little fancied, nations who besides acquitted themselves good moreover if they did not needfully spell heavy into nan tournament.

Georgia, Albania and surely Turkey autumn into that category, arsenic sides that showed really overmuch nan modular of shot has risen crossed Europe.

They did not conscionable effort to transcript nan attack of nan bigger teams, either. Instead, they did it their ain way. Along pinch Austria and Switzerland, they are immoderate of nan sides who I would opportunity had a successful campaign.

Still, I deliberation everyone has been successful statement since their first crippled that Spain person been amended than everyone else, truthful it is not a astonishment to spot them successful nan final.

I americium backmost successful Berlin for that game, and it is going to beryllium fascinating to spot if they tin decorativeness nan tourney nan measurement they started it.

England, successful contrast, person possibly not deed their apical shape yet, but they are still here, and they could still person nan past word.

David Moyes was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan successful Germany