Blues News

Three changes Zola may implement

|
Image for Three changes Zola may implement

Gianfranco Zola was clearly appointed manager of Blues to help change the way we play our football so here are three slight changes I think the Italian will make to the side:

1) ATTACKING FULL BACKS

It was well known that former manager Gary Rowett based the side on being solid and it was the defensive structure that helped us through a lot of games throughout his tenure. However, I think that Zola will look to make a few changes to the way the back four work as a unit. One of these changes will be to push the full backs a lot higher up the pitch. Jonathan Spector and Jonathan Grounds aren’t really known for their attacking intent but I’m expecting to see them push a lot higher up the pitch than they previously have. They don’t need to be bombing on every time but I wouldn’t be surprised if their starting position dictated how attacking Zola wants them to be. With the January transfer window approaching, we could see Blues linked with full back that have a reputation for their attacking play.

2) KEY MAN DICTATING

We know that one of the reasons Zola was brought to the club was to play a more attacking style of football with more possession of the ball being key to that. If this current team are going to adapt and play with the ball at their feet a lot more then I think that one player in particular will play a crucial part. This is likely to be the man who plays just in front of the defence. At present, that would be Stephen Gleeson and he has the ability to control a midfield, dictating the play as he goes. So a lot of possession will be going through the man in this position due to the ability they have on the ball. It doesn’t surprise me at all that we are being linked with players like Henri Lansbury as he is the type of player that is comfortable with the ball at his feet and he can also dictate play from a deeper position whilst also having an eye for goal.

3) HIGH ENERGY

Although Rowett`s team were known for their hard work and energy, I think that Zola will want to make a few tweaks in the way the team plays off the ball. He will still want that high intensity but pressure on the ball could prove to be key. We did this really well under Rowett a few times, most notably away at Fulham earlier this season, but we did have a tendency to back off sometimes. With players like Che Adams, David Davis and Maikel Kieftenbeld, we have the players there that can press high with their energy and force the opposition into mistakes. This will ensure that the defence doesn’t have to soak up pressure and the team can win the ball back as quickly as possible, which is just what Zola will want so that they can, once again, retain possession.

Share this article

Keep Right On!