Author | Lightnews

Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 1d

Good thought, the wide and progressive passes could be separated into ground or high passes. Maybe adding switches of play as well.

Would be awesome with more advanced data to split up the triggers caused by possession team "errors", like loose touches, poor body shape, receiving on weak foot.

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 1d

Also John, I'd be interested to get your thoughts on this. Are there any different pressing triggers that you would add to this analysis?

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you Rob! Glad you liked the idea.

Out of interest, what did you think of the pressing triggers that I chose to analyze? Any that you'd add?

Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you John, glad you enjoyed it! Your piece on The Athletic was the inspiration behind the "non-progressive wall pass" trigger.

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 2d

▫️Coaches can exercise a fair amount of control over pressing triggers & orientation

▫️Therefore, they can be analyzed & prepared for

▫️Such analysis supports video reports & helps coaches design specific sessions

✍️ Full article available here 👇

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/pressing-t...

Pressing triggers, orientation & defensive positioning

Developing opposition analysis ideas & analyzing how pressing triggers impact outcomes

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 2d

5️⃣ How the trigger impacts decision making

▫️Creating pass clusters & filtering out the 4 most common attempted passes, following the 8 defined pressing tiggers 👇

▫️Keepers more frequently go right (open body shape for right-footer)

▫️Wide pressures often lead to backwards passes or balls up the line

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 2d

4️⃣ Positioning whilst pressing

▫️With @statsbomb.com 360 data, I visualized how Sweden were organized when they generated pressure from the left or right side of the opposing keeper

▫️Close marking of central passing options, but at times leaving a short, sideways pass open 👇

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 2d

3️⃣ Oriented pressures

▫️I then split specific pressing triggers into different types depending on their orientation

▫️Analysis of how the 8 Women's Euros quarter-finalists jumped to press a keeper 👇

▫️Norway jumped straight to press the keeper, Sweden & Spain more often came from an angle

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 2d

2️⃣ How the trigger impacts press efficiency

▫️Pressing the keeper is risky, inevitably leaves a free player

▫️Jumping out wide & on non-progressive wall passes seems more efficient (considering ratio of recoveries to opposition progression)

▫️As expected, more recoveries after progressive passes

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 2d

🧵 Thread: I recently explored a few ideas to analyze a team's press in more detail 👇

1️⃣ Pressing triggers

▫️By focusing on the opponent's pass before a 1st pressing action in a sequence, it's possible to separate different triggers

👇 The graphic shows an example, with the 8 triggers that I defined

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 5d

✍️ Pressing triggers, orientation & defensive positioning: Developing opposition analysis ideas 👇

▫️Focusing on the pass before a pressure to analyze triggers

▫️How the trigger impacts outcomes

▫️Orientation & positioning can add more layers of detail

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/pressing-t...

Pressing triggers, orientation & defensive positioning

Developing opposition analysis ideas & analyzing how pressing triggers impact outcomes

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com

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Reposted by Tom Harrison

John Muller @johnspacemuller.com · 10d

Welcome new people, here are some soccer analytics and tactics accounts to follow if you're into that

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · 24d

2 goals for the extraordinary Gilberto Mora in the U20 World Cup yesterday.

Back in February, I profiled the 16-year-old, analysing his underlying numbers, remarkable ball retention, shot locations and performances in the Tijuana academy 👇

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/the-best-p...

The best prospect in Mexican football?

Analyzing Gilberto Mora, in Liga MX and academy football

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · Sep 15

✏️ Studying tempo in a high press, inspired by tactical analysis from @jonmackenzie.bsky.social & @liamtharme.bsky.social

▫️Pressing a ball reception = Less progression & more recoveries

▫️More time on the ball = More long passes & better success %

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/tempo-and-...

Pressing the ball reception can improve high press efficiency

Studying the concepts of tempo and access in a high press

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com

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Reposted by Tom Harrison

LaNorris Sellers’ Heisman Trophy @socratescousin.bsky.social · Sep 13

🤔🤔🤔

Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · Sep 12

✍️ Pressing the ball reception can improve high press efficiency

▫️Limiting time on the ball before a pressing action reduces opposition ball progression

▫️Generating turnovers is more complex, as increased time pre-press leads to more long passes

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/tempo-and-...

Tempo and access: Key concepts for a successful high press?

Studying opposition time on the ball before being put under pressure

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com

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Reposted by Tom Harrison

SS-SilverRey @silverrey.bsky.social · Sep 13

This one is good

And applies to the importance of shots from the likes of DJJ and Lukic from outside the box

#doop

Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · Sep 2

✍️ Blocking the goalkeeper's sightline can increase goal probability

▫️Defensive positioning study with @statsbomb.com data

▫️Pressuring shots reduces goal probability

▫️If a defender can't pressure the shot they should move to clear the keeper's view

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/blocking-t...

Blocking the goalkeeper's sightline can increase goal probability

Analysis of defensive positioning and the impact of pressure on a shot

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · Sep 12

✍️ Pressing the ball reception can improve high press efficiency

▫️Limiting time on the ball before a pressing action reduces opposition ball progression

▫️Generating turnovers is more complex, as increased time pre-press leads to more long passes

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/tempo-and-...

Tempo and access: Key concepts for a successful high press?

Studying opposition time on the ball before being put under pressure

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · Sep 10

Thank you Neel!

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Reposted by Tom Harrison

Neel Shelat @shelatneel.bsky.social · Sep 8

You may well have seen this but I enjoyed this recently

bsky.app/profile/tomh...

Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · Sep 2

✍️ Blocking the goalkeeper's sightline can increase goal probability

▫️Defensive positioning study with @statsbomb.com data

▫️Pressuring shots reduces goal probability

▫️If a defender can't pressure the shot they should move to clear the keeper's view

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com/p/blocking-t...

Blocking the goalkeeper's sightline can increase goal probability

Analysis of defensive positioning and the impact of pressure on a shot

cambiodejuegoenglish.beehiiv.com

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · Sep 5

A pleasure to provide some quotes for the @cesarhfutbol.bsky.social piece on Gilberto Mora

Check it out below 👇

Cesar Hernandez @cesarhfutbol.bsky.social · Sep 5

"This kid could definitely be a Champions League-level player in the future"

Meet 16-year-old Mexican wonderkid Gilberto Mora, one of the most exciting young players in world soccer and a possible savior for El Tri at the World Cup.

www.espn.com/soccer/story...

Introducing Gilberto Mora, 16, Mexico's great hope for the 2026 World Cup

Gilberto Mora is one of the most exciting talents that Mexico has produced in the last few years, as the teenager will now look to live up to that hype at the World Cup.

www.espn.com

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · Sep 3

Pro players should be pretty aware of where they are in relation to their goal though, so a small step to one side as an opponent lines up a shot doesn't seem too difficult. Could again be something that's worked on in training and planned alongside the keeper (e.g. always step to the same side).

Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · Sep 3

Seems a better decision to try to get defenders to press attackers at a slight angle when they're in a possible shooting situation. It's the shot funneling idea that was seen in Dyche's Burnley, blocking part of the goal and limiting the attacker's options, without blocking the keeper's view.

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · Sep 3

I have seen Liverpool defenders literally jump out of the way, but even if coaches don't want to go that far, they can change general coaching points.

I've seen "body, ball, goal" coaching (or similar) given to defenders and keepers, which encourages the defender to block the keeper's sightline.

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Reposted by Tom Harrison

Kieran Doyle @kierdoyle.bsky.social · Sep 3

Nothing I love more than when analytics research backs up things that just obviously completely make sense

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Tom Harrison @tomh36.bsky.social · Sep 3

I know you weren't, I was just joking around! Thanks again Alex

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