Soccer Modern Tactics: Italy's Top Coaches Analyze Game Formations Through 180 Situations

A word of caution. This book can help a professional team coach provided he has legitimate playing experience prior to becoming a "gaffer". Any interested reader must always bear in mind that the systems of play and formation analyse how the other team plays, not how your team will play. Now, any talk of tactics is patently senseless unless the personnel at the coach's disposal has natural ability supported by skill acquisition through the years of carefully planned development. To simplify, there is no tactics without technique. Technique becomes skills when it's impregnated by decision-making. However, regrettably strategy is absent from the equation. The author entirely neglects this aspect; those who have played at the serious level will know that the substance of pregame talks will tell a lot about whether the coach functions in the tactical planning mode or the strategic one. Truly great coaches cringe when pressed to discuss systems and formations; it's as simple as daylight that a smart coach will design a system according to the resources available instead of imposing some grandiose scheme on a bunch of mediocrities. One other drawback is that like with most other similar books the accent is on the script, that is, this is this the way my team is going to play, what the other team does is irrelevant since we shall dominate to the extent that the opponent will only react. Well, what if? What if the opponent not only counters but creates a number of puzzles for which the collective memory of the team has no solutions? A thing inherent in soccer due to the fluidity of the game. So it all boils down to this simple thing - the way the teams line up at kick-off has little resemblance to where you may be required to go if the situation demands. That's why occasionally the right fullback is the player clearing the ball off the goal line from the position of his teammate on the opposite end. And again, this book is of limited value to the youth coach who must devote most of his precious little time to technical development rather than abstruse deliberations of who should mark and who should cover. There is such an essential thing as good instinct, and players who possess even a modicum are blessed. I would recommend this book for general educational purposes exclusively.

just started to read it and like it. Great introduction to the zonal play ... explained with diagrams ... every coach should exploe it and learn great deal about zonal-marking and zonal-playing. It's all in there ....

This book has a conversional style and is like watching a TV interview. Several coaches give insight to formations and tactics in an interview style. The diagrams are confusing, some of which may be due to the translation. For example, keepers are designated with a "P". If you want a better understanding of the strategy of Serie "A", this book is for you.

This is a very good look at different formations and strategies by Italian coaches including World cup winning manager Marcello Lippi , Arrigo sacchi and Carlo Ancelotti .Principles of attack and defensive systems are easily explained and well illustrated.
Best off all , in the interviews questions are put to the various coaches on their choices. Very interesting well worth getting.
Soccer Modern Tactics: Italy's Top Coaches Analyze Game Formations Through 180 Situations

Somewhat interesting, maybe a translation that lacks something.

Anyway, this is focused on soccer from the Italian point of view, so a bit more emphasis on defense, and the defensive situations and formations that they are long acquainted with.