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PSG 5-4 Bayern • Tactical Breakdown Defensive horror show or attacking masterclass? • Kane & Dembélé both playing false 9 → constantly dropping into space, no real holding midfielder to track them, so both teams just stretched during press and these two thrived in the chaos. • Bayern midfield... show more
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![Siphesihle Ndlovu and the Double Pivot: Tactical Analysis📝 Out of Possession Siphesihle Ndlovu is a box-to-box midfielder in its purest form. Defensively, he was excellent at recoveries, closing gaps, cutting off passing lanes, and making well-timed interceptions. His anticipation and positional awareness allowed him to support the defense effectively. He maintained a high work rate, consistently tracking back and covering spaces behind the press, which was crucial for stabilizing the fullbacks, especially with Monyane looking flat. Even during periods when his influence in possession dipped, Ndlovu continued to deliver a solid shift out of possession, working alongside Maboe to break up play, win tackles, and apply pressure on the ball. In Possession Ndlovu embraced his box-to-box role, always looking to support the player on the ball, always trying to move the ball forward with line-breaking passes. He carried the ball whenever space allowed and maintained a vertical mindset, favoring forward passes over sideways or backward options. This approach helped the team establish attacking momentum early on. However, in the final 3rd, Ndlovu’s actions leaned too heavily towards shooting. Maboe created more chances[3] than Ndlovu[1], though Ndlovu was the more adventurous between the 2. He limited his actions far from the box. While Maboe prioritized creating opportunities in the final 3rd, Ndlovu often opted to shoot even when he had a teammate in a better position. His pass timing and selection was a concern too. This was especially problematic since Silva was often isolated, with no supply, and so the team needed more support in the final 3rd. With improved judgment in these moments, our quality in the final 3rd would have also received a boost from the midfield and, overall, avoid wasted opportunities. Ndlovu🤝🏾Maboe The double pivot provided balance and control, especially in the first 30 minutes. They kept excellent distances between, denying Arrows the chance to settle & play through midfield. This dominance was most evident early on, with the team controlling the game physically and tactically. Their chemistry was exciting. Whenever they combined, the entire attacking flow looked clean and well-balanced. They were very direct, which demanded high physical output due to the constant need to support forward passes and track back. This lack of patience in possession may have been influenced by Arrows’ aggressive pressing, forcing quicker decisions and increasing physical demands. Or it's part of our high intensity attacking football the coaches favor. After 30min, the team’s attacking intensity dropped, and the combinations between Ndlovu and Maboe became less frequent. This loss of rhythm allowed Arrows more time on the ball, suggesting fatigue in midfield, a trend that continued into the 2nd half. Tactical Considerations and Impact on the Partnership We didn't show much improvement coming from half time. Maboe was becoming less and less influential. The turning point came with the substitution of Maboe for Mabaso. Although this change was relatively late, considering how less influential the midfield remained after the break, Mabaso had an immediate impact. His energy revived the midfield and brought Ndlovu back into the game, demonstrating that Ndlovu still had the legs and capacity to influence the match, what he needed was renewed support and intensity around him, especially with Shabalala offering limited influence as a 10. In the final 15 minutes, the team regained control, pressed higher up the pitch, and created better attacking moments. We looked like we could score a 2nd goal. The combinations returned, the forward passing improved, and Ndlovu once again became influential in driving the team’s play. Tactically, an earlier sub could have restored control and allowed those attacking moments to come before Silva’s sub. A good overall performance from Siphesihle Ndlovu📝 Video analysis with notes:](https://image.24vids.com/tw-2014312666957844730/ext_tw_video_thumb/2014312380541407232/pu/img/aPTOHWhsF8GuXyas.jpg)
![Thabo Cele and Lebo Maboe double pivot vs Polokwane City📝 The level of organisation, discipline, and resistance was completely different compared to our games vs Magesi, Orbit or TS Galaxy and that matters when analyzing performance. And, before even getting into the Maboe–Cele double pivot, it’s important to address the front 3. Trying to impose a possession-based approach with Lilepo, Duba, and Silva is, at this stage, a bit unrealistic. The profiles don’t naturally support sustained control or efficiency in tight spaces; they are more direct, which makes the approach look slightly disconnected. Otherwise, who should combine with the double pivot to keep possession against a low block cos you're not inverting any fullbacks or CBs? Mdu[10] is also direct and won’t drop deep into ball circulation. ■ The midfield pairing of Cele & Maboe gave the team a clear structural balance in the 1st and 2nd phase, even if the chemistry is still far off. I mean, it's their 1st start together so🤷🏾♂️ Cele operated as a holding midfielder, anchoring the team behind/next to Maboe. He took on most of the defensive responsibility, well-positioned to screen the backline, and effective in managing transitions. ■ In possession, Cele was central to the 1st and 2nd phase of progression. He completed more passes than Plk City’s midfield duo of Kambala and Maphangule combined while also neutralising their 10 Mutudza. Mutudza managed just 5 passes in 66 minutes, which says everything about Cele’s dominance in that zone. He constantly made himself available in front of the CBs, scanning, managing the tempo, and organising the team’s structure. He always demanded movement from his teammates, always pointing to open spaces they should be occupying to progress better. At one point, he was calling Mdu to receive while Mdu was instead making a forward run away from Cele who had the ball. Cele didn’t force progression unnecessarily, but that doesn’t mean he lacked intent to move the team forward. He completed more line breaking passes and passes into the final 3rd than any other player. That highlights his awareness of when to accelerate play and when to maintain control. ■ Maboe, on the other hand, operated as the 8, with freedom to impact higher zones. With Cele securing the base, he was free to connect phases and influence play closer to the final 3rd. However, you could still see old habits from his previous role. He often dropped deeper than expected, which slightly limited his presence in decisive attacking areas. As much as he played balls into the final 3rd, we also needed him to receive in the final 3rd more. ■ Together, Cele and Maboe created 5 chances against a very disciplined low block of Plk City. 4 of those came from Maboe, underlining how much creative responsibility he still carried. However, this wasn’t his sharpest attacking performance in terms of passing and shooting. Despite the output in chances created, there were several misplaced passes in key moments, and he didn’t attack the box enough for an 8 with a reliable 6 behind him. It’s a similar issue we had with Mdu yesterday, he also struggled to consistently enter the opposition box as usual or combine between the lines. There was a clear lack of chemistry in the final 3rd in our overall performance. We couldn't stay on the ball enough to put pressure on their defense and cause enough panic for them to crack. ■ Towards midway through the 2nd Half, both Cele & Maboe started to lose some steam, and the pairing needed refreshing. At this point, Plk City had already overloaded the middle and allowed very little space for us to operate. We failed the same way in the loss vs Stellies, they improved their midfield to cancel our dominance, and we looked confused with our subs, no clear intention to improve a clear area that's been neutralized. Our struggles were not in the double pivot. There was nothing result-altering or structurally wrong with Maboe & Cele. [Video] Part 1:](https://image.24vids.com/tw-2045887731700559891/ext_tw_video_thumb/2045887060720885760/pu/img/e0-wMqe9a8wsJnU7.jpg)
![[Part 10] The side of Taehyung hyung's determination to never give up on his goal: Even with foot injury *the person received permissions to post* 👤In military bootcamp, there is something called a physical fitness test that is held every 2 weeks. The physical fitness test consists of 3 rounds, with the third round results being officially logged into the system. I am from a fitness background and so push ups and sit ups were very easy for me. But the running was a problem. The running category is for 3km. I got 2nd grade in the first round and 1st grade in the second round. To get Special Grade, you have to finish within 12 mins and 30 secs. For Elite Trainee eligibility, you must rank Grade 1 or above, which is below 13 mins and 20 secs. So although many people tried, most of them failed due to the running portion. Taehyungie hyung also kept getting Grade 2 in both the first and second rounds. He needed Grade 1, but his stamina but his stamina wasn't keeping up. That time he tols me, "I thought my stamina is great because I've been dancing for more than 10 years, but it hit me pretty hard to find it isn't like that." That's because Taehyungie hyung had a problem on his soles of his feet. There was even one time when his feet hurt so much that he couldn't keep running. However, in the final test even with his feet hurting so much, he managed to finish in Grade 1. So he said, whenever he ran, he could feel a shooting pain from his feet. So seeing him continue to run despite the pain in his feet was extremely impressive. (](https://image.24vids.com/tw-2060591789594247623/amplify_video_thumb/2060591730576244736/img/ne9VbWH6-RoOtkR9.jpg)
