Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro has told iDiski Times that he will try to be “innovative”like his compatriot Pep Guardiola.
The Manchester City boss has recently given defender John Stones a new role to overload the midfield and Riveiro feels this is doable because they are a team that likes to dominate games and adding someone in the hybrid role might make them even stronger.
In the second half of this past season, Stones has been playing in a hybrid role, adding numbers to twin up with Rodri in the midfield. This allows Ilkay Gundogan to play as the box-to-box midfielder, which has seen him score key goals in the last few matches, including two in the FA Cup final against Manchester United last weekend.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has also adopted Trent Alexander Arnold to the hybrid role, adding numbers in the midfield as a playmaker, providing those defence-splitting passes, which helped the Reds to win seven of their last nine games.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, who just like Riveiro and Guardiola was born in Spain, has done the same thing, pushing up Oleksandr Zinchenko from left to playmaker role.
The tactical switch can only really happen when the team is enjoying the majority of possession and since Arsenal, City and Liverpool do enjoy quite a chunk of that, it allows them to do it.
Because there is so much evolution in football, Riveiro says he might try something new to find an edge.
“Systems are now part of the past,” Riveiro told iDiski Times.
“Today football is about special occupation, numerical superiority and that is what we try as coaches. To the coaches like you mentioned [Klopp, Arteta and Guardiola], we are behind them, trying to see how the game is going in evolution.
“Nowadays, unlike 25 or 30 years ago, there is permanent evolution and as coaches, we are looking at creating numerical superiorities in certain areas and approaches.
“We will try to win games, no matter how. So why not [try it]? We are open to take risks to innovate here and there and it is always possible.”
