Enrich argues that packing the circle is not intrinsically good, just a habit that spread after Australia in 2014 and Argentina at the Olympics started throwing balls in at five or six attackers. Keep a single striker in there and the free man must pick a side, opening space for a well-timed lead. An open circle also leaves room for midfielders arriving as a second wave, accelerations he finds hard to cover. Watch the full masterclass: Tactical dilemmas.
