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In the modern era of football, managers have deployed different approaches to their game style. While some have preferred the attacking approach, some are content with sitting back and hitting on the counter.
Truth be told, it is not assured that an attacking playing style ensures more success. Sometimes it does backfire when going full throttle to score goals. While a balance between attack and defense needs to be achieved, it is one hell of a task.
Some of the best managers deploy a defensive approach
There is no harm in relying on the defensive style of football as long as the desired results are achieved. Plenty of the not-so-strong teams have adopted this philosophy in Europe's top five leagues and made it difficult for others to dominate them. Sam Allardyce has been a master at it as we have seen the Englishman very often in the Premier League.
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Adopting a defensive approach involves team chemistry to be excellent and the manager has a big role in helping that. Some of the best managers in the world have adopted a defensive-minded approach and it has been successful for them. Antonio Conte is one such example but the Italian missed out on the list since he's not active right now. On that note, let's take a look at five of the top active managers to have the most defensive-minded playing style in football:
#5 Sean Dyche (Burnley)
Sean Dyche is a well-known figure in the Premier League. He started out his managerial career as an assistant to Malky Mackay at Watford. He was made permanent manager of the Hornets following Mackay's departure to Cardiff City in 2011.
Due to a change in ownership of the club, Dyche was let go despite finishing 11th in the Championship, the club's best finish in four years at the time. In 2012, the English manager was made the manager of Burnley and has been with them ever since. Under Dyche, the Clarets have been promoted to the Premier League twice and are now more regularly seen in the top division.
The former Watford manager prefers to play in a 4-4-2 formation. Along with the four at the back, the four in midfield are heavily involved in defending deep, allowing the opposition to play their game. That being said, Burnley have a very patient and resolute approach which makes it very difficult for the opposite team.
This compels them to play long balls in the box for which the Clarets are well trained. Burnley rely heavily on set-pieces to score and are known to score some scrappy goals. Given that Burnley have stayed up in the Premier League for five teams in a row now despite operating on a shoe-string budget, Dyche deserves a lot of plaudits.
#4 Unai Emery (Villarreal)
The Spaniard is a well-experienced manager and a real pro in winning the UEFA Europa League. Unai Emery has won the Europa League a record four times in his managerial career so far.
The former Almeria manager has managed some fine Spanish clubs in his career, namely Valencia, Sevilla and now Villarreal. He has also managed the likes of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Arsenal. Emery is a manager who likes to go into the technical details and understanding of the opposition.
He prefers to play in a 4-2-3-1 formation and has sometimes gone on to use 4-4-2 too. His team is set up to defend and press collectively, with two midfielders playing as a double pivot. Generally, his team doesn't mind sitting back and letting the opposition commit a mistake before exploiting it.
The Spanish manager's default system might be defensive but his team are very effective on the counter and can play some very direct football. Emery's Villarreal frustrated Manchester United in last season's Europa League final which went into a penalty-shootout. Eventually, the Yellow Submarines came out as the winners.
#3 Massimiliano Allegri (Juventus)
Massimiliano Allegri is a vastly experienced manager, with his managerial career entirely based out of Italy so far. The Italian managed AC Milan from 2010 to 2014 and then joined Juventus from 2014 to 2019.
He returned for a second spell with the Old Lady this summer. Allegri was strongly linked with a move to the Premier League but nothing materialized. The former Milan manager prefers to use either the 3-5-2, 4-3-1-2 or the 4-3-3 formation.
He prefers to adopt his tactics based on the players at his disposal rather than the other way around. Irrespective of the formation, Allegri prefers his side to have a compact shape and sit deep when not in possession. Despite this, his team have been very efficient in the attack. It is amazing how the Italian has won the Serie A six times to date and is most likely to achieve more with Juventus.
#2 Jose Mourinho (Roma)
The introduction of the concept of "parking the bus" was brought into football by the great Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese has been a phenomenal manager over the years and he has stayed true to his philosophy of winning at all costs.
Mourinho has managed some top European clubs like Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Inter Milan. The manager has frequently preferred to play in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Every player in the team is expected to contribute in marking the opposition and helping out their team-mates.
It is also observed that while the default formation is 4-2-3-1, his team shapes into a 4-4-2 formation while defending. The full-backs are supported by wide midfielders/wingers and the two central midfielders help out the centre-backs. Mourinho emphasizes a lot on the defending part and it has resulted in criticism of him in the past few years.
That being said, he has proven how a collective defensive effort can be fruitful. His Treble triumph with Inter Milan in 2010 is a great example of how a defensive-minded approach can bring out the best results. Of course, it does depend from team to team and season to season but it is an approach that cannot be written off.
#1 Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)
Diego Simeone has been an incredible manager for Atletico Madrid and it has been reflected in his achievements with the Spanish club. The Argentine has been responsible time and again for causing trouble for the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga.
The former Catania manager has won the La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey, two UEFA Europa Leagues and two UEFA Super Cups with Atletico Madrid. It is a phenomenal achievement given the quality of teams he has faced over time. Simeone prefers to use a 4-4-2 formation with almost every player involved in winning the ball back.
He likes his team to be compact and close the gap between defense and midfield on a consistent basis. The two central midfielders in his lineup are pivotal to their game-play as they are the ones who have to link up with almost every other teammate on the pitch. His team is known to be aggressive and sturdy in defense and can resist almost any quality of opposition from scoring.
With Real Madrid and Barcelona not being at their best lately, it will come as no surprise if Simeone wins the Spanish league with Atletico this season too. The most fitting acknowledgement of the Argentine's talent would be a Champions League victory, which has eluded him so far.
