Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca reveals that his predecessor at Nottingham Forest, Ange Postecoglou, admitted he ‘hates’ using the back-five system he was forced to adopt before his dismissal.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has lifted the lid on a private conversation with Ange Postecoglou, revealing that the Tottenham boss has a strong personal dislike for the very defensive setup he surprisingly used in his final, decisive game managing Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has offered a fascinating insight into the tactical philosophy of Ange Postecoglou, highlighting how the Australian coach reluctantly deviated from his principles during his brief spell at Nottingham Forest.
Speaking in a recent press conference, Maresca recalled a conversation he had with Postecoglou at the LMA awards, where the topic of defensive formations arose.
Maresca noted that he had almost never seen a Postecoglou team utilise a back five system, a formation often associated with defensive conservatism and one that stands in contrast to the manager’s signature high-pressing, attacking style.
Maresca stated: “Four weeks ago, I was in London for the LMA awards and with me was Ange Postecoglou. We were speaking and I said: ‘Ange, I never see your teams play a back five, apart from the last 10 minutes of the Europa League final against Manchester United’.”
Postecoglou’s response confirmed Maresca’s observation, but included a crucial caveat regarding his use of the formation: “He started to laugh and said: ‘Enzo, I hate to play a back five, but because it was the last 10 minutes and we needed to win the trophy, okay, I don’t care, we play a back five’.”
Maresca then detailed the surprise Postecoglou sprung on him when Chelsea faced Nottingham Forest, which ultimately proved to be Postecoglou’s last game in charge:
“Then, when we played Nottingham Forest, he started with a back five! I prepared the game against a back four. So before the warm-up, before the players went out, the plan went in the rubbish.”
The revelation underscores the intense pressure Postecoglou faced at Forest, which compelled him to abandon his tactical conviction in an attempt to secure a result, highlighting the constant need for managers to adapt to unexpected challenges on match day.