Over the next 24 hours you will hear all the stereotypical clichés in football “form goes out the window” “it’s a battle of who wants it more” etc etc. This is a very arcyic view of modern day football, with the lush playing surfaces and players in peak physical condition it is no longer a “battle of the fittest” it’s a tactical battle played under extreme pressure, and no match in Britain if not the world comes close to the pressure of an Old Firm derby.

In a way you can throw form out the window as both teams have 100% records. Rangers have a slight edge in the goals scored column, but Celtic even that up with fewer goals conceded. This will be manager Neil Lennon’s second Old Firm in charge although last season’s meant very little as the title was already gone. Lennon is likely to pick seven players for their Old Firm debuts this could put a little advantage the way of Walter Smith’s side, all of Walter’s predicted starting line-up have played in an Old Firm game before and of course Walter himself has an amazing record in this fixture.

Rangers will most likely line up with five in the midfield 4-5-1 would possibly be Smith’s preferred formation for this fixture, leaving Kenny Miller to run the line on his own preferring to pack the midfield and hit Celtic on the counter attack. Celtic’s formation of late has been a fluid 4-4-2 with Antony Stokes playing wide right his instincts push him far forward leaving Wilson exposed at times down the Celtic right. This game will be won in midfield, it would be very surprising if Lennon picked Ki Sung-Yung and Joe Ledley in the centre of midfield putting them against McCulloch, Davis and Edu would be a very tough ask. More likely the Mexican Efrain Juarez will return to the centre and his stamina and hard working ethics combined with his ability on the ball would give the Celtic midfield more dig and bite and someone who can put their foot on the ball and control the play.

Samaras as he always does will drop back into the midfield looking for the ball, this will occupy McCulloch, leaving Maloney, Stokes and Hooper to take on the Rangers back four. Leaving Samaras time to create chances could be lethal for Rangers, although he is a very frustrating player to watch and many chances go to waste the Greek has unquestionable talent and eventually he will make you pay, it will be Lee McCulloch’s job to keep him under wraps.

In recent weeks Rangers have shown great ability to break forward at pace, Naismith, Miller and either Lafferty or Weiss will again look to capitalise on any loose balls Celtic may gift them and charge forward look to expose the weaknesses of Loovens and Mastrojovic at the back, the duo are untouchable in the air but can be susceptible against pace. Miller will play on the shoulder of the last defender looking for any sniff of a chance and how would he love to score a goal back at Celtic Park, giving the form he is in the odds will be short to see his name on the scoresheet.

Don’t let the tabloids fool you, tactics matter in every game, this match will be full of interesting battles at both ends of the pitch, the team that wins the majority of these battles will win the match.

This is the article I wrote for STV Sport before the match between Rangers and Valencia

After the dust settled on Rangers 4-1 win over Motherwell on Saturday, thoughts would have turned to this week’s opponents and early La Liga pace setters Valencia. A few hours after the full time whistle at Ibrox, Valencia were in action with the small task of taking on Catalan giants Barcelona in the Nou Camp and any fans who tuned in to cast their eye over their midweek opponents would have witnessed what truly was a “game of two halves”.

In a first half that consisted of Los Che taking the game to Pep Guardiola’s star studded side, dominating the play and deserving their half-time lead, Unai Emery’s team could have easily been held more than the slim one goal advantage. The second half was a much different story.

Pep Guardiola’s team talk worked a treat, with Barcelona pinning Valencia back in their own half for much of the half. A superb team goal finished by Iniesta gave them their equaliser, mimicking the movements of Kyle Lafferty and Steven Naismith earlier that day. Xavi’s pass sliced through four defenders and Iniesta applied the finish, making it 1-1 and later Carles Puyol left his defensive post unguarded to crash a powerful header into the net and give Barca a crucial home win.

The heroics of Cesar Sanchez in the Valencia net kept this game close, denying Villa and Messi countless times, but the defeat dropped Valencia down to third in the league after a bright start to the league campaign. There was, however, enough in the first half to show any Rangers fans watching that this is a team to be respected.

For many observers, this was supposed to be the season where Valencia fell away, the pressure to sell key players finally telling and seeing Valencia living in reduced circumstances, with results to match. David Villa and David Silva were the most notable departures from the Mestalla but Valencia also said goodbye to Nikola Zigic, Carlos Marchena, Alexis and Ruben Baraja. All six were regular starters last season, forcing Emery to utilise his squad to cover the gaps.

Predicting Valencia’s line-ups this season have been a job impossible for even Mystic Meg. In the league alone an astonishing 22 players have been used. Having two players in each position is a situation most clubs dream of, and for Emery to go on and use each player is a method seldom used in football these days.

In La Liga the manager has set his team up for the majority of games in a 4-4-1-1 formation, deviating slightly to 4-2-3-1 against Barcelona. It seems very likely he will use one of these formations for the trip to Ibrox.

Cesar Sanchez has been the only ever present so far. After spells at Real Madrid and Real Zaragoza, and the ill fated time at Tottenham Hotspur, the goalkeeper moved back to Spain at the tender age of 38 to make the number one jersey his own. Still playing at a very high level his performances have boosted the performances of the back four.

With Portuguese international Miguel out injured, Bruno will start at right back. He’s a tough tackling no frills full back, more defensive minded than Miguel although he sometimes gets caught out of position.

In the centre should be the pairing of David Navarro and Ricardo Costa. Navarro is more famous for the seven month ban he received after the much documented fight against Inter Milan, but he remains a no-nonsense, solid defender who is very strong and good in the air. His partner Ricardo Costa is one of Emery’s six new signings.

He spent half of last season on loan at Lille in France where he played at centre back and left back and has the ability to play anywhere along the back four. This positional knowledge helps out the defence no end, able to fill gaps left by the full backs he then has the pace to track attackers down the wing.

The choice of left-back on Wednesday could help determine not only how Valencia attack, but also could show a weakness that Rangers could exploit. Jeremy Mathieu and Jordi Alba have been fighting for the position so far this season. On Saturday against Barcelona both were picked to link up down the left hand side and though the original team sheet showed Mathieu at left back with Alba slightly further forward, throughout the game both swapped positions taking it in turns to defend and attack.

Emery’s decision to leave out Juan Mata made this selection possible but with Mata’s return on Wednesday almost guaranteed this leaves the kind of selection headache managers dream about.

Whether playing as a defender or a midfielder Mathieu is not scared to go forward and join the attack. Against Malaga and Bursaspor he was used in a defensive role but very often when the team on the attack it is no surprise to find him in line with Valencia’s forwards.

With only 11 minutes of the game gone against Barcelona, Mathieu (red) had already decided to break forward. Nearly on the shoulder of the last defender, with Alba (yellow) pushing up trying to release Mathieu down the wing, there is acres of space behind the full back which forwards and midfielders could easily use against them. In these situations the alertness of Ricardo Costa is hugely important.

Against Bursaspor, Mathieu did a fantastic job of controlling playmaker Volkan Sen though. Whenever the ball was played into his feet Mathieu was touch tight and he frustrated the Turkish international giving him very little time on the ball. When Valencia pushed forward looking for more goals though, Sen started to exploit the space Mathieu vacated.

A simple ball over the top caught Mathieu (red) out of position in one instance. Costa (yellow) had to come across quickly to close down Sen (blue) and stop the attack. In this situation Bursaspor didn’t do a good job in supporting the attack, as a darting run from any of the midfielders could have exploited the space left by Costa and easily have led to a great chance. Rangers’ midfielders will need to be alert when Costa covers Mathieu’s position, Steven Davis is wonderful at breaking from the midfield and as his thunderous shot against Motherwell proved he is also good enough to take advantage of any space given.

Unai Emery might decide to play Jordi Alba on Wednesday to keep things tight. Not picking Mathieu does however mean Valencia are without a player who has great aerial presence and is a very technically sound defender. The team would also miss his ability on the ball, his pacy breaks from the back and his aptitude for turning defence into attack very quickly.

Alba too has these abilities, although not to the extent of Mathieu. The young full back was extremely impressive while marking Lionel Messi on Saturday, showing he has the speed and the strength to keep up with one of the world’s best. His size could be his downfall though. Up against Lafferty, Broadfoot or Whittaker, Rangers would win the aerial battle giving them an effective out-ball. Mathieu at 6 foot 3 wouldn’t be as easily beaten.

Defensively, the full back area is one that Rangers could punish if worked properly, Valencia’s midfield worked very hard to close down Barcelona and win the ball back, with four midfielders (yellow) closely chasing the ball, and the defenders’ attention also trained on the ball.

This led to Bruno (pink), being caught in a central area, unaware of David Villa (red) pushing down the flank followed closely by Maxwell (blue). The majestic skills of Iniesta (green) beat the midfield and he was able to find Villa in acres of space supplying him with a chance to shoot on goal.

With Steven Naismith in good form recently, it is important he is wise to Bruno’s positioning and tries to use this to his and Rangers advantage. It is obvious Rangers don’t have the quality in midfield that Barcelona do, but the space is there to be exploited.

One of Valencia’s great strengths this season has been the pressure the midfield puts on the ball, turning this into countless fast break situations. Emery will likely play with a four in midfield, favouring a creative player to support the front man rather than playing forwards Aduriz and Soldado up front together. The latter, now fully fit after missing the start of the season will lead the line, the five players picked to play behind him will be the result of hours and hours of discussion and deliberation.

Nine players have occupied these positions so far this season, each bringing their own attributes to Valencia’s style and success on the counter attack. One of the first names on the team sheet will likely be Juan Mata, who was rested against Barca with the trip to Ibrox in mind.

Mata was let go by Real Madrid and signed for Valencia on a free in 2008 and for two years he has quietly been making a name for himself. Now out of the shadows of Villa and Silva this could be Mata’s breakout year. Undoubtedly talented on the ball, he has the ability to play off the front man in a creative role but seems to be more effective starting from the left and breaking into the box.

His excellent finishing abilities have led to 26 goals for the club so far and at only 22 it will not be long before the big club vultures are back at the Mestalla waving their chequebooks. Right now he is a Valencia player and one to be very wary of.

Whoever Emery picks to support Soldado and Mata, be it Pablo Hernandez, Manuel Fernandes, Ever Banega or Tino Costa, Rangers must not give the ball needlessly away in midfield or up front as many of Valencia’s goals this season have come from breathtaking fast breaks.

When Valencia go forward, regardless of their formation, there are always players in support. Against Malaga when it was 4-4-1-1 four players broke forward providing options left and right of the man in possession. Then, against Barcelona, while playing 4-2-3-1 a very similar break saw four players bombing forward giving the man on the ball choices and leading to the opening goal, Right midfielder Pablo (red) cut in from the right to get on the end of Mathieu’s cutback, Soldado’s run (blue) to the back post caught the attention of Puyol and Maxwell gave Pablo the space needed to apply the finish.

Another great example of Valencia’s strength in attack was the fourth goal against Bursaspor. With 14 minutes to go and already three goals to the good, Valencia won the ball back next to their own bye-line (red). Three passes and 10 seconds later, Soldado (yellow) found himself one on one with the goalkeeper and had an easy job to make it 4-0. It was a fine example of the counter-attacking style the Spanish team have shown so often this season.

Undoubtedly Wednesday night will be a very tough test for Walter Smith’s team, and if Rangers are to have a genuine hope of advancing from the Group Stage some kind of result will be needed. At home, the Rangers fans will want a victory and this pressure to go forward could fall straight into Valencia’s style and strengths. Rangers can’t afford to sit back and defend but caution must be taken when attacking in numbers.

HEERENVEEN V NAC BREDA

August 21 ^st

In a Eredivisie double header that consumed a train journey from Leeds to Glasgow and back again the second part was the meeting between Heerenveen and NAC Breda, both teams lined up in a basic 4-3-3 however there was a different style to each system, more on that later.

Before the systems could be evaluated NAC were 1-0 up, Jong-a-Pin charged out to meet a clearance, Leonardo reacted fastest and laid the ball off to Matthew Amoah (blue), Jong-a-Pin (red) chased back while the other defenders tried to slow Amoah down (yellow) they forgot to pressure the ball. Amoah had time to take his shot, usually meat and drink for Steppe in the Heerenveen net however he made a meal of it, somehow managing to palm the ball into his own net, not the best start for the home side only 44 seconds gone.

NAC started the game really well, both Amoah and Leonardo pressure the ball from the front, giving the back four limited time on the ball, forcing them to pass the ball back to Steppe and then winning back the long clearances, Heerenveen making it easy for the Breda team to keep the ball.

With time to look at the formations the home side played a very traditional 4-3-3 with 6 foot 4 target man Bas Dost flanked by wingers Roy Beerens and Oussama Assaidi, Beerens is very talented able to use both feet, he seemed to always want to take the defender on, in this case Robbert Schilder was the player in his sights, in the opening 30 minutes Schilder did well against the right winger, attack after attack Beerens began to gain the upper hand gaining success by coming inside onto his left foot, linking up really well with Dost and Elm.

NAC Breda’s 4-3-3 set’s up slightly different, it is even a strain to call it a 4-3-3, without the ball the away team kept organised in what could be described as a 4-5-1.

Amoah (red) continued to pressure the back line, Kolkka, Kwakman, Gudelj, Luijckx and Leonardo (all yellow) spread the pitch trying to keep the game tight, Luijckx is the deep lying midfielder monitoring the runs of Assaidi and Dost dropping deep, playing between the lines if you will.

With the ball however the formation changed when they had the ball, Leonardo (red) tucks in from the right to join Amoah upfront, Kolkka (yellow) comes off the touchline and joins Kwakman and Gudelj as the three behind the forwards, Luijckx (blue) remains the deep lying midfielder.

Leonardo showed more desire to get forward and join the attack then Kolkka on the opposite side, Kolkka tended to move inside and link up down the centre, so although it may have been classed as a 4-3-3 when it comes to positions on the pitch it was certainly a little different.

With Beerens and Assaidi starting to take control of the game it wasn’t long until Heerenveen draw level, with the attentions of two defenders on him the Moroccan was still able to get his cross in, a perfect ball towards Dost who held of Breda captain Penders and directed the ball past ten Rouwelaar.

The end of the first half saw Heerenveen take command of the game, giving NAC very little time on the ball, keeping tight on each player, Breda found it very hard to push the ball forward, NAC created very little after the equaliser.

The second half started very slowly, interesting in the second half that Dost starting dropping deeper in deeper taking on the characteristic of the “false 9” Viktor Elm began to get forward into the space more often linking up well with Dost and Assaidi, is was Assaidi that combined well with Beerens for the second goal, cutting in from the left after a neat one two, in an attempt to intercept Luijckx stuck out a foot and unluckily for the midfielder, his attempt did more harm than good, the ball leaving ten Rouwelaar sprawling across his goal in vain as they could only watch it hit the net.

NAC showed no attacking intent in the second half, a mixture of poor movement and passing, and great defending from Heerenveen meant it wasn’t long before the Friesland club wrapped up the game and the three points. Full back Youssef El Akchaoui had been in charge of the set-pieces for the majority of the game and although he wasted numerous good opportunities with 13 minutes to go he finally made one count, the ball was swung in from the right, played into the danger area, it was Dost again who took advantage, sandwiched between Penders and Gudelj he did very well to get his head to the ball and steer it past the keeper, another great use of his physical strength and heading ability, I’m not sure there’s anything the defence could have done to stop him.

A very frustrating day for NAC Breda after a fantastic start they died away after losing the goal and couldn’t find a way back, Heerenveen deserved the points, it was an impressive performance from Ron Jans men, Beerens and Assaidi will cause other teams problems.

EXCELSIOR v NEC NIJMEGEN

August 20 ^th

After being suitably impressed by Excelsior in their 3-2 victory over city rivals Feyenoord, and curious to find out if this was a one off result or could the small Rotterdam club rise to the expectation and take on the mid-table club from Nijmegen.

Excelsior set up in the same 4-5-1 formation that proved so successful against Feyenoord, their hard work and organisation caused Mario Beem’s side endless problems, not once did Excelsior struggle to contain their neighbours passing game, both goals conceded came through corner kicks.

For the first 20 minutes this Excelsior side looked nothing like the side that chased Feyenoord round the pitch for 90 minutes, NEC had the bulk of possession but without causing Cees Paauwe too many problems in net, Leroy George NEC’s new signing from Utrecht was very busy, always looking for the ball playing on the right of NEC’s 4-3-3, unfortunately for George; Excelsior’s Left Back Miquel Nelom just like he did against Feyenoord was on top of his game, for all George’s tricks and industry he very rarely found his way past the promising 19 year old.

NEC had 68% possession in the first half, the above diagram show’s Excelsior’s failings, NEC’s midfield had so much time on the ball, at no point in the first half did the Excelsior midfield put enough pressure to stop NEC freely passing the ball around the oppositions half, Schone, Zimling and Sibum never looked under pressure this gave George and Goossens space in behind to punish the defence.

Excelsior’s unwillingness to close the ball cost them the first goal, Goossens (red) advanced down the left with the ball was able to take 2 or 3 touches before putting in the cross, Belgian striker Bjorn Vleminckx unmarked in the box had no problem heading past Paauwe, a poor goal defensively to lose and a deserved lead for the away team.

The half time whistle could not come sooner for Alex Pastoor, He most have read his players the riot act during the interval, the “Sir Alex Hair Dryer treatment so to speak, The Excelsior side came on and started with a different attitude not giving NEC time to get into their stride again.

Fernandez the lone front-man was beginning to cause problems, running down each flank, he began to stretch the NEC defence, 8 minutes into the second half and one of his runs paid off, winning a corner for his team, the corner was cleared but only as far as the promising Jordi Clasie the 19 year old met the ball first time with a sweet strike towards goal, Babos looked to have the shot covered before Zimling stuck a foot out the ball wickedly deflecting into the net, disappointing for NEC after their dominance in the first half, however Excelsior had come out of the blocks flying.

Their work-rate and effort had been dramatically improved and, second goal was inevitable. You can see above two midfielders (yellow) closing down Lasse Schone (red), not giving NEC the time and space this half, Schone had to turn his back from goal looking for a pass, Clasie (blue) nicked the ball off the Dane, Clasie set off towards goal a 4 v 3 break for Excelsior, Clasie slipped the ball to Wattamaleo his shot was saved by Babos out for a corner, the corner was swung in and defender Daan Bovenberg got the run on Sibum his marker, left alone for a free header, Babos had no chance, the defenders 2 ^nd goal in 2 games and a deserved lead for Excelsior, plaudits must go to Pastoor for his TeamTalk.

A very scrappy 15 minutes followed, no chances or good football of note, a fierce midfield battle ensued, Koolwijk and Clasie impressive again for Excelsior, Clasie is small in stature but with a low centre of gravity and a tenacious approach on loan from Feyenoord learning his trade at the Stadion Woudestein, it’s hard to predict at 19 how well he will do, but it’s so far so good for the midfielder, NEC’s midfield is not without it’s charms Niki Zimling had a very good game, seems to fit the “box to box” description, hard in the tackle, not afraid to put himself about, and has the ability to pick a pass or make well times runs into the box, it was his midfield partner Lasse Schone that got NEC back into the match, all Excelsior’s hard work seemed to take it’s toll and the pressure on the ball dropped.

Lasse Schone (red) was not closed down by the midfield giving him time to turn with the ball, Vleminckx (blue) made a fantastic run away from the ball leaving the gap for Sibum (yellow) to make a lovely run in behind the defence, with time and space Schone plays a delicate ball over the top and Sibum’s low strike levels the game at 2-2. The run from Vleminckx shows the space between the centre back and full back, an easy gap to exploit, this leaves space down the middle for any willing runners, and Sibum did well to fill the space and deserved his goal.

Excelsior reacted quickly making two substitiutions, that decision would change the game, Jordi Clasie came off to a rapturous applause from the home support, Wouter Gudde came on to solidify the defence then Vincken was replaced by Roland Bergkamp, for all Fernandez hard work down the flanks his crosses were going to waste with no one there to get on the end of them. Bergkamp was tasked with that job, and it instantly paid off. Ryan Koolwijk hit a tame shot towards Babos the Hungarian could only spill it into the path of Bergkamp and he wasn’t going to miss from 6 yards, a shock lead for Excelsior.

NEC tried to fight back but the third goal seemed to kill their spirit then in injury time the game was put out of sight, with NEC pushing further forward, Gudde played the ball over the top, he found Fernandez unmarked and racing towards goal, jinking past the keeper he remained calm and placed the ball past two defenders and into the net.

4-2 the final score, in the end quite an entertaining game, two cliché’s fulfilled in the one match, if you have the lions share of possession you need to make it count, and it really is a game of two halves.