Davide Ancelotti: My game in my words

Brazil assistant manager Davide Ancelotti sits down with BBC Sport's tactics expert Umir Irfan to discuss his coaching philosophy, inspirations and ideals. By Umir Irfan Football tactics correspondent Davide Ancelotti grew up immersed in football in a way few ever have. Aged six, accompanying his father and then-Parma manager Carlo to the training ground, the first player he remembers meeting was Gianluigi Buffon. "In football, it is difficult to say that one manager inspires you," began the 36-year-old Davide. "You take things from different managers.

You cannot forget Jurgen Klopp in the high pressing, in the triggers. "And all of these ideas have influenced my own identity as a manager. This process of creating my own identity as a manager is always an ongoing one. "I don't think a manager has to be one thing or another. You adapt to the players, and sometimes to the opponent, but you also need clear ideas on what you like as a manager.

"Today it is difficult to defend the last line with four. Davide continued: "For example, if this guy goes, you follow. Here they keep the high line but don't press the ball. Against Barcelona away, there was no pressure on the ball, but the line was high. "As a manager, you have to make your team understand that this block is now a transitory situation.

"Following a passback or a trap you set, for example, your players can go man-for-man." Listening to Davide explain his defensive tactics, I then posed him a challenge. Guardiola countered that by placing Bernardo Silva between the two Liverpool central midfielders with attacking midfielders on the left and right of him. The rationale was that if the central midfielders focused on Silva, the attacking midfielders would have space. "Yes, the best way to attack against a 4-4-2 is to create an overload in the centre," said Davide. "We demand a lot from the four players in midfield.

"At that point, your number 10 dropping back helps. We couldn't leave two players up top when defending. "That game finished 3-3. If you read his books from when he was a player in the 1970s and 80s, it was forward thinking for us right Brazil assistant manager Davide Ancelotti sits down with BBC Sport's tactics expert Umir Irfan to discuss his coaching philosophy, inspirations and ideals. Davide Ancelotti: My game in my words