How Luton completely stifled Barnsley.

Some interesting tactical concepts used by Nathan Jones.

Luton won 0-1 at Barnsley in midweek, with Nathan Jones’ side putting in an excellent tactical performance to limit the hosts to only 3 shots on target. Here is a look at some of the tactical nuances that were key to The Hatters’ impressive away win.

1. Stopping the build up / forcing long

2. Stopping Styles

3. Stopping the Right

4. Stopping Woodrow

5. Gaining territory

6. Defending the box

Firstly, Barnsley have continued using their 3-4-3 shape, but this season there is more emphasis on building short and playing through than under Valerien Ismael last season. On Tuesday, Barnsley had 70% possession and attempted over 500 passes, which is a complete departure from what we became accustomed to last season.

Nathan Jones’ side allowed Barnsley to have safe possession in deeper areas in their asymmetric 3-2 build up, with LWB Callum Styles inverting to become a No.6 in the build up. Luton went for a lop-sided 4 man press against the 5 man build up to great success, not allowing Styles to become free and often forcing the ball back to the Keeper and then long, where Luton had a numerical and height advantage.

Luton’s shape resembled a 3-4-1-2, but this was extremely fluid as the RWB Bree was man orientated with Styles, whilst the LWB Bell protected the space behind, so at times the defensive line was more of a back 4.

The front 3 were tasked with pressing centrally and then sinking wide, especially on their left, to prevent Barnsley’s right sided overloads and to minimise the 1v1 situations between Callum Brittain (Barnsley RWB) and Amarii Bell (LWB). Mpanzu was tasked with sinking into a left midfield position to protect against the overload and this worked brilliantly as Barnsley attacks developed.

Luton’s shape against Barnsley’s left sided 3-2 build up. They were prepared to leave the ball far side empty, with the aim to stop Styles (8) and Benson (6). Note the shape resembles a back 4 with Bell (6) protecting space and Bree (7) man to man with the inverted Styles (8). Note Lansbury (4) man orientation with Woodrow (9) who likes to drop into the 10 space.

Shape in practice. The front 3 prevent the build up and Bree is man to man with Styles who inverts. The ball far CB (Sibbick) is left free.

Another example 5 minutes later with the same shape. As the ball is forced back to the GK, Adebayo presses whilst screening the CB, cutting off the angle. This forces long and Luton regain due to aerial advantages against the Barnsley front 3.

Jerome here presses whilst screening the pass to Kitching (5), forcing the ball inside where Bree has followed Styles extremely high. This forces a turnover and Luton regain in a dangerous position. Barnsley had no answers.

Turnover forced by Bree, who was a RWB only by name. His man to man orientation with Styles was key to stifling Barnsley’s early possession.

As the 1st half went on, Barnsley’s LCB Kitching stretched wider, causing a slight issue for Bree, who wasn’t sure whether to engage wide or whether to leave Kitching to advance. When Styles did have some joy becoming free from Bree, Luton’s players showed impressive awareness to block his passing lane, meaning he was usually unable to be found.

Here Bree has been forced wide by Kitching, who played more and more in the LWB position, with Styles inverting freely. However Cameron Jerome showed good awareness and blocked Styles effectively, forcing Luton backwards again.

Same example here. Barnsley aim to reorganise their 3-2 shape, with Kitching wide and Benson dropping into the back 3. We see Jerome screening Styles again, with the midfield 3 still in shape and Muskwe ready to press Benson if the ball is forced backwards.

So, even when Barnsley aimed to be more expansive to get Styles free, they still struggled due to Luton’s discipline. Luton were prepared to leave their left hand side empty, knowing that Bell had a good aerial advantage to defend long switches of play, and we saw this throughout, winning 3 of his 4 contested aerials.

Here we see a long ball forced, with Bell left 1v1 on the isolated left hand side. Luton were prepared to allow this from switches due to Bell’s aerial advantage, but they tried to minimise this when the ball built up on the right.

As we have seen, Barnsley aim to utilise Benson/Styles in a left hand side skewed build up, but as possession develops they aim to overload the right hand side, with Brittain a key outlet.

Due to Brittain’s running power and 1v1 ability, and his ability to cross, Luton preferred to protect the space on their left hand side and aimed to keep Bell deep, minimising the number of Wing Back vs Wing Back match ups. Instead, Mpanzu and Adebayo were tasked with moving into wide areas to engage with Brittain, whilst Bell stayed in the defensive line to protect the space behind and the central defenders. This generally worked very well and Barnsley’s combinations were limited.

The use of Jones’ wing backs was completely different on either side. Bree was aggressively man to man with Styles, whereas Bell was rarely man to man with Brittain, with space being the No.1 factor.

Bell deep, ready to defend the long pass into space, whilst Mpanzu engages wide with Brittain, and this allows Bell to stay deep.

Bell and Mpanzu in a deeper shape to protect the overload, whilst Muswke and Adebayo engage in the higher wide area. We can see the use of 4 Barnsley players in the wide right area, but Luton cut this off well.

Again, Bell remains in the defensive line, with Jerome more or less in the LW position here. Mpanzu deepens again and we see on the far side that Bree is still orientated with Styles. Luton can defend the overload wide and still retain superiority defending the box.

Another example here, this time Adebayo focuses on Brittain, whilst Bell is deep to protect the space. If Bell was engaging here, there would be space for the Barnsley 10 to run into, forcing the Luton CBs into wide space. One key element of the performance was that it allowed the CBs to stay in central areas, where they are most comfortable.

Bell deep, Abebayo and Mpanzu moving wide.

So, Luton stopped both the left hand side and the right hand side build ups, whilst also defending long balls with relative ease due a height advantages. Brittain and Styles were completely nullified throughout. Another key player, Woodrow, was stifled by Henri Lansbury who wasn’t strictly man to man, but he protected the 10 space well with good awareness and reading of the game.

When Woodrow dropped into that space, Lansbury engaged early, not allowing the turn.

Woodrow deep, Lansbury engages high and doesn’t allow the turn.

Woodrow drops deep, as he likes to do, but Lansbury is aware of doesn’t allow the turn. This is a slight risk due to the space vacated behind him, but Woodrow lacks the acceleration to burst away anyway, so this was a calculated risk.

Woodrow screened by Lansbury who generally blocked those out-to-in passing lanes very effectively, cutting off that option and forcing Barnsley long and straight.

On the occasions where Lansbury’s momentum shifted away from the pass, as we see below (due to a well disguised inverted pass from Brittain), a teammate is on hand to press Woodrow aggressively. The key was not allowing him to turn.

Lansbury expects the ball down the line, so does not block the pass into Woodrow who again comes towards the ball. However Kioso is aware to this and engages agressively.

Kioso reads and intercepts. Luton had far too much intensity for Barnsley throughout the game.

So Barnsley’ 3 key threats (Brittain, Styles, Woodrow) were all stifled extremely effectively in an attacking/ possession sense.

Another key element was the directness of Luton, hence Cornick not starting. Despite only 30% possession and 85 accurate passes, the Hatters gained territory well due to intelligent long passes, and the ability of the front 3 (Jerome, Adebayo, Muskwe) to retain the ball in isolated areas, to run the channels and the press effectively.

Due to the front 3’s effectiveness and the intelligent directness of Luton, only 27% of the game had to be played in Luton’s third (43% in the middle third, 30% in Barnsley’s third). Here's how they did it, forcing Barnsley’s front 3 to become very isolated in the process.

Early channel balls. Luton looked to play into the channel space behind Barnsley’s back 3, forcing them backwards into deep areas, gaining territory at the worst, and at the best creating chances behind the defence.

Early channel ball behind the defence. Once again forcing Barnsley deep and as a result, the front 3 became isolated from the “back 7”.

These long balls, although not direct passes, were effective due to the front 3’s running power and mobility, with genuine pace shown at times. This dropped Barnsley’s defence deeper and deeper.

These constant long balls end up puncturing the defensive line, and as we can see the RCB (Sibbick) is already deeper here as he expecting to have to defend the channel.

As well as balls behind the defence, there were accurate long passes into the front 2, with Muskwe and Mpanzu bursting forward for the 2nd ball very effectively. The key points here are 1) Sluga’s distance on kicks and 2) how deep this forces the defence.

Adebayo (11 aerials won) and Jerome (4 aerials won) both proved effective at competing for aerials. They either won them and flicked on, or made it very difficult for the defender to make clean contacts on the clearance.

Adebayo flicks onto the on runners.There are 7 Barnsley defenders in their own third from a simple Sluga kick.

Muskwe and Mpanzu showed great stamina and running power to connect with 2nd balls, with 2 good chances coming from this basic play.

Muskwe shoots from this simple routine. No goal, but 7 Barnsley players forced to defend their box.

Again, Muskwe gets into an excellent area. This simple tactic forced Barnsley deep, and the front 4 were able to attack the box effectively whilst leaving Lansbury + the back 5 in rest defence.

This directness continued to be effective deep into the game, and Barnsley struggled to gain momentum due to this. The physical power and the intelligence of the front 3 + Mpanzu was so important to the result, despite none of them scoring.

7 Barnsley defenders forced back against Luton’s 4 in the 75 minute.

Deep into injury time and there are still strikers pinning defenders with on running teammates. The shift was outstanding.

So, Luton gained territory with very basic tactics, made effective by excellent performances from the front 4. Their running power, intelligence and physical strength allowed Jones’s side to attack with just 4 against 7, leaving Barnsley’s front 3 isolated against the back 5 + Lansbury, meaning Luton were never at threat of transitions.

On the occasions that Barnsley were able to move into dangerous attacking areas, Luton defended the box with numbers effectively, with the back 8 (all apart from the 2 strikers) being instructed to sink into the box during dangerous crossing situations. This way, Barnsley had very few clear sights on goal.

8 defenders in front of the goal line. Importantly, Mpanzu and Muskwe had the mobility to defend their box, but also to contribute to the attacking directness, meaning Luton were never forced to defend deep for too long.

Again the back 8 defend the box successfully.

Luton did this resolutely throughout the game, but still posed the running power to force Barnsley deep more often than not. It wasn’t necessarily a backs to the walls performance.

So Luton’s 3-4-1-2 completely stifled Barnsley, limiting them to 3 shots on targets, and whilst there was some last ditch defending, that’s what you have to expect at Championship level.

Jones’ nuanced usage of the wing backs and the early pressing system was important, as well as the constant puncturing of Barnsley’s defensive line. Defending the box when they had to, whilst maintaining that running power, and nullifying Woodrow was key too.

An extremely impressive away performance from one of the most intelligent coaches in the League. Luton are extremely flexible and their squad is underrated, and with Jones at the helm they could do something special this season.