The play styles of the new head coaches

Almost half the league has a new head coach this season

Author

Tom Harrison
January 10, 2025

Thought: Many teams don’t maintain a play style when they change their head coach. This can impact; the work of other departments within the club, the development of their players, and squad building, creating a greater need to spend money on signings that fit the new play style.

Profiling team and head coach play styles is an important part of the analysis process. There are many factors within a play style analysis, and different methods of separating game phases and moments.

In this article, I will present a first step of play style analysis, providing an overview of game models with and without possession. The scatter plot shows the results of a principal component analysis. This analysis uses a machine learning method to reduce a large number of metrics to, in this case, just 2 numbers. Therefore, we can visualize general play styles.

I have profiled Liga MX teams in Apertura 2024 and the new head coaches, based on their previous teams (using an average of multiple teams where possible). There are 4 general styles shows, taking into account the ideas in possession (patient or vertical) and out of possession (pressure or passive block).

This analysis doesn’t take into account how teams and coaches can adjust and change their approach in different matches. Generally, the teams located closer to the extreme points on the graph change less and have more specific styles.

Raw data from Wyscout.

Óscar Garcia | Guadalajara

It’s important to consider that Garcia’s previous teams have been mid-to-lower table clubs. However, it seems that with Garcia, Chivas will continue their change to a more vertical game model, that begun under Veljko Paunovic.

Garcia mostly used a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 with OH Leuven, but also played in a 3-4-3 as a variant. Given the amount peak-age midfielders in the Chivas squad, a system with a back-4 and 3 midfielders seems the most obvious option.

Antonio Mohamed | Toluca

Toluca have changed from a more dogmatic coach to someone more pragmatic. Renato Paiva mantained the distinct style that Nacho Ambriz created with Toluca, with high patience levels to build-up attacks and a more passive mid-low block in the defensive phase.

“Turco” Mohamed can adjust for different teams and players, but the expectation is that he will try to play a little more of an intense style, with and without the ball.

Nicolás Larcamón | Necaxa

Necaxa is one of many teams that, intentionally or not, are attempting a process to move to a style that’s more patient in possession and intense in the press.

Larcamón is known for his man-marking out of possession, and often uses a back-3 to allow his 2 “stoppers” to aggressively jump and mark opponents that move between the lines. With Alejandro Mayorga, Agustín Oliveros, Alexis Peña, Alan Montes and Emilio González, Larcamón has many centre-back options.

However, this Necaxa squad is much more used to defending in a mid-to-low block and play on the counter-attack. The adaptation process won’t be easy.

Analysis of 2 important factors for centre-backs that play for Larcamón. Necaxa’s centre-backs will have to adapt their play styles.

 Martín Varini | Juárez

A young head coach, at 33 years old, Martín Varini arrives at Juárez after just a 3 month spell at Athletico Paranaense.

Juárez have invested in recent seasons and have attempted different play styles, without finding much success or a clear identity. Los Bravos start Clausura 2025 second-from-bottom in the coefficient table, and Varini may not be given too much time to get results and improve their position in the table.

Varini has tried to have more possession in the past, but with Juárez we may see a more direct game model.

Gonzalo Pineda | Atlas

Pineda arrives at Atlas for his first coaching job in Mexico. Until now, his experience has come in MLS, with Atlanta United and Seattle Sounders (as an assistant).

His style isn’t too different to how Atlas played last season, but Pineda has attempted to build-up with a little more patience in the past. This style could be difficult to bring to life given the centre-back options at Atlas. Martín Nervo, Matheus Dória and Adrián Mora aren’t particularly strong in build-up and don’t have great ball retention rates.

Benjamín Mora | Querétaro

Mora returns to Liga MX after a spell in Canada with York United, whilst Querétaro change their head coach for the first time in 5 tournaments.

Mauro Gerk only won an average of 1 point per game during 2 and a half years with Los Gallos Blancos, playing in a very direct style, trying to exploit some aerial advantages. Coaching the lowest value squad in the league, we’ll see if Mora tries to play a more possession-based style or not.

Fernando Ortiz | Santos Laguna

Nacho Ambriz couldn’t create his play style with Santos, and now “Tano” Ortiz has the challenge of changing the results and creating a team that can dominate possession, with more pressing and effective ball circulation.

Ortiz has often played with wingers that come inside and occupy central zones, with the width provided by attacking, overlapping full-backs. The most obvious full-back options in the Santos squad (Bruno Amione, José Abella, Ismael Govea) don’t have the profile of an attacking full-back, so perhaps Ortiz will look to adapt a winger like Diego Medina, or use new signing Cristian Dájome (historically a wing-back or winger) in an attacking full-back role.

Pablo Guede | Puebla

Guede returns to Liga MX after coaching 3 different Mexican teams between 2019 and 2022. Whilst Guede obtained good results with Morelia, his team won more games than was expected given an xG analysis. After Morelia, the Argentine had little success with Tijuana or Necaxa.

His style has been consistent in the past, showing an intention to dominate the ball and the space, particularly with an intense high press and high defensive line. Guede’s game model is totally distinct to Puebla’s style last season, and having success with the players available will be a huge challenge.

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